There was a time when people loved to have wall paintings in their homes. Times changed and the trend changed to digital printing tiles. The people started installing digital printing tiles on their kitchen backsplash and bathrooms. Now people are moving towards a minimalistic option. Time flies and trends come and go. In this ever-changing world of interior decor, there is one design style that stood the test of time. The Moroccan tiles!
In this article, we will focus on defining Moroccan tiles and various other questions related to Morrocan style tiles; What really are Moroccan tiles? Types of Moroccan tiles? Are there any benefits of installing Moroccan tiles in your home? And in which part of the home do these tiles look good?
What are Moroccan Tiles?
The Moroccan tiles are hand-made tiles, first developed in the 10th century in the African country Morocco. The tiles were created by adding water to clay soil found in the city Fez and Meknes located in Morocco. After adding water the clay becomes loose and can be shaped into any desired shape. Later the clay is flattened to make sure there is no air bubble remaining in the tile and colors and patterns are added by hand. Then the tiles are left to dry to rid of moisture.
Earlier, the sun’s heat was used for the drying process. After they turned to the wood kiln. The wood kiln made the drying process much faster and the tiles were much stronger due to direct exposure to high temperatures.
Today, Moroccan tiles are mainly produced in industries on a large scale. Industrially made Moroccan tiles are made of ceramics or a vitrification process. Industrially made tiles are more durable, water-resistant, and stain resistant than the former. The authenticity of designs and patterns remains the same. The Moroccan tiles are versatile and can be used in any space of your home.
Types of Moroccan Tiles
There are mainly two types of Moroccan tiles:
Moroccan Zellige Tiles
The Moroccan zellige tiles are still hand-made using Miocene clay found in Fez and Meknes. Due to the labor-intensive process of making these tiles. The cost of tiles is much higher than that of industry-manufactured tiles. The Zellige tile works really well as wall tiles in living rooms and bedrooms. Zellige tiles come in various colors, patterns, textures, and colors. You can enhance your home’s interior with a Moroccan style interior.
Moroccan Bejmat Tiles
The Bejmat tile is made up of terracotta, which gives it a deep red color. They are first shaped into desired shapes and then fired in the kiln. These tiles are usually thicker and stronger than zellige tiles, due to this, zellige tiles are preferred for floors and external tiles and parking tiles.
What are the Benefits of Moroccan Style Tiles?
Besides having a classical look and versatile designs, patterns, textures, and colors there are other benefits. Let’s have a look into them:
Stain Resistance
Usually, authentic Moroccan tiles are not stain resistant. It must be glazed. When Moroccan tiles are glazed, it becomes stain and mold resistant. Moroccan tiles produced nowadays in the industry are usually Moroccan ceramic tiles or vitrified tiles. These tiles are fired at extremely high temperatures. And produced through the process of vitrification and they don’t require glazing.
Durable
Exposing the clay to a kiln makes Moroccan tiles highly durable. As mentioned above the Zellige tiles are better for walls and Bejmat tiles do a good job of protecting the interior walls of the bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom.
Can be Applied to Any Space
Due to the sleek nature and small size of Moroccan Wall tiles. These can be installed in almost any space in your home. Whether it’s a living room floor or some pillar on your porch. Moroccan tiles are an excellent fit for all places.
Affordable
If you are looking for classical handmade Moroccan tile design or texture. Then it can cost you loads of bills. With a lot of maintenance costs and non-uniformity in your Moroccan tiles design. But the Moroccan tiles made of ceramic and vitrified bodies have a uniform design and durability too.
Where You Can Install Moroccan Tiles?
You can literally install Moroccan tiles anywhere you would like them to be. But the thing to keep in mind is that there are different variations of Moroccan wall tiles that are needed for different places inside or outside the home.
Kitchen
The glazed Moroccan tile is the best option for any heart of the home (Kitchen). Moroccan kitchen tiles can make your kitchen appear bright and appealing to your eyes. Additionally, the Moroccan tiles are the perfect kitchen splashback. You can wipe the stains with just a wipe of wet cloth. (Oily stains may require soap water). Moroccan tiles can be installed on the floor and on walls too. Moroccan tiles can be found for both kitchen wall tiles and kitchen floor tiles.
Bathroom
Glazed Moroccan tiles or ceramic Moroccan tiles are one of the best options available if you want to give a royal feel to your home. These tiles are durable and water-resistant and come with a matt and rustic finish. The Moroccan tiles can be installed on the floor and on bathroom walls too.
Living Room
The living room requires durable, visually appealing tiles and should be stain-resistant. As it’s a high-foot place and it’s the first thing you see when you enter your home. There are numerous options available in the market that can make it overwhelming for you to select the right Moroccan tile for your living room.
Bedroom
If you are thinking of installing Moroccan tiles anywhere in your home. You should start with your bedroom. As Moroccan design represents royalty. If you trust and install Moroccan tiles, they can make your bedroom kingly.
Do You Need To Seal Moroccan Tiles?
If you are wondering whether you will require sealant on your Moroccan tile. Then the answer depends on where you want to install Moroccan tiles. If you are thinking of installing Moroccan tiles on the bedroom wall, then that area is not prone to damage or stains. You can have it without applying sealant. But if you’re thinking of having them as a backsplash in your kitchen or bathroom anti-skid tiles. Then you should definitely add a seal on your Moroccan tiles.
How Do You Clean Moroccan Tiles?
Cleaning authentic Moroccan tiles can be tricky. The tiles with Moroccan patterns on ceramic or vitrified bodies don’t need much work. You can clean them with a light rubbing of a wet cloth. Here is the step-by-step guide on how you can clean any variation of Moroccan tiles.
Mats Can Be Useful
The Mats in front of the passage can be useful for your new Moroccan tiles in two ways. It protects your tiles from small pebbles and stones that sometimes stick to your boot. Repeated friction of tiles with small stones can scratch your tiles. And mats can also protect your tiles from dust particles, reducing your headache of cleaning.
Use Gliding Furniture
It’s not recommended to use drag-and-drop heavy furniture or any heavy object on Moroccan tiles. It can make your tiles weak and can also form cracks, which are the ugliest things on the tiles. With gliding furniture, you can easily clean your floor without damaging your Moroccan flooring tiles.
Tips On Cleaning
Follow these steps and don’t let your Moroccan tiles get pale ever:
- Clean your floor tiles at least twice a day. And wall tiles 1-2 times a month.
- Use warm water with vinegar to clean your floor and wall tiles.
- If the stains are oily and stubborn you can add bicornate soda in water.
- Avoid using abrasives and hard brushes. It may scratch your tiles.
- Avoid the use of ammonia-based bleaches. Ammonia can weaken your tiles.
Conclusion
Summing up, Moroccan tiles were first created using Miocene clay in Morocco. The Moroccan tiles are versatile tiles that come in various Moroccan tile textures, sizes, patterns, designs, and patterns.
If you want to explore mesmerizing Moroccan tile patterns then visit our Moroccan tiles category page here. We have a wide array of Moroccan tiles. We assure you that we have the best designs that are popular in the market. We can deliver Moroccan tiles in Bangalore, India to your doorsteps. Feel free to give us a call and request a new quote today!
If you have something to say or anything to add, then feel free to leave a comment in the comment section.