Old floor tiles

Antique floor tiles

Old floor tiles are recovered from historic homes, farmhouses and other old buildings and prepared for reuse. Differences in origin, age, clay, firing and finish give every batch its own colour, texture and appearance.

Our range includes old Dutch floor tiles (plavuizen), estrikken and French floor tiles. Old floor tiles come in natural terracotta shades and in grey and blue-grey reduction-fired variants. Estrikken come in different colours and finishes, including distinctive glazed examples. French floor tiles often have warm red, orange and salmon shades.

Because these are authentic old materials, colour, size, thickness and surface can vary naturally within a batch. This variation and the signs of use acquired over the years give an old tiled floor its characteristic appearance.

Old floor tiles and estrikken

Floor tiles and estrikken form an important part of our antique floor-tile range. The names often overlap in practice, and several historic forms exist.

Old terracotta floor tiles are made from fired clay and commonly have warm red and reddish-brown shades. Reduction-fired tiles developed grey to blue-grey shades during firing.

Estrikken also come in different colours and finishes. Many antique examples have a characteristic green, yellow or brown glaze. A glazed estrik can essentially be regarded as a glazed terracotta floor tile. Historically, however, estrik was used more broadly, so not every old estrik is necessarily glazed.

You can find more information about the individual types on our pages about old floor tiles and old estrikken.

Reusing old floor tiles

Before historic floor tiles can be laid again, they are carefully selected and cleaned. Old mortar and cement are removed as far as possible, and the tiles are sorted and prepared for reuse.

Old tiles may show natural wear, colour differences, patina and minor irregularities. These are characteristic of authentic old material and keep the relaid floor from looking uniformly new.

Old floor tiles and estrikken can also be combined with underfloor heating. As with any tiled floor, a sound substrate, correct construction and proper installation are important.

Different colours and finishes

Our range includes red and reddish-brown terracotta, grey and blue-grey reduction-fired floor tiles, and green, yellow and brown glazed estrikken. We also regularly stock old French floor tiles with warm colour variation.

Even within one colour, the clay, firing conditions, age and years of use create substantial natural differences.

Buying old floor tiles

Van Dillen Antieke Bouwmaterialen offers a large, changing range of old floor tiles in different formats, colours and grades, from batches for complete floors to smaller quantities for kitchens, halls and other rooms.

The tiles are carefully selected, cleaned of old mortar and prepared for reuse. Because every old batch is unique, our range changes continually. View the current range or contact us if you need a particular colour, size or finish. Our projects page shows old floor tiles reused in a variety of interiors and building projects.