Determining the quality of artisan terracotta tiles

The clays that are used to create handmade terracotta tiles (and all the other elements in terracotta that are used for the decoration of the house, or in the actual construction phases) are millions of years old; in Italy, the most valuable clays are located in Umbria, Lazio, Tuscany, and Sicily.

How can we determine if clay is fine or not?

It is simple. One of the classic ways is to identify the amount of fossils remains trapped in the clay itself: the smaller the number, the better the quality.

But what actually means “quality” when it comes to terracotta tiles? And what are the major differences between those who have really good clay and who has shoddy products?

Let’s say this first: to the naked eye it is really difficult to figure out this difference, since with the method of “chalking” (with the drying and reduction in a fine flour) of clays – method that serves to reduce, but also to mask the impurities – the same clays are reduced to a fine powder and then knead again giving rise to a homogeneous product.

It is here, however, that you need the chemical examination of the clay, which producers are subjected to certify the product; in addition to the chemical analyzes can be requested certifications related to mechanical resistance (weight, capacity, stress resistance) and frost evidence, which certify the strength of the individual pieces in handcrafted terracotta at low temperatures and allow you to ensure that your new floor won’t break to the first frosts.

Obviously, only those companies with the best products may exhibit all the documentation mentioned above; Dryland is one of those, as obvious. With the certainty of buying a great product, however, could be the fear of price: how much can cost a hand-made product that undergoes all these checks before being placed on the market?

Even now you have to reassure yourself: it is true, the cost may initially seem high, but remember that now the terracotta is most sought after for its eco-compatibility, and even the market of cotto recovery (meaning that terracotta elements salvaged from other buildings) is flourishing, especially if that cotto comes from old buildings… in practice today by choosing handmade terracotta you not only have excellent aesthetic benefits, but the possibility to recover all of the current investment in the future, if not profit.