Neglected Victorian Tiled Vestibule Renovated in Portobello, Edinburgh

This Victorian Tiled Hallway floor at a property in Portobello which is on the coast, East of Edinburgh. It had not been deep cleaned for some time and was looking very neglected. The owner felt it was time to get it renovated so we were asked to do the work.

Any sealer protecting the tiles had long since worn off resulting in dirt becoming ingrained into the pores where it’s very difficult to shift. The dirt had built-up in the tiles, and they were also stained with a few paint splashes from decorating.

Additionally, there were three small tile repairs that were needed and some grouting to do. Happy to assist I came up with a restorative cleaning plan for the floor that was considerate of its age and provided a quote for doing the work.

Renovating a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor in Portobello Edinburgh

Old floors like this one don’t have a damp proof membrane under the floor so you have to be wary of how much water you use during cleaning, if you use too much it could take a long time to dry out and you can seal it.

To start the cleaning I have the whole floor an Acid Wash using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up. The product is applied to the floor and left to soak in for ten minutes before being worked in with low grit brushes fitted to a rotary buffer. Then after going over the floor a few times the floor was wiped with damp cloths and speed dried with air movers. The paint splashes had now been softened by the cleaning were be scraped off.

Giving a floor like this an acid wash also has the advantage of neutralising any efflorescent salts in the tiles which can be an issue with old floors like this one.

With that complete I started with repairs which involved carefully removing the three broken tiles, cleaning up the base and then laying replacements which I had managed to source earlier. Your really have to be careful when removing tiles on a floor of this age as it doesn’t take much to upset the neighbouring tiles and before you know it your re-tiling a area much larger than you had originally planned for.

Once the replacement tiles had set and grouted in, I was able to move onto the next step of scrubbing the floor with a 200, 400 and then 800-grit Diamond burnishing pad. A little water is used to help lubricate the process which opens and then closes the pores on the surface allowing the dirt to be flushed out and makes the tiles slightly smoother. We find doing this also speeds up drying times. The water turns into a slurry which is removed with a wet vacuum after each pad is applied.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

With the floor clean it was left to dry off for a week before returning to seal the tiles, applying a sealer to a damp floor can result in a cloudy appearance so it’s always best to wait.

The sealer chosen for this floor was Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal, it’s an oil-based long lasting breathable impregnator that’s rated for external as well as internal use; these are perfect credentials for a Hallway floor at the front of the house which is likely to get wet often.

The sealer brought the floor to life enhancing the deep colours giving the floor hardwearing protection that should last many years to come. The fresh sealer will ensure dirt remains on the surface where it can be cleaned away easily.

Before leaving I took time to explain the importance of using a neutral pH tile cleaning product such as Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner for day-to-day cleaning. A lot of products you find in supermarkets contain bleach and are simply too strong for cleaning a sealed surface and will quickly erode the sealer with use.

Source: Victorian Floor Cleaning and Restoration Service in Portobello Edinburgh