Mexican Tile / Terra-Cotta / Saltillo

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Mexican Tile/ Terra-Cotta/ Saltillo:    The word Terra-Cotta comes from Italian Terra, "Earth" and cotta, "Cooked" - a hard-baked, brownish red earthen ware, appearance.  May come prefinished or require application of various types of sealers or coatings on site to provide a wearing surface.  May crumble or show wear quickly unless sealed and laid on water proof layer.  Terra Cotta should never be installed in a high-traffic area.  Saltillo is very porous and is sun dried instead of fire-hardened like ceramic tiles.  Efflorescence is common with saltillo tile.  Efflorescence is the wicking up of salts within the tiles when unfinished tile gets wet.