Tiles are elements that will never be obsolete in terms of decoration and renovation. Tiling has been making a comeback in recent years and comes in a variety of colours, sizes and styles. It embellishes and enhances your walls and floors with original touches. The Moroccan style tile called zellige, brings to each room of a house an authentic and oriental aspect. The zellige which is a better quality handcrafted earthenware is also attractive to better decorate the interior of the house with originality. You can find in stores or order online these Moroccan style tiles. Zellige tiles are the most consistent cement tiles and they are particularly easy to maintain and clean.
What is zellige?
Zellige is a ceramic tile that is hand-made from unrefined natural clay. This cement tile comes from the region of fez in Morocco. The clay is mixed and kneaded with water, shaped by hand, dried and finally fired in the oven. Then vitrified enamels are applied and melted on the biscuit in various semi-transparent, iridescent and metallic colours. It should be noted that each zellige is extraordinarily incomparable. Zellige, which originated in Mediterranean antiquity and the Middle East, is found in Arab-Andalusian architecture in Morocco. The intense shades and details of zellige are very attractive, they are very beautiful as tiles and are currently in a decorative trend. These glazed terracotta tiles, made in a manual and traditional way, are invading interior designers, see this site for more information. What is really impressive is to rhyme with the contrasts of glossy tiles and matt surfaces, or even with the multiple shades of colour.
The location of the zellige
The location of the Moroccan tile particularly requires a maximum of concentration so that the motifs can be appropriated. However, it is advisable to call upon a professional in this matter. The latter has a lot of experience in adapting modern techniques. The zelliges can be placed in any room of the house. They can be placed in the bathroom or kitchen to decorate the wall. There is no lack of ideas during the placement of zellige. Total look, mid-wall, around a bathtub, etc. it all depends on your taste. It is also possible to make zellige in different shapes. With their mosaic patterns, they provide a retro atmosphere to your interior or exterior ornament. Zellige is waterproof because of the enamel. It is therefore ideal for bathroom walls and kitchen worktops. On the other hand, it is not recommended to use it for the floor of a bathroom because it is slippery. Cut by hand in a completely traditional way, zellige can also be mixed in multiple formats. The patterned composition is recommended for laying on the floor to use more joints as anti-slip. You can decorate the edge of a fireplace and the kitchen credenza with zellige because it is heat-resistant.
Installation and maintenance of zellige
Zelliges should normally be laid without joints. For wall cladding, they are laid edge to edge, while for flooring, joints of 1 to 2 mm are useful. When laying wall tiles, it is advisable to start with the most visible wall corner in order to have a fully completed zellige. Double gluing is recommended to correct the thickness of the hand-made zellige. After installation, a slight repointing should be made due to the presence of slight differences in calibration. It is advisable to use a liquid joint so that the space will be so reduced and to be able to clean the tiles well after the application of the joint. It takes about 30 minutes to avoid leaving a veil on your beautiful mosaics. Once the installation is finished, the glazed zelliges will not require any special precautions for maintenance. The maintenance of the zelliges is only done with oily soap dissolved in lukewarm water. It is not at all advisable to use aggressive detergents such as bleach or hydrochloric acid.