Victorian Tiled Hallway Sealed with Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal combined with Colour Grow in Cotteridge for Maximum Protection in Birmingham

A client from Cotteridge, near Bournville asked me to pop round for advice on their Victorian hallway that they kept tripping up over and had loose tiles. I went to quote and straight away I could see where there had been movement in the house which had caused the inner doorway to be on almost two levels causing the tiles to jut out.

I explained that without removing the whole floor it would be impossible to level it. It’s important to manage customer expectations at the quote stage. Instead I explained that I would be able to sympathetically slope the tiles so there were no jagged edges. I also recommended giving the floor a deep clean and seal afterwards to give it a consistent appearance and help protect the tiles from ingrained dirt. They were happy with the quote, and the work was booked in.

Repairing and Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Hallway

The first two days were spent repairing the floor and the sub-floor to even the tiling and remove the trip hazard. The plan involved carefully removing a long section of tiles and then resetting them at a slight angle. This went well and once complete I moved onto another doorway which had tiles missing. Fortunately, we had managed to source matching replica tiles, there were also a few more cracked ones which were also replaced and any loose tiles reset.

On day three work moved onto the cleaning the floor using a low moisture method. Old floors like this don’t have the benefit of a damp proof membrane and can suffer from damp coming up through the floor, as a result it’s best to keep fluids to a minimum.

Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel was applied and left to soak in for 10 minutes so it could get to work breaking down the soils. The gel was then worked in using a 200-grit milling pad fitted to a weighted rotary machine to loosen the dirt. This pulls the dirt out of the tiles into the solution it was extracted using a wet vacuum.

Another low moisture Tile Doctor product called Acid Gel was then applied and worked in with a rotary machine and a black pad. This was rinsed off with minimal water and again extracted with the wet vacuum. Small sections were completed at a time to keep the floor as dry as possible.

Air movers were left on overnight to help ensure the floor would be dry for sealing the next day.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway

Moisture testing the next morning confirmed the floor was dry and ready for sealing. Two coats of Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal combined 50/50 with Colour Grow were used to seal the tiles wiping off the excess and allowing for drying time between coats. Both these sealers are impregnators that work by soaking into the tiles, occupying the pores and thereby preventing dirt from residing there. I find these sealers complement each other well giving a rich appearance. Additionally, the Colour Grow makes the X-Tra Seal which is externally rated easier to apply.

When the last coat was dry, the floor was buffed with a white pad to remove any excess sealer and complete the floors appearance.

I was pleased with how the repairs turned out and the clients were very happy with the result. The new sealer will ensure that dirt remains on the surface where it can be easily cleaned away and for aftercare, I left a bottle of Tile Doctor pH Neutral Cleaner to help maintain the floor going forward.

Neutral cleaners are highly recommended for sealed floors like this as many supermarket cleaners are simply too strong and will erode the sealer prematurely. We also recommend cleaning with a two-chamber mop and bucket which keep the cleaning fluid separate from the soiled water.

Source: Victorian Tile Sealing Products and Services in Cotteridge Birmingham