Victorian Encaustic Tiles

[58stand]

Hi

I have recently discovered a tiled hall floor in my new house (haven't dared take the carpet off fully yet).

Some of the tiles are broken, some are missing, parts of the floor have had a levelling compound poured on top.

All the signs are negative, but I'd like to look at restoring it (with professional help, not by myself).

Some questions.

1. Is it feasible to lift the in-tact existing tiles and re-lay them ? Would they survive being lifted ?

2. Broken Tiles. I've seen a few sources for new tiles online, so for the plain tiles, I think they can be replaced, what about one off patterned tiles, is there anywhere can replicate ?

3. If Item 1 is feasible, can these older tiles be used with underfloor heating ?

 

[88v8]

Oooh yes, encaustic floors can look superb.

Whether they would lift depends on how well they are bedded. They were almost certainly laid and pointed in cement. Without seeing the floor, I would reckon the chances of lifting them intact are less than minimal.
If you want to restore the floor, I'd put Period cast-iron radiators in that room and omit the ufh. Allowing the mode of heating to dictate the fate of a beautiful floor, seems to me a classic case of the tail wagging the dog.

For a new floor, yes they will be OK with ufh, as any other tile.

Broken.... there were many many patterns. Start trawling the salvage yards, and eBay. You may get lucky. I doubt that the average professional tiler will trek around sourcing replacements for you. Unless of course you are an oligarch and money no object.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?LH_PrefLoc=1&_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=encaustic+tiles&_sacat=20081

Bear in mind that your tiles were made in proper Imperial sizes, new tiles may be approximations, made in in foreign measurements. If restoring, check they will fit before ordering quantities.

There have been a few threads on restoring these floors.
I searched on Tiles Hall, in the Search box.
Example
http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=8706
A search on Encaustic will no doubt be productive.

This chap seems to specialise
https://www.heritagetiling.com/
Worth a word.

Ivor

 

[plasticpigeon]

I would not recommend lifting the whole floor, it would be so much work cleaning the old tiles that it would probably end up cheaper laying new ones, so if you can keep the good bits of floor that is the thing to do.

Lifting sections might be possible. I've lifted a small area, about 1m^2 of simple basket weave geometric tiles. If the cement layer under is thin, then yes it can be done as the cement generally breaks rather than the tile. If the cement is thick, it is harder as some tiles will probably break when lifting them and it is hard to work up to a good edge. You cannot bash the cement off the back of the tile without breaking the tile. the only way I have had success is to grind a grid pattern on the back of the tile and knock off the small squares of cement left. Broken tiles can be glued together by grinding a channel in the back and using construction resin (anchorfix or similar) to glue in a steel tie, keeping them together.

Original style sell a lot of replacement tiles. Not sure they are the same sizes as the victorian/Edwardian ones, but they are through coloured clay and very nice. THey may be thinner than the original, but the levels can be made up with the bedding martar. Craven Dunhill Jackfiled Tiles in ironbridge are the real deal. I love that place! Expensive though.

http://www.cravendunnill-jackfield.co.uk/

What ****er would pour self levelling on a geometric tiled floor? We are doomed. With any luck the floor was dirty and greasy and the stuff will ping off. If not, then I don't know. If you are really really keen, you could grind it off trying not to get down to the tiles and then take of the final thin layer with brick acid, but that would have to be a labour of love!

 

[noj]

If you're lucky the previous bodger might have used a layer of waterproofing latex type stuff before the self levelling - that had been done over pamments in our kitchen. I found that a using a combination of steamer (on the thin bits) and a hot air gun on the thicker areas softened this and a thin chisel/rubber mallet combination lifted pretty much all of it off in reasonable sized flakes.

The adhesion to encaustic tiles should be less too...