page_title: Malibu tile
section_title: Kiln firing
hierarchical_section_title: Malibu tile / Production / Kiln firing
caption_attribution_description: This picture illustrates the set up of a firing room with multiple kilns doing specialized duty
context_page_description: Malibu tile is a type of ceramic tile that takes its inspiration from the tiles that were produced at Malibu Potteries in Malibu, California, during the latter half of the 1920s. These tiles reflect a style of design that is referred to as Hispano-Moresque or Arabesque exhibiting bright contrasting glaze colors often in geometric patterns that are reminiscent of tiles produced many centuries ago in the Near and Middle East, North Africa and southern Spain. The Adamson House in Malibu, California, now the Malibu Lagoon Museum, contains the largest and most varied display of Malibu Potteries tile. The Adamson House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 and became a California Historical Landmark in 1985.
  This type of tile was introduced to the American public in San Diego at the Panama California Exposition in 1915 as it adorned the Santa Fe Railroad Depot and what is now the San Diego Museum of Man. These tiles were produced by California China Products Company in National City and were designed by architectural firms in San Francisco and New York City, respectively.
context_section_description: Malibu Potteries built its factory on an idyllic location, right next to the Malibu pier on the sandy beach. To be able to produce large quantities of tile, Malibu Potteries created an immense kiln which was run on diesel fuel. Their firing process required extensive use of fuel because they fired their tile at 1900° which took 24 hours and which required another full day to cool down With today's technology, there are a wide array of kilns available, especially electric kilns, that can be operated more efficiently and provide greater control.
  The modern-day kiln uses a computer-like controller that makes the firing progress more predictable and controllable than in years' past. The user sets such variables as ramp rate to achieve the final, desired temperature and holds, where the temperature is held for period of time, as well as, the overall time of the firing.  With programs built into most controllers, modern kilns do not require much actual knowledge of how a kiln operates, nor do they require much monitoring. While Malibu Potteries tile was fired to a very high temperature over a long period of time, today's tile tends to be fired at lower temperatures for a shorter period of time. Temperatures typically range from cone 06 (1816°) to cone 10 (2345°). Cone 06 tile is less hard or dense so is generally less resistant to such things as water and freezing, while cone 10 tile reach vitrification and are known to be extremely strong and suitable for applications everywhere, including floors, showers and kitchens. Tile at the entrance to the Adamson House, for example, have been exposed to a west-facing sun, salty air on the beach since 1930, and they still retain a high level of brilliance and structural integrity.
caption: Firing room with multiple kilns
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