Terracotta Tile Receiving & Inspection Checklist

Set the inspection basis before material arrives

Receiving inspection cannot determine conformity unless the team knows what was ordered and approved. Assemble the current documents for the specific product, project and delivery before opening packages. Identify which party may inspect, accept, reject or approve a concession, and record any witness or hold points.

If documents conflict, are outdated or do not identify the delivered product, place the affected material on hold and resolve the basis before making a conformity decision.

Receive the delivery by lot, package and quantity

Inspect the vehicle and accessible packages before unloading, then reconcile the delivery note and packing list with purchase and release documents. Record arrival date, carrier, delivery reference, pallet or crate numbers, package count and visible condition. Photograph damage before material is moved whenever responsibility could be disputed.

Select representative, traceable samples

The 2017 source says inspection pieces should be selected randomly from bulk production. The useful principle is to avoid choosing only the easiest or best-looking pieces. For a delivered project lot, use the approved sampling plan to select traceable pieces across relevant pallets, cartons, positions, batches, colours, sizes and production periods.

“Random” does not supply a sample size or acceptance rule. The project documents must state the lot boundaries, selection method, number or frequency of samples, escalation after a failure and whether any inspection is destructive. Record where each sample came from and return it to its lot only when its status is clear.

Inspect faces, edges, corners and surface condition

View each selected piece under the agreed conditions and compare it with the approved description and sample range. The original notes identify surface defects and cracks as inspection points. Expand that review to every relevant face, edge, corner and feature without inventing a generic defect allowance.

Use the project’s terminology and defect limits. A visible mark may be acceptable, repairable or nonconforming depending on the product, viewing condition, location and approved criteria; this page does not make that decision.

Compare colour and finish with the approved range

Compare selected pieces with the sealed or otherwise approved sample under the agreed light, distance, orientation and dry/wet condition. Review pieces individually and together so the team can see batch distribution, unintended concentration, pattern repeat and differences between packages.

The old article suggested viewing a batch from two metres and acknowledged that fired-clay colour cannot be assumed to have no variation. Treat that as a historical observation, not a universal acceptance distance or “almost no difference” rule. Current project documents should define the viewing conditions, permitted range, blending strategy and who may approve a borderline condition.

Measure dimensions, diagonals, thickness and shape

The original checklist calls for checking all four sides, diagonals, thickness, side bending and face flatness. Retain those fields, but take measurements only with the defined method, instruments, support condition, measurement points and product orientation. Record actual values rather than only writing “pass.”

Acceptance requires the current drawing, product specification or named standard to state the relevant tolerances and method. Do not transfer a tolerance from another tile type, dimension, production route or jurisdiction.

Check rear faces and concealed product interfaces

Where the selected product has a rear profile, ribs, cavities, grooves, kerfs, holes, inserts or another fixing interface, inspect the accessible geometry for cracks, chips, blockage, contamination, incomplete formation or damage that could affect the approved interface. Match it to the current drawing and installation component rather than judging from the visible face alone.

Do not break or cut pieces merely to inspect an internal section unless the approved plan identifies destructive samples, method, responsibility and disposition. Installation suitability depends on the coordinated tile, fixing, support and substrate; receiving inspection does not replace engineering or system verification.

Verify test evidence, not informal proxies

The 2017 text mentions water absorption and breaking strength but names only a generic “national standard.” A valid review must identify the applicable standard and edition, product/type classification, specimen preparation, laboratory, report number, tested batch or product, results and project acceptance criteria.

The old suggestion to watch how quickly a water droplet is absorbed may be an informal surface observation, but it is not a conformity test for water absorption. Do not accept or reject a lot from droplet behaviour. Use the required documented method and evidence. Apply the same discipline to breaking strength and any other project-required property.

Record results and control nonconforming material

Inspection records should make the decision reproducible. Connect every photograph, measurement and observation to the delivery, lot, package and sample. Note the governing document and revision, inspector, date, instrument, conditions, result, decision and approving authority.

Keep accepted, held and rejected material physically and administratively distinguishable. Preserve records needed for traceability, replacement planning and later investigation.

Use current product documents for the project-specific checklist

Start with the current Terracotta Tile page, review available Technical Downloads, and send the selected item, project specification and inspection requirements for confirmation.