The word “ceramics” comes from the Greek word “keramos”, which means pottery clay. In Ancient Greece, Keramos was the name given to a large clay storage facility in Athens. In turn, the word “keramos” has an ancient Sanskrit root meaning burnt mixture. Therefore, ceramic technology has always meant the production of materials and products from clay raw materials followed by firing. Ceramic products are also called artificial stone materials, obtained through the process of technological processing of mineral raw materials and subsequent firing at high temperatures. Ceramic building materials originated as imitation of natural stone. The search for a less labor-intensive and cheaper material that could replace stone led to the emergence of facing ceramics. All ceramic products can be divided into three groups:
- BUILDING CERAMICS: brick, expanded clay, tiles, pipes;
- FACING CERAMICS: facing brick, tile, ceramic tile;
- ART CERAMICS: dishes and other products.
Let's take a closer look at the products of the cladding ceramics group.
Facing brick
In Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, along with stone structures, building materials such as brick were widely used. To give the brickwork greater artistic expressiveness, the front side of the brick was subjected to certain processing. To do this, two methods were used. Before firing, a layer of white or colored clay, called engobe, was applied to the surface of the brick, or transparent and opaque glass-like coatings were used - glazes. Such a brick used for the outer part of the wall is called face brick.
Tile
Tiles are ceramic tiles for cladding walls and stoves. Tiles can be smooth, embossed, glazed (majolica), unglazed (terracotta). On the reverse side they look like a box - a rump - for fastening to the masonry. There are holes in the box through which the wire is threaded, holding the tiles together. The tiles are attached to the masonry in the same way: the wire is inserted into the seams of the masonry and into the openings of the frame. During the time of Peter I, who was fond of everything German, tiles received the name “kahli” or “tiles” from the German word kachel (tile). This is where the modern name “tile” comes from, which is used today in relation to glazed tiles.
Ceramic tile
Ceramic tiles are square, rectangular or shaped plates with a thickness of 4 to 12 mm, consisting of a ceramic biscuit obtained from alumina with or without various coatings. These coatings are called ceramic glaze. The back surface of the tiles is grooved for better adhesion to the mortar. Depending on the technical characteristics and production technology, they can be used for cladding internal and external surfaces (walls, floors).
The article was based on the following materials:
“Ceramic tiles: a modern encyclopedia” comp. Sergeeva E.E. Estima company.
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Architectural ceramics
Architectural ceramics is a very common type of decorative material that has long been used in construction: facing slabs, majolica, tiles, glazed tiles and bricks, multi-colored terracotta mosaics. All these products in the article refer to veneer ceramics.
In Ancient Rus', from the 11th century, facing tiles covered with colored glaze, from which ornaments on facades were made, became widespread. The use of various types of finishing ceramics in Art Nouveau architecture has especially flourished in Moscow. At this time, colored glazed bricks, bright ceramic tiles, and majolica panels were widely used. Facing ceramics have long been used in European countries - Greece, Spain, Italy, Portugal, France. Suffice it to recall the famous ultramarine-white ceramic tiles, which have become widespread in Portugal and the south of Spain, in cities such as Valencia, Seville, and Granada. The greatest creations of Gaudi in Barcelona, black and white tiles and natural stone cladding in Funchal in Madeira and the richest painted facade ceramics in Greece. However, Italy can rightfully be considered the birthplace of modern ceramic tiles and porcelain granite.
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