These beautiful tiles are referred to by many names, including Cement Tile, Encaustic Tile, Hydraulic Tile, Cuban Tile, Moroccan Tile, Spanish Tile, Portuguese Tile, Patterned Tiles and variations of the above. They are most commonly known as Encaustic Cement Tile.
Encaustic cement tiles have been produced since the 1850’s throughout the Mediterranean, including France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and old European colonies of northern Africa, Latin America and Indochina. Today, these countries continue to be the predominate makers of these tiles.
These tiles do not use clay, are not glazed nor fired like ceramics. They are hydraulically pressed and cure naturally with time. Three layers form the tile, using a combination of cement, sand, marble dust and natural mineral pigments sourced from around the world. They are made the same way today as they were in days past by skilled artisans who have passed on their trade through generations. Each tile is made individually, where the utmost care and exceptional attention to detail is provided to every tile produced for Rever Tiles.
The tradition of the encaustic cement tile is to create an interlocking design that comes to life across four tiles when each of the tiles are rotated 90 degrees. A reverse pattern is also created which is what makes these tiles so alluring.
The surface of the tile is muted, matte and silky by touch, each one ever so slightly different to the next. The variegated colours only enhance the beauty of the tile, this along with a myriad of designs, make them one of todays most sought-after tile.
