Terra Cotta Tiles - Sealing

[craigt3365]

I got some terra cotta type types in my house, inside and out. They were not sealed, so when we moved in 5 years ago or so, the builder recommended a sealer. We were in a hurry, leaving for back home the next day, and agreed with the coating. He demonstrated to me how after it was applied, it wouldn't scratch. How wrong he was....

It looks absolutely beautiful, a clear shine on the tiles and makes it really easy to clean. But! You can scratch the surface with your fingernail. Moving chairs causes scratches. Rolling suitcases causes long lines. The rubber on the bottom of floor fans sticks and pulls out a section leaving a blank spot. It's been a struggle over the years to keep the scratches to a minimum. Even most rubber pads you can buy will peel the coating off, and forget wool pads. We have to use a plastic pad that's only available in Bangkok. Sucks. Plus, the coating is SUPER slippery when wet!

So...the flood caused a lot of damage to the floor and it needs to be redone. A new builder did some tests with a floor paint, but we don't like it as it hides the beauty of the tiles...and scratches also! We've got to remove the coating, which is not too hard to do, but not sure what to use after removal. Leaving them in their "natural" state isn't an option. We just did a new section with them and they are super hard to clean unless treated.

I've been researching sealers and am leaning towards those that impregnate, but don't create a surface covering. It's a water based sealer that may require several coats until beading occurs. The tiles are suppose to be sealed then and resistant to stains....one of the big problems with terra cotta tiles.

Does anybody have any other thoughts on this? I've looked at a bunch of stuff on the internet, but most involve products that aren't available here. I'm guessing shipping hazardous stuff like this might be a problem?

Anyway, would love to hear your thoughts! Thanks!! P.S. the pic is just after they painted the coating on. Looks beautiful! But not practical....

[MoD1977]

Hi,

 

Im looking for the same thing for my neighbours terracotta tiles.

Did you find a good sealer?

 

 

[AJBangkok]

These people have a variety of products and they deliver. Although I haven't tried it There is a call line for HG products you can call and tell them what you want to do and they will tell you the best product 

 

http://www.naradee.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&path=191_452&product_id=470

[KittenKong]

We had a lot of new and old terracotta floor tiles back in Europe and they were very widely used there by many home owners. Most professionals advised against shiny finishes and commercial products for the reasons mentioned. I did all mine with a 50/50 mixture of turps and linseed oil. Very cheap, very effective. Apply with a paint-brush or sponge and leave to soak in and dry for 12 hours. You may need use more initially and to repeat the initial application after a week but subsequently a fairly light coat once a year should do it.

 

But if you have already applied some other product it may be too late to use that mixture as what you have put on may prevent the mixture from soaking in. If you have some spare tiles you can do a test to see.