A terracotta floor clay split brick should be selected as part of a complete floor specification. Unit geometry, surface texture, fired variation, substrate, bedding or adhesive, joints, exposure, cleaning and maintenance all affect the result. An archived product table can start an enquiry, but current drawings, samples and evidence must control the order.
Verify the current product identity
Ask whether FFS2312 or another code now identifies the archived unit. Request a current drawing showing length, width, actual thickness, edge, rear profile, manufacturing tolerances and unit mass. Confirm whether the nominal 200 × 200 × 12 mm size remains standard, is made to order or has been superseded.
If an old spare or installed unit is available, measure and photograph it alongside the current sample. Record differences in dimensions, body colour, texture, rear profile and edge. A visually similar tile may need a different bedding, joint or replacement detail.
Record clay-body and finish descriptions accurately without using “natural” as a performance claim. Identify standard colours, surface textures, shade range, special pieces and cut limits. Tie the product drawing, quotation, samples and reports to one revision.
Define the floor location and exposure
State whether the floor is interior or exterior, covered or exposed, pedestrian or subject to service loads, dry or frequently wet, and whether freeze–thaw exposure is relevant. Identify building use, traffic, contaminants, cleaning regime, thresholds, drains, gradients and accessibility requirements. One “floor paving” label cannot cover every condition.
For stairs, ramps, entrances, commercial kitchens or other demanding zones, provide application-specific criteria. The designer should define loads, slip assessment, drainage and movement. Ask the manufacturer to confirm that the current unit and finish are intended for the proposed use.
Assess surface, slip and wear evidence
Slip
Use the test method, condition and classification required by the project and jurisdiction for the exact surface.
Wear
Define traffic and maintenance expectations, then request relevant current evidence and representative samples.
Staining and chemicals
Identify likely substances and cleaning products; conduct project-relevant trials rather than relying on “acid-resistant.”
Appearance
Approve colour, texture, edge, dimensional range, lippage criteria and joints across several fired units.
An antibacterial claim requires a defined method, organism, result and scope; the archived word alone is not evidence. Likewise, “non-slip” is incomplete without the test condition and intended use. Coordinate any treatment or sealer with appearance, slip and cleaning requirements.
Specify the complete floor build-up
The architect and relevant specialists should define structure, substrate, levelling, waterproofing where required, drainage, bedding or adhesive, joints, movement accommodation, perimeter conditions and transitions. Confirm compatibility among the terracotta, installation materials and expected moisture or temperature conditions.
Do not infer thermal insulation or fire performance for the complete floor from the tile name. Where underfloor heating is present, follow the designed heating system, current manufacturers’ instructions, qualified trades and local requirements. The floor specification should resolve curing, moisture and commissioning through the approved system documents rather than generic online instructions.
Approve layout, shade range and mock-up
Set the module, bond, joint width and colour, borders, thresholds, stair edges and cuts on drawings. Review several current samples for colour and texture variation. A larger dry layout or installed mock-up reveals repetition, shade distribution, joint rhythm and lippage more clearly than one product photograph.
Retain labelled control samples showing the accepted range and record blending instructions. Confirm batch strategy and sensible spares. Later production may not match exactly, so replacement planning should be part of approval and procurement.
Build a current submittal and quality plan
Map each requirement to a drawing, declaration, test report, sample or trial. Check method, date, specimen identity, size, thickness, surface and scope. A quality-management certificate does not establish slip, wear, chemical, absorption, freeze–thaw or fire performance for a product.
Confirm which documents are mandatory before sample approval, purchase, shipment and installation. Use a submittal register with revision, reviewer, status and open actions. This prevents an early archive sheet or preliminary sample from remaining the accidental basis of the final order.
Set factory checks for dimensions, squareness, warpage, edges and appearance, with sampling and nonconformance procedures. At site, record deliveries, batches, storage, substrate acceptance, installation inspections, cleaning trials and protected handover. The terracotta tile range can support initial selection, subject to current verification.
Release a traceable floor-tile order
Align product code, drawing, finish range, floor build-up, evidence, layout, quantities, wastage basis, specials, spares, packing and programme. Confirm current carton and pallet information rather than carrying the archive forward. Record assumptions, exclusions and delivery responsibilities.
Plan pallet size and weight, lifting, delivery sequence, dry protected storage and response to transit damage. Separate material supply, installation products, testing, mock-ups, freight and site work in the commercial schedule. Compare complete scope rather than only a price per tile.
At handover, retain installed locations, batch records, final drawings, approved cleaning method, maintenance plan and spare inventory. Use the terracotta surface guide to frame diagnosis before selecting a repair.