Founded in 1986, Fireclay Tile is a leading manufacturer of sustainable glass and ceramic tile that is based in San Jose, California. Fireclay creates 100% of its own product from locally sourced and recycled materials and produces its lead-free glazes in-house. All of its product lines can contribute to achieving LEED certification.
Earlier this year, Fireclay Tile launched its Cuerda Seca line of custom ceramic tile that can be designed by anyone with access to the online “Color It” tool. Starting from a selection of more than 150 unique template designs that have been inspired by Mexican and Moroccan patterns and other geometric patterns, customers can choose from eighty lead-free glaze colors and paint tiles to match their decor.
Custom Cuerda Seca tiles are produced using a proprietary wax resist technique that prints a black outline over a tile from their Debris Series Recycled Ceramic Tile collection. Artisan ceramicists then hand-glaze the colors that have been chosen by the customer. Tiles are shipped within four weeks. In further show of a commitment to sustainability, Fireclay Tile packaging and shipping processes uses recycled materials, carbon shipments are offset using CarbonFund, and pallets are salvaged from local companies.
Fireclay Tile manufactures the majority of its products in the United States, priding itself on innovation and the development of new ceramic technologies that preserve “old world” methodologies. Product lines include Debris Series Recycled Tile, Vitrail Series Handmade Tile, Crush Recycled Glass Tile, Glazed Thin Brick, Express Series Quickship Tile, Cuerda Seca Handpainted Tile, and Handmade Decorative Tile.
Debris Series and Express Series are made with recycled materials that are found in the Bay Area, including post-consumer waste glass, post-consumer granite dust, post-consumer spent abrasive particles, locally sourced recycled porcelain, and local clay from the Sierra foothills.
Several videos on the company website tell the story of Fireclay Tile and provide visual information about the products, including a step-by-step explanation of the manufacturing process and a demonstration of the production of Cuerda Seca tiles.
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