Restoration

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Before and After Restoration Nailsworth

Restoring a Victorian Tiled Hallway in Nailsworth

This Victorian tiled hallway floor at a property in Nailsworth needed repairs to four areas and then required a deep clean and seal. The client was unsure if this was something, we would be able to help with but after speaking to him on the phone and review the photographs he sent over I reassured him it should be possible.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Before Renovation Nailsworth Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Before Renovation Nailsworth

The owner was keen to progress to I arranged an appointment to visit the property and survey the floor to get a better idea of the issues and provide a price for fully restoring the floor to the best condition possible. As the pictures show the Victorian tiles looked dull and washed out, there were also white paint spots on the tiles. I was confident the floor could be saved, and the owner was happy with my quote, so we scheduled a date for the work to start.

Repairing and Cleaning and a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

I spent the first day repairing the floor which in most cases requires carefully lifting the old tiles, scraping out the adhesive and cement and then re-fixing the original tile or a replacement back in place. We are usually able to source replacement tiles, either reclaimed or reproduction and we had managed to find some to match this floor. It’s a slow process and with four areas of Victorian flooring in need of attention so this step took up much of the first day. The floor was left to dry overnight so the adhesive would set.

On the second day I deep cleaned the tiles with a 200-grit diamond pad fitted to a rotary buffer using water to lubricate. The resultant slurry was then extracted with a wet vacuum and the process was repeated with a 400-grit burnishing pad. All the edges were done with water and small handheld diamond blocks as the rotary machine was too large to reach the corners and edges.

To finish the cleaning I treated the tiles to an acid wash using Tile Doctor Grout Clean Up which as well as removing any old grout smears would neutralise any efflorescent salts contained within the floor which can be problem on old floors like this that don’t have a damp proof membrane installed. Another advantage of doing this is that you achieve a stronger bond between the sealer and the tile.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

The floor was left to dry for 3 days after which I returned to seal it. Before starting thought I took some moisture readings with the damp meter. Once I was satisfied, I started applying the first of what would be five coats of sealer and for this floor I chose Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra. There were several reasons for choice including the satin finish however my main thought was the age of the floor which meant it would not have a damp-proof membrane installed so any moisture would need to rise through the tile without being impeded, Seal and Go extra allows for this.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor After Repair Nailsworth Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor After Repair Nailsworth

My customer was really pleased with the result and happy to have the floor restored back to its original state.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor After Renovation Nailsworth

 

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Victorian Hallway Before After Renovation Gloucester

Victorian Tiled Hallway Gloucester

My customer was renovating their house in Gloucester and discovered this lovely vibrant Victorian tiled floor with blue accents under the carpet and were keen to get it restored and back to its’ former self. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the southwest.

Victorian Hallway Before Renovation Gloucester
They were delighted to uncover the original floor but unsure if it could be restored asked me to come over and take a look. The tiles were in good physical condition for their age but were ingrained with dirt and had paint splashes, cement and carpet glue on the surface. The property had lots of period features, but this was by far the nicest. Luckily there was very little damage to the floor, so there was no need to source any extra tiles. We discussed what needed to be done and how the process would work, agreed a price and a timescale for the project which was accepted.

Victorian Hallway Before Renovation Gloucester

Deep Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

The first process was to cover walls and skirting boards with plastic sheeting, I usually do this as a rule but in this case the hallway had just been decorated so we wanted to avoid any dirty splashes from the cleaning process.

Next a solution of tile doctor Tile Doctor Remove and Go was applied to the floor and left to dwell for 20 minutes and then with a buffing machine and black scrubbing pad I set about deep cleaning the floor. Tile Doctor Remove and Go is a strong coatings remover that can deal with old sealers, paint and glue, it’s also safe to use on tile, grout and stone. The floor was then rinsed with water and the now soiled cleaning solution was extracted from the floor with a wet vacuum.

Stubborn stains were spot treated using the same process and once satisfied with the results I gave the floor an acid wash using Tile Doctor Acid Gel. This neutralises any potential salt staining issues that could appear later as the floor dries. This process is known as efflorescence and can be very troublesome on old floors like these which don’t have a damp proof membrane installed. We often find covering old floors like these in a rubber underlay also prevents the floor from breathing which can lead to damp being trapped in the floor.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

We left the floor to dry off overnight and then the next day checked for moisture. It’s been a long hot summer, so the tiles had soon dried out. Happy with the results we started sealing the tiles with five coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go. This is a specially formulated water-based blend of acrylic polymers that provides both a stain resistant surface seal and a durable low-sheen finish that works really well on Victorian tiled floors like this. Additionally, the product allows moisture vapour transmission so will be able to cope with the fact that this floor has not damp-proof membrane.

Victorian Hallway After Renovation Gloucester
As you can see from the photos the sealant left a lovely finish and the customer was very pleased with outcome. The floor is now restored and offers a lovely traditional entrance to their property.

Victorian Hallway After Renovation Gloucester
 

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