Terracotta tiles - How much sealing?

[malcolm]

I've used Mexican terracotta tiles in the kitchen and they are made from the most absorbent material known to man. The photo below shows the 6th coat of linseed oil drying. The 7th is taking a lot more time to dry, but I imagine by the morning it will have soaked into the tiles leaving no evidence it had ever been applied.

I'm keen to seal the tiles well before grouting to avoid the grey grout soaking into the tiles. How do you know when you have applied enough linseed oil? I understand any shine would normally come from a polished wax coat applied after the grout but my logic is you don't know the tiles are sealed until they do have a sheen from the linseed oil.

Also should I tile below the step (there is depth for tiles) or leave in brick?

 

[Andys]

Apparently you need to be very wary of leaving that last coat in the expectation that it'll soak in. I was told if it hasn't happened within an hour it may just stay on the surface and form either a sticky mess or a sort of bloom and should be wiped off with a cloth soaked in white spirit before it goes off.

Info here
http://www.terrafirmatiles.co.uk/technical_advice/

I used about 2 litres of boiled linseed oil doing 2 square metres of these tiles ( on both sides) to fill in a gap where the PO had put a bath and sneakily tiled around it rather than putting the floor down first. The supplier above also sold me a tin of magical terracotta tile sealer to use as a topcoat on the tiles rather than use wax to finish it off. Seems alright.

 

[malcolm]

Thanks Andy. That was good timing - after 4 hours in colder weather there was still a little linseed on the surface. I've washed it off with real turpentine (smells better than the pretend stuff).

I bought my tiles from the same place. Might try to get some magic liquid on before grouting. Can always put more magic liquid on after grout.

 

[MikeG]

As said above, anything not dry within half an hour or so should be wiped off. A couple of coats of linseed should be all that is necessary, then start with the traffic wax (or, in your case, the sealer*).

Leave the step as brick, IMO.

* I'm surprised to find linseed and sealer both recommended by the supplier. You usually do linseed & wax, or just sealer, in my experience, not a combination of the two. I'd double check if I were you.

 

[Andys]

Phew, I was concerned I might be responsible for you spending all night wiping your floor dry Malcolm.

I do agree it seems odd saturating a tile with linseed oil and then using a sealer on top but terrafirma tiles recommend Bentens Protector Coat. It doesn't seem to exist anywhere else on the planet and was supplied in a plain unmarked can. Very mysterious. No idea what it is. I defied the instructions to closely follow the, er, instructions because there weren't any. Two thin coats seemed to work fine though, in a satin-shine style.

For interest, I grouted the floor with good results after the linseed oil but before the protector coat, to match the way the rest of the floor seems to have been done, with sealer over the grout. It would indeed be a nightmare if the grout stained the tiles but the oil seemed to do the job nicely. I guess the usual caution of trying a bit first is in order.

Good luck with the rest of it!

Brick maybe. Or perhaps tile it... mmm

 

[MikeG]

Are there two different shapes of pammets in that floor, or is it an optical illusion?

I am seeing rectangular tiles to the right of the right hand jamb of the door in the far wall, and square ones to the left of that line.

 

[Andys]

Interesting observation, I assume the distant view on the right is 'true' and the nearer view has been widened/foreshortened by distortion from the lens. I wonder, is there a special Estate Agent Lens that stops their pictures looking like a distorted hallucination?

 

[88v8]

If you re going to seal over the grout, presumably breathability is not an issue here?

Ivor

 

[Andys]

In my case it's a concrete floor with a plastic sheet dpc all put in by the efficient and modern-minded PO.
I try not to think about it.

 

[malcolm]

Are there two different shapes of pammets in that floor, or is it an optical illusion?

I am seeing rectangular tiles to the right of the right hand jamb of the door in the far wall, and square ones to the left of that line.

They are all square, but there are two distinct types with slightly different colour, size, profile, and manufacturing process (but in exactly the same boxes). Mentioned it to the supplier who said it's a Mexican thing. The difference isn't too noticeable.

I'll put a coat of wax on this week before grouting. I'm nervous about staining the tiles with grout. Not too fussy about breathability as the floor below is concrete. Though the floor was previously covered by industrial lino with woodlice living in the damp behind the edging strip so the breathability offered by tiles is probably welcome.

 

[Flyfisher]

I'll put a coat of wax on this week before grouting. I'm nervous about staining the tiles with grout.

If you plan to grout in the 'bathroom style' then I would share your concern. I grouted our new pamments (http://www.pamments.co.uk/index.php) with lime mortar, but was very careful to keep it off the tiles as far as possible - which meant not just 'washing' it over everywhere.

Inevitably I did get some mortar on the tiles, which I washed off as much as possible at the time. Then, when it had thoroughly dried, I used 'Spirits of Salts' (basically strong hydrochloric acid, so take care) from the local hardware store to clean off any remaining lime stains.

Might be worth some experimentation with your chosen grout in a hidden area first.

 

[88v8]

When I grouted our terracotta tiles, which were and are unsealed I used NHL errrm, probably 2, and silver sand. Proceeded carefully, inch by inch, wiping off aggressively with a piece of old sacking. No staining, but it took ages and I had far less to do than you.

Reading this, it occurs to me not for the first time, that I should have been running a record much as I do for my classic cars, of what I've done and the materials used. At the time, one thinks one will remember. I remember thinking that, but not what it was that I thought I would remember.

Ivor