A tile is a manufactured piece of hard-wearing material such as
ceramic, stone, metal, or even glass. Tiles are generally
used for covering roofs, floors, and walls, or other objects such as tabletops. Another category is the ceiling tiles, made from lightweight materials such as perlite, wood, and mineral wool. The word is derived from the French word tuile, which is, in turn, from the Latin word tegula, meaning a roof tile composed of baked clay. Less precisely, the modern term can refer to any sort of construction tile or similar object, such as rectangular counters used in playing games. Tile however, has not always been a product designed and made for the common man. Early in its history, tile was only for the affluent. Kings, Queens, Princes, and the Churches were normally the only user eventually, tile making spread throughout the world and became more affordable and more commonly used. While some of today''''s manufacturers still make tile by hand, most use some form of automation. This has resulted in tile made faster and more economically. Tiles are often used to form wall and floor coverings, and can range from simple square tiles to complex mosaic. Tiles are most often made from
ceramic with a hard glaze finish, but other materials are also commonly used, such as glass, marble,
granite, slate, and reformed ceramic slurry, which is cast in a mould and fired