CeramicShapes Posted October 2, 2011 Report Share Posted October 2, 2011 How well does a fully glazed finished piece of pottery survive outdoors in the elements? I assumed that it could survive 110 degree heat since it gets fired in a kiln at a slightly higher temperature than that. I know that it is UV stable in that it will not fade in the sun. But can it survive a -30 degree day? Or will it shatter due to micro pellets of water inside the piece when they freeze? Will one type of clay (ie. porcelain, etc.) fare better than another type? Does it matter if it is glazed on 3 sides verses 4? I've heard that some pots need to be brought in during the winter or else they will shatter, yet people make ceramic house numbers that see the elements 24/7/365. So any advice or experience would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Campbell Posted October 2, 2011 Report Share Posted October 2, 2011 Once again I think the answer is ... It depends. You could get away with leaving them outside for years then get one wet, wet autumn week followed by a freezing snap and lose your favorite pot. The variable would be how much moisture your pot absorbs which goes to clay body, firing temp and the location in the yard. I can only speak to North Carolina where it gets below freezing but never as cold as minus thirty! I have stoneware, porcelain and terra cotta around my yard ...Glazed and unglazed ... stays out all year. The only one that fell to pieces was a low fire raku mural. In your harsher climate I would bring in things I really cared about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoobydoozie Posted October 3, 2011 Report Share Posted October 3, 2011 The hotter the firing, the less porous the clay, so cone 04 bisque is more porous than cone 6 and cone 6 is more porous than cone 10. The more porous the clay after firing, the more risk of freezing damage. If I am going to use low fire pottery (cone 04) outside, I glaze the entire piece inside and out and stilt the piece during the glaze firing rather than foot it. That will help prevent moisture from entering the clay body which reduces the chance of cracking in winter. However... mother nature is fickled and nothing is for certain. lol... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted October 3, 2011 Report Share Posted October 3, 2011 You can do freeze proof testing. Terra cotta , glazed and unglazed can survive Montana winters Some people say the absorption rate 1%, some say 2% some say under 3%. It depends on many things and as always depends on many variable Google freeze proof clay for some opinions. Weather proof testing of the clay body: Test for absorption to know if the clay body will withstand a freeze. Take a test tile; fire to the maturing temperature you intend to use. Weigh the tile. Then, boil it in water for two hours. Wipe it off and weigh it again. The wet weight minus the dry weight multiplied by 100 gives you the absorption percentage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CeramicShapes Posted October 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2011 Interesting.......and informative. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.