The Victorian Tiling Specialists

Thinking of installing a new Victorian geometric floor or have a query about an existing one? If you wish to speak to one of master craftsmen then please call one of the numbers below:

John - 01782 518177

Richard - 01782 285750

This website provides information on Victorian tiles, Victorian floor tiling techniques, and introduces our services as specialisy in Victorian Tiling services within the UK.

Victorian tiling is techically more accurately described as geometric and encaustic ceramic floor tiling. This is a specialist area of ceramic floor tiling providing very decorative and grand flooring with a combination of colour and 'geometric' pattern. Geometric tiling is the term used to describe the use of cut floor tiles to produce varying patterns and designs. Most prolific during victorian times, many antique floors remain today in historic buildings and even houses that have some history. Many a new home owner has raised the carpet of their recently acquired character house to find a neglected geometric floor below. Churches are usually a good place to see original existing geometric floors as well as many stately homes in the UK.

The installation of Victorian geometric tiled floors has seen a re-emergence in popularity in recent decades, with homeowners seeking to instil some style and classical grandeur to their path, hallway, kitchen, lounge or bathroom. This has likewise seen an increase in the manufactuer and overall availability of the specialist tiles required to install such floors. A couple of decades ago, there were only a couple of suppliers in the UK, notably H & R Johnson brothers based in Stoke-On-Trent (which is where we are based incidentally, in the heart of the Potteries). Nowadays the are a multitude of suppliers, from both UK-based manufacturers and abroad.

Victorian Tiling Specialists are a team of tilefixing experts that cater for the specific requirements of Victorian tiled floors. Our team of individuals have all gained at least 30 years expereince in all sectors of the tile-fixing industry including domestic tiling services, industrial flooring, swimming pools, decorative tile murals, show rooms and exhibitions. They now all generally specialise in the area of Victorian flooring and all have at least 20 years expereince individually in Victorian floor renovation and restoration, cleaning and new floor installation. We have been serving the needs of many clients over the past few decades with our Victrian geometric tile-fixing services. This work has mainly been confined to the UK, but has on occasion seen us venture to Europe, the middle east and the far east.

From an industrial viewpoint we are also considered specialists with considerable experience of floors for Health & Safety compliance - such as the installation of non-slip heavy-duty ferundem and carboferundem ceramic floors. We also have considerable experience of epoxy grout techniques for chemically resistant floor requirements and also to meet health and safety requirements in food preparation areas.

The Victorian Tiling Specialists have been the recommended craftsmen by H & R Johnson's (one of the oldest tile manufacturers in England) for the past 5 decades and as such, have developed skills in this area which only come with long experience. As well as the installation of new floors, the development of products and methods to help renovate and conserve existing antique Victorian geometric floors, has meant that we have developed expertise in repairs and renovation. We are are now one of the leading consultants in the area of Victorian floor restoration and have had undertaken a multitude of projects with high-profile clients such English Heritage.

Encaustic tiles are hand made tiles incorporating a pattern of their own. They are sometimes used as centre pieces in a geometric design. A good example can be shown in the image below which shows one of the floors laid by our team in a conservatory. The use of border geometric effects is also put to good use in this example. Encaustic tiles are hand made tiles incorporating a pattern of their own. They are sometimes used as centre pieces in a geometric design. A good example can be shown in the image opposite which shows one of our floors in a conservatory. The use of border geometric effects is also put to good use in this example.

The laying of geometric floors is a painstaking process. Virtually like a jigsaw, the fixers job is not made any easier by even small inconsistencies in the profile of the underlying floor. If you are considering a geometric floor and are preparing the floorbase yourselves you must make sure that the screed is as level as possible otherwise a geometric floor will show up these undulations.

NOTE: The cost of the tiles alone to install a new Victorian geometric floor are considerable, so please make sure you ask your tile-fixer to provide evidence of their previous work and experience before you take on their services. Victorian floors take many years of experience to install properly and a knowledge of appropriate floor bases and careful preparation is key to achieving the expected results. The installation of a new Victorian geometric flor should not be the playground of the inexpereinced, and some inexperienced tile-fixers discover this to their cost - and ultimately to the considerable cost of their client.

Some of our previous Clients:

English Heritage
G & J Ackson have been carrying out consultation and renovation work on several projects, the most notable probably being Shrewsbury Cathedral. The cathedral has an immense amount of geometric flooring which is several hundred years old. The careful conservation and renovation to maintain this flooring is an ongoing process and has seen many visits by the company to help maintain the flooring in its original glory. Most of the flooring is out of bounds to the general public for obvious reasons but several short periods of the year see it open to the public.

H & R Johnsons, Tunstall, Stoke-On-Trent
We have been associated with H & R Johnsons for many years, providing tilefixing services for tile exhibitions, ideal homes exhibition, private clients in the UK and abroad.