From the Latin, Tegula (fired clay used to cover roofs)
Tiles – from the Latin, Tegula (fired clay used to cover roofs) – loosely refers to any processed material installed to protect and/or decorate a surface – such as floors, roofs, walls, sidewalks, ceilings and even table-tops. They come in a plethora of sizes and can be made out of practically anything: stone, cork, metal, onyx, granite, wood, terracotta and glass just to name a few. They also serve a variety of purposes. As long as there is a surface, there are you can cover it. You can even be creative and use tiny ones of varying sizes and material – referred to as Tesserae – to make majestic murals or intricate floor designs or art. The most commonly used ones in home building would be those made out of Ceramic, Porcelain and Vinyl.
HISTORY
The Ishtar Gate in the Pergamon Museum, Berlin
An Elamite Ziggurat called Chogha Zanbil in modern day Iran recorded the earliest use of Tegula in 1250 BC. Later in 575 BC, King Nebuchadnezzar II constructed a gate made out of glazed brick in Babylon, dedicated to the goddess Ishtar. The gate is a part of the Walls of Babylon making it a part of the original Seven Wonders of the World. The Pergamon Museum in Berlin Germany excavated and reconstructed the Gate of Ishtar in the 1930s, where it still stands today.
The Babylonian glazed brick technique spread quickly. By 200 BC the use of polished stone was evident in the swimming pools of Kuttam Pokuna and in the temple of Ruwanwelisaya in Sri Lanka.
The spread of Islam and their heavy use in their architecture guaranteed the spread of the construction technique through the ages. Eventually the their use started to influence Medieval Europe and its use started fulfilling both practical and aesthetics purposes.
LEARN MORE:
Watch the following previews and click on their links to learn more about tiles in MC Home Depot:
What’s in MC? Featuring MARIWASA – aired September 2020, CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE FULL VIDEO.
TENANTS:
Watch the following previews and click on their links to learn more about the tenants carrying tiles in MC Home Depot:
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LA EUROPA
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT FLOOR CENTER, BGC.
KINDS OF TILES
Carpets
Carpets are textile coverings that usually consists of a wool, nylon, polyester, acrylic or thermoplastic polymer that are wound into fibers and mounted on a backing. And, they’re technically Tiles. And, strictly speaking, a carpet is a floor covering that goes wall-to-wall. While, a rug, is a smaller construct that may not have a backing, that covers a smaller area on the floor. Strictly s
read moreFloor Tiles
Floor tiles are one of the most sought after items by homebuilders. Since they come in all shapes, forms and sizes we will, for the purpose of this discussion, focus on the tiles commonly used indoors (Hey if you want to put terra-cotta brick tiles in your living room – and you can – who are we to judge?). In general, the reason why people like Floor Tiles over a plain painted cement floor is
read moreRoofing
Roof tiles function similar to shingles but are usually made out of locally available materials. Roof tiles serve one purpose: keep the rain out. In general, roof tiles are simply attached onto overlapping rows to keep the rain out. In Europe there is a home-building tradition involving the use of roof tiles hung vertically on exterior walls called Tile Hanging. The most common types of roofing ti
read moreWall Cladding
Wall Cladding involves the use of tiles to create a protective or decorative surface for interior or external walls. In some countries, cladding involves creating a pocket of air before a layer of insulation to help control temperatures – this is frowned upon because it is a potential fire hazard thanks to the flammability of some insulating material and the pocket of air that allows for a Chim
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