Victorian floor

[quad121]

Hi all
Please can someone advise
I have an old Victorian tile floor. I was wondering what would be the best way to clean and protect the floor as it’s at the front door.
The tiles seem to be porous with some in ground dirt.
Any advise would be most appreciated
Paul

 

[plasticpigeon]

If they are Victorian geometric tiles, then lucky you! They are not very porous, but the tops can become a bit rough and worn down. Probably a scrubbing brush and soapy water is the first thing. I've found the alkali type cleaners do quite well too, Lithofin do one and HG tile restorer is another. These will get off greasy stains. If there are any cement stains (unlikely) then brick acid would work, but I think that is a last resort.

 

[quad121]

Many thanks Plasticpigeon for your reply.
If you don’t mind me asking what would you suggest to use to treat the tiles after cleaning? To give a slight shine.
Regards,
Paul

 

[plasticpigeon]

I've used a product called "HG product 14, protective coating satin finish", and it has worked well, and gives a slight shine and brings out the colour. The tiles don't look wet, just a nice satin finish and it is a very thin layer. I just tried it as there is a nice tile shop near me, and this is what they recommended and it worked well. I'm sure there are other products too! HG also do various cleaners, it can be a bit bamboozling, and I'm sure there don't need to be so many products, but at £10 - £15 per product, the cost isn't prohibitive!

 

[quad121]

Very many thanks,
I’ve got a shop nearby who stock all the HG items, but I wasn’t sure which ones to try. I now know what to look out for thanks to you. I’ll drop into the shop tomorrow and give them a go.

 

[Pennyviz]

Grimex to clean then LTP mattstone H20 to seal.

Penny

 

[quad121]

Thanks Penny
Would this be better than the HG product?

 

[Pennyviz]

Which one? Not a clue really, depends what your tiles sit on. I have quarries on bare earth and no dpc and had a puppy so needed something to seal it! I believe a lot of the breathability is through the grout too, so that is another factor.

Penny

 

[plasticpigeon]

Those Victorian geometric floor tiles used in hallways were often laid on cement, and used pure cement slurry to grout, as the tiles are laid edge to edge, so something very fine was needed to fill the very tiny gaps. I don't think breathability is an issue with these floors. I've had a look at the LTP products and they look quite similar to HG. The cleaner is alkali based, and the sealer is water based in both cases. I think it is just a matter of trying something out. One thing I can say is don't use anything from "floors 2 go" they are crap.

 

[quad121]

Many thanks for all your responses and time.

 

[Westholme]

After living in my 1894 house for quite some time, yesterday I thought I should have a look underneath the vinyl cushion floor in the hallway and this is what I found:




The tiles had been given a wipe with a damp cloth and some were still slightly wet. The cushion floor has gone for good.

 

[Kearn]

Wow! What a great find. One of the rare, good suprises after ripping something up/off!! Slightly odd that they're is no border in the first image for what i presume is the edge of the stairs, assuming that has always been the location. Guess there are some more hidden under the stairs too...

 

[Westholme]

Perhaps in a more upmarket house with a wider hallway there might be a border next to the stairs. I think the tiles partly under the skirting at the bottom of the stair panels (on the right in the first photo) are complete.

During the uncovering process I wondered how the tile pattern would fit between the two internal half-brick walls either side of the hallway. It fits perfectly, by using 2" wide black edging tiles on the left (visible in both photos) and 1½" wide black tiles on the right (off to the right of the second photo).

The wooden door threshold on the left in the second photo covers half of nine square tiles set at 45 degrees and a red strip of tiles on the other side. There's another door off to the right in front of the first stairstep, leading to the front room. There is no raised threshold here, just a ¼" gap between the tiles and floorboards filled with mortar. The largest tiles in the hallway are 3" square, with bigger quarry tiles in the room under the stairs behind the door facing the camera.

I am extremely pleased with the tiles I have and I wouldn't have liked just black and white. If I'd known they were this good I would have uncovered them much sooner. It's easy to spot the tiles that have never been trodden on.

 

[Feltwell]

They are lovely, it makes you wonder who in their right mind would want to cover them with lino! You're very lucky they are in such great condition.

 

[Flyfisher]

You're very lucky they are in such great condition.

My first thought too, having seen many photos of uncovered floors with broken and missing tiles replaced with cement mortar.

Strange that the edge pattern was broken by the stairs. I wonder if that staircase is original to the house?

 

[plasticpigeon]

I've seen the tiles run into the stairs or cupboards like that in many houses near me.

 

[Flyfisher]

I've no doubt, but it just seems a bit of a shame after going to all that trouble to lay such a lovely tiled floor. Still, it never ceases to amaze me that seemingly far more care and attentIon was applied to even quite 'ordinary' homes 100-150 years, eg brickwork detailing, plasterwork etc whereas today they pretty much often build simple brick boxes, quite literally, with few if any details at all. Can it really just be down to cost? How much extra cost is really involved in simple things such as string courses and other such detailing that can often mean the difference between something pleasant to look at or totally bland?

 

[plasticpigeon]

I don't think people (architects or builders) know what string courses, corbels, arches, cappings etc are or how to incorporate them in designs. Sometimes an attempt is made to make something look historic but it almost always looks wrong as the details and proportions are wrong. It seems pretty much a lost skill. I'm not sure the general house buying public notice the difference either.

 

[Westholme]

I've seen the tiles run into the stairs or cupboards like that in many houses near me.

I've no doubt, but it just seems a bit of a shame after going to all that trouble to lay such a lovely tiled floor.

The Victorians did not seem to mind and neither do I. The edges look a little ragged in my photos but it's just paint. I lose only ½" of the 12" square repeating blocks by the stairs, which are definitely original.

There are lots more floors to be seen at http://victorian.tilecleaning.co.uk/ (image heavy).
Similar examples to mine but I'd say generally worse in their cut-off effects next to the stairs:

http://victorian.tilecleaning.co.uk/rebuilding-and-restoring-a-victorian-hallway-in-shipley/
http://victorian.tilecleaning.co.uk/full-restoration-of-a-victorian-tiled-hallway-in-dudley/
http://victorian.tilecleaning.co.uk/repairing-and-restoring-an-original-victorian-tiled-hallway-in-cheltenham/
http://victorian.tilecleaning.co.uk/victorian-hallway-tiles-repaired-and-restored-in-northampton/

and a strange and rather sad example that could have looked much better:

http://victorian.tilecleaning.co.uk/victorian-tile-repair-in-south-cumbria/

 

[MatthewC]

I wonder if the pattern extends under the stairs, as the boarding may have been done at a later stage?

I am very envious - I have red and black quarries which are a bit uneven and many have lost their surface.

M