Adventures in Remodeling: Glazed and confused (sort of)

We started our normal Saturday with a walk to get coffee and pick up a few things at the nearby farmer's market.

[Plus, another episode of racing after Hank who flew out of the gate like a rocket. And then, we used the one tried-and-true technique to get him back by jumping in the car to get ahead of him, and opening the car door, which he jumps into right away. At that point, he looks at us as if to say, "Oh, HI! What are you doing out here? Have I told you lately that I love you? Yes, let's go home." But, I digress.]

After our return, I mentioned that there are two places in San Francisco that we should visit sometime soon to help with remodel decisions. And, Bill said, "We could go today." Yeah, just like that, we were off on a flash adventure. Just like a flash mob, but with just two of us.

Our first stop was Heath Ceramics which had been recommended by a colleague in Chicago. They offer free tours of their SF factory, and we were able to see tiles being formed, glazed, and fired at 2,500 degrees. Their products are stunning and their design studio was very fun, although that space could not be photographed.

Their tiles are spendy, with our master bath shower (not including floors) would be about $8,000. Gulp. We will take it into consideration and see if it gets included in our plans. The range of colors and designs is vast, and we do not know how we might narrow down these choices, no matter where we get the tiles. It could be confusing and overwhelming, but we don't want to spend too much time being either one, so we will just take a step at a time, and see what we come up with.

Molds for tiles yet-to-be

Margin scraps that are re-worked into new tiles. The forms (far left) are oiled to enable a sharp cut.

The beginning of new tiles

Before glazing

So many shapes and pieces are needed. (I ♥ work, too.)

There are four drying machines that remove moisture prior to glazing, well before the tiles are fired.

Don't forget to look up! The factory floor enjoys natural light.

Buckets-o-color

These tiles are ready to go into the oven for firing.

These massive doors on the kiln raise up to allow the tiles to be rolled in. After they are done and cooled, another door on the opposite side is raised to allow them to be rolled out. This kiln is as big as a semi trailer.