Help!: Victorian decorative tiles

[cjbombero]

I have got to clean (6sq m) and rapir a single decorative tile in a hallway of a victorian house. Not really sure what cleaner I should be using, I have always gone for Lithofin but i'm not sure if there are any specialist solutions on the market.

With regards to repairing the tile can anyone reccomend where to look or what to use? Its got to be a good job as it is right in the middle of the entrance hall.

Thanks for any advice

cjbombero

[Dave]

Do you know what they are laid onto...? and age of floor..?

[frankenfurter]

When you say decorative, do you mean patterned? an encaustic tile?
Try looking here Craven Dunnill Jackfield Ltd: The Encaustic tile archive. who may have mould already made, if so chop it out and replace. Can take a few weeks to get one made though.
If they don't have a mould then they can make one for you, around £600.
Please don't be tempted to use the printed crap by original style and old english, they really don't a floor justice.

[cjbombero]

Do you know what they are laid onto...? and age of floor..?

I think the floor is concrete, the house was built in 1890.

Thanks for the link Frankenfurter, have you done this kind of work before? I am a bit nervous about what the colour match might be like, I don't want to chop it out to find the new piece draws the eye just as much.

cjbombero

[wetdec]

If its that date then they are on black ash unless they have been relaid.

You wont match colour or size unless you pay a fortune most of these vict jobs were cut to slightly diff sizes.

If you get no luck with above try minton hollins tiles or your local reclaim centre (best bet)

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[frankenfurter]

Just back from clubbing so bear with me!

I think the floor is concrete, the house was built in 1890.
Thanks for the link Frankenfurter, have you done this kind of work before? I am a bit nervous about what the colour match might be like, I don't want to chop it out to find the new piece draws the eye just as much.

Yes it's all we do. Coming up to 20 years and 100' of floors worth.
As I say in most of my posts, if in doubt get a specialist in. There will definitely be a colour difference unless you pay to have the colour matching service. We get around it because when we restore a floor, we aim to blend the new and old tiles really well, plus we have 100's of period tiles stored and hand cut modern tiles to size.

The tiles will be imperial sizing, what a name 'imperial' from the days when Britain was strong and great - sorry I digress. Jackfields, Maw are all imperial sizes, original style are pretty close maybe a mil out here and there, olde english are metric sizes and nowhere near, have a stupid bevel and are all different thicknesses so no use what so ever really; the last two brands are your cheaper end of the market.

What is black ash? The timber used in the vaulted floor system or do you mean a compressed ash base? I have to be honest we've never come across a compressed ash base beneath any of the tessellated floors we've worked or consulted on across the country or know of any Victorian construction system that uses such as specification.

By 1890 opc was becoming more widespread as a mortar, often it was down to the tile composition to which mortar to use (lime, lime+opc, opc); plastic-clay or the newer dust pressed tiles both of which where still in production by majority of manufacturers.

There are usually common traits to the floors to indicate what construction system, mortar and tile compositions where used, bit like visiting a crime scene I suppose. But as I say, if in doubt get someone in.

[wetdec]

Black ash is what they used in the industrial areas compressed ash. they never used ash in roofing at that level your thinking of pitch pine I think.

If they went down in that period then Minton Hollins established in 1880-1890 could be a good bet and I maintain that a local relaim would be worth a look you know what these yards are like.

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