Situated in the vestibule of a property in Salisbury these old Victorian tiles date back to the 1880s and they were certainly showing their age. Despite this the Tiles were in reasonable condition considering the amount of traffic they will have seen over the years, you do get your money’s worth with these Tiles that’s for sure.
Being at the front of the house the owner was keen to have them restored as a period feature that would add some wow factor when you come into the property. Happy to assist I worked out a detailed quote and emailed it over to the owner who quickly approved it and provided some date options for the work which would take two days.
Restoring a Victorian Tiled Vestibule Floor
The first step was to reset a few loose tiles around the edges of the vestibule. Once removed the tile and foundation had to be cleaned up to remove old adhesive and then re-laid with rapid set.
Once set the next job was to remove the ingrained dirt and any remaining old sealer using a dilution of Tile Doctor Remove & Go. This was sprayed onto the tiles and left to soak in for ten minutes. The product was then worked in using a 200-Grit Milling pad which helps resurface the clay tile further cleaning it up. The soiling was then extracted with a wet vacuum.
Once the clean was complete the next step was to give the tiles an acid wash using Tile Doctor Acid Gel. This step further cleans the tiles and counters a salting problem known as Efflorescence which is common in old properties like this one. Lastly the acidic nature of the product also etches the tiles at a microscopic level which ensures a stronger bond with the sealer.
After a quick rinse and further extraction with the wet vacuum the last cleaning step was to inspect the floor and spot clean any stubborn areas and around the edges and corners with a set of small handheld Diamond Blocks of different grits. The floor was then given a final brush down with clean water and a then dried thoroughly with the wet vacuum.
Sealing a Victorian Tiled Vestibule Floor
The Tiles were left to dry overnight and upon our return the first job was to test the floor for moisture with a damp meter. The thorough use of the wet vacuum to remove liquids had worked well and work was able to progress to the final step of sealing the tiles.
For this, two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow were applied which is a colour enhancing impregnator that soaks into the pores of the tile ensuring dirt remains on the surface where it can be easily cleaned away. This sealer is also fully breathable which is an important feature to consider when sealing old floors like this one.
The work left the floor looking clean and much brighter with the colours in the tiles really standing out. As usual we left the customer a bottle of Ph Neutral Tile Cleaner to help clean and maintain the Tiles going forward; standard tile cleaners you find in supermarkets contain bleach which will strip off a sealer within 3 to 6 months of regular use so best avoided.
Source: Professional Victorian Tile Restoration Service in Salisbury Wiltshire
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