Lead in ceramic tiles: how modern tile making has changed

Ceramic tiles have been made for thousands of years, but the way we make them – and our understanding of the materials involved – has come a very long way.

Lead was historically a common ingredient in ceramic glazes, prized for helping to create rich colours and beautiful, glass-like surfaces. Today, ceramic production is very different, with far greater knowledge and control over the materials used throughout the making process.

At Marlborough Tiles, we have been making tiles since 1936, combining traditional ceramic techniques with modern manufacturing knowledge. It allows us to preserve the depth, variation and character that make handmade tiles so special, while working with ceramic materials responsibly.

Do ceramic tiles contain lead?

Some do. Many modern glazes are made without intentionally added lead, while others can contain small or trace amounts.
Some of the glazes we use at Marlborough Tiles contain trace amounts of lead. During firing, at very high temperatures, the glaze melts to form the durable, glass-like surface of the finished tile, with its constituents bound within that fired glaze.
For an intact, fired tile, the risk is very, very low: the lead is bound within the fired glaze rather than existing as a loose material.

This distinction between the raw ingredients used in ceramic making and the finished, fired product is important. Materials that require careful handling within a ceramic factory don't present the same exposure in a finished tile.
 

Why was lead traditionally used in ceramics?

Lead has a long history in pottery and tile making. It acts as a flux, helping glaze ingredients melt and fuse during firing and allowing makers to achieve rich colours, clarity and a beautiful glazed finish.
Historically, however, potters had far less understanding of the materials they were working with. Raw lead-containing powders and other ceramic ingredients could be handled with few of the workplace controls we would expect today, while the composition and firing of older ceramics could also be less consistent.

Modern ceramic production operates in a very different environment, with much greater understanding of ceramic chemistry and appropriate controls during manufacture.

The chemistry behind ceramic colour

Ceramic colour has always been a fascinating mixture of art and chemistry.
Cobalt has been used to create beautiful blues in ceramics for centuries and is present in some of the blue stains and glazes we use today. Copper oxide is similarly associated with many wonderful ceramic greens.

These materials require appropriate handling during manufacture, but once incorporated into a correctly formulated glaze and fired, they become part of the finished ceramic surface.
 

What about antique and specialist ceramics?

Older ceramics are a slightly different story. Lead was historically much more widely used in pottery and glaze production, so it can be found in antique ceramics and historic tiles where the precise composition and firing conditions may be unknown.
It can also feature in some specialist ceramic processes and glaze recipes, including certain traditional or specialist Raku glazes – although many contemporary versions are produced without it.

This is why it is difficult to make a single statement about all "ceramics". An antique glazed pot, a handmade wall tile, a porcelain floor tile and a Raku vessel can be very different products.

Cutting ceramic and porcelain tiles

As with ceramic and porcelain tiles from any manufacturer, some care should be taken when tiles are cut or drilled during installation, as this can create fine mineral dust.

Where possible, we recommend using a manual tile cutter or wet-cutting equipment to minimise airborne dust. Where powered cutting or grinding is required, appropriate dust extraction and protective equipment should be used in line with the manufacturer's instructions and standard health and safety guidance.
This is normal good practice when cutting ceramic, porcelain and other mineral-based construction materials, and relates to the installation process rather than the finished tiles once installed. Professional installers should always follow current Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance.

From raw earth to finished tile

There is an extraordinary amount of science behind something as seemingly simple as a ceramic tile.
Clay, minerals, oxides, stains and glazes are combined and subjected to intense heat in the kiln. During firing, their chemistry changes, creating the colour, variation, texture and durable glazed surface of the finished tile.

At Marlborough Tiles, we are proud to combine nearly a century of English tile-making knowledge with modern production practices. Some of the principles behind ceramic colour have been understood for centuries – cobalt for blues, copper for greens and carefully formulated glazes for depth and character – but our understanding of those materials and the way they are handled has advanced enormously.
 

Are Marlborough Tiles safe to use in the home?

Yes. Our finished, correctly fired tiles are safe for their intended use within the home.

Some of our glazes contain trace amounts of lead, while cobalt and copper compounds are used to create certain colours. Once correctly fired, these ingredients form part of the stable, glass-like surface of the finished tile.
An intact tile is therefore very different from the raw materials used to make it. The principal additional consideration comes during installation, when tiles are being cut or drilled, when normal good practice for controlling ceramic and porcelain dust should be followed.

For us, understanding the materials we work with is part of preserving the best of traditional ceramic making while benefiting from everything modern manufacturing has taught us.
Ceramic production may be one of the world's oldest crafts – but the way we practise it today has come a very long way.