Quarry Tiles Flaking

[James carrier]

Hi there I have just installed a reclaimed quarry tile path the customer then sealed it themselves with LTP mattstone.
We have since had two severe frosts which has resulted in the tiles flaking badly1

Any suggestions as to the cause??

The path has been down around five months and looked perfect up to this point!

 

[Bill]

Frost damage more than likely - as they were reclaimed, you probably have no idea how good they were.

A hazard of fixing external quarries.

 

[Dhtiling]

I wonder if the sealer may have gotten into the pours of the tile and froze. That would make the breaking or shearing of the tile understandable. Is it a water or solvent based sealer? It is not available where I am so I don't know.

 

[James carrier]

Hi there it is a solvent based sealer ( white spirit and benzene) it was sealed about three months prior to the frosts!!

 

[Dhtiling]

Glazed or no?

 

[Dhtiling]

I ask because quarry is very porous and if it was sealed long ago, though 3 months is not long, unglazed will allow natural moisture in. I don't mean glazed like porcelin or ceramic, some quarry has quite a shine to it, it is more dense on the surface. Solvent based sealers get further down into the tile because it does not have the same surface tension a water based sealer has. So there still may be open pous near the surface. Has to be frozen water flaking it. Any pictures? Guessing is hard.

 

[Lithofin BOB]

As above , also underlying moisture can migrate from below and saturate the the tile which then expands the water mol at frosting , long term salts can also expand in the surface or in the body of the tile and cause spalling ( delamination)at the face . Might be worth releasing the impregnator on several tiles and monitor these against the others , if these are not getting worse ,strip the rest and the floor can breath fully and moisture can release . Most impregnators are breathable but only to a degree. This may be just the location of the tiles, it's not the impregnator
Do you have any photos to look at the way the tiles are breaking away?

 

[Dave]

As Bob , its spalling , it happens from time to time and sealer won't stop it... Little Air pockets in the tile biscuit trap water and then expand when they freeze , so repetitive freeze/thaw weakens that area and they spall.

 

[James carrier]

As above , also underlying moisture can migrate from below and saturate the the tile which then expands the water mol at frosting , long term salts can also expand in the surface or in the body of the tile and cause spalling ( delamination)at the face . Might be worth releasing the impregnator on several tiles and monitor these against the others , if these are not getting worse ,strip the rest and the floor can breath fully and moisture can release . Most impregnators are breathable but only to a degree. This may be just the location of the tiles, it's not the impregnator
Do you have any photos to look at the way the tiles are breaking away?

 

[Lithofin BOB]

Not what I was expecting to see , looks more like compresion of the tile. Looks fairly brittle ,so could expand and delaminate from a severe frost. Can you give a picture of full path or larger section

 

[James carrier]

Not what I was expecting to see , looks more like compresion of the tile. Looks fairly brittle ,so could expand and delaminate from a severe frost. Can you give a picture of full path or larger section

I will grab a full pic tomorrow!

 

[James carrier]

I will grab a full pic tomorrow!

 

[Dhtiling]

Any accommodation for movement?

 

[James carrier]

It has a breathable grout!!

 

[Lithofin BOB]

James , is there a new screed under this path or ontop of existing path
If new , what depth and how long was it left until tiled on.

 

[James carrier]

James , is there a new screed under this path or ontop of existing path
If new , what depth and how long was it left until

They were installed using a wet mix sand/cement!

 

[Lithofin BOB]

Sure the guys will help here, I was more worried about movement possibly delaminating these , would your sand / cement go on to a compacted base then?. Also how long after the install was it sealed?

 

[Lithofin BOB]

How deep for the sand/ cement mix?

 

[James carrier]

Sure the guys will help here, I was more worried about movement possibly delaminating these , would your sand / cement go on to a compacted base then?. Also how long after the install was it sealed?

Sand and cement onto a existing path sealed around 3 weeks after install!

 

[James carrier]

How deep for the sand/ cement mix?

40-50mm!

 

[Lithofin BOB]

Hi James , I have spoken to a couple of people today , they have said that it it is likely that the deep external sand and cement bed has contracted as drying and this generally can lead to cracking or face de -laminanition of some tiles , especially prone in lighter porous pressed tiles. I am hoping the guys can comment on the install for future projects, sorry I can't offer a easy solution