Design details
Conservation expert Lee Bilson explores the evolution of flooring
Often overlooked, floors are a hugely important feature of any period home. Their form and styling speaks of the time in which they were made, and of the craftsmanship utilised to create them. Throughout the period homes of Britain, you will come across a huge range of flooring types and styles, from the age-old floorboards and stone flagged hallways, to glorious Victorian encaustic tiles. Heed the words of ancient architect and author Vitruvius, who wrote that floors are the principal of all finishings and should be executed with the greatest care and attention.
Design evolution
The earliest and simplest floors found in British domestic architecture were beaten earth; with better ones comprising bricks laid on their edge.
From the late medieval period brick floors were commonplace, but as brick is a soft material prone to wear, many of these early floors didn’t survive and were later replaced. In the grand houses of the same period, brick floors tended to be confined to service areas, with stone flags being the favoured covering wherever they could be afforded. This trend would continue through the centuries, and when stone flags became worn, many would simply lift them and turn them over to reuse them – such was the expense of a stone floor.
However, while widely used on the ground floor, stone floors weren’t a practical solution for upper storeys due to their weight. Consequently, wooden boards of oak or elm would be used upstairs. These would be much wider than we would tend to find in later periods, up to 60cm in width. If you have some of this ilk, then they are a treasure to behold.
Illusionistic extravagance
From the late 17th century, baroque and Queen Anne homes continued to feature stone flags with timber floors to upper stories, but a greater interest in decoration was emerging. Floors using multiple materials, such as stone and marble, can be found with a range of colours and geometric styles, presenting the illusion that the surface varied in depth. This same approach would be taken with timber floors laid as parquet or marquetry, and even lime putty laid on lathes decorated with painted patterns. Floors were seen as another canvas to express one’s status and position.
Beyond the highly decorative approach, both in the earlier periods and the 17th and early 18th century, carpets were very much the preserve of the wealthy, and often considered too expensive to walk on. Where they were found they would be under the best furniture to protect them from use. Matting was a more common approach, made of rush, and sometimes stitched together and nailed at the edges. This is a style on the return today, as we look for more environmental solutions.
Georgian elegance
In the early and later Georgian periods, floors continued to be made of brick, stone and beaten earth – the latter in lower-status homes or areas. One of the most prevalent styles you will find is stone paving laid in the pattern known as carreaux d’octagones, which was simplistic but extremely elegant. The Georgian treatment of floorboards also led to planks being narrower than in earlier periods, reducing to boards of 20cm or so. These would be stained and polished at the edges of the room to frame a carpet in the centre of the space, which was now commonplace in even middling homes.
Advances in technology and growing global trade made carpets more attainable, and as with many styles of the period, oriental and floral motifs were fashionable. Although for thoroughfares, such as stairs or halls, Georgians tended to use a more resilient form, similar to the earlier rush matting, but now a coarse felted or woven woollen fabric known rather coarsely as ‘drugget’.
Regency pattern books
In the Regency period many pattern books included mosaic floor designs, with stone flagging becoming increasingly used for thoroughfares and service areas. The motifs being explored in the elaborate designs that were favoured for more important areas of a home, were continually inspired by archaeological sources of the ancient world. These delicate and somewhat bold motifs appealed to Regency tastes but remained in vogue well beyond the 19th century.
The growing trend for carpets within Georgian homes continued into the Regency period, and they became widely available for even the most modest of purses, with a vast amount of industry supporting manufacture in England of traditional pattern carpets and rugs. The less expensive druggets were also still common.
Victorian panache
By the Victorian era, floorboards were the most common floor structure, made of thin pine boards that would more often than not be covered in rugs, with the borders of the room stained and polished to appear of a more expensive material. Sometimes borders were decorated, to resemble expensive parquetry. Where carpets were too expensive, a common option was floorcloth, which was a form of canvas sheeting, but this was soon replaced by the advent of linoleum in the latter part of the 19th century. Formed of linseed oil and compressed cork mounted on a canvas backing, it was found in designs that sought to simulate more expensive finishes such as parquet or tiles. That said, this was seen as rather vulgar and it was considered better taste to have plain linoleum in brown or green.
However, by far the most well known of floor styles was the swathes of tiled floors we still find in the hallways of Victorian and Edwardian period homes. Typically laid in geometric patterns, the likes of Minton and Maw & Co produced a huge range of encaustic tiles that were easy to maintain and extremely hardwearing, so much so that they would even be used outside. The colours within encaustic tiles came from the natural colours of the clay used, with the colour running all through the tile. Plain tiles in various colours are more widely referred to as geometric tiles.
Mass production meant these styles were achievable for almost anyone, with these floors found in the grandest of country houses, down to the most basic of cottages. While many have gone on to be covered by concrete or modern coverings, the chances are a Victorian or Edwardian home will have a tiled floor somewhere – if you can reveal one it will certainly bring joy and add character.
Maintenance issues
Original floors have seen a lot of wear and tear, so looking after them is extremely important:
● Before carrying out any work to an old floor, you should really take the time to understand what you are dealing with in relation to age, condition, materials and methods. If in doubt ask an expert.
● The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings offers a fantastic in-depth guide to caring for old floors and is always happy to help via its technical helpline.
● If possible, never sand a timber floor or seal a tiled floor unless proposed by a specialist, and always do tests of any treatment before universally applying.
● Traditionally, encaustic tile schemes were laid without grouting, butted hard against each other on a bedding layer. Over time, dirt can become ground down between the tiles, and so it is extremely important to look out for loose tiles, areas of unevenness, and cracked or missing tiles. These are all signs your floor needs some love.
● Various companies can help with restoration or replacement floors including Craven Dunnill Jackfield, which is based in the historic Ironbridge Gorge and remains one of the leading manufacturers of traditionally styled, decorative ceramic tiles.