Period Floors: Parquet Patterns, Encaustic Tiles and Floorboards (and the Asbestos Caution)

The idea in one minute

Old floors are part of the story of the house, and the best advice from the conservation bodies is gentle: keep them, repair them, clean them lightly. The SPAB calls ‘do nothing’ often the cheapest and most effective long-term choice, and says imperfections like wear and uneven levels add to a building’s character.^[1] This guide covers period floors in three families: floorboards, parquet and encaustic tiles. For each, how to recognise it, how to look after it and what to avoid.

It also covers one safety point that can stop a job on day one: asbestos in old floor tiles and adhesives. The HSE says asbestos may be in any home built or refurbished before 2000, and lists floor tiles among the places it is found.^[2]

What you need: patience, a soft brush and a notebook. Not a survey: for structural problems or unknown materials, call a competent professional.

Floorboards: what you have and how to read it

The SPAB says medieval floors were mostly oak, up to about 450 mm wide, laid over flat joists; elm boards about 300 mm wide were common in the 17th century; softwood became widespread in the 18th century; and tongue-and-groove boards appeared in the 1820s.^[1] Its floorboards advice adds that wider boards generally indicate an older floor.^[3] Our rule of thumb: measure a few boards, note the joints and nail types, and photograph them before any work.

Do not rip up what lies beneath. The SPAB says old boards, and any sand pugging or other historic insulation beneath them, should be kept, because replacing them unnecessarily harms a building’s character.^[3] It also advises keeping air bricks clear of rubble, earth and plants, and timber away from damp walls.^[1]

Repairing and caring for floorboards

The SPAB’s headline is ‘repair not replace’. Once the cause of any active decay or structural problem is fixed, conservative repairs using well-seasoned matching timber are often viable; broken edges and damaged ends can be spliced, and split boards glued and reinforced with a screwed block below.^[3] Gaps can be filled with slips of matching timber, papier mache or beeswax; squeaks eased with powdered graphite or talc, flat floorboard nails or screws used sparingly.^[3] When lifting boards, number them, have a competent carpenter do it, and screw rather than nail boards that need regular access.^[3]

Sanding. The SPAB says sanding is generally unwise: it removes the original surface, can expose beetle runs and thins boards, which may weaken their load-bearing capacity. In exceptional cases it should be done by hand or by experienced operators.^[3][1] Cleaning. It says to wash hardwood rarely, with minimal cold or warm water and neutral pH soap, scrub along the grain and avoid wire wool; polished floors should be cleaned with liquid wax rather than washed.^[1] Finishes. Beeswax and turpentine polish should be applied sparingly; synthetic solvent waxes and water-based emulsions can impair breathability and damage timber; and linseed oil is not recommended for floors because it absorbs dirt and discolours.^[1] Modern varnishes may look out of place.^[3]

Any old finish that you disturb may contain lead; our caution, not a source claim: use wet methods and a competent contractor rather than dry sanding.

Draughts and warmth under the boards

Draughty boards are a comfort problem, but lifting them has risks. Historic England says old floorboards are often significant, that lifting them needs a skilled carpenter, and that higher-status floors should usually stay in place with insulation added from below where access allows. If boards cannot be lifted, gaps can be sealed with compressible foam rods, and natural-fibre floor coverings are preferred to synthetic or foam-backed ones.^[4] It says the sub-floor void is normally ventilated through airbricks, which must stay clear, and recommends breathable natural-fibre insulation; condensation is the main risk.^[4]

The Energy Saving Trust says suspended timber floors are typical of Victorian and Edwardian homes, gives a typical installation cost of roughly £1,400 to £2,500, and an average saving of about £55 a year in Great Britain. It says not to block air bricks and that older homes with stone, tile or limecrete floors are harder to insulate and may need specialist advice.^[5] Our guide to insulating a period home covers this in context.

Parquet: patterns and history

Parquet is wood laid in geometric patterns. A V&A sample from about 1840 by the Paris maker Marcellin records that such flooring had long been common in France, where carpets were comparatively rare, and that the floors were kept waxed and polished and often partly covered with rugs or skins.^[6] Wikipedia dates the large diagonal squares known as parquet de Versailles to 1684, when they replaced marble floors that needed constant washing,^[7] and Designing Buildings says Inigo Jones, the King’s surveyor from 1615, is likely the first to have used parquet in England. We treat both as background rather than settled fact.^[8]

Designing Buildings describes the common patterns: herringbone (single blocks at right angles with overlapping ends, or double); basket weave (square groups of blocks at right angles); and others including chevron, chequered, brick bond, stack bond, Versailles, Chantilly and mosaic. It says parquet became a key feature of Victorian buildings.^[8] Wikipedia calls herringbone the most popular pattern.^[7]

Care follows the SPAB’s approach to timber: clean lightly, wax rather than varnish, and avoid machine sanding unless a specialist says it is necessary. Wikipedia notes parquet was formerly glued with hot bitumen and that loose blocks can be re-glued.^[7] That glue brings us to asbestos.

Asbestos in old floor tiles and adhesive

The HSE says asbestos was widely used until it was banned in 1999, and may be in any home built or refurbished before 2000, including floor tiles. It advises not to try to repair or remove asbestos materials yourself unless trained, says it is often best to leave asbestos in good condition in place, and says to tell builders and contractors about any asbestos before work.^[2] Its diagrams of where asbestos can occur list vinyl floor tiles backed with asbestos paper and bitumen adhesive in homes.^[10] HSE also lists maintenance of asbestos-containing thermoplastic and vinyl floor tiles as non-licensed work that still needs a risk assessment, controls and training.^[11]

We found no source that says every black adhesive contains asbestos, so this is our caution: if you find old tiles, sheet vinyl or dark adhesive under a floor, and the house dates from before 2000, stop. Do not sand, scrape, break up or drill it. Have a sample tested by a competent professional first. Asbestos waste is hazardous and must not go in household rubbish.^[2] This also applies if you plan to lift a floor to reach a parquet surface hidden under vinyl.

Encaustic and Victorian tiles

Encaustic tiles are inlaid ceramic floor tiles. Watrobski, head of architecture and heritage at the Houses of Parliament, writes that the term is a 19th-century one from Greek meaning ‘burnt in’, that Samuel Wright’s 1830 patent revived the process, and that Herbert Minton’s resources made it a commercial success. With Pugin’s help, Minton produced tiles in up to six colours by 1844, and an estimated 75,000 tiles were made for the Palace of Westminster between 1847 and 1852.^[9] Jackfield Conservation says Victorian and Edwardian tiles from about 1870 to 1910 were used on floors, walls and ceilings in homes, churches, schools, stations and pubs, with encaustic and geometric tiles common in domestic settings as a cheaper alternative to stone or marble.^[12] The Victorian Society publishes a dedicated guide to decorative tiles.^[13]

The SPAB says Victorian encaustic tiles are now scarce and need careful conservation, and to avoid linseed oil and polish.^[1] Jackfield’s cleaning advice: test any method in a corner first; avoid over-wetting, which can loosen tiles or cause salt crystallisation; steam can be a first pass and puts about 60% less water into the tile than mopping; use non-ionic conservation products; scrub with green Scotchbrite pads and never wire wool; and do not protect with beeswax or linseed oil.^[12] For repairs, Watrobski reports that at Westminster the team kept sound tiles, replaced badly worn ones selectively and bedded repairs in hydraulic lime mortar after analysing the original mortars.^[9] Jackfield, writing about regrouting, prefers a weak cement over lime to avoid staining, so the sources differ; ask a specialist for your floor.^[12]

Which floor suits which period?

We cannot give firm dates for every floor type, but the sources support a few broad points. Georgian rooms typically had timber boards, wider and older in prestigious rooms (SPAB);^[3] Victorian and Edwardian halls and porches often had encaustic or geometric tiles (Jackfield);^[12] and parquet became a key feature of Victorian buildings (Designing Buildings).^[8] Our guides to Georgian, Victorian terrace and Edwardian interiors show these in rooms. If you are choosing a new tile pattern rather than conserving one, see how to choose a tile layout.

Common mistakes

• Machine sanding old boards. The SPAB advises against it.^[1]
• Soaking tiles. Over-wetting can loosen tiles.^[12]
• Linseed oil on floors. The SPAB says it absorbs dirt and discolours.^[1]
• Blocking air bricks. Under-floor ventilation must stay clear.^[5]
• Disturbing unknown tiles or adhesive. Get them identified first.^[2]
• Throwing away the old boards. Repair, do not replace.^[3]

Quick-reference table

Glossary

What to do next

Photograph the floor in daylight, note any tiles or glue before you lift anything, and read our guides to lime and gypsum plaster and period fireplaces for the other parts of a period restoration. A floor underfoot and a ceiling rose overhead make a room feel complete: see styling a hallway with architectural details.

Keep reading

• How to choose a tile layout
• A guide to Georgian interiors
• Victorian terrace interior ideas
• Edwardian interiors
• Styling a hallway with architectural details
• How to date a house from the outside

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Frequently asked questions

Should I sand my old floorboards?

The SPAB says sanding is generally unwise: it removes the original surface, can expose beetle runs and thins boards. In exceptional cases it should be done by hand or by experienced operators.

How do I clean old floorboards?

The SPAB advises washing hardwood rarely with minimal water and neutral pH soap, scrubbing along the grain, avoiding wire wool, and cleaning polished floors with liquid wax rather than water.

What finish suits period floorboards?

Beeswax and turpentine polish, applied sparingly. The SPAB says synthetic solvent waxes and water-based emulsions can impair breathability, linseed oil is not recommended, and modern varnishes may look out of place.

How do I clean Victorian encaustic tiles?

Jackfield Conservation advises testing in a corner, avoiding over-wetting, using steam or non-ionic products, scrubbing with green pads and never wire wool, and not sealing with beeswax or linseed oil.

What is the difference between herringbone and chevron parquet?

Designing Buildings describes herringbone as blocks at right angles with overlapping ends. Chevron blocks are cut at an angle so that the points meet; our drawing shows both.

Could my old floor tiles contain asbestos?

Possibly. The HSE says asbestos may be in any home built or refurbished before 2000, including floor tiles, and its diagrams list vinyl tiles backed with asbestos paper and bitumen adhesive. Do not disturb them; get a professional test.

Can I insulate under old floorboards?

Often, from below. Historic England says higher-status floors should usually stay in place, with breathable insulation added from below and air bricks kept clear. Ask a specialist.

How old are wide floorboards?

The SPAB says wider boards generally indicate an older floor: medieval oak up to about 450 mm and 17th-century elm about 300 mm. Width is a clue, not proof of date.