Crackle glaze tiles in the shower?

njhpuk

Hi,

I have heard that these tiles are more porous that normal glazed tiles and require addition sealing before use in a wet zone...has anyone got these tiles in their bathroom and what your experiences with them? Is it worth the extra hassle?

Cheers.

Alan_M_2

A tiled surface in a shower is technically only there for hygiene and aesthetics. It's the substrate that the tiles are fixed to that should actually be the waterproof barrier (that's why tanking systems exist). The tile itsef is not designed to create a waterproof barrier, in the same way waterproof grout and waterproof tile adhesive doesn't create a waterproof barrier. In this case the term waterproof means the mateiral is uneffected by water once set, but it's still free to pass through it.

For some reason the UK is a good 25 years behind Europe and the US on this principal, which I've never quite comprehended.

The top and tail of all this is, the crackle glaze is irrelevant if the substrate is constructed correctly.

I imagine you're looking at Jackfied Tile Museum tiles or similar?

It might not be a bad idea to seal them simply to keeping them looking fresh for longer.

I fitted a fair few of these over the years, some incredibly expensive at over £600 m2. They look stunning in the right situation but you really need someone who knows what they are doing, it's not a product on which any specification can be cut even down to the correct adhesive to stop colour leaching through the biscuit of the tile backing.

Basically, fit them as though they were marble and you'll have no issues.

njhpuk

Thanks for the comprehensive response. I'll read up on installing marble tiles as you said...found some great looking tiles at £33 per sqm that I can now confidently purchase.