How do you clean soot off old fireplace tiles?

Start with warm water and a soft cloth. Heavy soot usually lifts with a standard non-abrasive household cream cleaner. Never use wire wool or stiff brushes on the glazed face. The grit will scratch the surface and leave permanent cloudy marks.

I have a stack of old patterned tiles left by the previous owner in the shed but they're covered in thick grey cement on the back, can this be removed?

Getting modern Portland cement off a fired clay body is difficult. The cement often bonds harder than the antique tile itself. Some restorers soak them in weak brick acid to soften the mortar. You have to be cautious as acid can dull the front glaze if it seeps over the edge. Mechanical removal with a grinder isn't always safe and risks snapping the biscuit.

What size are standard Victorian hearth tiles?

Most British factories standardised their square production at six inches. This size dominated the domestic trade. You'll also find half-tiles measuring six inches by three. Fitters used these for narrow gaps.

My builder wants to use some reclaimed tin glazed floor tiles in my new bathroom, is there anything special we need to do before fixing them to the wall?

Old unglazed edges absorb a lot of moisture. If you apply modern wet adhesive directly, the porous clay will suck the water out too quickly and the grip will fail. Your builder should seal the backs and edges with a primer first. This stops the adhesive drying out prematurely. Keep in mind that antique tiles rarely have uniform thickness, so the wall needs a thicker bed of adhesive to get a flush finish.

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Antique Tiles

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Antique tiles are flat slabs of fired clay, often glazed or decorated with colourful patterns, originally set into walls, floors, or fireplaces to provide a durable and washable surface.