Quarry tile
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Quarry tile is a building material, usually Page Template:Fraction/styles.css has no content.1⁄2 to Page Template:Fraction/styles.css has no content.3⁄4 inch (13 to 19 mm) thick, made by either the extrusion process or more commonly by press forming and firing natural clay or shales, at a high temperature, about 2,000 °F (1,000 °C).[1][2] and fired at a high temperature, about 2,000 °F (1,000 °C).[3] Quarry tile is manufactured from clay in a manner similar to bricks.[3]
Sizes and shapes
The most traditional size in the US is nominally Page Template:Fraction/styles.css has no content.6 by 6 by 1⁄2 inch (15.2 cm × 15.2 cm × 1.3 cm) thick. Other common sizes include 4 by 8 inches (100 mm × 200 mm) and 8 by 8 inches (200 mm × 200 mm).
In the UK, traditional surface dimensions generally vary from 6 by 6 inches (15 cm × 15 cm), to 12 by 12 inches (30 cm × 30 cm). Such tiles, given the generally local and non-standardised production, commonly vary between those dimensions, but rarely stray outside of them.
Modern quarry tiles are generally thinner than their historic counterparts, sometimes as thin as Page Template:Fraction/styles.css has no content.5⁄16 inch (7.9 mm); by comparison, older tiles were rarely thinner than Page Template:Fraction/styles.css has no content.3⁄4 inch (19 mm) in and could be as thick as Page Template:Fraction/styles.css has no content.1+1⁄4 inches (32 mm) thick.
Additionally, modern tiles can be found in different shapes, such as rectangular.
Finishes
Traditional quarry tiles were unglazed and either red, grey, or black/very dark blue; however, modern "decorator" tiles come in a variety of tints and finishes. Industrial quarry tile is available with abrasive frit embedded in the surface to provide a non-slip finish in wet areas such as commercial kitchens and laboratories.
Uses
Quarry tile is extensively used for floors where a very durable material is required. It can be used either indoors or outdoors, although freeze-resistant grades of tile should be used outdoors in climates where freeze-thaw action occurs. Quarry tile is used less often as a wall finish and is occasionally used for countertops, although the wide grout joints can make cleaning of countertops difficult. Most commercial kitchens require a quarry tile to be used because of its slip resistant and non-porous properties.
Installation
For floors, quarry tile is usually set in a thick bed of cementitious mortar. For wall applications, it can be set in either a thick bed of cementitious mortar or a thin bed of mastic. For both floors and walls, the joints between tiles are usually grouted with cementitious grout. Grout joints are traditionally about Page Template:Fraction/styles.css has no content.3⁄8 inch (9.5 mm) in width. Matching trim shapes such as coves, bases, shoes, and bullnoses are available to turn corners and terminate runs of the tile.
For traditional/historic applications, tiles were generally laid in lime mortar, doubling as grout, and with very fine grout joints (sometimes butted without joints, similarly to mosaic tiles).
Due to the typically square shape, quarry tiles were historically, and still today, restricted to either square or diamond patterns.
See also
References
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- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Ceramic Tile glossary of terms". Archived from the original on March 20, 2014. Retrieved February 21, 2014. National Tile Contractors Association
- ^ American Society for Testing and Materials Standard ASTM C 242
- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."What Is Quarry Tile". Metropolitan Ceramics. 9 April 2021.
