111yr to 144 yr old handmade Belgian ceramic floor - 9m2

A triple border antique Belgian ceramic encaustic floor with all of its border corner tiles reclaimed and present. Fully restored to its original handmade beauty. 

Total surface area - 9m2 / 98 sq ft

Country of Origin - Belgium

Manufacturer - Carrelages Céramiques de Chimay, Maufroid  & Soeur, Rue Poncet, Bourlers, Henegouwen, Belgium, who later became: S.A. La Céramique de Bourlers (ancienne usine Maufroid). Maufroid Freres et Soeur traded as such between 1879 and 1912 and the tiles display on their reverse the Maufroid rings and centralised 'M'.

Dating - 1879 - 1912

Tile size - 16cm / 6.3 inches

Tile thickness - +/- 14mm / 0.55 inch

Weight per tile - 850g / 30 ounces

Border lay - Same size border with top and tail half size borders

Border corner tiles - 4 large border corners plus 8 half size border corners

Underfloor heating systems - Yes

Indoor / Outdoor application - Both

Fixed to walls or inside showers - Yes, with the correct cements and grouts
 

Tile quantities:-

Field tiles - 200 - 5.1m2 / 55.2 sq ft.

Large borders - 82 plus 4 corner tiles - 2.2m2 / 23.7 sq ft. or 13.4 linear metres / 44 linear ft.

Small borders - 138 plus 8 corner tiles - 1.8m2 / 19.4 sq ft. or 22.4 linear metres / 73.5 linear ft.

Tile size, thickness and tones
Antique tiles were most commonly made in single or two tile moulds. Before current computer automation methods their moulds were made my hand and the colour slips mixed by eye. Kiln temperatures could also be variable, as could the firing time. The result is that often tiles display subtle size and thickness variations and there can be tonal variations in colours, owing to the slip mixing and/or firing time. All of this makes these handmade tiles unique and adds to their charm. Some floors display their subtle variations in size and tones, some not, but when photographing we always take a random section of the floor so that it is representative of the whole. A tiler should always dry lay a section of the tiles to familiarise himself with them before starting to fix lay.

Condition 
All of our floors go through rigorous quality control during the restoration process. We include tiles which have groutable small chips and edge nibbles, expected of tiles more than 100 years old , but include for free any rejects, which the tiler can then use for offcuts. The photographs in the gallery are of a c.1.5m2 / 16 sq ft.randomly taken sample of the larger floor and therefore representative of the whole floors condition and patina.

Can we help?
If you can provide a technical drawing, or a simple sketch with key dimensions, we are happy to assist in evaluating and recommending the best layout of the floor in your area of choice..