Paris Tiles

Both give you beautiful pattern, but they behave differently. Traditional encaustic tiles are made from pigmented cement — handmade, full of character, and porous, so they need sealing and a little care. Patterned porcelain reproduces the same looks in a dense, non-porous, hard-wearing tile that needs no sealing. The product details tell you which you're looking at, and our Ascot team can help you choose the right one for your project.

Encaustic cement tiles do — they're porous and should be sealed with a suitable sealer before grouting and again afterwards, then maintained over time; this protects the pattern and guards against staining. Patterned porcelain, by contrast, is non-porous and doesn't need sealing at all. If you're unsure which you have, just ask and we'll advise on the right approach.

Encaustic cement tiles develop a gentle patina as they age, and their colours often soften slightly — many people love this lived-in character. Sealing well from the outset keeps the change graceful and even. A small amount of surface dust or lime bloom can appear with new cement tiles and clears with proper sealing and cleaning, which we're happy to talk you through.

Patterns reward careful planning. We recommend dry-laying the tiles first to position the design, setting out from the centre of the room or feature so the pattern is balanced and any cuts fall evenly at the edges. Because the layout is more involved than plain tiling, an experienced tiler will give you the cleanest, best-aligned result.

Measure your area, add around 10% for cuts and wastage — a little more for intricate or diagonal layouts — and round up to whole boxes. With handmade encaustic ranges in particular it's worth ordering everything together from the same batch, as colours can vary between production runs. Our team can help you calculate quantities for your design.

Yes — pattern, scale and colour are best judged in your own space and light. We offer free cut samples to collect from our Ascot showroom, or posted for a small postage charge, and you're very welcome to visit the showroom to see the full patterned range and plan your layout with our team.