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TERRACOTTA TILES

20 years ago this started with a 500mm x 250mm flat tile in a natural red colour and has matured into a vast array of profiled tiles that can be up to 3 metres long often with truly beautiful glazed finishes.

— SIZES & PROFILES

Available in widths up to 1000mm and lengths up to 3000mm, anywhere in between in millimeter increments are readily achievable. We are here to provide the terracotta tiles that work with your design and setting out unfettered by outdated standardisation. Profiling can fall into many generic categories through scalloped, undulating, angular and castellated to name but a few in depths of up to 150mm. Here we have provided a small selection of some of the possibilities but please contact us to discuss your requirements.

— INSTALLATION CAPABILITIES

Vertical and Horizontal Terracotta Rainscreen

James & Taylor have developed integrated design solutions that work effectively for the multitude of options of tile profiles available in both portrait and landscape.

System fixing solutions are available to suit all substrates including studwork, blockwork, concrete shear walls and many more. Often, and increasingly, terracotta tiles come as an integrated element of unitised or precast panels. Fast to install, no wet trades and maintenance free performance are amongst the benefits but at its core it is the ability to express, with such ease and elegance, the beauty and rhythm of terracotta.

— FINISHES

FUSION GLAZING

Fusion Glazing can be defined as the use of complex glazes, with recipes that read like a Macbeth’s cauldron of ingredients, that when kiln fired create depth, lustre, beauty and variation. Applied in one or more glaze coats it is the fusion and interaction of the constituent elements that achieves such wonderful glazed effects.

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CRAQUELLE GLAZING

This crazed or “Craquelle” glaze effect takes one back in history to the Ming dynasty and is a glazed finish achieved by potters and artisans over the centuries. This aesthetic has now been successfully translated into today’s mainstream terracotta world and is available in the full colour palette.

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NATURAL FIRED CLAY

The sheer beauty of terracotta remains for many the use of natural kiln fired colours with the warmth, integrity and honesty of clay being simply and effortlessly what it is. We can offer a breath-taking range of natural fired clay colours of almost every hue and we regularly develop new colours for specific projects.

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STANDARD GLAZING

Defined broadly as any RAL colour in differing gloss levels from high gloss through satin to matt. Standard Glazing achieves dynamic washes of colour if used as a single bold statement. Using multiple colours in tandem creates facades of great interest and visual impact. The world of coloured glazes is yours to explore with us.

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Projects

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The Ceramic Building [London]

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33 King William Street [London]

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Abell House [London]

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Wiverton Tower, Aldgate Place [London]

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Battersea Dogs & Cats Home

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Broadway, New York

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TECHNICAL

Supporting the gravity load of terracotta tiles, and engineering restraint solutions underpins the success of the facades we provide. For us, all projects are unique and demand technical focus that drives detailed design. We have standard systems and solutions that are often brought to bear but increasingly our technical team are challenged to find bespoke answers for each project. Accommodating wind load, dealing with deflections and thermal movement, optimising impact resistance, no visible fixing and much more is addressed and resolved by our technical specialists.

- FIXING SOLUTIONS

Not as sexy as the terracotta tiles you see but so important to make sure that all terracotta tiles remain in place, perform well under impact, resist wind loads and align correctly. The number different types of substrates now being used are so diverse. Blockwork and concrete have been replaced by studwork, unitised panels and many more. Each substrate has its own unique requirements driven by ease of installation and performance. We have developed so many Fixing Solutions need to be tailored to each project and this is what we do.

- PERFORMANCE & TESTING

The various clays used in the manufacture of our terracotta tiles are completely frost resistant which is just one of the extensive independent performance test data we hold. It is important to recognise that terracotta tiles aren’t perfectly straight. The tolerances that are achieved are extremely tight but understanding and embracing these tolerances is critical. Under impact terracotta performs well under soft body impacts but less well for hard body impacts. Our technical and facade engineering team recognise and embrace the nuances and unique performance drivers of each project in concluding the optimum design and engineering solutions. The generic principles of rainscreen technology are embedded and understood but project specific testing for impact performance is an absolute must. This cannot be calculated it has to be tested.

FAQs

Can you fix terracotta tiles both vertically and horizontally?

Yes, by all means. We have solutions for both tile orientations.

Is there one fixing solution for all tile sizes?

No, not necessarily. The performance requirements of the facade as well as the tile detailing indicate which fixing is most suitable for your project.

Can you provide PDF / DWG details?

Yes, we can provide details based upon your specific needs. Please contact us to discuss your requirements.

I'm looking for something bespoke, can you help?

Yes of course. We at James & Taylor specialise in bespoke fixing systems and we are sure we can devise a solution for your project.

Do i need a tested system?

No, not necessarily. Many insurance underwriters are more and more seeking clarity that any facade is safe and meets the standards agreed upon. 9 out 10 projects either use pre-existing test data or project specific test data.

What level of performance do i need to achieve?

A building facade requires different levels of performance at different locations. James & Taylor's technical staff can talk you through the requirements associated with each part of the building.

What can i do to provide the best prossible outcome of any testing?

Safety is the utmost priority to a James & Taylor terracotta facade and we have numerous system enhancements that can be utilised as well as considering the tile profiles at an early design stage.

Do you carry out tesing in-house?

We use the Vinci Technology Centre as our base for testing with James & Taylor playing a pivotal role in the testing process.

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