Flooring
Historic floors are more varied and more vulnerable than they look. Stone flags, brick and pamment floors, encaustic and geometric tiles, lime ash and gypsum plaster floors, and early timber boards all sit on constructions that expect moisture to pass through them. The commonest cause of damage is a modern concrete slab or damp-proof membrane laid beneath or alongside, which pushes moisture sideways into the walls. The specialists in this category lift, repair, relay and conserve historic floors, and detail new floors that work with the building rather than sealing it.
What this category covers
- Stone flag, brick and pamment floor repair and relaying
- Encaustic, geometric and quarry tile conservation and matching
- Lime ash and gypsum plaster floor repair
- Breathable limecrete floor build-ups and insulation
- Recording, lifting and reinstatement of historic floor surfaces
Antique Buildings Ltd
Antique Buildings Ltd specialises in ancient oak-framed buildings and the reclaimed materials ...
Delabole Slate Quarry – Cornwall
Delabole Slate Quarry in north Cornwall describes itself as the oldest working ...
Ecomerchant
Ecomerchant is an independent, employee-owned builders’ merchant supplying natural and sustainable building ...
The Limecrete Company
The Limecrete Company is a specialist contractor that does one thing: laying ...
Repairing a floor in an old building
Record before lifting. Flagstones, tiles and boards are laid in patterns and sequences that are easy to lose, and numbered drawings and photographs make reinstatement straightforward. Lifting also destroys archaeological evidence, so on early buildings this may be a condition of consent.
Avoid concrete and impermeable membranes. Sealing a ground floor forces moisture out through the walls, which is a common cause of damp appearing in a building shortly after a floor is renewed. Limecrete over an insulating aggregate is the established breathable alternative.
Match the bedding to the floor. Flags and tiles bedded in cement crack and are almost impossible to lift again without damage. Lime mortar bedding with a well-drained base allows movement and later repair.
Be cautious about levelling. Undulation, wear patterns and worn thresholds are the record of use, and grinding or replacing to achieve a level surface removes exactly the character the floor is valued for. Address trip hazards locally rather than uniformly.
Questions to ask
Can I insulate a solid floor in a period house?
Yes, but the build-up matters. A breathable limecrete slab over a layer of insulating aggregate such as foamed glass or expanded clay allows moisture to pass and avoids driving it into the walls, unlike a concrete slab with a sealed membrane.
How are missing encaustic tiles replaced?
Several makers reproduce historic patterns, and salvaged tiles are sometimes available. Because colours and sizes vary between manufacturers and batches, matching is easier when a sample tile can be supplied, and full replacement of a small area is often better than scattered patches.
Is it worth saving a worn stone floor?
Almost always. Wear is the evidence of centuries of use and is part of what makes the floor significant. Individual broken flags can be turned, pieced in or replaced with matching stone, and lifting and relaying on a proper base resolves most problems.
All 6 businesses listed under Flooring
- Antique Buildings Ltd Surrey
- Artorius Faber Somerset
- Charles Lowe & Sons Leicestershire
- Delabole Slate Quarry – Cornwall Cornwall
- Ecomerchant Wiltshire
- The Limecrete Company Norfolk
Directory information is provided to help visitors identify potentially relevant specialists and suppliers. Inclusion does not constitute a recommendation, approval or guarantee by Tuscan Foundry Products. Please check current services, credentials, availability and suitability directly with each business.