10 (Vital) Questions to Ask about Terracotta Tiles for Your Next Project (with Video & Photos)

How much should you pay for terracotta flooring? That’s a loaded question! It depends on who’s selling! Here’s a quick peek into some of our products in our Mexican tile samples store.

Generally, terracotta floor tile is known to be an affordable option for all styles of homes. We ship a lot of Saltillo tiles around the world to luxury homes. I know our most affluent customers are happily satisfied with our prices for our tile. Our Saltillo tile prices range (usually) from $2.50 – $6.00 per square foot depending on the terracotta pattern. There are some lower prices and more expensive items, of course.

But also, where you purchase your terracotta tile matters for budgeting. Because clay is found worldwide, paying the higher price tags of shipping tiles internationally doesn’t make sense. Italian and Spanish terracotta tile is equally beautiful as Saltillo tiles, but shipping to the United States from Europe versus Mexico doesn’t make sense if you’re looking for value. Most homeowners in the US looking for terracotta flooring buy Mexican Saltillo tile.

I’d also like to point out that most retail brick-and-mortar flooring stores do not stock large supplies of tiles. So to get the best value for your project, shop around, and don’t be afraid to source an online supplier. Verifying that any online supplier is based in the US is recommended since dealing with import duties, and customs processing is complicated and expensive.

For example, we are the largest manufacturer of Saltillo flooring in Mexico. Still, our business is home-based near Austin, Texas, and we only ship our tile from our Texas warehouse. Our clients never have to worry about business companies in a foreign country; we are held to US business practices. Our Complete Guide to Terracotta Tile has more information.

For an overall project value, buying sealed terracotta tiles is less expensive in the long run. It’s also far less ongoing maintenance, which saves money. But why?

Because terracotta is clay, it’s very porous. So that means that if left unsealed, any spills, muddy feet, and debris would absorb into the clay, causing stains. The good news is this is easy to remedy.

At Rustico Tile, we (almost always) recommend buying sealed terracotta tiles for our clients. In manufacturing, we apply five coats of penetrating sealer to the clay tiles. That makes them fully sealed Saltillo tiles so that nothing will stain them. In fact, tile installers prefer sealed tiles because they’re significantly more straightforward to install than unsealed tiles. But also, the abundant level of sealer fortifies the clay tiles, making an already durable Saltillo tile even more durable. As an added benefit, the terracotta flooring retains its rustic and warm appeal for many years.

Are there reasons to stick with unsealed terracotta tiles? Yes. If you are entertaining the laborious and costly process of customizing a terracotta floor, purchase unsealed clay tile so it can readily absorb whatever stain or coating you prefer. Just make sure to keep all coatings chemically compatible.

Unless customization is your goal, ask any seller you’re considering about the type and level of sealer for terracotta tiles.

Terracotta flooring should not be hard to maintain if purchased as fully sealed tiles and installed correctly with proper installation materials.

But projects get costly and complicated quickly if the tile isn’t sealed well in manufacturing. In that instance, a tile installer must lay out all tiles before installing the floor. More coats of sealer need to be applied until the tiles are saturated with the sealer. This is very important.

Next, the subfloor should be treated with a crack isolation or crack prevention membrane. We sell a product that doubles as a crack-prevention and waterproofing membrane. A 2-in-1 product like this saves time and money.

Following the subfloor preparation, focus on using high-quality thinset. Terracotta floor tiles are usually handmade, so they are heavy and vary in size and thickness. Thus, semi or fully-modified thinset should be used. Do not buy cheap thinsets.

But you can buy cheap grout. Our Saltillo terracotta floors look great and function perfectly with mortar mix as the grout choice.

Following all those steps, apply a topcoat sealer across the entire floor. That last coat of (high-quality) sealer adds scratch resistance and UV protection and seals the grout lines.

We are sticklers about installing these tiles correctly, so terracotta flooring is not hard to maintain.

Kitchens and bathrooms are a popular choice for terracotta floor tiles. But, like with anything else, they must be installed properly.

Kitchens with terracotta floor tiles offer an inviting warmth for spicing things up! Consider adding colors of Talavera or Cement tiles as the backsplash choice. Copper sinks and hardware are also complimentary to terracotta kitchen tiles.

In bathrooms and showers, installation is even more critical. Stick with broad grout lines in wet areas like these to add natural texture to the floor. Also, carefully seal grout lines in bathrooms, showers, and kitchens. Oils, soaps, lotions, and grease will stain grout if it’s not adequately sealed.

Saltillo flooring is terracotta flooring. But not all terracotta floors are Saltillo floors. Yes, read that again. ☺

Terracotta is made from clay. So since Saltillo is clay tile, it is a type of terracotta. It’s called Saltillo, however, because that clay is sourced from a specific riverbed region in Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico. Only terracotta tiles handmade with Saltillo riverbed clay can be called Saltillo tiles. These produce some of the most durable terracotta floors.

If you’ve never seen how Terracotta tile, specifically Saltillo tile, is made… this is a MUST watch! The centuries-old handmade process is still followed today!

I’m so glad you asked. We are active on social media sites like Instagram and Facebook and have dozens of illustrative Pinterest Boards. We also have robust photo galleries at Saltillo Tile Shapes and Sizes. Or explore these photos!