A firm favourite with Australians who see it as a natural selection
for poolside surroundings, verandahs, entries and kitchen floors.
Known the world over, this durable material has played a key role
in architecture, particularly in Italy where Tuscan and
Florentine Cotto is still perceived as one of the truly elegant floor finishes.
Cotto is a ceramic material composed from a selection of clays shaped
and fired at temperatures up to 1100o C. The tiles are generally variable in
colour, quite porous and usually available in light pink to deep red tones. The
material in unglazed.
There are a number of Australian manufacturers of
Terracotta and it has to be said that our product is of a very high quality.
Poolside: A natural location for installation of one of the most proven
and durable ceramic tiles.
Terracotta is available in a host of different sizes and formats,
including hexagonal, octagonal and provencale. The traditional square tile is
normally 30x30cms. A modern trend is to combine say an octagonal
Terracotta with a 10cm tozzetti of glazed ceramic, marble or even granite, that will
provide a durable eye catching highlight amongst the field of
Terracotta tiles.
Terracotta provides a natural finish which is often utilised on entry
steps and pool surrounds because of the number of special bullnose, coping
tiles and step treads that are available from virtually every manufacturer.
Technological advances have witnessed the advent of presealed
tiles, however most Cotto is produced in its natural form. It is advisable to
seek professional advice about sealing and maintenance.
Technical Characteristics
Terracotta is now regarded as a thoroughly modern material that
exhibits low permeability, good compression, resistance to abrasion, weathers well. If
properly sealed, installed and finished, few materials can compare in terms of aesthetics.
