Did you know that we regularly produce 3 different styles of Saltillo Mexican tiles? That’s right! The three styles are: (1) Traditional Saltillo tile (2) Manganese Saltillo tiles and (3) Antique Saltillo tiles. The differences between these 3 variations are discussed in detail below.
The three different styles are manufactured from the same clay. This is Saltillo riverbed clay found in ONLY Saltillo, Coahuila Mexico. It has the reputation of being a very durable clay that lasts lifetimes. This is why saltillo tile flooring is an ideal material for homes and businesses All three variations of saltillo are handmade by our artisans in Mexico. The tiles will include all of the normal attributes of saltillo including: chips, hairline cracks, paw prints, and size and color variations. No matter which style of saltillo you purchase, no two tiles are the same. Each is different and unique with its own story from the hands of the people of Mexico.
TRADITIONAL SALTILLO is also know as Terracotta tile or Terra Cotta tiles. This is the most authentic, oldest version of these Mexican floors. The color variations found in this terra cotta flooring ranges from Terracotta reds, golden, orange, and lighter shades of yellow or cream. Traditional Saltillo flooring is available in Super (rounded edges) or Regular (squared edges, not cut) and also in a Sealed (with 5 coats of penetrating sealer applied, most popular choice) or Unsealed (raw clay, very pastel in color). The texture of this tile is relatively smooth as it has been hand-pressed in production.
MANGANESE SALTILLO is essentially the same as traditional terracotta tiles. However, in the manufacturing process, Manganese Dioxide powder is added to the wet clay and mixed in well. In this process, it turns the clay varying shades from light and dark browns, terra cotta, and will have some very dark swirling throughout some of the tiles. The end result is a more brownish floor rather that a terra cotta colored floor. Manganese Saltillo flooring is available in Super (rounded edges) or Regular (squared edges, not cut) and also in a Sealed (with 5 coats of penetrating sealer applied, most popular choice) or Unsealed (raw clay, very pastel/gray in color). The texture of this tile is relatively smooth as it has been hand-pressed in production.
ANTIQUE SALTILLO tiles are most different from the traditional or manganese variations. These are Textured tiles that have been scraped on the surface to provide for a more “worn” appeal. They’re considered to have an Old World look. In terms of coloration, these clay tiles are traditional saltillo colors (terra cotta reds, yellow, oranges) but the Manganese Dioxide powder and our secret ingredient have been added to the surface texture and sealed into the clay. This process darkens the tiles to look “old”. Antique Saltillo tiles floors are absolutely beautiful indoor and outdoor. Because they are a textured tile, they’re ideal in areas where slipping may be of concern. To have the old world look, they are only available in the sealed option. On occassion, we have clients request these tiles unsealed and the end result is basically a textured saltillo that can be sealed or unsealed.
Lastly, any of these three styles of Mexican floor tiles can be created in any of our shapes and sizes. To see ideas about how the floors might look in your home or business, visit our Saltillo Tile Installation Photos Gallery. Contact us for a quote on any of these variations!
Did you know that we carry a top of the line painted ceramic Talavera tile? Talavera simply refers to a painted tile. In the world of Mexican tiles, there are 3 qualities of these beautiful accent tiles: A (Talavera Superior), B (Talavera Excellente), & C (Regular Talavera).
“A” is what we consider to be the best quality talavera on the market. This is our Talavera Superior tile and there is nothing like it to be found. In our many travels to Mexico looking for the best decorative tiles available, we stumbled into Delores Hidalgo…home of the artisans who paint talavera tiles. In this beautiful town, there is only 1 manufacturer who creates this Talavera Superior. It’s a high relief texture tile in the decorative designs. The solid painted tiles are available in matte or gloss finishes. These ceramic painted tiles are strong enough to be used as floor tiles though most of our customers purchase them for decor in bathrooms, kitchens, and more. The gloss finishes are water-resistant and frost proof. You can contact us for a sample order if you see something you like on our website.
” ”B” is a secondary quality Talavera tile and one that we call Talavera Excellente! If we compare this to a model of a car…quality “A” is considered a Bentley while quality “B” is considered an Escalade! While it might not be as superior as our Talavera Superior, this is still a top of the line tile at nearly HALF the price of Talavera Superior. Any of the talavera painted tiles you see on our website, can be offered in this line – Talavera Excellente! These versions may have slightly different colorations than what is shown on our website but the high relief tiles, matte finish tiles, and glossy tiles are all available.
” Lastly, quality “C” is a type of talavera that we do not offer. This Regular Talavera is readily available on the market in many places and it can be found for very inexpensively. We used to carry this type of talavera but we had many qauality control issues. These tiles are typically very thin, brittle, chipped, and bowed in shape. Often shipping these resulted in damage due to their poorer quality nature.
” If you’re in the market for beautiful colorful decor, consider Talavera tiles for your home or business. Contact us today with a quote and visit our Mexican tiles online here! Custom designs are also available.
Did you know that here at STSC, it’s January SEALER month? With any 500 square feet or more purchase of saltillo tiles or cantera pavers, you will receive 1 gallon of our WB top-coat floor sealer FREE! In additon to a FREE mexican tile sealer, we are also offering a 15% discount on any hammered Copper Light Sconce! What a way to start off the new year with great bargains!
Why do you need to seal your tile flooring? Though most of you will purchase our presealed saltillo tile or architectural stone tiles, it is still recommended that a final coat of sealer be applied to the tile. The presealed terra cotta tiles have 5 coats of a penetrating sealer already applied to the clay floor but you will want a top-coat protective layer to provide scratch-resistance, UV protection, water-resistance, and other qualities to your floor tiles. Once your flooring tile has been fully installed, grouted, cleaned, and is thoroughly dry, it’s time to apply 1 final thin coat of sealer. Check here for our Sealer options. With a good quality top coat saltillo sealer like our WB or GREEN floor sealers, your terracotta tile or cantera tiles will be virtually maintenance free for several years. It’s a great way to protect your flooring investment at a very low cost.
Lastly, we produce some fabulous quality Copper Light fixtures. Check them out here! In an effort to continuing growing this part of our business, we are offering a 15% discount on our Wholesale prices for the Copper Sconces. This is a real bargain! This offer is good with ANY purchase of our Saltillo Mexican tile, any of our Talavera, Tile sealer, or any of our Cantera architectural stone. Contact us today!
Did you know that we can create almost anything out of Cantera Stone? Cantera is a beautiful stone that we import from quarries in Mexico. It is available in a variety of colors and is comparable to Limestone. This material is handcarved to produce exquisite pieces like: cantera tiles and Mexican pavers, Cantera Columns, Stone fireplaces and window surrounds, beautiful stone birdbaths, flower pots, and some of our most recent projects includes dynamic Cantera hoods and Stone fountains!
Because this material is highly customized, call us today to get advice or to request photos of concepts. If you are in the process of renovation or construction, Cantera stone is a wonderful application for many styles: Tuscan style, Mediterranean looks, Hacienda-style decor, and many more. Most commonly used are cantera stone columns.
Cantera tile and pavers make great outdoor floor tiles with or without sealer. The basic stone can be sealed to richen the floor color or it can be left raw and natural. Cantera pavers are thermal and can have texture. This makes it an ideal outdoor floor tile to be used around pools, restaurants, and areas exposed to heat or water.
Call us today for design ideas or rate quotes on our many colors of Cantera.
While it has been available since the dawn of saltillo tile production, Manganese Saltillo tile can be difficult to find. Manganese Saltillo is the exact same tile as normal Saltillo tile. However, when the clay is wet, an element of Manganese is added to the clay.
This manganese substance turns the clay varying shades of brow, gray, swirls with charcoal shades. There is normal color variation with manganese tile. This variation (as seen on photos in the installation gallery) will allow some shades of the normal saltillo terracotta colors to show through while blending in an overall brown color scheme.
Manganese Mexican tile is slightly more expensive than normal saltillo tile. However, for those people who desire the neutral colors of Manganese, this is a good solution and alternative to staining your saltillo tile brown. Any of our sizes and shapes of saltillo tile can be made into manganese upon request.
To request a quote, please contact us.
