Sealing Victorian Tiles Archives - Stirling Tile Doctor

Stained Victorian Tiled Vestibule Floor Renovated in Alloa

This client from Alloa has a small Victorian Tiled vestibule at the entrance to their property that needed attention. The lovely Victorian tiles had been stained with white paint during decorating by the previous owners. They had managed to clean most of the paint off themselves but this had stripped off the sealer in the process leaving it vulnerable to ingrained dirt resulting in the dull appearance you see now. Keen to have the vestibule looking its best the client contacted us to address the issue and restore the tiles to their former condition.

Stained Victorian Floor Tiles Before Cleaning Alloa Vestibule

An inspection of the tiles revealed no damp proof membrane beneath the floor, likely due to the age of the property. Using a lot of water on a floor without a DPM can encourage the appearance of efflorescence (salt deposits) as the floor dries so we opted to use gel products instead of diluted strippers and cleaners. This approach helps reduce excess moisture during the cleaning process.

Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Entrance Vestibule in Alloa

After adding protection to the adjacent skirting work started on cleaning the tiling using Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel which was spread over the tiles and allowed to soak in for 15 to twenty minutes. This dwell times give the product time to break down the soiling and soften other contaminates. The product was then scrubbed into the floor using a coarse 200-grit pad fitted to a rotary buffer, passing over each tile at least four times to bring the dirt and soiling to the surface where it was removed with a wet vacuum. The floor was then given a rinse with water to remove any remaining soiling and extracted with the wet vacuum.

To complete the restorative cleaning process, the tiles were given and acid rinse using Tile Doctor Acid Gel which was left to soak in got five to ten minutes before being scrubbed in, this time using a black pad. This product neutralises the alkaline cleaners used earlier and will also dissolve any salts that may be present in the floor. Next, I extracted the soiled solution and thoroughly rinsed the tiles with cloths and water to minimize moisture levels. After a final vacuum the floor was left to dry off overnight.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Vestibule in Alloa

The next day, the floor was tested to ensure the Victorian tiles were dry enough for sealing. This is an important step as applying sealer to a damp floor will lead to an inconsistent finish.

The floor was dry and so ready for sealing with Tile Doctors Colour Grow, a tough colour enhancing breathable impregnator that’s well-suited for an entrance hall that will see heavy foot traffic and wet shoes. Two coats were applied, with any excess removed with clean cloths five minutes after each application. A forty-minute drying time was allowed between coats and then after two hours, a water test confirmed the sealer was working properly. The sealer becomes walkable in four hours and fully cured within twenty-four hours.

Victorian Tiled Floor After Restoration Alloa Vestibule

It’s crucial to maintain the floor properly and using regular tile cleaner on sealed tiles is inadvisable, as they can strip the sealer over time. Instead, a bottle of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner was provided for cleaning the floor. This pH-neutral cleaner effectively removes dirt and grime without damaging the sealer, helping to extend the sealer’s lifespan and protect the tiles.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Entrance Hallway in Stirling

Victorian Tiled Chancel Floor Renovation St Marys Coatbridge

Victorian Tiled Chancel Renovated St Marys Church Coatbridge

The pictures below were taken at St Marys Church in Coatbridge where I was asked to renovate an area of original Victorian tiles in front of the altar. The church was opened in 1893 and at some point since then the tiled chancel floor had been covered with carpet. Many years later the carpet was worn and rather than replacing it they decided to have the tiles renovated.

Renovating the tiles was the best way forward as old floors like this don’t have the benefit of a damp proof membrane (DPM) and so shouldn’t be covered up. You need to allow for moisture from under the floor to rise through the tile and evaporate at the surface otherwise the moisture can reach out to the walls and cause other problems.

Fortunately, by the time I was asked to survey the floor the carpet had been removed from the chancel and the intricate Victorian tiling work was now on display for the parishioners to appreciate. This had given then the tiles plenty of opportunity to breathe and allow any trapped moisture to evaporate.

Over the years the tiles had been subject to lots of traffic, paint, general wear and then of course hidden under a carpet. The tiles were part of the 150-year-old churches history and were crying out to be restored and shown off. Paint, stains, cement and carpet glue were found on the tiles when the carpet was lifted.

Victorian Tiled Chancel Floor Before Cleaning St Marys Coatbridge

To work out the best way to effectively remove all the staining I conducted a test clean in a small area of the tiling. As it was a floor without a DPM I chose to use gel cleaning products with a low water content. This was done in-order to avoid exacerbating any inherent dampness in the floor that might lead to efflorescence salt problems later.

The test clean came out well and encouraged the floor was in safe hands and happy with my quotation I was awarded the contact to restore the floor.

Deep Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Church Chancel

I returned some weeks later to start on the restoration of the whole floor and began with the application of Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel which is a strong alkaline Gel cleaner that as mentioned earlier has a low moisture content.

Working in sections Oxy-Gel was applied with a brush and left on the tiles to soak in for about fifteen minutes. This gives the product time to break down the ingrained dirt, paint and cement residue. The Gel was the scrubbed into each tile using a coarse 200-grit pad fitted to a rotary floor buffer. Once the clean had been completed the now soiled Gel solution was removed with a wet vacuum. After this the tiles were rinsed with water and then dried with the wet vacuum.

The next stage of the clean was to treat the tiles to an acid rinse using Tile Doctor Acid Gel which was applied neat with a brush. Acid Gel does several things to improve the tiles including neutralising the pH level of the tiles and dissolving any efflorescent salts in the floor. After using a black pad to work the gel into the tiles the soiled Gel was extracted with the wet vacuum and then rinsed again using water before being dried again with the wet vacuum.

The floor was then left for a couple of days allowing plenty of time for the floor to dry out following the cleaning and to give any efflorescence salts trapped in the tiles had time to show up.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Church Chancel

On my return a damp meter was used to confirm the floor was dry and the tiles inspected for efflorescence salts. All was well so I was able to begin the final stage of the renovation which involves applying a sealer to the tiles which will enhance their appearance and protect them from staining.

Tile Doctor Colour Grow was chosen to seal the tiles, it’s a hard-wearing impregnator that soaks into the tile occupying the pores and thereby preventing dirt from becoming ingrained there. This ensures dirt remains on the surface where it can easily be cleaned away. Colour Grow also contains a colour enhancer which lifts the beautiful colours in the Victorian tile and really helps them to stand out.

After the first coat had been on for 5 minutes any excess sealer was removed using a dry clean White cotton cloth. The second coat was applied after 30 minutes and again any excess sealer was removed with a cloth after 5 minutes.

After application the tiles were left to dry for two hours and then a water test was carried out to determine if the tiles needed a further coat.

Victorian Tiled Chancel Floor After Renovation St Marys Coatbridge

Once complete the tiles looked totally transformed and took time to discuss aftercare cleaning. Its important to use the right product when cleaning a sealed tiled floor as anything bleach based will strip the sealer off with use leaving it vulnerable to ingrained dirt. In this case I recommended Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a mild but effective tile cleaner that’s ideal for sealed floors.

Professional Renovation of a Victorian Tiled Chancel Church Floor in Lanarkshire

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