Goodbye, Boring Cement Tile: Meet The Long-Lasting Alternative That Looks Good Anywhere

If you're starting a renovation soon or considering a new build, you'll probably need to choose tiles for the wet areas of your home as well as floors and outdoor spaces. While you might like that cement tiles are highly durable, versatile, and fairly easy to maintain, you may not be totally in love with the colors available. Thankfully, you can say goodbye to those boring cement tiles and choose a long-lasting alternative that looks amazing: encaustic cement tile.

Encaustic cement tiles look like pieces of art and often feature bold colors and striking patterns. These tiles are truly the work of artisans and are made by hand using metal molds. Artisans place the colored pigments into the metal molds before adding the cement. Next, the tiles go into a hydraulic press. This unique construction method ensures the design will not fade, which can happen if you paint directly on the cement. When you use encaustic cement tiles, you're choosing a timeless design that gets better with age.  Plus, while sealed ceramic tiles last 50 years or more, sealed encaustic cement tiles can last for over 100 years. 

Thanks to their durability and longevity, encaustic cement tiles can have many uses around your home. They're a great option for flooring in high-traffic areas and work well for fans of the typical Moroccan home design style. Of course, you don't have to go bright and bold. You can choose a tile that features more subdued coloring if you want to use encaustic cement tiles on the floor of your living spaces.

You can also create an eye-catching display in your kitchen by using encaustic cement tiles for your backsplash. Encaustic cement tiles offer some of the best kitchen tile colors to complement any kitchen decor. Even though these tiles are made from cement, which is porous, you can still use them in wet areas such as bathrooms, where they add interest and a pop of color.

Lastly, encaustic cement tiles make beautiful additions for porches and patios. But if you live in a climate that often freezes, you may not want to use these tiles outside. Constant temperature extremes will most likely cause the tiles to crack. However, you can use these tiles outdoors if you live in a warmer climate that does not freeze often. Just make sure you apply a proper waterproof sealant.