Directory of Traditional Building Skills - Mourne Heritage Trust

8 TILES AND TILINGAlthough pounded earth floors were still common in rural vernacular houses until recent times,it is more usual to find slabs of stone, slate, marble and clay ‘quarry’ tiles laid on ground floorsin halls, kitchens and sculleries, with boarded timber floors on joists in the more ‘important’rooms and on the upper floors. Original tiled floors add great character to a building, butbecause they are often laid directly onto the earth, they can be damp and cold. The comfortlevel can be transformed and the appearance retained by lifting the tiles and re-laying themover a damp proof membrane and rigid insulation on a concrete screed. New and salvaged slateand quarry tiles are available. Laying old tiles may be more costly than putting down modernmaterials because, like many natural products they may be irregular in shape and thickness butthe quality and look of the finished floor should repay this extra effort.Quarry tiles, which are unglazed, need to be sealed after laying and cleaning to prevent themabsorbing stains. The traditional method was to use linseed oil and wax polish. This will makethe floor shine but is very labour intensive and a modern cold wax polish is a suitablealternative. Tiled floors should never be treated with any kind of polyurethane coating. Thisgives a completely inauthentic appearance and may cause the tiles to ‘sweat’ making for longtermproblems by trapping moisture beneath the floor.The Victorians were fond of small clay floor tiles, commonly laid in complex mosaic patterns,for front halls, hearths, garden paths and churches. They are durable and easy to maintain andshould be retained wherever possible. Such geometric tiles are still being made.Wall tiles have a long history but Victorian mass production, especially for fireplaces ensuredwidespread popularity. An enormous variety of mouldings and designs created interiors ofsome opulence in both private and commercial buildings. Wonderful Art Nouveau tiles withstylised plants became common in domestic interiors and new precise reproductions areavailable.Old tiles are often very firmly fixed and can easily be broken, so great care is needed whenstripping an area for re-use. Rather than replace a large area of original tiles, it may bepreferable to repair any broken or damaged ones in situ, clean them thoroughly but gently andre-grout.External tiles made of terracotta or ‘faience’ were frequently used during the late nineteenthand early twentieth centuries. This material is fragile and easily damaged by clumsy cleaningor repairs and specialist advice should be sought before starting work.See also Appendix 1: Further reading – p. 149112