This is a nice example of a geometric style Victorian tiled hallway that we cleaned and restored.
This one did not require any rebuilding and only had a few minor repairs so essentially it was a basic strip clean and polish. See below for work description..
What work is involved?
Sealers and wax removal of Victorian tiles-
One usually finds some form of seal or wax on these old tiles that has either been applied many years ago or more recently by builders and tilers. The tiles are porous so there is usually some seal or wax embedded in them to a certain degree. If this where not the case and the tiles where bare (free of sealer and wax) they usually would appear quite dull. In fact the moment we clean and strip them they become quite dull and flat. We then find the new sealers and waxes we apply put all the life back into the floor.
Most of the work involves removing this seal and wax buildup as it has to be done with powerful steamers and occasionally floor rotary machines. However once we have removed this we are able to lift out the embedded dirt and deep clean the tiles. This once featured in the images which we restored in Harpenden was pretty clean and just needed a good refresh.
The importance of Waxing and repolishing Victorian tiles-
it is very important to put polish sealer and wax back into these tiles once they have been stripped or they will become stained and damaged. These Victorian tessellated tiles are very old and the clay used to make them in many cases has become allot softer and more porous than the modern reproduction ones made these days by Olde English and Origional Style, Wincklemans etc.
How to wax and seal Victorian tiles-
There are different ways to do this and it depends on the situation. There are also many different types of waxes and sealers by many different manufacturers. We like to apply a color enhancing impregnating sealer that absorbs in to the tiles. After this we apply multiple coats of an acrylic wax that creates a nice depth and satin sheen to the tiles. This wax buildup protects the tiles and forms a complete barrier preventing anything from going into the tiles. Once it is down it is easy to maintain as well.
If you require this work please get in touch, we are based in Abbots Langley and work all over Hertfordshire, Bucks and Beds. We also spend allot of time doing this work in North London.
