The Treatment of Terracotta

Handmade terracotta is a live and porous material. It has a natural capacity of high absorption (approximately 18% of its weight).

Terracotta treatment is usually carried out after laying and grouting. This waterproofs the floor, meaning that maintenance and cleaning is made easier to maintain the natural beauty of the tile.
A good treatment protects from dirt but does not distort the features of the brick.
For the treatment to give the best technical and aesthetic results, the product should be used in the right way. There is a full course of treatment available for washing, protection and finishing.
The washing is carried out with buffered acid and serves to remove residual cement, arising from the laying and grouting and salt peter from the dust.
It is left to work for a few minutes and then brushed vigorously. The last washing stage is to rinse with clean fresh water.

Instructions for the treatment and mainteinance of terracotta

Protection and Finishing of Terracotta

The protection phase involves applying specific water-repellent and oil-repellent products to the terracotta floor. These are mostly impregnating and breathable materials that provide the terracotta with stain resistance and waterproofing against oily and aqueous substances. Chemically, these products can be either water-based or solvent-based. Fornace Bernasconi prefers and recommends the use of water-based products: more natural, chemically less invasive, and therefore aligned with the terracotta certified for bio-building.

The finishing step completes the anti-dirt and wear protection and gives the terracotta the desired final appearance. This involves natural waxes (liquid and/or beeswax paste) that provide the brick surface with a glossy (shiny), matte (maintains the natural look), or satin finish (between glossy and matte) of choice. It is during this phase that, by using colored or opaque waxes, it is possible to alter the natural color of the terracotta, shifting it to darker and more intense shades.

Wax finishes are generally not applied to outdoor floors because weather conditions would not allow them to last over time. In such outdoor living spaces (dinners, banquets, or similar), only the water-repellent and stain-resistant (oil-repellent) treatments are applied.

The treatment is a fundamental and essential step for the success of a handmade terracotta floor, both aesthetically and practically (protection and durability). Fornace Bernasconi prefers as natural treatments as possible, which do not alter the appearance and color of the terracotta but protect it over time and ensure easy maintenance. Fornace Bernasconi’s decades of experience and passion for terracotta will assist you in choosing the best treatment according to your aesthetic and technical needs.

Outdoor Terracotta Treatment

For outdoor use, the choice whether to treat the handmade terracotta floor is left to the customer: if it is a patio or an area where banquets are held and cleanliness is desired, the recommendation is to treat with water- and oil-repellent products. If it is a sidewalk or an outdoor space where constant cleanliness is not essential, the recommendation is not to treat it: in this case, the terracotta floor will age naturally and will still be aesthetically pleasing. In any case (which is very important), outdoor installations are recommended to have a slope of 1.5/2%.

The handmade terracotta is a very porous material (Fornace Bernasconi terracotta absorbs 18% by weight), therefore naturally prone to staining from daily use (oil, grease, and liquids in general that can permanently alter the color of the brick). How to protect a terracotta floor? The protection process (whether indoor or outdoor) is referred to as the terracotta floor treatment.

With the terracotta floor treatment, the brick becomes water- and oil-repellent (thus it does not absorb or stain) and waxed, making it easy to maintain over time. After installation and grouting (and after completing all other work inside the house, including window frame installation and painting), the treatment process begins, always preceded by a thorough and deep cleaning using buffered acid to remove grout residues, installation debris, and the typical white efflorescence of terracotta (saltpetre).

After cleaning, water- and oil-repellent products are applied: these can be either water-based or solvent-based impregnating products that create a chemical network in the first microns of the handmade terracotta surface, preventing liquid molecules (whether aqueous or oily) from penetrating, while allowing moisture to escape. The treatment of the outdoor terracotta floor ends with the application of these products, whereas for indoor floors, a base wax or beeswax paste is applied, followed by a finishing wax with a glossy, matte, or satin effect, according to preference.

The entire treatment cycle lasts about 5 days, as each product needs time to act and interact with the terracotta.

The handmade terracotta brick by Fornace Bernasconi is naturally frost-resistant and therefore suitable for outdoor installation without any treatment. At Fornace Bernasconi, we leave the choice of whether to treat an outdoor terracotta floor to the customer, while maintaining that:

• If it is a sidewalk or outdoor area where it is not important to keep it always clean, the recommendation is not to treat it: in this case, the terracotta floor will age naturally and will still be aesthetically pleasing;
• If it is a patio, a space where banquets are held and which you want to keep always clean, the recommendation is to treat it with water- and oil-repellent products.

Fornace Bernasconi carries out treatments for handmade terracotta floors both indoors and outdoors throughout the country, providing, upon request, a certificate guaranteeing the long-lasting durability of the treatment.

Visit the terracotta floors page to discover formats and finishes.

DIY Terracotta Treatment

There are two types of procedures for DIY terracotta treatment: one for indoor surfaces, consisting of five steps, and one for outdoor surfaces, consisting of three steps. The first three steps are the same for both; however, in the case of indoor treatment, additional steps involving waxing and finishing are required—steps that are not necessary for outdoor surfaces.
Before starting the DIY terracotta treatment process, it’s important to ensure that a pre-treatment was carried out during the installation phase.

In our online shop, you can find all the products you need to treat your terracotta surfaces at home. You can also purchase complete DIY treatment kits, such as: