As a professional installer of these tiles I have noticed clients often have quite a few questions about them and generally dont understand them that well.
I hope to shed a bit of light on these Victorian style tiles and hopefully convince you that they are right for your hallway or pathway.
Firstly I will start with the two most positive things about these tiles…
1)They are Stunning! Lets face it, there is nothing quite like the crisp visually complex and amazing look these tiles have for a floor covering.
If you can imagine the best stone or natural wood for your hallway I dont believe they even come close to something like the Blenheim design featured in the image!
2) Hard wearing-These tiles are harder than steel and I have hardly ever scratched them in all my times I have worked with them. If you run a steel object across them the steel marks the tiles and does not scratch them. This can just be lightly sandpapered off and is just some steel particles that get stuck on the tiles. So you will really only be able to damage them if you drop something on them and crack them. They do however stain.
3) Authentic- These tiles really suit Victorian properties and the simple fact is that people really like them. They are coming back into fashion now as we are busier than ever and people are constantly pulling up hallway carpets/laminate etc and getting the Victorian tiles underneath restored. If these tiles are maintained and installed properly you will be adding something to your property that is both part of it and will simply increase the value of your home. People that own Victorian properties more often than not are interested in the Victorian home features and Victorian tiles done properly are much nicer than anything else.
The down side
There is always a little bit of bad and with these Victorian Style tiles it is staining. These tiles can be thought of as a hybrid between ceramic and porcelain and they do not have any glaze or impermeable surface covering. They are essentially a hard porous clay all the way through.
To prevent this we seal them with an impregnating sealer and keep them clean. I will be able to offer you plenty of advice on this if you use us for your tiling project or restoration.