Hi - first time poster! I know there's a few threads on here already about terracotta (cotto) tiles but we're in need of some advice for a specific situation and was hoping someone out there could help us.
Thanks Taranis - yes, apologies for the long post but thought it worth setting the context.
Interesting suggestion - I'd read that the waterproof sealant didn't leave the cotto impermeable or resistant to oils in particular - and since we use a lot of olive oil in the kitchen, this could be an issue. Do you think its wise to wax or use a resin finish in the kitchen for instance? In the bedrooms etc its probably less of a risk of course (although I do take the point about cosmetics sometimes).
Does the water based sealer leave any kind of finish - i.e., a shiny or matt finish - or does it leave the cotto looking as it does 'out of the box'?
FWIW I was going to import my low-mileage US car (Subaru Outback) to Italy and contacted the manufacturer in Europe. Granted it wasn't a treasured much-loved car, but it was relatively new and it was cheap to ship (relatively). Subaru Europe gave me the following (edited) reply:
'We inform you that, since the car originally was destined for a non-European market, this may involve some - and sometimes significant - problems.
The most obvious thing is the various devices subject to European homologation, such as seat belts, lights (headlights, direction indicators, etc.), crystals, etc. These devices, which are presumably identical with regard to the technical aspect, are likely to not have the stamp, the label or anything else that attests conformity to the European directives, and therefore it is likely that the MCTC may contest the absence of such testing, requiring you to replace the parts with other "homologated" ones.
Another aspect concerns emissions, as the American market has its own legislation on it.
The above technical data sheet, which we could still provide, will certainly reflect the emission levels associated with US federal "Tier" regulations, for which there is, however, no direct compliance with European standards (Euro4, etc.): this would therefore the risk of having to register a car with an "Euro" class lower than that of a similar European model, therefore will not contain any data relating to "EEC Anti-Pollution Directives".'
The process and paperwork and anecdotal stories on this forum and other expat forums meant I quickly abandoned the idea - not to mention the car had a 3.6L engine, which meant it would be ruinously expensive to drive in Italy. I sold the Subaru (Outback) in the US and thought I'd buy another in Europe, but when I got here there were far better options available imho. Everything looks different when you're on the ground here in Italy compared to looking in from the outside.
Comments posted
Thanks Taranis - yes, apologies for the long post but thought it worth setting the context.
Interesting suggestion - I'd read that the waterproof sealant didn't leave the cotto impermeable or resistant to oils in particular - and since we use a lot of olive oil in the kitchen, this could be an issue. Do you think its wise to wax or use a resin finish in the kitchen for instance? In the bedrooms etc its probably less of a risk of course (although I do take the point about cosmetics sometimes).
Does the water based sealer leave any kind of finish - i.e., a shiny or matt finish - or does it leave the cotto looking as it does 'out of the box'?
Thanks again for your helpful reply!
FWIW I was going to import my low-mileage US car (Subaru Outback) to Italy and contacted the manufacturer in Europe. Granted it wasn't a treasured much-loved car, but it was relatively new and it was cheap to ship (relatively). Subaru Europe gave me the following (edited) reply:
'We inform you that, since the car originally was destined for a non-European market, this may involve some - and sometimes significant - problems.
The most obvious thing is the various devices subject to European homologation, such as seat belts, lights (headlights, direction indicators, etc.), crystals, etc. These devices, which are presumably identical with regard to the technical aspect, are likely to not have the stamp, the label or anything else that attests conformity to the European directives, and therefore it is likely that the MCTC may contest the absence of such testing, requiring you to replace the parts with other "homologated" ones.
Another aspect concerns emissions, as the American market has its own legislation on it.
The above technical data sheet, which we could still provide, will certainly reflect the emission levels associated with US federal "Tier" regulations, for which there is, however, no direct compliance with European standards (Euro4, etc.): this would therefore the risk of having to register a car with an "Euro" class lower than that of a similar European model, therefore will not contain any data relating to "EEC Anti-Pollution Directives".'
The process and paperwork and anecdotal stories on this forum and other expat forums meant I quickly abandoned the idea - not to mention the car had a 3.6L engine, which meant it would be ruinously expensive to drive in Italy. I sold the Subaru (Outback) in the US and thought I'd buy another in Europe, but when I got here there were far better options available imho. Everything looks different when you're on the ground here in Italy compared to looking in from the outside.
Good luck!