Restoration and Cleaning

Cleaning and maintenance

As period flooring specialists we stock a wide range of chemicals and tools for cleaning, maintaining and restoring Victorian, Edwardian and Minton tiles. We recommend cleaning and resealing these tiles every 2-5 years depending on use. This is a simple process and will only take an hour to an afternoon depending on how big the area is. We also recommend a deep clean every 5-10 years using some stronger cleaners and tools like emulsifying/abrasive pads to get rid of ingrained dirt any wax or cleaner that has dried and built up. We sell everything you need to complete these or any other jobs in our showroom.

Period tile repair and restoration

If you have the odd tile that is worn or damaged, we can often match the tile to something we have available today, or something of a similar colour or size. If the tile is an especially uncommon colour or is an original patterned/decorative tile, we may be able to source a reclaimed replacement. Get in touch with us to find out how we can help.

Complete floor restoration

We do not carry out restoration work, nor do we recommend anybody who will - original Minton, Victorian and Edwardian tiles were often laid onto a bed of ash, back in the late 1800 and early 1900s, and so were not tiled onto anything solid. Over decades, with movement in the earth and being walked on several thousands of times, the tiles begin to pull away or bow as the ground beneath them moves. Simply putting new tiles down would not solve the problem. In most cases, if the floor is original (that is to say, has never been replaced) we recommend starting again with a new reproduction period floor, laying them onto a bed of concrete or other similarly flat and durable surface such as timber. If the floor has been replaced at some point in the past, and laid properly onto a solid layer, but is still damaged, we can try to recreate your original floor's design and match the colour and size of the tiles as best as possible, as well as supply all the necessary tools and materials to you or your tiler to carry out the restoration work.

Materials we have in stock

We have dozens of tools and materials in stock for cleaning and restoration, here are just some examples

• Scotchbrite abrasive pads
  
• Floats and trowels
  
• Wax wash
  
• Spot stain remover
  
• Grout stain remover
  
• Colour-intensifying sealer
  
• Scrapers
  
• White Spirit
  
• Floor Glue remover
  
• Grimex
• Clean cloths

See our materials page for more information on the products.