This Victorian hallway floor laid with a Geometric pattern was discovered under Lino at a property in the Stoke area of Coventry. At some point in the past the tiled floor had been covered over with a self-levelling screed and then Karndean Vinyl which had since been removed. The floor was now looking a mess and the client wanted the Victorian floor restored and the hallway to look a lot more inviting!
The Stoke area of Coventry includes Stoke Park, Stoke Aldermoor, Stoke Heath, Copeswood, and Charterhouse. It has a long history and is well known for its contribution to the UK car manufacturing industry. I visited the property to survey the floor and run a small test clean to ensure we could get the residue from the floor. I was satisfied it could be successfully completed and we agreed a price for the work, they were happy to go ahead as soon as possible.
Cleaning a Victorian Geometric Tiled Hallway Floor
On day one I set about removing the screed which took two days using various coarse pads fitted to a buffing machine and then by hand with a scraper. It was exhausting work, some of the screed had bonded to the surface of the tiles and I had to hand grind it off.
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The floor was then deep cleaned with Tile Doctor Remove and Go which was scrubbed in with a very coarse 100-grit pad. The floor was rinsed and extracted several times to remove all the soil. Old floors like these don’t have a damp-proof membrane fitted so I was concerned about the possibility of efflorescent salts rising through the tiles once I had left. To counter this I gave the floor an acid rinse using Tile Doctor Acid Gel which was scrubbed into the floor and then rinsed off with water. I then left the floor for a few weeks to dry out and settle before returning to carry out the sealing process.
Sealing a Victorian Geometric Tiled Hallway Floor
When I returned the floor had dried out and the sealing could be carried out. I selected to use Tile Doctor Colour Grow which copes well with damp conditions which are a problem with old floors like these. The floor as you can see from the pictures was totally transformed. The colour really shone through, but the Tile Doctor Colour Grow had given it a lovely finish without being too shiny.
The client was over the moon with the finish, it was much better than they had expected. I arranged to return a few months later to check on the floor and I’m pleased to say it had responded well to the treatment. I was happy no damp issues had surfaced so I then added a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra.
Source: Victorian Tile Cleaning, Restoration and Sealing Service in Coventry, Warwickshire
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