Victorian Tile Cleaning Archives - South Essex Tile Doctor

Victorian Tile Cleaning

Welcome to my Work History archive where you will find detailed examples of the cleaning and renovation of Victorian tiles carried out in South Essex

Commonly found in the hallways of oldder UK properties Victorian tiles are very hard wearing and can provide a classic look to any space. We often find that the beauty of these tiles are hidden under years of grime and neglect and are often covered up with carpets etc as tastes have changed over the years. If this sounds familiar then all is not lost as they can be restored.

The standard bearer for quality Victorian tiles was a firm called Minton Hollins, an English manufacturer who made a very good product which lasted the test of time. Victorian building practices however did not include the use of damp proof membranes and we often find damp can be a major issue with these old floors leading to salt problems known as efflorescence.

Common problems we face when restoring Victorian tiles are the removal of carpet glue, paint splashes and cement. Loose and cracked tiles can also be a problem however due to their popularity we usually find finding replacement tiles isn’t a problem.

Below you will find detailed examples of work we have carried out in the past, it should give you some idea of what’s involved and what can be achieved with the right techniques and products.

Dirty Victorian Hallway Floor Cleaning Westcliffe on Sea

This extremely dirty and dull Victorian tiled hallway floor was at a house in Westcliffe on Sea near Southend. The tiles were well overdue for a deep clean and having worked on many of these types of floors before I was confident we could do the job.

Victorian floor before cleaning Westcliffe on Sea

Deep Cleaning Victorian Floor Tiles

Any sealer that was originally present had worn off years earlier so I went straight in with a strong solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean diluted 1:1 with water. This was applied to the floor and left to soak in for ten minutes before being worked into the tiles with a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary buffing machine.

The soiled cleaning solution was then removed using a wet vacuum and the floor was rinsed. The process was then repeated a few times to ensure all the ingrained dirt had been removed and we also tackled a few paint splashes that became evident. The floor was given a final and thorough rinse with water to ensure all trace of cleaning products had been removed and dried as much as possible using a wet vacuum.

Sealing Victorian Floor Tiles

The Victorian tiles were left to dry out for two days before we returned and the floor checked for dampness using a damp meter. Everything checked out OK so we proceeded to seal the tiles using numerous coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go which is our recommended sealer for Victorian tiles as it gives a nice low sheen effect that enhances their appearance as well as protecting them from future staining.

Victorian floor after cleaning Westcliffe on Sea

Deep Cleaning a Victorian Floor Tiles in Essex

Dirty Victorian Hallway Floor Cleaning Westcliffe on Sea Read More »

Victorian Hallway Cleaning Mersea Island

Dirty Victorian Hallway Floor Cleaning Mersea Island

1 Comment / Colchester Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Work History / TileProf

These photographs are from a dirty Victorian tiled hallway floor at a house on Mersea Island which is south of Colchester in the Colne Estuary. The tiles were in good physical condition but the sealer had worn down and dirt had become lodged in the pores of the tile causing them to look dull and faded.

Dirty victorian floor before cleaning Mersea Island

Deep Cleaning Victorian Floor Tiles

To strip off any remaining old sealer and to give the tiles a good deep clean I applied a strong 1:3 dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean with water and worked it into the floor using a rotary buffing machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad.

The now soiled cleaning solution was rinsed off and extracted using a wet vacuum and I could see there were some stubborn stains that would need extra work. To tackle these I used a solution of Nanotech HBU cleaner which was applied and left to dwell for fifteen minutes before being scrubbed in using the black scrubbing pad as before.

The dirty solution was then removed using a wet vacuum and the floor was rinsed thoroughly with water to ensure all trace of cleaning products was removed.

Sealing Victorian Floor Tiles

The Victorian tiles were left to dry out for a few days before we returned to seal the floor using numerous coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go which is our recommended sealer for Victorian tiles as it gives a nice low sheen effect that enhances their appearance as well as protecting them from future staining.

Dirty victorian floor after cleaning Mersea Island

Victorian Tiled Floor Renovation in South Essex

Dirty Victorian Hallway Floor Cleaning Mersea Island Read More »

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