How Do You Restore Victorian Floor Tiles?
Victorian tile restoration services use tried and tested solutions to preserve period geometric and mosaic tiled flooring.
Geometric Victorian tile floors were hugely popular for commercial and domestic floors in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The floors fell out of fashion in the late 20th century and were removed or covered with carpet or other floorings. Now they are hugely appreciated.
As the name suggests, Victorian tile floors are old and suffered over 100 years of wear, changes in design trends, and different chemical cleaning and treatment processes.
These days, a perfect floor is a surprise. Most floors will have some common form of damage that needs restoration are;
- loose tiles
- missing tiles with the area filled with cement
- cracked tiles
- wide grout lines
- uneven tiles
- stained tiles
- chipped tiles
- tiles damaged by carpet gripper bar nails.
- holes for central heating pipes
- old, discoloured coatings
- dished, worn tiles
- glue and paint residues
A typical restoration starts with repairs.
Repairing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor
A typical project starts with preparing the area by removing all movable furnishings and protecting any delicate skirting boards and static furnishings.When there are repairs, these take place before cleaning and sealing.
The work starts with carefully removing old repaired cement and preparing the exposed subfloor for the new tiles. Hopefully, the client will have the old tiles. If not, there are modern ceramic replacements. However, modern colours will only partially match old worn tiles.
Often the subfloor is damaged, whether through previous repairs or movement in the floor. So, subfloor areas may need repairing or replacing to allow an even finish on the floor.
Loose tiles will need tiles resetting with an appropriate adhesive. If removing a loose tile will damage the surrounding tiles, the tile will be left in place.
Where you can safely remove cracked tiles, they are repaired and reset.
Large chips, holes and other areas of damage are filled with colour-matched fillers.
After all the repairs, you regrout any areas of lost grout with grey grout or a darker grey, often referred to as London Grey.
Often, the cost of repairs is substantially more than the cleaning and sealing. Clients often have to balance the amount of restoration work with their budget.
Deep Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor
With the tiling repaired, the next focus is cleaning.Specialist cleaners and coating soften soils, sealer residues and other marks.An industrial scrubbing machine works specialist cleaning agents into the pores of the tiles, releasing years of ingrained dirt, old sealers and coatings. After extracting the slurry, rinse the floor with clean water.
Earth colour Victorian clay tiles are relatively soft and quickly damaged by aggressive cleaning. Experienced technicians appreciate the need for sufficient time for the chemicals to do their work.After cleaning, the technician will check the floor and repeat the process until they are satisfied with the results. Carpet and other coverings can stop moisture from escaping and trap mineral salts in the tiles. A final acid rinse can help dissolve some of these salts. After cleaning, the floor needs to dry and be ready for sealing. Depending on the degree of restoration, this can be overnight or for a couple of days.
Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor
Old, worn tiles often look "washed out" after cleaning. Applying colour-enhancing impregnating sealer lifts dull colours, similar to oil on wood.
Many floors do not have a damp-proof membrane, so the flooring needs to allow moisture vapour to pass through or "breathe". Impregnating sealers allow the free flow of vapour through the tiles, so they are ideal where breathability is necessary. A wax or topical sealer can be applied where the flooring does not need to breathe. These will give the floor more protection and a sheen or gloss finish. The contractor will determine the suitability of the additional coating on a case-by-case basis.
Once the floor has been cleaned and restored, a proper cleaning schedule is essential. The floor should be dry-swept and mopped with a Neutral ph cleaner regularly. The cleaner must be pH neutral to protect the sealers. Most floor cleaning products available in supermarkets at too strong and will prematurely degrade the protective sealer.
Regular cleaning allows you to enjoy your Minton tile for years to come.
Now you have the information to help you choose a suitable local victorian tile restoration company to clean and restore your victorian tile floor.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you clean Victorian Minton tiles?
Clean soiled tiles and stubborn stains with an alkaline cleaning solution tile cleaner like LTP Grimex and dilute according to the the manufacturer's instructions. After mopping , rinse he floor well and seal with an impregnating sealer
How do you look after Minton tiles?
Victorian Minton Tiles need little maintenance, regular dust mopping and damp mopping with a Ph Neutral cleaner like LTP Waxwash. If the floor looks porous, apply coat of impregnating sealer to maintain the protection.Can you steam clean minton tiles?
Do not use a steam cleaner on Victorian Minton tiles. The heated steam will degrade the sealer. Damp mopping using a microfiber mop is all you need to keep your tiles in tip top condition.