Restoration of a Glue Stained Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor in Wigan
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Restoration of Victorian Tiled Hallway in Wigan
Lyndsey and Mick from Wigan contacted Tile Doctor earlier this year after uncovering a beautiful Victorian tiled floor in their hallway. Keen to have it restored as an original feature they requested a quote to get a restorative deep clean, some minor essential repairs and sealing.
I went over to the property to survey the floor and provide a quote for its restoration. I could see that the previous owners had glued carpet and underlay directly onto the tiles and though the new owners had managed to get a lot of that off there were some stubborn areas remaining. On top of that the tiles were very grubby and in need of a good deep clean. Finally, some loose tiles needed fixing, and they wanted the worst of the broken tiles sorted whilst retaining as much original floor and character as possible.
After discussing expectations, it was agreed to accept the history and disturb the original screed and fixed tiles as little as possible simply re-fixing where needed, replacing the missing and shattered ones, then cleaning and sealing to give an attractive, serviceable and useable floor in keeping with the age of property.
The quotation included a deep restorative clean of the hallway tiles to remove heavy soil and strip old sealers using low moisture gels and a weighted low-speed buffing machine with suitable pads. All soiled gel would be removed with a wet vacuum system. Edging would be hand-finished as necessary, and the floor neutralized for sealing. Broken or loose tiles would be reset or replaced, with details provided by the client. Once fully dry, the floor would be protected with a breathable sealer to enhance its colors.
Happy with the detailed quote and much encouraged that their hallway floor was going to be restored the quote was accepted and a date set for the work to begin.
Cleaning and Repairing a Victorian Tiled Hallway
Having unloaded our equipment, we started the cleaning process with the application of a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go. This product is a coatings remover which will breakdown the glue and other contaminants. It was left to soak into the tiles for ten minutes before carefully scraping the worst of the glue off with hand scrapers.
This work continued with a 100-grit soft milling pad fitted to a weighted buffing machine running at slow speed. A wet vacuum was used to remove the waste generated and then it was followed up with an application of Tile Doctor Oxy Gel. This product was allowed to dwell for a little longer before buffing with a 200-grit soft milling pad and extracting as before.
The pads can struggle to reach into the perimeters so the edges and corners were cleaned by hand with diamond blocks as needed. Again, vacuuming away the waste afterwards.
Next, the floor was treated to an acid rinse using Tile Doctor Acid Gel to further clean the tiles and neutralise the floor after the use of alkaline cleaning products. As before it was left to soak in for a short time before being scrubbed in with a black pad. The floor was then rinsed with water, working in small areas and quickly vacuuming away the waste to minimise the moisture.
Next, the floor was dried before carrying out a small number of tile resets and some repairs to the doorway. The floor was then left to dry off overnight.
Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway
The next morning, I ensured the tiles were dry enough for sealing by taking several moisture readings with a damp meter. The readings were fine, so we proceeded.
We sealed the Victorian tiles with Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal, working through the hallway in sections. This oil-based impregnator enhances color and is ideal for hallways.
Once touch dry, a second coat was applied for a nice sheen. Finally, we gently buffed the floor with a white pad to remove excess sealer and improve appearance. A couple of hours later, we inspected the floor and left a very happy customer.
Products Used:
Remove and Go - https://www.tiledoctor.co.uk/shop/ite...
100-Grit Milling Pad - https://www.tiledoctor.co.uk/shop/ite...
Oxy-Gel - https://www.tiledoctor.co.uk/shop/ite...
200-Grit Milling Pad - https://www.tiledoctor.co.uk/shop/ite...
Acid Gel - https://www.tiledoctor.co.uk/shop/ite...
Black Pad - https://www.tiledoctor.co.uk/shop/ite...
X-tra Seal - https://www.tiledoctor.co.uk/shop/ite...
White Pad - https://www.tiledoctor.co.uk/shop/ite...
Neutral Tile Cleaner - https://www.tiledoctor.co.uk/shop/ite...
#Victorian, #Floor, #Wigan