Engraving tile for outdoors, options?

[Amy Shelton]

We have a customer who wants initials engraved onto tile and embedded in their driveway. I called Thermark, who said their ceramic marking product is not for outdoors, it will fade in 2-3 years, plus it wouldn't stand up to the abrasive conditions of a driveway. It must be frost-proof, not just frost-resistant.

What are my options for this?

I have some ideas:

1. Black granite, engrave to turn it white, then enhance with oil based white paint. But they want high contrast, to see it from the road, and I'm not sure if that will do it. The customer wants light-colored tile with dark letters. (Would white granite, after engraving, accept black paint? what kind is durable?)

2. Lasertile? I just submitted a question to them. It will have to withstand freezing temps, and I don't know if Lasertile has a porcelain composition. Also, will little gravels scratch the surface?

3. Stencil and sandblast, then paint (Is epoxy paint best for this? Would sandblasting work on a porcelain tile?)

4. Stencil and paint with a ceramic glaze, then fire in a kiln? (I don't have a kiln, but can sub it out to a friend)

5. CLTT - I believe I read it is not durable? I saw somewhere online that after pressing with a heat press, you can post-cure it it at 400F for 15 min. But would that make it tough enough to handle being in a driveway?

6. Engraving Quarry Tile -- I got a dark gray color on the red tile, but they want a tan color. When I engraved a tan quarry tile, it removed the top surface (I went 100power, 5 speed, raster) but it didn't burn a dark color. I tried color filling, using acrylic paint, and it didn't stay in the wide engraved areas.

I know there must be a way to do this. How do they put depth numbers on white tiles to use in pools?

Do you have any ideas? We're open to all suggestions!

THANKS!
Amy

[Martin Boekers]

These guys should be able to take care of it for you.

http://www.enduring-images.com/

You are still going to have issues though with gravel scratches.


Most of the laser or transfer processes won't hold up.

You may be able to work with a clay based tile or brick.

Maybe a mosaic "stepping stone" type product would work best.

Marty

[Michael Hunter]

Amy - you might try this on the red quarry tile ....

Place the tile about 10mm or 3/8ths" BELOW the focus point.
Vector (not raster) at full power and around the slowest speed (you will need to experiment to get the best speed setting).

You should get very dark or black glassy lines, which will stand up to prolonged weathering.
Someone posted some good single-line fonts, or you can just use ordinary fonts with the outline made "hairline".

I've mainly done this on terracotta clay tiles, but quarry tiles should work OK too.

[Joe Pelonio]

On ceramic, granite and marble tile I have done a lot of them by sandblastin, then filling with paint made for the cemetary monument industry, that lasts forever.

Also, I have done some smaller ones where I sprayed the tile with Krylon, and engraved off the background, leaving only the lettering. Some of those have been up 4 years and look fine. The customer mounts them onto the walls of a concrete planter box at a church.

[Stephen Kane]

I would probably use waterjet cutting for this if the thickness of the narrowest part of the text is greater than approx 15mm.

[Amy Shelton]

These are great ideas!

The customer is satisfied with black granite and white engraving, got 'er done last night. I warned the distributor to tell the end-customer *not* to put any sealer on it. They likely would seal the concrete driveway.

They are pouring the driveway, then will set the granite in it. My husband (tile installer) said he wouldn't stand behind that kind of installation... better to leave an area out of it, then install with a flex type of thinset.

I like the krylon idea, and engraving to leave the lettering. I'm going to order some of the lithichrome in the near future. Would I have to sandblast it to make it adhere?

We don't have access to a waterjet near us (that I know of)... my husband wants to get one, though! (Can't have enough tools? is that the saying?)

I've done a little on red quarry tile, I will try to adjust the focus and vector instead of raster. During my earlier tests, the vector lines are MUCH darker than the rastered.

Hopefully, we'll get something permanent figured out with some color options for future customers.

Thanks for the ideas,
Amy