Victorian Floor Tiles

[Dianne]

Hi there, hoping for some advice. we have just bought some encaustic victorain floor tiles. They've arrived in bags and are all in bits.

What I'd like to know is what type of grout should we use? Any tips for laying them? What is the best cleaner and restorer to use?

Any advice gratefully received.

Dianne

 

[Lime]

All in bits?
Sounds like you need to send them back!

Whenever I've laid these tiles I've used a weak lime mortar mix (no cement) to set them on and also used the mortar for the grout.
Try to clean the tiles before you use them.
Any grout left on them after they are laid and set can be easily removed with a brick cleaner acid carefully applied so as not to damage the grout.
(Apply with small paint brush and wipe off with a damp sponge, wringing out frequently.)

 

[Dianne]

Thanks very much - when you say weak lime mortar mix - what type and how weak?

What should I do to restore them after they're laid and clean?

Dianne

 

[plasticpigeon]

Also please lay them with their edges butting up to one another. It is a modern fashion to have thick grout lines between them but this is not he way to lay geometric tiles. Modern tilers may insist that the thick grout lines are correct but it is not corect and the result would be far less attractive.

 

[Penners]

Also please lay them with their edges butting up to one another. It is a modern fashion to have thick grout lines between them but this is not he way to lay geometric tiles. Modern tilers may insist that the thick grout lines are correct but it is not corect and the result would be far less attractive.

I agree.

 

[Lime]

Thanks very much - when you say weak lime mortar mix - what type and how weak?

What should I do to restore them after they're laid and clean?

Dianne

Nothing special, I part fresh-stocked ordinary lime from a builders merchants, 3 parts fine sand. (B&Q do convenient sized bags of fine sand)

The old method used goats milk on the tiles to give them a slight shine.

Re grout lines, I can hardly see the grout in between my tiles.

 

[Moo]

Does that advice about butting the tiles together apply to front paths* as well?



*the little black & white chequerboard ones.

 

[Dianne]

I've heard that Lithofin is good?

So I should clean them before they are laid, grout them in and once dry buff them up with Lithofin restorer - does that sound correct?

Appreciate your help. They're lovely tiles and I don't want to damage them.

Dianne

 

[plasticpigeon]

Hello Moo. I would think so, I have never seen any geometric floor tiles laid with thick grout lines like they are now. Same with quarries. Nowadays they are usually laid in grid pattern with huge 5mm dark grout lines which is really ugly. They should be brick pattern laid as closely as possible, except that quarries by their very nature are not very uniform so end up with some larger joints. The only exception is diamond pattern which are obviously laid in a grid but at 45 degrees to the walls but still as close as possible.

 

[Penners]

Does that advice about butting the tiles together apply to front paths* as well?

That's a slightly more tricky one, because your path will be subjected to a much greater range of temperatures than indoor tiles would be, and I don't know by how much such tiles expand and contract with temperature. I have a slight worry that, if you laid the tiles tightly against each other in cold weather, come the summer sun (!) they might expand sufficiently to cause cracking.

I must emphasise, however, that that's an opinion based on no experience or knowledge whatsoever, other than a vague idea of basic physics.

 

[CliffordPope]

Does the mortar advice depend on what surface you are laying them on?
Our kitchen originals are laid straight on the earth, with a good splodge of mortar at the corners, obviously just heeled-down to get them level, so there are hollows under the middle of each tile.

But if you are laying on an existing flat hard surface then presumably you would make more attempt to use a thinner layer of mortar but more evenly spread?

 

[Lime]

Does the mortar advice depend on what surface you are laying them on?
Our kitchen originals are laid straight on the earth, with a good splodge of mortar at the corners, obviously just heeled-down to get them level, so there are hollows under the middle of each tile.

But if you are laying on an existing flat hard surface then presumably you would make more attempt to use a thinner layer of mortar but more evenly spread?

From experience, I'd avoid voids under tiles when directly placed on earth for two reasons.
First is that the load on the earth needs to be spread as much as possible. A whole solid subfloor of mortar gives better overall support on earth. (This applies to smaller tiles particularly.)

Second is that any voids may allow ants to invade the room more easily.

The mortar support needs to be quite stiff/dry too, vice versa for the grout.

Lime mortar stiffens noticeably if left for 20 minutes before laying tiles.
Whenever I have re-laid tiles I have done a small area at a time, not the complete floor all at once.
BTW a laser level is wonderful for laying floor tiles.

 

[Penners]

I'd avoid voids under tiles when directly placed on earth

I quite agree.

 

[88v8]

So I should clean them before they are laid, grout them in and once dry buff them up with Lithofin restorer - does that sound correct?

Yes.
Not all lime is the same of course, nor all sand. Don't use soft sand, sometimes called Building sand.
For any grouting, which as has been said should be as thin as possible, I would used NHL 5 lime with silver sand. Silver sand is sharp, essential for lime, but very fine. you may have to get it from a nursery.
The lime may have to be ordered, the average builders merchant won't stock it.

Having said all that, they were originally laid in cement, I believe.

There was a long thread on this topic a while ago, a complete hall being done? Don't have time to look for it now.

Ivor

 

[plasticpigeon]

Yes, I have a circa 1900 construction book that recommends to lay the tiles on cement mortar and then grout with pure cement slurry, presumably because the sand will not get between the tiles even if very fine. I'm sure lime would also work, but these vitrified tiles aren't very porous so I'm not sure what the benefit would be except that the lime being softer would allow easier repair or removal if need be in the future. However I must emphasise that I haven't ever laid geometric tiles, although I do plan to in the near future.

 

[Dianne]

I have another question - is it ok to lay the tiles on a wooden floor with ply on top?

Thanks for all your assistance so far - most helpful.

Dianne