What were called “encaustic tiles” during the Victorian Era were originally called “inlaid tiles” dur- ing the medieval period. This term has now been in common use for so long that it has become an accepted name for inlaid tile work. Encaustic (or inlaid) tiles enjoyed two periods of great popularity. The first came in the thirteenth century and lasted until Henry the Eighth’s reformation in the sixteenth cen- tury. The second came when these tiles caught the attention of crafts- men during the Gothic Revival era, which after much trial and error, were mass-produced and then made available to the general pub- lic. During both periods, tiles were produced across Western Europe, though the center of tile production was actually in England. Companies in the USA also made encaustic tile during the Gothic Architecture Revival period. However, in the 1930s, encaustic tile began to lose ground to more affordable glass and vitreous glass tile material. After a stretch during which encaustic tiles were seldom called upon, there’s now a huge revival, along with introductions of new designs, in modern geometric pat- terns and vibrant colors. Whereas encaustic tiles have become increasingly popular, users often aren’t aware that they are highly absorbent and thus, require special treatments for cleaning and protection. After evaluating their properties, specific products should be used for cleaning and protecting encaus- tics, especially in “wet areas” such as the kitchen and bath. Generally speaking, encaustic tiles are made up of several layers; the lower layer comprises high- strength cement and aggregate, while the top layer is made of marble powder, white cement and inorganic pigments. This makes the material highly absorbent and extremely sensitive to acid erosion. It is, therefore, essential to use the correct products, from the initial TECHNICAL FEATURE ––––––––––––––––– The need for cleaning and protecting encaustic floor tiles By Jeff Moen, General Manager, FILA USA 80 TileLetter | September 2018