Rescuing a Forgotten Period Victorian Floor in North London

This classic original Black and White Victorian tiled floor was discovered by a customer in Kensal Rise under a lino floor when they moved in. Unfortunately, a large section of tiling was missing and had been backfilled with cement after a radiator pipe had been installed at some point in the past. The new owner understood that value that period features such as Victorian floors can add to the value of a property and was keen to have it restored.

 

We have done numerous similar restorations in the past, so we were asked to go over, survey the floor and quote for carrying out the work. Knowing that a lot of the cement would need to be removed I started by carefully chipping away some of the cement to make sure the radiator pipe had been buried deep enough for tiling. It was so after measuring up and inspecting the rest of the floor I went ahead and issued a quote.

The client accepted so we booked in a mutually convenient date to carry out the works. The property was in a lovely street of similar properties many of which looked as if they had been restored.

 

Cleaning and Repairing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

The first task we did was clean the existing tiles with an application of Tile Doctor Remove and Go which is a strong alkaline coatings remover. This was diluted with water, sprayed onto the tiles, left to soak in for ten minutes and then scrubbed into the floor using a black pad fitted to a rotary machine. After rinsing off and the slurry and extracting with a wet vacuum the tiles were inspected and the process repeated where needed.

 

The next stage was to treat the floor to an acid rinse using Tile Doctor Acid Gel, this time worked in with a coarse 200-grit pad. Old floors like this one don’t have a damp proof membrane under the floor and as the moisture rises though the tile to evaporate at the surface you can find white salt deposits being left behind. Giving the floor an acid rinse like this will dissolve the salts and will also neutralise the floor after the use of an alkaline cleaner. Combine this with a coarse pad and you find the tiles come up really well, it will even remove old grout smears on the surface of the tiles. Once done the floor was rinsed again and the floor dried as much as possible using the wet vacuum.

After leaving the floor to dry off overnight we came back the next day and started the processing of excavating the cement around the heating pipe. With the rubble removed fast drying self-levelling cement was applied to a point where it was the right height for re-tiling.

On day three with the cement now dry it was tiled using matching tiles I had managed to source from Original Style Tiles who are a supplier that specialises in reproduction Victorian tiles. They have a vast range so we can usually find a very close match. The tiles were laid in a matching diamond pattern and grouted in later that afternoon.

 

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

On the fourth and final day, we returned to seal the entire floor with a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is a matt sealer that soaks into the tile occupying the pores and thereby preventing dirt from becoming ingrained there. It also contains a colour enhancer that really brings out the contrast in the black and white tiles. It is also fully breathable so is perfect for floors of this age which lack the damp proof membrane beneath the floor that we now use in every modern build.

 

The client was very happy with the finished result, the entrance hall was now in keeping with the rest of the period features of the property. For aftercare cleaning I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a gentle pH neutral tile cleaning product compatible for use on sealed tiles. Many household cleaning products tend to be very strong and can affect the sealer protecting the floor.

 

Source: North London Floor Tile Rescue and RestorationService

Must-Have Tools for Refinishing Floors

Hardwood floors give any home an elegant, classic appearance and can add thousands of dollars to the resale value of a home. Hardwoods are beautiful, and they're also long-lasting, easy to care for, ecologically responsible, and a healthy choice for a family. If you're thinking about installing hardwood floors in your home, here's some basic information to keep in mind.

Hardwoods are Ecologically Responsible

We all know that wood is a renewable resource, but may not be aware the North American hardwood used for floors today mainly comes from a highly managed woodland resource. US Forest Service statistics indicate that almost twice as much hardwood timber is added each year as is harvested, and there is more standing timber today than 50 years ago.

Hardwoods are Healthy

Unlike soft surfaces, hardwoods don't harbor dust mites or mold, so help provide a cleaner environment for your family. Since hardwood floors don’t give off any volatile organic compounds (VOC's) from synthetic components they won't cause breathing problems for anyone living in the house, particularly anyone suffering from Asthma.

Hardwood is Versatile

One of the great features about hardwood is its versatility. You can put hardwood on your floors in virtually any room — living rooms, family rooms, dining rooms, and even kitchens. It can be installed over concrete or directly onto conventions wood joist construction either on or above grade. Engineered hardwood can even be installed below grade (in basements).

All Hardwoods Aren't the Same

In the US we generally consider oak, maple, and cherry as the primary woods for floors, while other native woods like ash are popular and are also commonly used. "Exotic" hardwoods such as Tasmanian Oak or Brazilian Cherry from other parts of the world are also widely available. While exotic hardwoods can be beautiful and quite different in appearance from American hardwoods, keep in mind they didn't grow in North America's temperate climate so may react differently in our air-conditioned home environments.

Hardwood Grades

Hardwoods are graded based on their appearance. Grades range from clear (with virtually no eye-catching blemishes) through select (some burls and markings) to common (more grain differences to catch the eye). All are equally strong and serviceable and the choice of one grade over the other is essentially a personal choice based on appearance.

Engineered Hardwoods

Engineered hardwoods are a manufactured product. Planks are made using three to five layers of wood laminated in a cross-directional pattern then covered with a top layer of premium hardwood. This method of construction helps prevent the natural tendency of wood to expand and contract with changes in temperature or moisture content in the air.

Prefinished Versus Unfinished?

More and more hardwood is being sold already finished. Prefinished gives you the opportunity to see exactly what your floor will look like before it's ever installed. There's no dust from sanding the floors after installation and no objectionable fumes. As an added bonus, a prefinished floor can be installed in a shorter time than an unfinished floor since it's a one-phase project rather than two-phase.

However, since prefinished floors aren't sanded after installation, both your subfloor and installation need to be perfect. There's no opportunity to remove any minor imperfections that you get with the sanding step necessary as part of installing unfinished wood.

Maintaining Hardwood Floors

Hardwood floors are amazingly easy to keep clean. Keep them dust free and clean with a dust mop and regular vacuuming and have dirt-trapping walk-off mats at doors and entrances to pick up any grit or dirt.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com