This will give the finished tile more strength and durability. Next, a second layer of sand and coarse cement is poured into the mould. In a flash, the mould was then removed and the base shaken a little, to help work out any air bubbles. This forms the ‘wear’ layer which is actually the top, patterned surface that we see.Īlthough he was working at speed, you could tell he’d done this many times before - not once did the colours overlap. Our artisan - and he certainly was an artisan - carefully piped in two differently coloured cements, just as you’d decorate a cake. The moulds have fine metal sections into which different coloured cements are poured into. Next, the mould is inserted into the base. First of all, the base (which is the shape of the tile) must be oiled - as if you're oiling a cake tin. Aside from the press (which looked pretty ancient) there wasn't a machine in sight.Įssentially, cement tiles are made by pouring cement into a form, squeezing this at high pressure and then leaving the tiles to cure. One thing was clear - this is skilled, artisanal craft. This kind chap showed us how he made hexagon shaped designs. They reminded us of over-sized cookie cutters and the end results were certainly good enough to eat! Take a look at the close up of this hexagon mould below - we'll show you how this is used next. These magnificent-looking moulds are used to create the different patterns. Natural pigments are also added to form various colours - we’re told that these are highly guarded family secrets… So here’s a pile of fine portland cement, ready to be mixed with marble dust and made into a tile. It goes without saying that cement tiles are made from, er, cement. It's part art, part science and the end results are absolutely fabulous! Anyway, without further ado, here's the age-old process in a nutshell! 1. Although he could only speak a little French, we managed to understand the basic process. For a tile aficionado like me (read - tile geek), this was heaven. Bemused by the two tourists in his factory, the manager kindly showed us how their cement tiles were produced. Knowing that a visual treat was in store, we pulled over and wandered in. Piles of sand or cement next to the road are a good indicator displays of patterned tiles are the giveaway! But finding them isn't necessarily difficult - just drive across Morocco and look for tell-tale signs. Most Moroccan tiles are produced by small family-run workshops that don't have websites, Facebook accounts or email addresses. If you're a fan - and why wouldn't you be? - then you have the French to thank they introduced the style and today, their colonial-era machinery is still used in the tile making of hotbeds Morocco and Vietnam. But actually, these tiles aren't the last word in contemporary style - instead they're handmade using techniques and machinery that hasn't changed for generations. With their show stopping patterns and on-trend bold patterns, cement tiles are an Instagrammer's dream. And as luck would have it, I only happened to stumble on a cement tile workshop, didn’t I? With my French-speaking wife by my side, we managed to converse a little with the manager. Whether you’re lost in the Medina or relaxing at a riad, nowhere else are you likely to see such exotic colours and vibrant designs.īut did you know that these swoon-worthy tiles aren't actually tiles in the traditional ceramic sense? In fact, most Moroccan tiles are actually made from cement! Sounds crazy, right? Well, as it happens, I found myself driving from the Rose City to the Atlas Mountains earlier this year. As anyone who’s visited Marrakesh knows, nobody does patterned tiles like the Moroccans.
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