Arrested Development - Ex-Pats Mexico

That wall of tile murals in Saltillo is near Mario's Inn just off the toll road.

With all the knowledge out there - can anyone enlighten me as to how one tells if a particular tile or mural is able to withstand freezing conditions? I realize that for much of Mexico, this would not be a problem but it is a consideration NOB for an outside installation. Even tile shops, distributors and installers NOB have differing opinions on this. I do know that Lowes and Home Depot sell a couple of grades of Saltillo tile with some rated for freezing applications. There appears to be some agreement that some Mexican tiles are not fired at a high enough temp to produce a tile which will not absorb moisture into the body of the tile. This moisture will then expand under freezing conditions and delaminate the tile. Would appreciate anyone's thoughts or theories on this.

I have worked a lot with the restoration and replication of antique glazed ceramics, especially architectural (usually called terracotta, sometimes faience). The damaging process is actually called 'freeze thaw' and there are actually few regions where this is a problem. A hard frost traps moisture in the material and a sudden thaw causes a physical imbalance and 'spalling' . There is an actual engineering test for freeze/thaw resistance, but with Mexican products it is as much a problem with consistency - standards are not followed from region to region, or even day to day.

I have had good results matching glazes with a special custom made epoxy putty, and a special (aliphatic) urethane coatings. This forms a UV resistant, 100% waterproof barrier - but these are toxic and extremely difficult to work with chemicals. You also have to make sure moisture cannot enter from the rear of the ceramics - another specialised field.

If I were to make a "hand painted Mexican look" mural today, and this again a highly personalised option, I would paint it on plaster, photograph it, and then photo transfer to architecturally rated tiles.
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