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Victorian Tiled Floor Restoration Glasgow West End

Neglected Victorian Tiled Floor Repaired and Restored in Glasgow’s West End

The photographs below are of a large Victorian Tiled floor at a property in Glasgow’s West End. The floor had been sadly neglected over the years leaving it dull, dirty and damaged with several cracked tiles.

Victorian Tiled Floor Glasgow West End Before Restoration

I visited the property to discussed with the client the work needed to carry out a full restoration which included replacing the broken tiles and renovating the whole floor. From the survey I worked out a restoration plan which in turn was converted into a quote for completing the work which would take three days. Happy with the plan and my quote I was given the go ahead and a date scheduled.

Repairing a Damaged Victorian Tiled Floor in Glasgow

Work started with replacing the broken tiles and loose tiles that we identified during the survey. These had to be removed very carefully so as not to disturb more than was necessary. Once removed the base was cleaned up and all the old adhesive removed.

Victorian Tiled Floor Glasgow West End During Restoration

Replacement tiles, that we had sourced before arriving, were then cut to shape and dry fitted into the gaps until I was happy that the original pattern had been replicated. Only then were the replacements fixed in place along with any salvageable loose tiles. Once the repairs were carried out, we then left this to set and fully dry out before returning to begin the cleaning.

Repairing and Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Floor in Glasgow

On the second day we arrived and after checking the work from yesterday had set correctly started setting up to deep clean the floor. This commenced with pasting Tile Doctor Acid Gel onto the tiles and then after ten minutes scrubbing it in with a coarse 200-grit diamond pad. This process released the dirt from the Victorian tiles into the solution turning it a black slurry.

The floor was rinsed with a little water and the soiling extracted with a wet vacuum. Once the whole floor had been cleaned the tiles were further refined using finer diamond burnishing pads of 400, 800 and 1500 grit. The pads are applied with water to help lubricate the process and the soiling generated is extracted with the wet vacuum after each pad.

To finish the cleaning process the floor was given a final clean using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up and after a final rinse and extraction were left for a week to dry.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Floor in Glasgow

The tiles were left for a week as I wanted to ensure they were completely dry before applying the sealer. Applying sealer to a damp tile can result in a patchy appearance.

Given the age of the floor, I decided to apply a fully breathable sealer called Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal. This is an important consideration when sealing old, tiled floors as it will allow for any moisture to rise through the tile and evaporate at the surface, otherwise moisture can become trapped until the floor resulting in damp issues. X-Tra seal is oil-based so helps add structure to the tile and being an impregnator that soaks into the tile it provides very durable protection.

Victorian Tiled Floor Glasgow West End After Restoration

The client was very pleased with the newly restored floor, and for ongoing cleaning I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner. This product has a neutral Ph which is ideal for sealed surfaces; stronger bleach-based cleaners are simply too strong for use on sealed tiles and will erode the sealer prematurely.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Floor in Glasgow

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Geometric Encaustic Tiled Victorian Hallway Renovation Glasgow West End

Having completed some similar projects in Glasgow’s West End we were asked to look at renovating a small Encaustic Tiled Hallway. Tile Doctor are specialists in the restoration of period floors so we were more than happy to help and so arranged a time to pop over.

The tiles were laid in a classic geometric pattern quite common for the age of the property which was Victorian. It certainly made for a grand entrance and was once full of colour; however, being at the front of the property the tiles were exposed to a lot of soiling being trodden in off the street. Normally this is easily cleaned away however encaustic tiles like these need to be protected by a sealer and this had long since worn off. Without a sealer in place dirt becomes ingrained in the pores of the tile and this made effective cleaning impossible.

Geometric Encaustic Tiled Victorian Hallway Before Cleaning Glasgow West End

To restore the beauty to the floor I recommended giving it a deep clean and then re-sealing with a hard-wearing sealer that would enhance the colours in the tile, a process which would take two days, one to clean and one to seal. Happy with my price I was given the go-ahead and we worked out a convenient date for the work to start.

Restorative Cleaning of an Original Encaustic Tiled Hallway Floor

Victorian period floors were laid before the invention of plastics and so don’t have the benefit of a damp proof membrane. Because of this they need to be allowed to breathe so that moisture can rise through the floor and evaporate at the surface. This can cause a problem though as the excessive use of water during cleaning can result in the appearance of efflorescent salts as the floor dries. We are aware of this and Tile Doctor has developed low moisture gel cleaning products specifically to avoid this problem.

With this issue in mind work started by covering the tiles in a generous coat of Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel. This is left to soak into the tile for fifteen minutes before being scrubbed into the floor using a rotary machine fitted with a coarse 200-grit diamond pad. The combination of the gel and the pad visibly lift the dirt out of the floor bringing it to the surface where it is removed with a wet vacuum.

Geometric Encaustic Tiled Victorian Hallway During Cleaning Glasgow West End

Next step was to give the floor a wipe with Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up. This further cleans up the tiles and being acid will dissolve any salts that maybe in the floor. Again, the product is left to soak into the tile before being scrubbed in the with the pad.

The floor was then inspected and any areas such as the edges and corners where the pads can struggle were spot cleaned by hand.

To 200-grit pad is very effective for cleaning however its very coarse so to further refine the appearance of the tiles they were given a polish with a series of finer diamond burnishing pads including 400, 800 and 1500-grit. These pads smooth the surface of the tile and close the pores making them more resilient.

Once done the floor was given a final wipe down using more Grout Clean-up and then the floor was left to dry out for several days.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

After three days we returned to seal the floor checking first that it had dried using a damp meter. Once I was satisfied it was given a coat of Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal which is a modern oil-based impregnator that enhances the colours in the tile and adds long lasting protection. X-Tra Seal is also rated for external as well as internal use so more than capable of dealing with bad weather.

Geometric Encaustic Tiled Victorian Hallway After Renovation Glasgow West End

I should mention that X-Tra Seal is a fully breathable sealer that will allow moisture to rise through the floor and evaporate at the surface. This is a very important feature when selecting a product for old floors like this one, use of a non-breathable sealer can lead to moisture becoming trapped under the floor where it could spread into the walls leading to rising damp.

The new sealer will ensure that dirt remains on the surface going forward where it can be easily cleaned away. Oh, and on the subject of maintenance cleaning I recommend the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner. Many of the products you find in supermarkets are simply too strong for use on a sealed floor.

Professional Renovation of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in Glasgow

Geometric Encaustic Tiled Victorian Hallway Renovation Glasgow West End Read More »

Original Victorian Tiled Hallway Repaired and Restored in Glasgow’s West End

1 Comment / Glasgow Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Steven Thomson

We recently carried out renovation work to a Victorian Tiled Hallway floor at a period property in Glasgow’s West End. I went over to the property first to survey the floor and see its condition before quoting for the job. The floor was in quite a state and had pretty much collapsed around the door threshold. I suspect this was due to an old settlement issue.

Having put up with the condition of the floor for some time the owner had decided it was time to have something done about it. As well as a deep clean repair work would need to be done first; this would involve sourcing some replacement tiles which is not usually a problem as there are various suppliers I have sourced similar tiles from in the past.

Confident of achieving a good result for the customer I worked out a quote for the restoration, which was accepted, and a date arranged to complete the work which would take three days.

Victorian Floor During Restoration Glasgows West End

Cleaning and Repairing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

The first task was to remove the damaged subfloor around the door, carefully removing the old Victorian tiles for reuse however most were cracked and broken. What was left of the old subfloor was then removed and backfilled with a quick drying cement screed to a level ready for tiling.

Victorian Floor During Restoration Glasgows West End

I had managed to rescue a few of the old Victorian tiles however there would not be enough to complete the floor however I was able to find matching replacements that would blend in nicely with the original pattern. The replacements were fixed into place with a flexible adhesive in case there was any further movement in the floor.

There were several other areas that needed attention and were fixed down, the whole section was then re-grouted and left to set for a few days.

On our return the floor was deep cleaned using a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go which was scrubbed in with a 200-grit diamond pad fitted to a rotary floor buffer. The floor was then rinsed with water and the soil extracted with a wet vacuum. I repeated the process in a couple of areas that were particularly stubborn with ingrained dirt. The floor was left to dry out overnight.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

I returned the following day to complete the restoration starting by checking the moisture level in the floor with a damp meter. Floors of this age don’t have a damp proof membrane to prevent moisture rising through the sub floor so can take longer to dry out. Also, for best results sealers need to be applied to a dry tile so I always like to check first.

The readings were within tolerance, so I began sealing the floor with the first of two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow. This sealer was chosen as it’s a fully breathable impregnating sealer which is very hardwearing, perfect for high traffic areas such as hallways. It also enhances the natural colour of the floor without making it too shiny. The breathable nature of the sealant will ensure it copes well with moisture rising through the tiles and its colour enhancement properties really helped blend the old tiles in with the new.

Victorian Floor After Restoration Glasgows West End

The repair, deep clean and fresh seal transformed the Victorian Tiled floor which given its age exceeded the expectations of my customer who was very happy. For maintenance cleaning I suggested Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a gentle tile cleaning product designed for use with sealed floors. I always recommend this product as many tile cleaners are very strong and you can end up stripping the sealer off if you’re not careful.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in Glasgow

Original Victorian Tiled Hallway Repaired and Restored in Glasgow’s West End Read More »