Acid Gel Archives - South East London Tile Doctor

Dilapidated Red and Black Victorian Tiled Path Restored in Lewisham

This customer contacted Tile Doctor about the dilapidated Victorian tiled path that led up to their property in in Lewisham. It was in quite a state as your can see from the photographs on this page, tree roots had lifted the tiles in certain areas and there were a lot of loose tiles. Intrigued I offered to come and take a look and see what could be done.

After visiting the property, I could see that as well as tiling, some repairs to the foundation due to the tree roots would be needed but generally the path was in solid condition. Also, there was still a good fall to the path so rainwater would drain away easily.

Victorian Tiled Path Before Restoration Lewisham

Before becoming a Tile Doctor my trade was tiling so I wasn’t put off by the significant amount of tiling that this project needed. I worked out a quote for the work needed which they were happy to accept and we set a tentative date for my return and hoped for good weather.

Repairing a Victorian Tiled Pathway

The weather was fine so I was able to start work by carefully lifting all the broken and loose tiles and putting them to one side for re-use where possible. This then exposed the path foundation, which needed digging out in in places and backfilling with cement. I also used a grinder to remove any high spots and leave the foundation base as flat as possible.

Victorian Tiled Path During Restoration Lewisham

Next came the tiling which had to match the existing geometrical pattern. I used a combination of the salvaged tiles from earlier which had to be cleaned up and new reproduction tiles that I had managed to source from a specialist supplier. The tiles were laid out dry initially to ensure the pattern was correct and only then were they fixed in place with new adhesive and then grouted. All these repairs may sound straightforward but the work actually took three days to complete.

Deep Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Pathway

The path was then left to set overnight and I returned later to give them a deep clean. To do this I started with a strong combination of Tile Doctor Remove & Go and Nanotech HBU stain remover. This was sprayed onto the path and left to soak in for a good ten to fifteen minutes to give it time to break down the grime and dirt that had built up over the years. The solution was then scrubbed in using a coarse 50-grit diamond pad fitted to a rotary machine.

The dirt released from the tiles was rinsed off and extracted with a wet vacuum and the process repeated, this time with Tile Doctor Acid Gel and a 100-grit then 200-grit diamond pad. This process deep cleans and hones the tile removing ingrained dirt and improving their appearance. The path was rinsed and soiling extracted afterwards, then left to dry off overnight.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Pathway

The weather held out and I returned the next day to seal the tiles using three coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is a breathable colour enhancing impregnating sealer. Impregnators work by soaking into the pores of the tile, occupying the pores and thereby preventing dirt from becoming ingrained there.

Victorian Tiled Path After Restoration Lewisham

The customer was very pleased with the results and the path has been saved for another 100 years. The new sealer would ensure dirt remains on the surface where it can be easily cleaned away for which I recommended using Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Pathway in Southeast London

Victorian Hallway Floor Restoration Hither Green

Carpet Covered Victorian Tiled Hallway Restored in Hither Green

I was asked to view a Victorian tiled communal hallway floor at a property in Hither Green that serviced two Victorian maisonettes. The original Victorian tiles had been covered in carpet and an underlay for many years and now that had worn through the residents decided to investigate having the original tiles restored.

I went over to the property to inspect the floor and create a plan for its restoration. We pulled the carpet back and discovered that a section of tiles were missing and the gap had been backfilled with a sand cement mix. I didn’t know at this point whether the base was solid or if the tiles around the repair would also need to be lifted and replaced.

The Victorian tiles had also been imprinted with the pattern from the carpet underlay and the carpet had been secured to the floor with gripper and adhesive all of which would need to be removed as part of the restoration.

Victorian Hallway Floor Before Restoration Hither Green

Undaunted with the task at hand I created a quote for this restoration which included replacing the missing tiles with matching replacements then deep cleaning and sealing the tiles to protect them going forward.

Happy with the quote I was given the go-ahead to start the work and pre-order the replacement tiles.

Repairing a Carpet Covered Victorian Tiled Hallway

When I started the work, I found that the base was generally in good condition and solid so not many additional tiles would need to be replaced. I then set about replacing the main body of the tiling and the border where it was needed, using new reproduction geometric tiles. They were as close a match to the original however being newer they were a slightly different shade.

Once all the tiles had been replaced and repaired, I turned my attention to cleaning the floor to remove the staining and years of dirt. I started this with an application of Tile Doctor Remove & Go which is designed to remove sealers and other contaminants. The tiles did not have a visible sealer on them however it did have years of grease and oil that would need to be broken down.

A strong dilution of Remove and go was applied to the tiles and then allowed to dwell and soak in for around half an hour. It was then worked into the floor with a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine. The dirty solution was then extracted using a wet vacuum.

Next the floor was treated to an acid rinse with an application of Tile Doctor Acid Gel. The acid gel sits on top of the clay-based tiles and doesn’t soak in giving me a longer working time on the tile surface. This was then worked in with soft diamond burnishing pads of 50, 100 and 200-grit. These pads cut into the surface of the tile leaving it very clean but are not strong enough to scratch or change the tile surface. It does however remove the pattern on the tile left by the underlay. The acid will also counter any efflorescent salt issues that may be dormant in the tile which is a common problem with old floors that don’t have the advantage of a damp proof membrane.

Once the acid had been vacuumed up, I rinsed the tiles thoroughly with a steam cleaner, this lifts all the cleaning chemicals out of the tile and dries quickly.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway

When the floor was totally dry, I set about sealing the tiles which will protect them going forward and ensure that dirt remains on the surface where it easily cleaned away. I use Tile Doctor Colour Grow to seal original Victorian floor tiles, this is an impregnating sealer, that enhances the natural colour of the tiles and leaves the floor with a natural matt finish. Its also fully breathable so will allow moisture to rise through the tile and not become trapped underneath where it could reach out to the walls and cause rising damp.

I applied three coats of Colour Grow, but after the first coat, I noticed that there was a different shade of Red between the new reproduction tiles and the original tiles. As the original tiles were lighter, I applied a coat of Tile Dr “Stone Oil”, to the original tiles only, to help darken them, before applying the third and final coat of Colour Grow.

Victorian Hallway Floor During Restoration Hither Green

The restoration completely transformed the floor and the customers were very happy with the result. For aftercare I recommend they use Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner, which is safe to use on sealed tiles. Many of the products you find in supermarkets are simply too strong and can remove the sealer so its always best to read the label.

Professional Victorian Tiled Hallway Restoration and Extension in Hither Green

Carpet Covered Victorian Tiled Hallway Restored in Hither Green Read More »