Quick Answer
Are brick slips waterproof?
Answer – No
Detailed Answer – Are brick slips waterproof?
No! Neither brick slips or house bricks are waterproof.
Both are fairly absorbent and will suck moisture in and out with ease.
When building a house out of bricks this is never usually an issue as there is always a cavity.
With brick slips as long as water and moisture barriers have been used in the construction then water absorption should not be an issue.
Solutions
When installing brick slips internally there is never really a great need to waterproof the tiles. The only instance when this might be done is in a Kitchen or bathroom. In both instances either a sealer of a waterproof solution can be used to make the surface hydrophobic.
When installing brick slips externally is is advised that you follow recommendations given by a professional. Brick slips are used externally as part of a variety of different methods. Each external method or system has its own rules and recommendations.
The differences
A sealer, be it Gloss or Matt will seal the surface of the brick fully. This will stop any water from penetrating the surface, making it fully repellent.
A waterproofer acts differently to a sealer in that it stops water molecules but still allows air molecules. This kind of product will still allow the brick slips to breathe, something which depending on installation might be preferred.
