Historic Marble Floor Restoration at Old St Paul’s Church, Edinburgh

We recently completed the conservation and restoration of a historic marble floor at Old St Paul’s Church in Edinburgh. Before any conservation work commenced, we carried out a detailed Historic Floor Condition Survey & Conservation Consultancy to assess the causes of deterioration, record the condition of the floor and develop an appropriate repair strategy based on the principles of minimum intervention.

The project involved carefully lifting and relaying sections of the original Italian-style marble floor, repairing the existing substrate, undertaking localised marble repairs and producing bespoke lime-based grout colour matched with natural earth pigments. The completed works preserved the historic character of the floor while improving its long-term stability, durability and appearance.

Careful Conservation of Historic Marble Floors

Every historic marble floor requires a considered conservation approach. Before repairs begin, we assess the condition of the floor, identify previous repairs and determine the most appropriate conservation methods. Wherever possible, original marble is retained and conserved rather than replaced, ensuring the maximum amount of historic fabric survives.

The conservation works included:

• Careful lifting of unstable sections of the original marble floor.
• Repair and strengthening of the existing substrate.
• Relaying the original marble using appropriate conservation methods.
• Localised repairs to damaged marble.
• Production of bespoke lime-based grout colour matched with natural earth pigments.
• Final application of microcrystalline wax to nourish and protect the marble while enhancing its natural colours.

Through careful planning and the use of traditional conservation materials, the repaired floor now provides a stable, durable and visually cohesive surface while retaining the character and significance of the original historic fabric.

We undertake the Conservation and Repair of Historic Marble Floors, Victorian Tile Restoration, Specialist Cleaning of Historic Floors, Mosaic Conservation & Restoration and Historic Floor Condition Surveys & Conservation Consultancy throughout Edinburgh, Scotland and across the UK, working for churches, listed buildings, historic properties and heritage organisations.

If you’re responsible for the care of a church, cathedral, listed building, historic property or heritage site, we provide professional historic marble floor restoration, conservation, repair and condition surveys throughout Edinburgh, Scotland and across the UK. Every project is carried out using conservation-led techniques that respect the historic fabric while improving long-term stability and appearance. Contact Us to discuss your project, arrange a site visit or request a quotation.