Victorian Hallway Floor Restoration Newton Mearns

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Fully Restored in Newton Mearns, Glasgow

This old classic Victorian tiled hallway at a property in Newton Mearns, south of Glasgow, had seen a lot of wear over the years leading to a general degradation. Some of the major problems including loose and broken tiles and one area in particular under a radiator was so bad a previous owner had back filled it with cement instead of having it repaired.

I suspect the house had been reconfigured and central heating added at some point in its history, and this will have been when the damage was done. The current owner was aware of the value that original features can have on a property so decided it was time to have the whole floor restored.

Having worked on numerous Victorian floor restorations previously I knew the floor could be put back to its original condition if not better, so I was more than happy to take on work. Having visited the property and provided a quotation for the work I’m please to say we were intrusted to go ahead with the restoration.

Repairing and Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

On day one the work started by carefully lifting, grinding and fixing back down the original tiles, this included repairing areas that had been back filled with concrete using originals recovered from another part of the floor that was no longer required.

Victorian Hallway Floor During Restoration Newton Mearns Victorian Hallway Floor During Restoration Newton Mearns

Once the adhesive had set the tiles were grouted and the floor left for a few days.

On our return the floor was given a deep clean using a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go worked in with 100 and 200 grit diamond pads fitted to a rotary floor buffer. The soil generated was rinsed off and extracted using a wet vacuum. This process removes any old sealants and deep-seated dirt from the old tiles. This process was repeated, and some tiles needed to be spot treated by hand before they met the high standard I was looking to achieve.

The next step was to improve the tiles further by giving the floor an Acid Rinse using Tile Doctor Grout Clean Up. This final part of the cleaning process further cleans up the tiles by removing surface grout that can detract from the appearance of the tile and mineral salts. This is a common issue with floors of this age which don’t have a damp proof membrane installed under the floor and can lead to white salt deposits appearing as the tile dries out, a process called Efflorescence.

Victorian Hallway Floor After Restoration Newton Mearns

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

The floor was then left for a week so it could fully dry out before returning to seal the tiles. Its important that the tiles are dry before sealing otherwise you risk a patchy appearance. Due to the fact this floor had no damp proof membrane I chose to use Tile Doctor Colour Grow which being fully a breathable will could cope with any moisture rising through the floor. Three to four coats of Colour Grow were applied which as its name suggests also intensifies the colours in the tile as well as adding the high level of protection that a busy hallway floor needs.

Victorian Hallway Floor After Restoration Newton Mearns

Colour Grow is an impregnating sealer that penetrates into the tile occupying its tiny pores and thereby preventing dirt from becoming ingrained. You can always tell the sealer is working as it will repel liquids which will then form beads on the surface of the tile.

Victorian Hallway Floor After Restoration Newton Mearns

The floor looked amazing once finished and lifted the appeal of the whole property. The client was very satisfied with the work we had carried out and before leaving I made a point to recommend the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner to keep the floor looking in tip top condition. This product is pH neutral and will ensure that the newly applied seal is not compromised which is a problem when using stronger off the shelf cleaning products.

Victorian Hallway Floor After Restoration Newton Mearns

 

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in Glasgow

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