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Staffordshire blue quarry tiles

Staffs Blue Quarry Tile product shot

This is a very popular quarry tile in both contemporary and heritage schemes, and in commercial and domestic projects alike.  Its traditional Staffordshire blue clay colour with its natural shade variations  works well in Victorian restoration projects as well as in contemporary interior spaces bringing character and interest.  Different effects can be achieved with different laying patterns.

interior exterior icon small      Frost resistant
      Suitable for exterior & interior

slip resistance icon small      High slip resistance
      Click here for more info

      Category R11 C

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Case Studies

Belstaff flagship store in Regent St

Belstaff 1Belstaff

Designers Specific Generic recognized the shared history of Ketley Brick and The iconic Belstaff brand when she discovered Ketley at Clekenwell Design Week in 2022.  Both companies are steeped in Staffordshire’s industrial heritage.  The designers there made the Staffordshire blue quarry tiles, with their subtle metallic shimmer  integral to the design of the new Belstaff flagship store in London’s Regent Street.  Special “debossed” tiles, with the iconic Belstaff logo pressed into the wet clay, were made and arranged by contractors Arcitile  in amongst the plain tiles for visitors to discover as they move through the space.  Full details>>

Blending inside and outside spaces

Staffs blue brick sized quarry tilesblending spaces

Jo Townshend Architects were asked to replace an existing single storey extension to a large residential property in Brixton, with a light, openable space which would encourage parties and gatherings, and to achieve this with a minimal environmental impact.  They decided to use Staffordshire blue brick-sized tiles both inside and outside of the new extension, aiding a seamless connection between the interior and exterior, and creating a flexible space for open plan living. Full details>>

Ducie Street Warehouse

Ducie Street 6Ducie Street 4

Designed by David Waddington and Pablo Flack, founders of London’s Bistrotheque, and Archer Humphryes  Architects, Ketley quarry tiles suited the industrial context of the building as well as providing a low maintenance and hard-wearing flooring solution.  Staffordshire blue square tiles,rectangular tiles and brick sized tiles have been laid to define the spaces and add interest to the floors.  Full details 

Maggie Centre in Manchester

Maggie Centre 1    Maggie Centre 2

The  Maggie Centre in Manchester, designed by Foster + Partners features Ketley staffordshire blue quarry tiles in a stack bond inside the timber framed building and Ketley staffs blue pavers extend out into the garden.  The pallet of natural materials helps to create a  calm environment  and a light and homely space where people can relax.  The staffs blue paving on the veranda and in the garden blend perfectly with the staffs blue quarry tiles inside the building helping to bring the  theraputic qualities of nature and the outdoors into the building, blurring the distinction between inside and out.  Full details

The Horseshoe Pub in Hampstead

horseshoe pub 2horseshoe pub 3

This gastro pub recently underwent a major renovation by DG Professional Interiors and a new quarry tile floor was a key component of the new interior design.   Rectangular staffordshire blue quarry tiles  (in the brick size) have been laid in a herringbone pattern with a light coloured mortar.

Temper Restaurant Soho

temper 2     temper 3

The Temper Restaurant in Soho is a new basement barbecue restaurant designed by Gundry & Ducker Ltd that opened in November 2016.  It was fitted out by Blue Crow Projects who used staffordshire blue brick sized quarry tiles for the floor to great effect.  They have used a running bond in the main areas and a stock bond on the raised floor around the bar.  Matching staffs blue brick slips also feature in a stock bond on the walls.  Full details

Imperial Pub in Chelsea

Imperial 1Imperial 2

The Imperial is a local Chelsea icon; built in 1870 in the style of a grand villa, it has been a social meeting place on the King’s Road for nearly 150 years. Situated in a conservation area, this historically significant building has recently undergone interior renovations which were designed by Henri Chebaane at Blue Sky Hospitality.  The new look successfully blends Victorian industrial heritage with contemporary chic using Ketley Staffordshire blue quarry tiles and brick slips on the wall of the bar.  Full details

 

Details

Ketley Quarry Tiles, sometimes known also as paving tiles, brick tiles or clay floor tiles, are available in a range of natural clay colours and offer similar performance to traditional quarry tiles.  For restoration projects our Quarry Tiles offer a very good match to the discontinued Hawkins and Dennis Ruabon Quarry tiles which can be found in many parts of the UK.   They offer excellent slip resistance and suit most flooring and wall cladding applications indoors or externally, in commercial premises or the home.  They can also be used with underfloor heating systems as they are good conductors.

18mm thick, Ketley Quarry tiles  are manufactured from the proven Etruria Marl clay, which becomes dense when fired, and is hard wearing and resistant to acids, alkalis, oils, grease and fats.  In pendulum tests where anything higher than 36 indicates low slip potential, they score a dry value average of 63 and a wet value average of 55 meaning they have excellent slip resistance in both wet and dry conditions. They can be classified as R11 and Category C which is the highest rating for slip resistance according to BS EN 14411.

Fittings

Quarry Tile Fittings

Coved Skirting Stretcher Mockup

These products shown here match our rectangular quarry tiles 102mm x 215mm.  Similar products are available to match our squares 100mm x 100mm and 150mm x 150mm.  Please contact us for further details.

Round Edge Long - KQTREL
round edge long             

Round Edge Short - KQTRES

round edge short                 

Double Round Edge - KQTREX

Double Round Edge                 

Step Tread - KQTST

step tread                     

Coved Based Round Top - KQTCBRT

Coved base round top                                                      

Coved Based Round Top External - KQTCBRTX

coved base round top external                                                    

Eco

Download third party verified Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
Place of Manufacture: Brierley Hill, UK
Environmental Management: 14001     Download Certificate
Quality Management : 9001                     Download Certificate 

Download the Ketley Quality and Environmental Policy

Life Cycle:  BRE Global Certification in accordance with  EN 15804:2012  Download Certificate
Energy:  Fired in gas kilns to 1130C
Raw materials:   Etruria Marl Clay from our own quarry in Cannock, 12 miles from our factory, and sand
Lifespan:  Bricks are long life building product and Ketley's bricks are the toughest and most durable bricks you can buy.  
Recyclability:   Mortar can be cleaned off so the bricks can be reused.  They can also be crushed and used as aggregate and/or as an inert bulk fill
Packaging:  We keep packaging to a minimum using wooden pallets and we do not shrink wrap our brick packs.

Find out more about Ketley's approach to sustainability

Click for the Brick Development Association infographic on Sustainability of Brick 

See below the latest video about Sustainability of Brick from the Brick Development Association

Tech Spec

Ketley Quarry Tiles for flooring

Standard: BS EN 14411:2012

Ketley Quarry Tiles are manufactured from the same clay, using the same processes as the Ketley 50mm and 65mm pavers and deliver the same technical characteristics of very low water absorption, very high strength and unrivalled frost resistance. 

Quarry Tile Joint size Coverage per m2
215x102mm 10mm 40
215x102mm 6mm 42
215x102mm 5mm 43
215x65mm 10mm 60
150x150mm 10mm 40

Packing On pallets -  1350 pieces on a pallet for 215x102mm size   pallet weight (incl pallet) 1240kg
                                        1100 pieces on a pallet for 150x150mm size   pallet weight (incl pallet) 1010kg
                                        1890 pieces on a pallet for 215x 65mm size    pallet weight (incl pallet) 1155kg

Weight per unit          215x102mm size - 0.9kg   150x150mm size - 0.9kg   215x 65mm size  0.6kg

Download Ketley Quarry Tile Specification Sheet

Download Ketley Quarry Tile Specification clause as a word document

Properties

BS EN 14411 Group A1b requirement

Typical values for Ketley Quarry tiles

DIMENSIONS AND SURFACE QUALITY    
                                  length x width
215mm x 102mm
215mm x 65mm
100mm x 100mm
150mm x 150mm
average tolerance +/-2% to an individual maximum of +/- 4mm
length 215mm+/-2.5mm
width 102.5mm+/-1.5mm
                                   Thickness (18mm)
average tolerance +/-10%
+/-1mm
                              Straightness of sides
within ± 0.6%
0.2%
                                     Rectangularity
within ±1%
0.2%
Surface flatness
centre curvature ± 1.5%
centre curvature +/-1.5mm
edge curvature ± 1.5%
edge curvature +/- 1mm
warpage ± 1.5%
warpage +/- 1.5mm

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

   
Breaking Strength
Min 1100N
2995N
Water Absorption
0.5 < 3%
1.5%
Resistance to deep abrasion
Max 275mm³
106mm³
Frost resistance
Value to be stated
No damage after 100 cycles
Slip resistance
Pendulum test results exceeding 36 indicate low slip potential
Dry value av 96  
Wet value av of 58
on Slider 55 for Staffs Blue
Dry value av 63  
Wet value av of 55
on Slider 96 for Brown Brindle

Inclined platform in shod conditions
Category R11 which indicates that they are considered not to be slippery in wet or greasy conditions.
Inclined platform in wet barefoot conditions
Category C which is the highest rating for slip resistance.
 
 
 
Bond strength
C2 Cementatious adhesives
>1.0 N/mm²
Reaction resin adhesives      
>2.0N/mm²
Mortar
0.15N/mm²
Moisture expansion
No requirement
Negligible
Reaction to fire
Value to be stated
A1
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
Resistance to staining
 
 
Minimum requirement 3
 
Paste stain 5            
Chemical/oxydising stain 4
Film stain 3
Chemical Resistance
 
NPD

 

Laying

Laying Quarry tiles

Download our guide to laying and cleaning Quarry Tiles

Quarry tiles should be laid on a rigid base, with no voids underneath so that the load applied to them is transferred through to the base. In situations where heavy loads are involved, the strength of the installation can be improved by the use of a thicker paver as the transverse breaking load of a clay paving product is directly related to its thickness where all other factors are equal. It is advisable to select the material to resist the most arduous conditions likely to be imposed during the life of the product.
For a sand and cement base, allow at least 3 weeks before fixing the tiles. and for concrete, at least 6 weeks, preferably 12 weeks drying time should be allowed.
The surface should be hard, sound, clean, free from laitance and dust.  
It should also be flat with a tolerance of ≤3 mm under a 2m straight edge. Any deviations from this should be corrected using a levelling compound.

Under Floor Heating
Ketley Quarry Tiles are fully compatible with both water‑based (wet) and electric (dry) underfloor heating systems. Their dense, extruded clay body provides excellent thermal conductivity and heat retention, making them suitable for internal floors where UFH is installed beneath a screed or adhesive bed.

Fixing
Ketley recommends using a tile adhesive such as ARDEX X 7 R.  (Download Ardex guide to fixing Ketley Quarry Tiles) This adhesive is mixed with clean water and applied to the substrate with a suitably sized notched trowel to form straight, ribbed lines.  The quarry tiles are then pressed firmly into the adhesive bed at consistent joint widths (6-10mm).  The backs of the tiles should be regularly checked to ensure that solid bed fixing has been achieved.

Grouting

Board should be laid over the tiled area to spread the load of the tiler when carrying out the grouting operation. The grouting mortar should be adapted for the width of the joint with a lower ratio of cement for wider joints

Ketley recommends using a flexible grout which is available in a wide range of colours from companies like ARDEX.  This product is mixed with clean water to a creamy consistency and worked thoroughly into the joints using a rubber squeegee.  As the work proceeds, any excess grout should be removed, residues can be removed with a damp sponge for up to 30 minutes.  Any dry film can be polished off with a clean cloth afterwards. If, after this process, there is a hazy mist on the surface of the tiles, this can easily be cleaned off with a grout remover, diluted according to the maufacturer’s instructions. 

Movement Joints
These should be installed in accordance with BS 5385‑3:2007.  Any existing movement/structural  joints should be continued through to the surface of the tiling.

Cleaning

Cleaning and Maintenance

Download our guide to laying and cleaning Quarry Tiles

CLEANING & MAINTENANCE
Ketley Quarry Tiles require minimal routine maintenance. Floors can usually be kept clean by sweeping to remove loose dirt, followed by washing with warm water and a non‑soapy, neutral, sulphate‑free detergent. Clean, dry surfaces have a naturally low slip potential; most slip incidents occur when contaminants remain on the floor, so an effective cleaning regime is essential for both appearance and safety.

ESTABLISHING AN EFFECTIVE CLEANING REGIME
- Identify contaminants so the correct cleaning agent can be selected.
- Use suitable tools, with dedicated equipment for specific areas if required.
- Schedule regular cleaning, assigning responsibility and timing around pedestrian traffic.
- Provide clear instructions on procedures, detergent use, disposal, spill response, and record‑keeping.
- Inspect floors routinely to identify wear, damage, debris, or contamination.

CLEANING METHOD
Cleaning methods vary depending on contamination, surface profile, available agents, and whether mechanical equipment can be used. Regardless of method, all residues must be removed. After cleaning, rinse thoroughly with clean water and leave the floor dry. Failure to rinse can leave detergent or contaminant residues that emulsify when re‑wetted and increase slip risk.


INITIAL CLEAN AFTER INSTALLATION
Once grout joints have hardened, tiles may require a light clean using a neutral, non‑soapy, sulphate‑free detergent, followed by rinsing. Strong detergents should be avoided as they can cause scumming. Tiles should be pre‑dampened before applying any cleaner to prevent absorption into the tile body.

REMOVING DIFFICULT STAINS
- Abrasive cleaners, avoiding steel wool, which can leave metal particles that cause rust staining.
- Chemical cleaning using an appropriate solvent; specialist advice may be required for specific stains.
- Bleaching, where suitable, to remove the colour of the stain.
NB The use of sealers and polishers on quarry tiles can make regular cleaning more difficult.

Request Sample

Quarry Tile Sample Request Form

Please complete this form to let us know which samples you would like.  Due to the high courier cost in sending them out, we cannot supply them free of charge in all cases.

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