Glossary of Terms

Firing

A step during the manufacture of ceramic tile using a kiln or furnace to develop desired properties through controlled heat treatment.

Terra Cotta Floor Tile ... porous tiles absorb moisture more readily and therefore stain more easily. Machine made unglazed quarry tile are manufactured by extrusion; forcing the clay through a die. Before curing and firing, the clay sometimes goes through a vacuum chamber to draw out any air bubbles. It can be difficult to tell some machine made tiles from hand-molded ones. The tip-off is a precisely scored back,...