Where does Saltillo Tile come from?
- Saltillo refers to the city of Saltillo, Mexico, just south of Texas.
- The clay is collected from the beds of a river in Saltillo.
- The clay is placed into molds using one of three methods:
- The “De Agua” Method: drops a frame into wet clay on the ground, and the clay is left in the sun to dry. This method ends up with part of the ground attached to the tile, and the tile must be sanded when lifted.
- The “De Golpe” Method: Less water, which means the clay is much harder. It must be rounded and pounded into the mold.
- “Pueblo” Saltillo Tile uses a metal mold, fewer imperfections, but has rounded edges.
- The tile is set out in the sun to dry video:
- Then it goes in a kiln
- It is shipped to US Tile distributors. We buy from Floor & Decor in Satna Ana.
Why do people love Saltillo Tile?
- Our customers who love old, Spanish style home decor, are very drawn to Saltillo tile. It has a very rough and rustic look.
- DenGarden.com reports that customers love that the tile is hand made, all-natural.
- The tile feels great on the feet. Cool in the summer, warm in the winter.
- It is easy to maintain and hides dirt.
Why is it difficult to work with?
- Discolor & chips: These are handmade, so they are imperfect. Each tile looks slightly different from the other. Some pieces may appear a little chipped.
- Size variation: Because every tile is different, you cannot use spacers to float and lay the tile. It must be done by the naked eye.
- Grout: Grout lines will vary because of the uniqueness of every single piece of hand made tile. Grout lines are also much thicker with Saltillo Tile. Finally, because each tile is uniquely made, the thickness, weight changes… this means the texture, weight, and consistency or the mortar and cement changes throughout the job as well. This also opens the project up to air pockets.
- The sealed/unsealed conversation: Our tile comes with a coat of sealant from Mexico. We will usually add, at least, another coat after install. The ceramic is very porous and will absorb coffee and wine stains, which is why at least another coat is necessary. This will add a little bit of a shine. Sometimes people don’t like the fact that it’s not shiny. Sometimes they do. Talk with your contractor about your specific vision for your Saltillo tile install.
How do you take care of your tile after it’s installed?
- The floors can be swept, mopped, and vacuumed.
- Saltillo tile can be cleaned using water alone… You can add natural stone and grout cleaner, such as StoneTech if you want. But any chemicals should be pretty diluted.
Don’t let the intricate details and personality of the tile keep you away from diving in. Gold Coast Construction has a team of experts who can walk with you every step of the way of your install.
A few words from the homeowners…
“I have a friend, who first used Gold Coast to do her bathroom, and she ended up redoing her whole house. I asked her who she used, and she referred me to Gold Coast. The cabinets were in bad shape. Yea, it was bad. We had one lighting fixture on the ceiling that collected bugs. The floor always looked dingy, it was white… the entryway was a doorway. So getting in the kitchen was difficult because of the refrigerator.
The demolition was really really quick. And it was clean. They sealed off the doorway, which helped tremendously.
I’ve always liked Saltillo Tile. I think what we were going for in our kitchen was what our preferences were, rather than what the current trends are because I think we’ll like it longer. I always wanted saltillo tile, and now we have it. But we perked it up a little bit with the accent tile. And used the same motif with our backsplash.
And I think it came out incredibly well. Just absolutely, just beautiful.
I think it’s a timeless look. We always had the yellow wall, I painted the wall years ago. But this color is not as glaring. Now we have a more subdued gold. I like the backsplash. Of course, I like the counters. That’s one thing I knew I wanted to be this particular counter. And the arch. I like the arch. The accents. The design, most of it is pretty geometric. But the veins in the countertops, kinda add some fluidity as well as the different designs.
I think it’s a nice contrast, to have splashes of color here, and everything else very geometrical and clean, and that’s appealing to me.
Excellent. Everything was done, efficiently, looked great. Rob did an excellent job. I couldn’t praise that guy ore. He was an artist. He did a lot of cutting for tile on the floor and did extra work on the floor. He was great.
We definitely felt comfortable with Joey that’s what made the whole experience for us Joey always said we’ll take care of you well make it good there was never any push back it was always we will take care of you and do whatever we can to make you happy. He was always a gentleman, always honorable. Always accommodating, over accommodating, he came and helped us move the fridge and the stove, so we can’t say enough about that.”
If you are into Saltillo Tile and looking to learn more, watch this video by our Tile Artist, Scotty. He will walk you through ALL the ins and outs about Saltillo Tile Installation.
If you are a homeowner, looking for some Spanish style kitchen inspiration, look no further than our customer’s testimonial about what their experience was like, working with Gold Coast. We are always excited to help our homeowners achieve their dream kitchens. Stop waiting to pursue yours. Call us today for your free, in-home, no-obligation estimate.
Tile featured in the job: https://www.flooranddecor.com/saltillo-tile/super-sealed-saltillo-tile-915100333.html