Testing the breathability of quarry tiles

[simonanna]

Dear all,

We have been looking into the best floor for relaying some quarry tiles (please see our other post) and are trying to decide between concrete and limecrete. We bought the quarry tiles we have from the local paper and are not sure whether they have been sealed in the past.

Is there a test for breathability of quarry tiles?

Is it possible to use quarry tiles with a limecrete floor if they have been sealed and are therefore not breathable?

Is there a way of removing a sealant if one has been applied?

If anyone has any other general advice about laying a quarry tile floor, please let us know!

Thanks,

Simon and Anna

 

[Nemesis]

Spit on em and see if it sinks in...

Also - grout with lime, and any moisture can escape through that.

 

[Moo]

And remember, if your spit sinks in, so will grease spots.

 

[simonanna]

Thanks Nemisis and Moo. I spent a fair while spitting on the quarry tiles last night and don't think it is sinking in. After a while it kindof disperses and leaves a damp patch on the tile when wiped off. The top of the tiles may be slightly redder than the other sides, or I might be imaging this because I read that there is some sort of sealant that has a red colour to it. Is there a remover that I could try? Nitromors?

Moo - good point about the grease. Is there something you can use to protect tiles whilst keeping breathability?

If the tiles have been sealed and it can't be easily removed, would you still recommend limecrete and if so would the space between the tiles need to be particularly big to allow enough breathability through the grout?

If using concrete, do I have to use a sealant to make sure nothing goes down through the tiles and sits on the DPM?

Cheers,

Simon