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Frequently Asked Questions

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About Us & Our Products

Who buys them?

Who buys them?

Most of our tiles are bought in the UK but we have many customers in America, Canada and Australia too. Many people collect them and large numbers are given as presents. If stuck for ideas, then we may just have the solution for that special Christmas, birthday or anniversary present.

What do you do with them?

What do you do with them?

These decorative pieces are used as wall decor in many different situations in the home and garden. Some examples of where they can be placed: on a mantle piece or beam, on or over a door, on a pillar or in an alcove, kitchen splash back, around a cooker or Aga, in a porch, conservatory, gardens, gate/gate post, built into risers of steps or patio/courtyard wall, just to name a few!

See our Customer Gallery for ideas.

Why are you called Black Dog?

Why are you called Black Dog?

The name comes from the medieval property in Wells where the business was founded. In the 17th century the property was a cider house known as "Ye Blacke Dogge". The business was called Black Dog of Wells from the early 1980s until June 2016 when it relocated to Bath.

Going Greener

Going Greener

Ceramics is an energy intensive industry so trying to go greener is not straightforward. Although Black Dog is a very small business, we are attempting to reduce the resources required for running our business. Each change is very small on its own but it all adds up.

We are using the philosophy, the aggregation of marginal gains by Dave Brailsford who was the performance director of British Cycling. The basic premise is that if you improve lots of elements no matter how small the cumulative benefits can be significant in the long term.
Given we make thousands of tiles every year the cumulative effect means we are helping to reduce our Carbon footprint. Read on to see how we are doing this.

In 2020 we started to experiment with scooping a little clay out of the back of our slightly larger, heavier tiles to see how this would affect their drying, firing and toughness of the finished tile. This went well and this process was extended to many more designs.
The upsides to this are:
1) Better balance during the drying process. The clay dries out more evenly through the tile thus reducing the risks of cracking and waste clay needing to go for reprocessing.
2) Using a little less electricity during each firing. We pack our kiln with approx. 600 tiles for every firing. Before scooping the backs a firing took around 18 hours to finish its cycle. Now each firing is closer to 17 hours. This is because the more solid the tiles are the longer it takes to reach the required temperature. By having a little more air in the kiln (due to scooping) the temperature goes up a little faster as air is much quicker to heat than clay. This means we use a little less energy.
3) Reuse more clay. By taking a little out of each tile we can reduce the amount of clay we buy in. Therefore helping to reduce our footprint on the landscape. This clay goes back into making more tiles.
4) Tiles weigh less. The tiles remain the same size but when they weigh slightly less this has a knock on effect in shipping. Our mail order shipping costs are based on the heaviest tiles we make. By reducing their weight we can avoid unnecessary increases in postage which is good for your shopping basket and pocket.
It also means that fractionally less fuel is used to transport them (via road or air). The lighter something is the less energy is required to move it, so a tiny amount less pollution.

A few other measures we are taking to help save resources:
1) Printing onto A5 instead of A4 paper. All our internet orders and trade invoices are now printed on A5. The upside of this is our paper goes twice as far.
2) Less printing ink. By printing on A5 slightly less ink is required so a saving is made there too.
3) Variety of packaging sizes. We have a good number of box sizes and although buying in smaller quantities costs a little more it does save a lot of money on box filling material. This is not only prudent but it is a more responsible approach to using resources. It means there is also less to dispose of at the receiving end.
4) Reuse of packaging materials. We often get bubble wrap and other box filling materials which we use in our trade orders. Nearly all this sort of packaging can be reused a number of times before going to waste.

When the business relocated to Bath in 2016 we refurbished the premises with as much recycled material as possible. All the wood from existing partitions and doors was reused in a new arrangement. From Freecycle, our insulation material came from a house undergoing a major refurbishment a short distance from us. All our furniture also came from Freecycle and offices no longer needing it.
We are very resourceful at Black Dog and do our best not to throw too much away by reusing as much as possible. We are constantly looking for ways to go that little bit greener wherever it can be found.

Going Greener

Purchase & Delivery

Can they be posted?

Can they be posted?

Yes, our tiles are easily posted and we send them to a limited number of countries around the world. Each tile is wrapped in recyclable corrugated paper with recyclable sticky tape and put them in a tough card mailing box. So far they have successfully survived in many postal systems!

Nearly all our parcels are sent in either the thin or wide postal boxes as shown below. If more than 4 tiles are orders we combine these boxes together to make larger parcels.

Can they be posted?

Which countries do we post to?

Which countries do we post to?

We post to the countries list below. Now that all our international post is tracked we don't send to countries where the Royal Mail does not offer a tracked service or they don't have a 'trusted delivery partner'. We also don't post to countries where the postal service has been difficult.

UK: (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands of Jersey and Guernsey

EUROPE - Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Gibraltar, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland

WORLDWIDE: Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and the United States

How can I pay for your products?

How can I pay for your products?

You can purchase our products from this website with secure payment using your credit or debit card via Stripe.

You can also place your order by phone on 01225 445086. However, from June 2020 we no longer take card information but instead we send you a payment link to complete your purchase. This is done via one of three ways; 1) Zettle, 2) Paypal transfer - does not require a Paypal account or 3) BACS transfer.

Cheques - we are accepting these again. We understand that not everyone is comfortable with using links to make payments so we have set up a facility to allow us to take cheques. However, before we dispatch goods we have to allow cheques to clear first.

How can I pay for your products?

What happens if I change my mind about my purchase?

What happens if I change my mind about my purchase?

Just send the design back to us in its original packaging and we will either send an alternative design or refund your money.

I would like to buy a tile and have it delivered directly to someone else?

I would like to buy a tile and have it delivered directly to someone else?

You can do this but we have introduced some limitations as of March 2021.

UK Customers:
You are able to send many parcels to many UK addresses in a single transaction. Once you get to the Delivery Details page you can add new addresses associated with each tile and add a gift message if required. UK customers can no longer send gifts overseas dispatched directly from us. If you want to send a gift overseas it will have to be posted to you first.

Overseas Customers:
We can post a parcel to your home/work address and/or you can send a gift to a UK address. We will not post a tile as a gift to another person in your own country. To do this, you must first receive the parcel and then take it to your post office to send it onto them.

Do you run any website promotions?

Do you run any website promotions?

Yes, we have a permanent offer running. For every 5 tiles purchased in a single transaction you can add a FREE tile from the standard range to your basket. The FREE tile cannot be a personalised tile. When you reach 3 tiles or more a helpful notice will appear in the basket to let you know many more tiles need to purchase to qualify for a FREE tile.

Please note. If you are wanting only 6 of the same design (5 purchased and 1 FREE), put 5 tiles first into the basket and then return to the tile page and put the 6th FREE tile in the basket. If you put 6 or more of the same tile in the basket in one go it will not register the 6th tile as FREE

Personalised Tiles

Time required

Time required

We require a minimum of 4 weeks (but prefer 5-6 weeks) to create a personalised tile which comprises of:
1) A day or two consulation with customer on the layout and checking text of the more complicated designs.
2) A day to set up the text on the transfer film allowing the ink to dry before pressing the letters into the clay tile.
3) Approximately 2-3 weeks to dry out the tile.
4) 4 days in the kiln. The temperature rises very slowly to 1100C, hovers at this temperature for a couple of hours and then drops slowly until we can open the kiln at about 200C.

Firing schedule

Firing schedule

When you get in touch with us we can give you an idea of when your tile may be completed. We aim to stick to our schedule as much as possible but it is prone to shifting by several days for many reasons. These include our regular stock or personalised tiles not being quite dry enough to fire and adverse weather conditions that have the potential to cause an interruption to our power supply.

During warmer months we fire over a weekend as the workshop can get a bit too warm. During colder months we fire during the week which provides valuable extra heating to the workshop.

How we prepare the letter setup

How we prepare the letter setup

When we receive an order for a personalised tile, the required wording is added to the computer image of the tile so we can get the set up right. See examples shown here.
If we are making a name tile such as MOLLY on the Fine Cat tile we just get on and create it.
However, for designs which are more involved with plenty of text we will email an image of the file with the lettering applied to check we have added everything correctly. We will only continue with the tile once we have confirmation that the setup is correct.

How we prepare the letter setup

How we press the letters

How we press the letters

We have a transfer process to get the lettering from the computer image onto the tile. Once the transfer is done we have up to 20 minutes to press the letters into the clay before the transfer fades.
The transfer provides a guide to where to press the letters but we make small adjustments when pressing the letters. To begin with the letters are pressed in just enough to make an impression and allow for any adjustments before pressing them in again to make deep and well defined letters.

Available characters

Available characters

Letters: A to Z in capital letters
Lower case letters: d, h, n, r, s, t, to make date abbreviations - 'st' 'nd' 'rd' and 'th'
Numbers: 0-9
Additional Characters: & -! • (enter • using *)

For ease we have created only a full alphabet in CAPITAL letters. If we had a lower case alphabet then we would run into problems for letters with ascenders (b d f h k l) and letters with descenders (g j p q y). Words with combinations of ascenders and descenders make setting up text a bit tricky.

Archive Tiles

Archive Tiles

Like the personalised tiles, archive tiles are treated in much the same way in terms of time required to make, dry and fire them. 

About The Tiles

How is each tile presented and how much packaging comes with it?

How is each tile presented and how much packaging comes with it?

Tiles are mounted on a purpose designed presentation card. Each design has a story label full of interesting information. There is very little packaging that comes with the tile apart from what is required to post it to you.

How is each tile presented and how much packaging comes with it?

Are they frost resistant?

Are they frost resistant?

Yes, the tiles are fired to a high temperature so they are frost resistant. However, we recommend that your tile is not hung on a wall prone to getting very wet. This is only an issue when tempertures drop to below zero in winter when the risk of chipping and flaking can occur.

We had a visitor from northern Norway a few years ago who bought a tile from our shop and he asked if it would survive at temperatures below -30°C. We asked him if he could let us know if anything happened to it. We have not heard anything since - so we assume it was fine.

I live in a hot climate, will they be alright outside?

I live in a hot climate, will they be alright outside?

Yes. We fire our tiles to over 1100°C so should the Earth's climate rise above this, then we have a serious problem with global warming!

How do you make your tiles?

How do you make your tiles?

Each tile is made in terracotta earthenware clay and is pressed in a mould designed and made by us. It is hand finished before being carefully dried and fired to over 1100°C in a kiln. The rest are our trade secrets!

Where do you get your clay from?

Where do you get your clay from?

It comes from Stoke-on-Trent in northern England where the commercial British pottery industry developed during the 18th century such as Wedgwood, Spode, Minton and many more.

How long does it take you to create a design?

How long does it take you to create a design?

Most designs take about two months to complete from first drawing to the finished product.

Do you colour or glaze your tiles?

Do you colour or glaze your tiles?

No. We have experimented with adding finishes in the past but we know that people like the natural organic feel of unglazed terracotta. We think our tiles with their rich and delicately modelled surfaces speak for themselves.

Do they break easily?

Do they break easily?

Our tiles are very robust, but should they fall onto a hard surface from a reasonable height they will be prone to breaking.

How do I remove the glue and hang my tile?

How do I remove the glue and hang my tile?

We have created a Tile Care page for all the answers about how to remove the glue, hang the tile etc. Click here to go to the Tile Care pages.

About Our Shop & Workshop

Where is your shop located?

Where is your shop located?

We are located in the Walcot area of Bath, heading out on the A4 London Road towards Chippenham. Please see the google map location on Our Shop page.

Can we buy seconds of any of your terracotta tiles?

Can we buy seconds of any of your terracotta tiles?

In the Other Products dropdown menu select Imperfect Tiles. At a glance you can see which designs have seconds available. These are just short of the quality we send to the shops. Seconds which are not good enough to post can be bought from the Bath or Wells shops.

Do you have tours of your workshop?

Do you have tours of your workshop?

We have thought about doing this but we do have a number of processes which are our trade secrets. So the answer is no.

Other Questions

I would like a personal design - can you do one?

I would like a personal design - can you do one?

Sorry, we do not do personal one-off designs. This is because we have a complex process of designing and making our tiles. For us to create an affordable tile we must produce them in large numbers.

Can I get a FREE tile? - YES with photos

Can I get a FREE tile? - YES with photos

Our Customer Gallery shows our wall plaques placed in a number of situations around the home. You may get some inspiration from here or you might have found great spots for your own tiles. If you can take a good image, you can take advantage of our free tile for your photograph(s) offer.
For Overseas customers we no longer offer this as the cost of tracked postage is prohibitive when a free tile is posted on its own. However, if you order a tile we can add the free tile to the parcel.

To Qualify:

Each digital photo should be supplied in JPG format with a minimum size of 1MB.

It's best if you do not edit your photograph(s), for example, cropping or changing the colour/contrast of the image.

You can email as many digital images as you like of your tiles to: info@blackdogtiles.com or you can post printed pictures to: Black Dog, Unit 4, Meadows Lane, Bath, BA1 6FB.

To capture the tile within its environment, it helps if you stand about 1-2 metres away from the tile with your camera. Try and avoid a tile that takes up most of the picture or a tile that requires a magnifying glass to find it!

If we can use one of your pictures then we will send you a tile of your choice from the website. Framed tiles and personalised tiles are not included in this offer.

By sending us your images you are allowing us to publish them in any way that helps to promote our work. We like to mention the town and country where the photo has been taken, but we will not publish any other details.

I have an idea for a terracotta tile, would you like me to send it to you?

I have an idea for a terracotta tile, would you like me to send it to you?

Yes please! Should your idea or part of your idea turn into a product we will happily give you a couple of the finished tiles as a thank you present. We are always looking for new phrases or quotations but they need to be quite short. Does anyone know of a house blessing or other blessing from Dorset, Cornwall, Yorkshire, Wales, Scotland or any special area of the UK? We would really like you to tell us!

I am a Trade Buyer, do you sell wholesale?

I am a Trade Buyer, do you sell wholesale?

Yes, we do sell wholesale. Our main market is within the UK, but we also have a couple in North America and on the European Continent. See our Trade Buyers page for further information.

Contact Us

Black Dog
Unit 4, Meadows Lane
Bath, Somerset
BA1 6FB

01225 445086

info@blackdogtiles.com