Zellige Clay Tiles
Terracotta tiles shaped by hand from Fez clay, glazed and kiln-fired, then cut to size by hand. The tonal variation, pitting and uneven edge are the material, not a defect in it.
Carbon and evidence
How This Is Made
An Environmental Product Declaration is issued by a manufacturer against a declared unit. This record has neither, so it states sourced facts about process and provenance instead of a carbon figure.
Moroccan zellij; the workshops around Fez have worked the same clay and kilns for centuries
Process
Feedstock
Fired clay
Grey clay from the Fez region, hand-shaped in wooden moulds and sun-dried before firing
Process heat
Kiln-fired
Fired in traditional kilns, historically fuelled by olive pits and other agricultural residue. Firing is the dominant process energy, and no per-unit figure is held. Being hand-made carries no carbon advantage over an industrial tile.
Binder
No binder
Fabrication
Workshop-made
Sourcing: imported from Morocco through UK and EU distributors
Who Builds It
Specialist trade
Limited UK availability
Dimensional variation is significant — tilers used to calibrated porcelain will fight it. Allow generous wastage and a setting-out discussion
End Of Life
Monolithic
Bedded in adhesive; not recoverable as whole tiles in practice
Maintenance: Sealed grout in wet areas; the glaze crazes with age, which is expected
Specification Risk
What a specifier has to resolve before this can be built.
- Certification
- No EN 14411 declaration in most cases; slip and frost data are usually absent
- Fire
- Non-combustible
- Warranty
- Supplier warranty on delivery condition only; variation is not a defect
- Insurance
- Not normally an issue
- Supply
- Batch variation is real — order the whole quantity at once, and expect long lead times
Read This Honestly
- •Kiln-fired. Hand-made does not mean low-processing, and nothing in this record claims it does.
- •No EPD exists and none can: the tiles are sold by importers with no declared unit behind them.
- •Not the same as an industrial glazed terracotta rainscreen, which is a manufactured product with an EPD.
Design & Specification Notes
Terracotta tiles shaped by hand from Fez clay, glazed and kiln-fired, then cut to size by hand.
Typical Uses
- •Wet areas
- •Durable floors
- •Wall tiling
Key Performance
Durable surface for daily wear.
Watch For
- •Tone variation across batches
Approve blended mock-ups and order full quantity from one production batch.
- •Irregular tile geometry affecting alignment
Use experienced installers and wider joints with agreed setting-out rules.
Specification Actions
- •Provide kiln energy source declaration, EPD where available, and origin/provenance documentation.
- •Verify frost/water absorption classification and confirm low-VOC grout/adhesive specification.
- •Specify lime-compatible bedding in low-moisture zones where feasible to improve tile recovery during future refurbishments.
Indicative Health & Indoor Air
Inert ceramic surface with no off-gassing. Confirm sealers and adhesives meet low-emission indoor standards.
Products in this category
1 product from 1 manufacturer. Ordered by the evidence each record holds, never by commercial standing.
Specification
- Finish
- Hand-formed glazed terracotta, kiln-fired
- Service life
- 40 years