Metallic-look terracotta tiles need an appearance schedule, a physical sample range and evidence tied to the exact product. The 2023 archive called this visual family “Moon Meteorite Series” and used the names “Lunar Fusion Crust,” “Interstellar Moonlight Blue” and “Meteor rust red.” Those are dated finish names, not current item codes, measured colours, material compositions or performance classifications.
This guide turns the archive into a practical review: define the blue-grey, silver and rust-red mottling; judge it under project lighting; control batches and cut edges; distinguish intended marks from contamination or corrosion; and verify cleaning and exposure evidence before approval.
- Archive date
- January 2023 WordPress record
- Archive family
- LOPO “Moon Meteorite Series”
- Named looks
- Lunar Fusion Crust, Interstellar Moonlight Blue, Meteor rust red
- Visible character
- Cool grey, blue-grey, silver-like and brown/rust-red mottling
- Not disclosed
- SKU, dimensions, thickness, surface process, tests and use classification
- Current status
- Finish samples, formats and availability require confirmation
Translate visual names into inspectable attributes
Base colour
Define the intended cool grey, blue-grey or brown field with physical masters or agreed instrument data. A poetic colour name cannot control production or replacement matching.
Metallic-looking sheen
Record gloss, sparkle, directional reflection and viewing-angle change. Confirm the actual surface construction separately; appearance alone does not establish metallic ingredients.
Rust-coloured marks
Define intended hue, density, scale, edge character and distribution. Do not call the marks corrosion unless their chemistry and cause have been established.
Mottling and bands
Set acceptable light/dark extremes, clouding, speckling, rings or banding, plus any prohibited clusters. One hero sample cannot represent a variable range.
Body and format
Identify whether the proposed unit is a solid brick, thin wall tile, slip or facade panel; then schedule dimensions, thickness/profile, tolerances, mass, back and edge geometry.
Use and assembly
State interior/exterior and wall/floor intent, exposure, substrate and fixing or bonding system. Visual approval cannot approve structure, water control, fire safety or accessibility.
The archive describes lunar rock and meteorite imagery. Treat that as a design narrative only. It does not establish mineral content, firing atmosphere, glaze, coating, print, reduction process, oxidation process or corrosion mechanism. Ask the current supplier to declare the body and surface route for the quoted item.
Write a finish schedule that can survive procurement
Use the current quotation, data sheet, drawings and labelled samples to connect the design language to one traceable product. Do not borrow a size, item code or finish process from another LOPO page: the 2023 record contains none. If a proposed product is custom, record what is fixed and what remains subject to trial production.
| Field | What to record | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Product identity | Manufacturer, plant, current item/custom reference, body, unit type, intended use and revision date | Prevents a visual name from being transferred to a different product or application |
| Format | Face size, thickness/profile, mass, tolerances, back/support geometry, orientation and permitted cuts | Connects appearance decisions to module, joints, handling and the approved assembly |
| Surface | Declared process, coverage on face/edges/returns, base colour, sheen, metallic-looking effect and mottling character | Separates a visual effect from unverified chemistry or manufacturing assumptions |
| Range | Signed master, light/dark and mark-density boundary samples, prohibited defects and review lighting | Makes natural or designed variation inspectable without demanding false uniformity |
| Batch control | Trial/production references, pallet labels, mixing or zoning plan, elevation map and spare-stock lot | Limits abrupt shifts and keeps replacement units traceable |
| Evidence | Applicable current tests, certificates, cleaning method, exposure limits, assembly documents and deviations | Ensures evidence matches the exact product, finish and project use |
Approve colour and sheen under project light
Website images compress highlights and shadows, alter white balance and freeze one viewing direction. Review full-size samples vertically and, where floor use is proposed, horizontally. Use representative daylight, shade and artificial lighting with the project’s likely colour temperature and colour-rendering conditions. View samples dry and wet, close up and at normal occupancy distance.
Metallic-looking does not automatically mean mirror-like. Assess actual gloss, highlight size and contrast; check whether glare could affect roads, neighbouring windows, signs, displays or occupied interiors. Reorienting a directional finish can change the reading of silver, blue-grey and rust-red marks. Record the approved unit orientation and the effect at corners, returns, soffits, openings and changes of plane.
Confirm identity
Match the quoted item, body, surface declaration, format and intended use to drawings and labelled samples.
Set the range
Approve physical extremes for base colour, sheen, mottling, rust-coloured marks, edges, chips and other visible variation.
Build the mock-up
Include enough units to show batch distribution, joints, cuts, corners, returns, adjacent materials and intended lighting.
Lock traceability
Record sample and batch references, review conditions, acceptance sign-off, elevation locations, deviations and spares.
Coordinate batches, joints, edges and cuts
Agree whether production variation should be randomly mixed, deliberately graded or zoned. Inspect representative groups rather than isolated pieces. Keep batch and pallet labels through delivery and installation, map released units to areas and retain approved spares. A replacement from a different run may not match colour, sheen or mark distribution.
Inspect the face, edges and back of the exact unit. A cut may expose a contrasting body, interrupt mottling, chip a coating or glaze, or alter support geometry. Define factory specials and permitted field cuts for corners, returns, bases, openings, shelves, counters and penetrations. Any edge dressing or repair must be supported by current product instructions and an accepted visual trial; do not hide chips or raw edges with an improvised coating.
Joint colour, width, depth and continuity strongly affect the reading of a narrow-format layout. Coordinate movement, substrate tolerance, adjoining metal, glass, timber, sealant and flashing without copying dimensions or details from these photographs. The project designer, enclosure consultant, structural engineer, fire specialist, manufacturer and installer must verify their respective parts of the actual assembly.
Distinguish intended mottling from stains or corrosion
Before installation, photograph approved masters and production-range samples in controlled light. During delivery and installation, record package, batch, face and location. If a new rust-like mark, streak or deposit appears, compare it with that baseline and investigate the pattern before cleaning or acceptance. The colour of a mark alone cannot identify its cause.
| Observation | Questions to investigate | Disposition boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Intended mottling | Was it present on the signed range? Does its density, hue, scale and distribution fall within approved boundaries? | Accept appearance only after the agreed visual review; it does not waive physical or system defects |
| Metal runoff or corrosion | Does the mark track from flashings, fixings, tools, rails, planters or adjacent metal? Is the source itself deteriorating? | Hold affected work and have responsible parties identify the source, safety implications and compatible remedy |
| Salts or mineral deposits | Is there pale crystallisation, a wetting/drying path, mortar or grout source, hard water, drainage issue or moisture movement? | Correct the source and trial cleaning; do not diagnose solely as “efflorescence” from a photograph |
| Construction contamination | Could dust, cutting slurry, grout, cement, sealant, adhesive, oils, protective films or handling have transferred? | Identify the contaminant and test the least aggressive compatible removal method on a spare or mock-up |
| Cleaning damage | Did colour, sheen, texture or joints change after an acid, alkali, solvent, abrasive, pressure or dwell-time exposure? | Stop the method, quarantine the area and obtain manufacturer/project-team assessment before further treatment |
| Unknown change | Is the condition growing, recurring, localised at cuts/edges or associated with cracking, displacement, moisture or odour? | Document, isolate if necessary and escalate for material or laboratory investigation; do not relabel it as the design finish |
Match exposure and cleaning evidence to the exact use
First establish whether the quoted unit is intended for an interior wall, exterior wall, floor, wet area or another application. Then select the applicable standards, specimen conditioning and acceptance criteria through the project specification and local regulations. Depending on use and jurisdiction, review current evidence for dimensions/tolerances, water absorption, strength or breaking load, freeze-thaw, salts, abrasion, slip, impact, glaze or coating integrity, colour/weathering, stain/chemical resistance and cleaning compatibility. Not every test applies to every unit; a pass for one format or finish should not be transferred without a documented scope.
For an exterior cladding or rainscreen, also verify the complete assembly: self-weight and wind/seismic load path; anchors, clips, rails, brackets and substrate; movement and tolerances; joints, flashings, cavity drainage and membranes; openings and interfaces; fire strategy and cavity barriers; access, inspection and replacement. A decorative finish test cannot prove these functions. For adhered work, the specified substrate, preparation, adhesive or mortar, coverage, joints, movement accommodation, moisture conditions and installation controls require system-specific approval rather than a recipe copied from an image.
- current product declaration, intended-use statement, dimensions/profile/tolerances, mass, face/edge/back information and installation or support documents;
- surface-process declaration and appearance criteria tied to signed master, boundary and production samples;
- configuration- and exposure-relevant reports with identifiable product, plant, method/version, specimen, result, date and validity;
- project calculations, system tests, approvals and interface review for the actual wall or floor assembly;
- visual and performance mock-ups, review lighting, acceptance parties, batch map, hold points and nonconformance pathway;
- cleaning trial and maintenance plan identifying approved and prohibited agents, tools, pressures, temperatures and procedures; and
- handover records, as-built locations, spare-unit labels, inspection triggers and replacement route.
Do not assume a universal cleaner. Trial the least aggressive supplier-accepted method on retained samples or a mock-up, using representative water, concentration, dwell time, agitation, rinse and drying. Review colour, gloss, mottling, exposed cuts, grout/joints and adjacent materials after drying. If contamination may be metallic or corrosive, address the source before treating the visible deposit.
Turn a metallic-look concept into a traceable finish brief
Share the intended unit type and use, formats, quantity, colour/mottling direction, edge and corner conditions, lighting, exposure, substrate/system route, applicable standards, mock-up plan, cleaning expectations and programme. Ask for current samples, item status, drawings and evidence tied to the exact quoted configuration.