victorian tile cleaning

I was contacted by a couple from London who were relocating to a 1850’s Victorian property in Urmston, Manchester which they were renovating before the move. During the renovation they uncovered a Victorian tiled floor in the hallway and having decided to retain as many original features in the property as possible they made a decision to renovate the floor.

With our clients wanting to move in early Feb 2024 I quickly arranged to survey the floor and work out what could be done. Whilst there I was able to re-assure them that the tiles could indeed be restored however, we would need to minimise the use of water in case it leaked through into the cellar below.

To work around the cellar issue, I recommended using Tile Doctor low moisture products to strip and clean the floor of old sealer, dirt and grime and then to apply a sealer to protect it going forward. As part of the work, I agreed to complete several minor repairs which included re-sitting some loose tiles and replacing the worst of the missing/broken tiles.

Cleaning/Repairing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

Before starting work, I took a moisture reading from the floor so I could establish a base level. This followed with the application of Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel cleaner, which because it’s a gel it is very easy to control and won’t cause any issues with the cellar below. The gel is applied to the tile and grout, brushed in and then left for ten to fifteen minutes so it can get to work breaking down old sealers and dirt. The gel is then scrubbed into the tiles using a rotary machine and the soiling generated is removed with wet vacuum.

The floor was then inspected, and I used more Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel with handheld diamond burnishing pads along the edges. Further work was also needed to remove stubborn marks so for this I used a scraper and small amounts of Tile Doctor Remove and Go and Nanotech HBU cleaner which are stronger products. The floor was then given a quick rinse with minimal water and then extracted quickly with the wet vacuum.

Finally, I gave the floor an acid rinse with Tile Doctor Acid Gel which can remove old grout smears that can detract from the tile’s appearance. This product also neutralises the ph level of the floor following the use of the alkaline cleaners used earlier.

Work then started on the repairs which involved lifting the loose and broken tiles, cleaning out the subfloor of old adhesive and then re-fitting with fresh adhesive. The broken tiles were replaced with tiles I had managed to source before starting the job.

With the bulk of the work done the floor was left to dry off fully overnight.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

Before beginning the work the next day, I took several moisture readings to ensure the floor was as dry as it was the previous morning. All was well and I was able to apply the first coat of sealer for which I used Tile Doctor Colour Grow which as its name suggests contains a colour enhancer that really brings out the colours in Victorian tiles. This product is also an impregnator which works by soaking into the pores of the tile adding protection from within.

Once the base layer of sealer had dried, I added a coat of Tile Doctor X-Tra seal to add further protection and add a satin sheen to the floor. I left this to dry and then gave the floor a quick buff with a white pad to remove any excess sealer and bring up the appearance of the tiles even further.

The results where exactly what our customers wanted with them commenting “Wow what a difference the tiles look beautiful ?? thank you so much for your work”.

For aftercare cleaning I made a point to recommend they use Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner, it’s especially formulated for cleaning sealed floors and won’t impact the sealer which can be an issue with the products you find in supermarkets.

 

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in Greater Manchester