Decorative Talavera Tiles from Mexico

Decorative talavera tiles are made in Mexico and Spain. They are usefull for rustic home improvement utilized by certain architects for adding Southern flavor to home interiors. The talavera tiles with hand painted patterns are handcrafted of red clay in Dolores Hidalgo. Available sizes are 2x2, 4x4 and 6x6 inches. The last two examples are the most common and in the largest demend among our clients. Ocassionaly, we are asked whether they are resistable and durable. Our anwsers is always the same. Look at public and sacral builsings around Latin America. Some of them were constracted during conquest period and the ceramics looks great after so many years past. Since they were fabricated using the same production technique we employ today, there very high probability that they will servive hundrads of years. Perhaps longer than average US built wood frame structe.

Use of Talavera Tiles for Decortating

There are many spaces in a house or condominium apartment for talavera tiles use. You can have them decorating with handmade tiles foyer stair risers, kitchen backsplash or bathroom and shower walls. Since ceramic from Mexico is water resistant, there is no problem with using them submerged in swimming pools, saunas and fountains. In low traffic rooms among others terases and patios covered with a roof, I saw them decorating larger pavers as Southeastern accents. Some buyers liked folk style consisting of lizards, flowers, girasols and suns while their nighbours prefered hacienda paintings typical for colonial period. Some additional ideas about where to use Mexican tiles can be views on the post we have written some time agol

Handmade Tile Characteristics

It is important to remember that tile made of talavera are manualy cut. It is highly possible that they will differe in shape and dimensions one from the other. To work with those descipences, you or your setter needs to leave substential distances separating those rustic tiles so the the visual look of the entire wall looks good afterwords. It is not recomended to install them touching each other. Then, filling up the areas between them requires sanded grount. It is much stronger and will not crack.

One of characteristics of mexican talavera tiles is crazing. Shortly after finishing their installation, glazed surface is going to develop small cracs. You can even hear them when they are occuring. It is normal for talavera and makes the tiles looking antique though they are brand new. There are ways of making the effect more or less visible. To have the ceramic wall apearing vintage consider contrasting cement. To hide the hazing apply similar to the tile background color filler.