Quarry tile is a

building material Building material is material used for construction. Many naturally occurring substances, such as clay, rock (geology), rocks, sand, wood, and even twigs and leaves, have been used to construct buildings. Apart from naturally occurring materia ...

, usually to inch (13 to 19 mm) thick, made by either the extrusion process or more commonly by press forming and firing natural

clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4). Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay par ...

shale Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock formed from mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4) and tiny fragments (silt-sized particles) of other minerals, especial ...

s.American Society for Testing and Materials Standard ASTM C 242 Quarry tile is manufactured from clay in a manner similar to

brick A brick is a type of block used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a block composed of dried clay, but is now also used informally to denote other chemically cured cons ...

s. It is shaped from clay, and fired at a high temperature, ~2,000 F°.

Sizes and shapes

The most traditional size in the US is nominally 6 in × 6 in × in thick. Other common sizes include 4 in × 8 in and 8 in × 8 in. In the UK, traditional surface dimensions generally vary from 6 in x 6 in, to 12 in x 12 in. 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 8mm; by comparison, older tiles were rarely thinner than 3/4 in and could be as thick as 1 1/4 in thick. Additionally, modern tiles can be found in different shapes, such as rectangular.

Finishes

Traditional quarry tiles were unglazed and either red, grey, black/ very dark blue; however, modern "decorator" tiles come in a variety of tints and finishes. Industrial quarry tile is available with abrasive

frit A frit is a ceramic composition that has been fused, quenched, and granulated. Frits form an important part of the batches used in compounding enamels and ceramic glazes; the purpose of this pre-fusion is to render any soluble and/or toxic compo ...

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

countertop A countertop, also counter top, counter, benchtop, worktop (British English) or kitchen bench (Australian or New Zealand English), bunker (Scottish English) is a raised, firm, flat, and horizontal surface. They are built for work in kitchens or o ...

s, 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 Mastic may refer to: Adhesives and pastes *Mastic (plant resin) *Mastic asphalt, or asphalt, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid * Mastic cold porcelain, or salt ceramic, is a traditional salt-based modeling clay. *Mastic, high-grade con ...

. For both floors and walls, the joints between tiles are usually grouted with cementitious

grout Grout is a dense fluid which hardens to fill gaps or used as reinforcement in existing structures. Grout is generally a mixture of water, cement and sand, and is employed in pressure grouting, embedding rebar in masonry walls, connecting secti ...

. Grout joints are traditionally about inch in width. Matching trim shapes such as

cove A cove is a small type of bay or coastal inlet. Coves usually have narrow, restricted entrances, are often circular or oval, and are often situated within a larger bay. Small, narrow, sheltered bays, inlets, creeks, or recesses in a coast are o ...

s, bases, shoes, and

bullnose Bullnose is a term used in building construction for rounded convex trim, particularly in masonry and ceramic tile. Uses Bullnose trim is used to provide a smooth, rounded edge for countertops, staircasesteps, building corners, verandahs, or ...

s 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.

References

{{Reflist Tiling Building materials

Sizes and shapes

Finishes

Uses

Installation

See also

References