Victorian tiles have been around for many years as the name suggests, having fallen out of fashion in the 1960/70’s, they are now very much desired by householders and house buyers alike, well restored ones certainly are. Popular manufacturers of these 100+ year old tiles such as Minton, had their tiles installed throughout Britain over a number of years. Some confusion is created as to whether tiles are Victorian, Edwardian, Georgian etc, the tiles are basically the same, it depends on which monarch was on the throne at the time, however, patterns of the hallways can be linked to certain eras.
HOW TO CLEAN MINTON TILES PROFESSIONALLY
Despite the tiled floors being around for so many years, owners of these lovely floors have struggled to maintain them and keep them clean. Back in the day Linseed oil would commonly of been used to protect the floor from staining and to add a slight sheen to enhance the appearance (more on this later).
What typically happens with Minton tiles is that over time pores in the clay open up over time and capture dirt in them, no amount of mopping will clean this dirt away, although the hallway may look good for a couple of minutes before the water dries in to the porous tiles.
The best way to clean these tiles is with appropriate alkaline chemicals left to dwell for a time, to break down old seals, dirt and grime, before being scrubbed in to the floor with a weighted rotary machine with low grit silicon carbide pads. This loosens the dirt and creates a slurry, which will need to be removed with a wet vac or a professional cleaning machine. Edges and corners need to be done by hand with diamond block pads. Adhesive from carpets may need to be scraped away also.
After rinsing the floor to make sure any trace of chemicals is removed, a higher grit diamond pad is applied to the rotary machine and a special acid is worked into the Victorian floor. Don’t use brick acid as this is too strong. The acid helps to remove any grout haze, whilst also helping to prevent efflorescence and help with adhesion when the floor is sealed
SEALING THE FLOOR
After rinsing the floor again, the floor must be allowed to dry out. As the floor dries out, there may well be traces of Linseed oil previously used a number of years ago. The oil was used as it offered stain protection, colouring and added a slight sheen to the tiles surface. Problems arose from this however, as overtime the oil oxidises leaving a noticeable brown shade to the tiles, giving a dirty appearance. As the oil soaks in to the tiles overtime it can be impossible to remove it. However, if a coat of stone oil is applied it can give the Minton tiles a more uniform look often disguising the Linseed oils discolouring. The stone oil also helps prevent efflorescence forming during drying. When the floor has dried out and tested with a damp meter, a suitable seal can be applied. Either a matt finish colour enhancing fully breathable impregnating seal or a topical sheen finish (as in the photos). Approximately 6 coats are needed of the sheen finish, care must be taken to apply the correct amount each time a coat is added. An air mover is a must also to aid with drying.
And there you have one restored, cleaned & sealed Victorian Minton hallway.
Looks Great! Tile Clean & Seal restore around 30 of these beautiful floors every year, please don’t hesitate to get in touch for more information and how to maintain their appearance.
