Five tips to help you create the perfectly tiled Victorian style path

Now that spring has at last arrived, it’s time to start planning those home improvement projects you’ve been dreaming about over the winter.

Over the past few weeks we’ve had several requests for advice about creating or restoring a traditional garden path using our Victorian-style geometric tiles.

As this one of our favourite subjects we thought we’d put our top tips online to help you get started.

1. Get the timing right 

• Think about the weather: the best time to lay a new path is in the summer when the weather is more likely to be warm and dry. This will help the base and adhesive to cure promptly.
• Is your new path part of a house move or a bigger restoration project? If it is, then don’t start to lay the tiles until after you have moved into your new home, had your furniture delivered and completed other landscaping and building work. Most especially, wait until any external scaffolding and building materials have been removed to avoid damaging your new pathway.
• Going on holiday? You might want to have the work done while you’re away. This can be a good idea, but make sure you have someone in place to manage the project: you will need to brief them so they understand exactly what you have ordered and what you want – or you might come home to an unwanted surprise!

2. Hire an expert and book in advance
We strongly recommend you employ a professional tiler who specialises in laying Victorian-style geometric tiles.  In addition to ensuring your new garden path is perfect, expert tilers will help you to calculate the correct quantity of tiles for the job – so you won’t waste money by ordering too many or be left short. Book your tiler as soon as you know when you want to have the work done – the best ones tend to get very busy, especially over the summer months. You can search online for a specialist tiler near you.

3. The design
Now for the fun part! Whatever look you want to achieve, our geometric tiles are hugely versatile and adaptable, with an almost limitless combination of shapes and colours to choose from. At Original Features you can pick one of our traditional Victorian patterns, go for something more contemporary or create your own bespoke design. The choice is yours! Please contact us if can’t find what you are looking for on our website, or if you would like some design advice.

4. Your tiles – invest in quality
Once you have decided on your design, make sure you invest in quality tiles. Original Features’ Olde English geometric tiles are fully vitrified, which means that they have been fired to a very high temperature and so are extremely hard wearing, fully frost resistant and absorb less moisture and dirt than other types of tile.

5. Looking after your new tiled path 
Our Olde English tiles are easy to maintain. Use a specialist maintenance cleaner to wash your path regularly. Exterior tiling should never be sealed as this will compromise frost resistance. You’ll find more information about cleaning your tiles here.

Original Features' colourful geometric tiles are manufactured in very much the same way as they were in Victorian times. The countless original paths that have survived intact for over 150 years all around the UK bear testament to their beauty and longevity. Follow our advice and you will become the proud owner of a beautiful tiled pathway that will enhance your home for many, many years to come. Enjoy!