An unglazed terracotta baguette should be specified through its actual fired-clay body, surface, colour range, texture and orientation, not through the absence of glaze alone. Daylight, wetting, runoff, ends, joints and the complete support system determine how a linear exterior element looks and performs.
Define unglazed through a physical finish brief
State the exact product code, clay body, extrusion profile and surface process intended by “unglazed.” Record whether the approved face is smooth, wire-cut, sanded, textured or otherwise treated, and whether different faces of the profile may be exposed. Avoid translating the word into unsupported performance.
Approve physical centre, lighter and darker range samples tied to the current manufacturing route. Include acceptable texture, small fired marks, edges and unacceptable extremes. Screens and archive photographs can support communication but cannot replace retained, labelled project samples.
Create an approval schedule naming product revision, exposed faces, range pieces, comparison lighting and reviewers. If body, surface process, tooling or manufacturing source changes, require a new documented comparison rather than assuming that the label unglazed preserves appearance.
Approve fired colour across direction and light
Profile face
Review every face that becomes visible as the baguette direction, rotation or viewpoint changes.
Daylight
Compare direct sun, open shade and reflected light under recorded viewing conditions.
Wet appearance
Observe temporary changes and runoff patterns without treating wet colour as a permanent target.
Night lighting
Assess production-intent pieces with the project’s representative fixture, direction and background.
Long linear elements reveal variation differently from flat hand samples. Arrange enough pieces to study clustering, repeated streaks and face-to-face differences. Define how approved variation is distributed rather than promising perfect uniformity or permanent colour.
Coordinate water paths and visible marks
Map water from copings, roofs, sills, glazing, adjacent cladding and the baguette supports. Show where it drips, drains and dries at typical fields, ends, corners and openings. An unglazed label does not establish self-cleaning behavior or immunity from water marks.
Review contact or runoff from metals, sealants, membranes, cleaners and construction residue. Coordinate temporary protection and commissioning cleaning. Where appearance is sensitive, expose a representative mock-up to useful wet and dry conditions and record the observed limits.
Compare sheltered and exposed zones, upper and lower ends and areas beneath horizontal projections. A mark that is minor on one face can become repetitive across a linear field. Use elevation-wide water-path drawings to find concentrated discharge before product approval.
Test cleaning on the approved surface
Request current product-specific cleaning restrictions from the supplier and coordinate them with facade access. Trial any proposed water, detergent, brush or specialist method on a spare or inconspicuous production-intent piece. Judge both the treated surface and nearby untreated material after drying.
Do not prescribe generic acids, abrasives, coatings, sealers or pressure. A treatment can alter colour, sheen, texture or future soiling patterns. Record the accepted method, limits and responsible reviewer as project maintenance information rather than claiming a maintenance-free finish.
Include untreated control samples in cleaning trials and observe them after adequate drying under comparable light. Document the product, dilution where relevant, tools, contact conditions and result so later maintenance does not rely on memory or a broad supplier claim.
Resolve ends, joints and orientation
Draw cut or manufactured ends, open cavities where present, end caps or closures, transitions, corners, parapets, soffits and changes in direction. Coordinate the visual rhythm with drainage and service access. Do not infer a safe end detail from a cropped product photograph.
Identify profile orientation on every elevation zone and control which face is presented. Review dimensional and straightness tolerances, end alignment and joint appearance using current product information. Site cutting or surface repair requires an approved process and recorded acceptance criteria.
Verify the complete fixing system separately
Request current baguette and hardware drawings, compatible-component schedules, material records, calculations, tests and inspection criteria for the exact profile, orientation and project conditions. Archived panel data cannot qualify a linear baguette or its supports.
Use production-intent components in a representative assembly to review fit, rotation, ends, adjustment, access, drainage and replacement. The mock-up can establish visual and workmanship observations within its scope but cannot replace structural, weather, fire or durability evidence.
Cross-check every report against the proposed baguette, not merely the supplier name or clay description. Record specimen geometry, orientation, supports, connections, dates and limits, and ask the responsible reviewers to resolve differences before system release.
Control batches, installation appearance and handover
Link samples, drawings, quotations, purchase orders, batch or lot records and delivery labels. Inspect representative packs before broad installation and quarantine unexplained changes in profile, colour, texture or identity. Record installed batches and special pieces by elevation zone.
Explore the current terracotta baguette range and project references only as design context. Handover should preserve finish approvals, as-built locations, inspection and cleaning records, maintenance access, replacement logic and traceable spares.