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Working Through COVID-19

Mon, 23 Mar 2020 15:25:38 +0000

Due to the impact of the Covid-19 Coronavirus it’s become necessary to change our working practices in-line with government guidelines and to take action to minimise health risks to you and our team. At present, none of our team are showing any symptoms of the virus so we are continuing home visits for quotes and to complete scheduled works should it be safe to do so.

All Tile Doctors are aware to look out for the known symptoms of High Temperature and New Continuous Cough. We are aware of the need to self-isolate should it be necessary and should this be the case we will contact you to postpone. We also ask you monitor your own health and contact us should it be necessary for you to postpone for the same reason. Should you be in a high-risk group we recommend contacting us to re-arrange a visit to later in the year.

Naturally the situation could change very quickly and therefore we will no longer ask for any official notice should you wish to postpone or cancel a booking, however we would appreciate a phone call.

Our Tile Doctors are aware of the guidelines and will carry out a risk assessment at every premises they visit. They also understand the importance of observing the following whilst on site:

Avoiding Physical Contact
The importance of Social Distancing
Wearing single use Gloves and Overshoes
Regular hand washing and use of liquid sanitiser
Cleaning Equipment with Detergent after use

We are monitoring Government guidance and will ensure we continually adjust our working practices as required and endeavour to keep you informed. These are challenging times that are impossible to predict, the key is to stay safe and accepting of late changes should they occur.

Regards

Andrew Newstead
South Buckinghamshire Tile Doctor
#TileDoctorUK #weareinthistogether #pulltogether #staystrong

For more information about Covid-19 virus we recommend the following sources:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-list-of-guidance
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-track-coronavirus-cases

The post Working Through COVID-19 appeared first on South Buckinghamshire Tile Doctor.

Working Through COVID-19

Mon, 23 Mar 2020 15:25:32 +0000

Our Tile Doctors are aware of the guidelines and will carry out a risk assessment at every premises they visit. They also understand the importance of observing the following whilst on site:

Avoiding Physical Contact
The importance of Social Distancing
Wearing single use Gloves and Overshoes
Regular hand washing and use of liquid sanitiser
Cleaning Equipment with Detergent after use

Regards

Malcolm Crowther
Gloucester Tile Doctor
#TileDoctorUK #weareinthistogether #pulltogether #staystrong

The post Working Through COVID-19 appeared first on Gloucester Tile Doctor.

Working Through COVID-19

Mon, 23 Mar 2020 15:25:30 +0000

Our Tile Doctors are aware of the guidelines and will carry out a risk assessment at every premises they visit. They also understand the importance of observing the following whilst on site:

Avoiding Physical Contact
The importance of Social Distancing
Wearing single use Gloves and Overshoes
Regular hand washing and use of liquid sanitiser
Cleaning Equipment with Detergent after use

Regards

West Sussex Tile Doctor
#TileDoctorUK #weareinthistogether #pulltogether #staystrong

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Working Through COVID-19

Mon, 23 Mar 2020 15:13:22 +0000

Our Tile Doctors are aware of the guidelines and will carry out a risk assessment at every premises they visit. They also understand the importance of observing the following whilst on site:

Avoiding Physical Contact
The importance of Social Distancing
Wearing single use Gloves and Overshoes
Regular hand washing and use of liquid sanitiser
Cleaning Equipment with Detergent after use

Regards

Bruce Copping
Suffolk Tile Doctor
#TileDoctorUK #weareinthistogether #pulltogether #staystrong

The post Working Through COVID-19 appeared first on Suffolk Tile Doctor.

Working Through COVID-19

Mon, 23 Mar 2020 15:13:21 +0000

Our Tile Doctors are aware of the guidelines and will carry out a risk assessment at every premises they visit. They also understand the importance of observing the following whilst on site:

Avoiding Physical Contact
The importance of Social Distancing
Wearing single use Gloves and Overshoes
Regular hand washing and use of liquid sanitiser
Cleaning Equipment with Detergent after use

Regards

Trevor Preece
Staffordshire Tile Doctor
#TileDoctorUK #weareinthistogether #pulltogether #staystrong

The post Working Through COVID-19 appeared first on Staffordshire Tile Doctor.

Working Through COVID-19

Mon, 23 Mar 2020 15:13:19 +0000

Our Tile Doctors are aware of the guidelines and will carry out a risk assessment at every premises they visit. They also understand the importance of observing the following whilst on site:

Avoiding Physical Contact
The importance of Social Distancing
Wearing single use Gloves and Overshoes
Regular hand washing and use of liquid sanitiser
Cleaning Equipment with Detergent after use

Regards

Matthew Lovett
South Yorkshire Tile Doctor
#TileDoctorUK #weareinthistogether #pulltogether #staystrong

The post Working Through COVID-19 appeared first on South Yorkshire Tile Doctor.

Working Through COVID-19

Mon, 23 Mar 2020 15:13:17 +0000

Our Tile Doctors are aware of the guidelines and will carry out a risk assessment at every premises they visit. They also understand the importance of observing the following whilst on site:

Avoiding Physical Contact
The importance of Social Distancing
Wearing single use Gloves and Overshoes
Regular hand washing and use of liquid sanitiser
Cleaning Equipment with Detergent after use

Regards

Jozsef Hoffmann
Shropshire Tile Doctor
#TileDoctorUK #weareinthistogether #pulltogether #staystrong

The post Working Through COVID-19 appeared first on Shropshire Tile Doctor.

Working Through COVID-19

Mon, 23 Mar 2020 14:57:50 +0000

Our Tile Doctors are aware of the guidelines and will carry out a risk assessment at every premises they visit. They also understand the importance of observing the following whilst on site:

Avoiding Physical Contact
The importance of Social Distancing
Wearing single use Gloves and Overshoes
Regular hand washing and use of liquid sanitiser
Cleaning Equipment with Detergent after use

Regards

Julian Iacono
South East Wales Tile Doctor
#TileDoctorUK #weareinthistogether #pulltogether #staystrong

The post Working Through COVID-19 appeared first on South East Wales Tile Doctor.

Working Through COVID-19

Mon, 23 Mar 2020 14:57:49 +0000

Our Tile Doctors are aware of the guidelines and will carry out a risk assessment at every premises they visit. They also understand the importance of observing the following whilst on site:

Avoiding Physical Contact
The importance of Social Distancing
Wearing single use Gloves and Overshoes
Regular hand washing and use of liquid sanitiser
Cleaning Equipment with Detergent after use

Regards

Barry Woodward
Oxfordshire Tile Doctor
#TileDoctorUK #weareinthistogether #pulltogether #staystrong

The post Working Through COVID-19 appeared first on Oxfordshire Tile Doctor.

Working Through COVID-19

Mon, 23 Mar 2020 14:09:43 +0000

Our Tile Doctors are aware of the guidelines and will carry out a risk assessment at every premises they visit. They also understand the importance of observing the following whilst on site:

Avoiding Physical Contact
The importance of Social Distancing
Wearing single use Gloves and Overshoes
Regular hand washing and use of liquid sanitiser
Cleaning Equipment with Detergent after use

Regards

Heidi Taylor
North Cumbria Tile Doctor
#TileDoctorUK #weareinthistogether #pulltogether #staystrong

The post Working Through COVID-19 appeared first on North Cumbria Tile Doctor.

Working Through COVID-19

Mon, 23 Mar 2020 14:03:14 +0000

Our Tile Doctors are aware of the guidelines and will carry out a risk assessment at every premises they visit. They also understand the importance of observing the following whilst on site:

Avoiding Physical Contact
The importance of Social Distancing
Wearing single use Gloves and Overshoes
Regular hand washing and use of liquid sanitiser
Cleaning Equipment with Detergent after use

Regards

Nick White
Norfolk Tile Doctor
#TileDoctorUK #weareinthistogether #pulltogether #staystrong

The post Working Through COVID-19 appeared first on Norfolk Tile Doctor.

Working Through COVID-19

Mon, 23 Mar 2020 14:00:57 +0000

Our Tile Doctors are aware of the guidelines and will carry out a risk assessment at every premises they visit. They also understand the importance of observing the following whilst on site:

Avoiding Physical Contact
The importance of Social Distancing
Wearing single use Gloves and Overshoes
Regular hand washing and use of liquid sanitiser
Cleaning Equipment with Detergent after use

Regards

Phil Barrs
Lincolnshire Tile Doctor
#TileDoctorUK #weareinthistogether #pulltogether #staystrong

The post Working Through COVID-19 appeared first on Lincolnshire Tile Doctor.

Working Through COVID-19

Mon, 23 Mar 2020 13:58:25 +0000

Our Tile Doctors are aware of the guidelines and will carry out a risk assessment at every premises they visit. They also understand the importance of observing the following whilst on site:

Avoiding Physical Contact
The importance of Social Distancing
Wearing single use Gloves and Overshoes
Regular hand washing and use of liquid sanitiser
Cleaning Equipment with Detergent after use

Regards

Kay Sylvester
Leicestershire Tile Doctor
#TileDoctorUK #weareinthistogether #pulltogether #staystrong

The post Working Through COVID-19 appeared first on Leicestershire Tile Doctor.

Working Through COVID-19

Mon, 23 Mar 2020 13:55:37 +0000

Our Tile Doctors are aware of the guidelines and will carry out a risk assessment at every premises they visit. They also understand the importance of observing the following whilst on site:

Avoiding Physical Contact
The importance of Social Distancing
Wearing single use Gloves and Overshoes
Regular hand washing and use of liquid sanitiser
Cleaning Equipment with Detergent after use

Regards

Jason Gates
Kent Tile Doctor
#TileDoctorUK #weareinthistogether #pulltogether #staystrong

The post Working Through COVID-19 appeared first on West Kent Tile Doctor.

Working Through COVID-19

Mon, 23 Mar 2020 13:53:15 +0000

Our Tile Doctors are aware of the guidelines and will carry out a risk assessment at every premises they visit. They also understand the importance of observing the following whilst on site:

Avoiding Physical Contact
The importance of Social Distancing
Wearing single use Gloves and Overshoes
Regular hand washing and use of liquid sanitiser
Cleaning Equipment with Detergent after use

Regards

Alex Logonzy
Greater Manchester Tile Doctor
#TileDoctorUK #weareinthistogether #pulltogether #staystrong

The post Working Through COVID-19 appeared first on Greater Manchester Tile Doctor.

Working Through COVID-19

Mon, 23 Mar 2020 13:44:14 +0000

Our Tile Doctors are aware of the guidelines and will carry out a risk assessment at every premises they visit. They also understand the importance of observing the following whilst on site:

Avoiding Physical Contact
The importance of Social Distancing
Wearing single use Gloves and Overshoes
Regular hand washing and use of liquid sanitiser
Cleaning Equipment with Detergent after use

Regards

Mick Conlon
East Sussex Tile Doctor
#TileDoctorUK #weareinthistogether #pulltogether #staystrong

The post Working Through COVID-19 appeared first on East Sussex Tile Doctor.

Working Through COVID-19

Mon, 23 Mar 2020 13:32:18 +0000

Our Tile Doctors are aware of the guidelines and will carry out a risk assessment at every premises they visit. They also understand the importance of observing the following whilst on site:

Avoiding Physical Contact
The importance of Social Distancing
Wearing single use Gloves and Overshoes
Regular hand washing and use of liquid sanitiser
Cleaning Equipment with Detergent after use

Regards

Michael Conlon
East Surrey Tile Doctor
#TileDoctorUK #weareinthistogether #pulltogether #staystrong

The post Working Through COVID-19 appeared first on East Surrey Tile Doctor.

Working Through COVID-19

Mon, 23 Mar 2020 13:25:14 +0000

Our Tile Doctors are aware of the guidelines and will carry out a risk assessment at every premises they visit. They also understand the importance of observing the following whilst on site:

Avoiding Physical Contact
The importance of Social Distancing
Wearing single use Gloves and Overshoes
Regular hand washing and use of liquid sanitiser
Cleaning Equipment with Detergent after use

Regards

Kamila Logonzy
East Cheshire Tile Doctor
#TileDoctorUK #weareinthistogether #pulltogether #staystrong

The post Working Through COVID-19 appeared first on East Cheshire Tile Doctor.

Working Through COVID-19

Mon, 23 Mar 2020 12:24:32 +0000

Our Tile Doctors are aware of the guidelines and will carry out a risk assessment at every premises they visit. They also understand the importance of observing the following whilst on site:

Avoiding Physical Contact
The importance of Social Distancing
Wearing single use Gloves and Overshoes
Regular hand washing and use of liquid sanitiser
Cleaning Equipment with Detergent after use

Regards

Tom Conlon
Cambridge Tile Doctor
#TileDoctorUK #weareinthistogether #pulltogether #staystrong

The post Working Through COVID-19 appeared first on Cambridge Tile Doctor.

Working Through COVID-19

Mon, 23 Mar 2020 12:08:11 +0000

Our Tile Doctors are aware of the guidelines and will carry out a risk assessment at every premises they visit. They also understand the importance of observing the following whilst on site:

Avoiding Physical Contact
The importance of Social Distancing
Wearing single use Gloves and Overshoes
Regular hand washing and use of liquid sanitiser
Cleaning Equipment with Detergent after use

Regards

Kieron Norton
Birmingham Tile Doctor
#TileDoctorUK #weareinthistogether #pulltogether #staystrong

The post Working Through COVID-19 appeared first on Birmingham Tile Doctor.

Working Through COVID-19

Sat, 21 Mar 2020 18:53:59 +0000

Our Tile Doctors are aware of the guidelines and will carry out a risk assessment at every premises they visit. They also understand the importance of observing the following whilst on site:

Avoiding Physical Contact
The importance of Social Distancing
Wearing single use Gloves and Overshoes
Regular hand washing and use of liquid sanitiser
Cleaning Equipment with Detergent after use

Regards

Russell and Heidi Taylor
Lancashire Tile Doctor
#TileDoctorUK #weareinthistogether #pulltogether #staystrong

The post Working Through COVID-19 appeared first on Tile Doctor Lancashire.

Flaking Grout Renovation in Levenshulme Bathroom

Wed, 18 Mar 2020 02:47:56 +0000

We were contacted by a client from the Levenshulme area of Greater Manchester who had just purchased a property there and hated the state of the grout which despite cleaning did not improve. The owner said she could not use the bathroom in this state as it looked disgusting and unclean and was keen to have it renovated. The rest of the house was being redecorated so whilst that was going on, I was called over to have a proper look at the grout and quote for sorting it out.

It didn’t take long to understand the issue, is seems the previous owner in an attempt to improve the appearance of the grout had touched it up by applying another thin layer of grout on top of the original. Now both the new and old was starting to flake off making a real mess.

I explained to the client we would need to scrape out the new layer, clean the original and then apply a grout colourant to improve the overall appearance. I gave her a price for the work, and she was happy for me to go ahead with the job.

Cleaning a Ceramic Tiled Bathroom Grout

My first task was to scrape off the new layer of grout, so I had a stable grout line to work from. I then started cleaning the grout up using a Tile Doctor Grout Colourant Pre-Treater cleaner, this cleans up the grout and being acidic it etches the surface to provide a better base for the grout colourant to adhere to. The dirt was rinsed off and then the area was dried using a heat gun.

Once dry I used a Tile Doctor Grout Colourant in Charcoal Grey (one bottle was sufficient). This product is equally effective for interior or exterior applications including bathrooms and kitchens and it is available in ten different colours. The client had requested to darken the grout and give it a completely new modern look. The colourant is painted onto the grout with a small brush and any excess which gets onto the tile is removed with a cloth before it dries.

The best thing about the grout colourant is it forms an easy to clean seal over the grout which ensures the grout is protected. Given Ceramic tiles are glazed and therefore don’t need sealing the new combination should ensure the tiles keep their appearance for a very long time with minimal cleaning. The silicone sealant between the bath and the wall tiles looked in good condition and had not discoloured so there was no need for this to be replaced.

The bathroom now looked clean and inviting and I’m pleased to report my client was very happy with the completed renovation and was finally happy to use the bathroom!

I recommended that for on-going cleaning that they use Tile Doctor Aqua-Pro, this is a pH neutral cleaner with a trigger action for easy application. It can be used in the bathroom every day. It helps to keep soap scum and limescale at bay and has a pleasant lemon smell so cleaning should not be too much of a chore.

Professional Renovation of a Ceramic Tiled Bathroom in Greater Manchester

The post Flaking Grout Renovation in Levenshulme Bathroom appeared first on Greater Manchester Tile Doctor.

Polishing a Dull Travertine Kitchen Floor in Wilmslow

Mon, 16 Mar 2020 13:45:15 +0000

This is a Travertine tiled floor installed at a property in the popular Cheshire town of Wilmslow around 16 years prior. It had previously been maintained by a Tile Doctor colleague about three years ago and the owner was hoping the floor could be given a simple maintenance clean and seal. This is a service we provide as part of an annual maintenance plan, unfortunately after surveying the floor it was clear they had left it far too long, the floor had lost its shine and it would now need to be resurfaced with a set of diamond burnishing pads and then resealed.

Naturally burnishing the floor costs more than a simple seal and polish but if you are going to opt for the quicker maintenance plan route it does need to be done at least annually and possibly more frequently if it’s a floor in frequent use such as a kitchen. We agreed a price for the work, and I arranged a time with them to return and renovate the floor.

Cleaning/Renovating a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor

To restore the polished appearance of the Travertine I used a set of four burnishing pads which are applied to the floor with a rotary machine. You start with a coarse 400-grit pad using water to lubricate and running it over each tile at least three times. This first pad cleans up the stone and removes old sealers. This is then followed with the finer 800-grit, 1500-grit and finally a 3000-grit pad. Except for the 3000-grit, each pad is applied with water and the floor is rinsed and the soil extracted afterwards with the wet vacuum.

The Grout lines were also deep cleaned with a scrubbing brush and Tile Doctor Pro-Clean tile and grout cleaner. The product really gets to into deep seated dirt and grease which tends to accumulate in the grout. After a final rinse and extraction, the floor was then left to dry off overnight.

Sealing a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor

I returned on the second day and started by checking the floor was dry by taking several moisture readings with a damp meter. The readings were good, so I proceeded to seal the floor using a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow. Colour Grow is an ideal sealer for Travertine as it seeps into the pores of the stone enhancing the natural brown colours in the process. It also offers great protection going forward.

Whilst I was there I had noticed that one of the doors had scratched the floor, fortunately the polishing process had got the scratches out of the stone but to prevent future scratching I helped them remove the door so a carpenter could shave off a few mm’s from the bottom.

My customer left the following feedback:

“Second time had Travertine floor restored, cleaned & sealed, the first time was 3 years ago. Great job done then by Simon Bywater. This time Kamila did a really professional job on the kitchen limestone floor. A bit more expensive this time, but a good job was done. Have left instructions for her to contact me in 12 months time for annual maintenance on the same floor, hopefully to prevent restoration being required! Highly recommend the service.”

The floor looked great and they should now be able to maintain it in between the maintenance visits, with day to day cleaning using Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner.

Professional Restoration of a Travertine Tiled Kitchen in East Cheshire

The post Polishing a Dull Travertine Kitchen Floor in Wilmslow appeared first on East Cheshire Tile Doctor.

Renovating Porcelain Tile with Stained Grout in Ipswich

Fri, 13 Mar 2020 02:45:14 +0000

The pictures below detail the renovation of a Porcelain Tiled Floor I completed at a property in Ipswich. Installed throughout the Kitchen and into the adjacent WC the porcelain tile and grout were in a very dirty state and the client was desperate to get them clean. The situation wasn’t helped by their two dogs with grubby paws. She had tried all the usual household cleaners she could find, and nothing seemed to work. Unfortunately, household cleaners can make the problem worse due the strong chemicals they contain.

I visited the property to survey the floor and was able to reassure the client that although the grout was heavily stained it could be renovated by recolouring it with a Tile Doctor Grout Colourant. I was confident we would soon be able to get the floor looking great again and demonstrated the process I would use on a small part of the floor. The demonstration went well and happy with the result we agreed a date for my return the following week to complete the work which should be completed in a single day.

Cleaning a Porcelain Tiled Hallway and Kitchen Floor

Returning on the agreed date we started by protecting the by applying a clear silicone sealant to the MDF skirting boards and kitchen base units. We left this to dry for an hour before proceeding with the cleaning.

The Porcelain tile and grout was cleaned with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean using 3 parts cleaner to 5 parts water. The solution was applied to the tile and grout and then left to soak in for ten minutes before being worked in using a rotary machine fitted with a Black Scrubbing Pad. Tile Doctor Pro-Clean is a concentrated, multi-purpose high-alkaline cleaner which is designed for deep cleaning tile, stone and grout of dirt and grease and can also remove sealers.

Pads can struggle to reach into the recesses of the grout line so once I was finished with the tile, I hand scrubbed the grout with a wire brush. The floor was then rinsed with water and the resultant slurry extracted off the floor with wet vacuum.

The floor took about three hours to deep clean which was just the right timing for us to have lunch whilst the floor dried. The grout was much improved by the cleaning process but as suspected there were too many deep-seated stains to be able to guarantee a consistent finish. So as previously agreed with the client we set about colouring the grout using a light grey colourant. This took most of the afternoon as there was a lot of grout.

The Porcelain tiles were the non-porous type that won’t take a sealer and the colourant acts as a barrier over the grout protecting it and making it easy to clean so once I was done colouring there was no need to apply a sealer.

My client was relieved to have the floor looking clean and presentable again. For aftercare I recommended that moving forward it would be best to use Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a pH neutral cleaner. This will ensure that with regular cleaning the floor will keep clean and the grout won’t be compromised by overly strong products.

Professional Renovation of a Porcelain Tiled Kitchen Floor in Suffolk

The post Renovating Porcelain Tile with Stained Grout in Ipswich appeared first on Suffolk Tile Doctor.

Renovating Polished Limestone Floor with Stained Grout in Wellingborough

Wed, 11 Mar 2020 12:40:10 +0000

This Limestone tiled floor installed in a kitchen and family room at a property in Wellingborough is a great example of how this material can lose its appearance without a regular maintenance plan in place.

The customer called me as not only was she concerned that the floor had lost its lustre the grey grout had become very stained and almost black in heavy traffic areas, in fact my customer had originally asked about re-grouting but I was confident it could be cleaned.
I provided a quote which they were happy to accept.

Cleaning/Polishing Limestone Tiled Flooring

The area was a nice wide 6 metre by 5 metre space and except for a few items of furniture that would need moving around there were relatively few obstacles. I reasoned the most efficient way to restore the polished appearance of the Limestone would be to use a set of diamond encrusted Burnishing Pads. These are fitted to a rotary machine and applied to the stone in sequence from coarse to smooth. It’s an effective process that cuts back the layer of dirt on the floor and then we build back up the polish.

We started burnishing the Limestone with a coarse 400-grit pad fitted to a rotary machine and applied with a little water for lubrication. The coarse pad is very good at removing dirt and old sealers from stone and once completed the resultant surface water and loose dirt is removed using a wet vacuum.

At this point I turned my attention to the badly stained grout lines, and applied a strong solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which was scrubbed in along the grout lines using a stiff grout brush, this is necessary as the recessed nature of the grout makes it difficult for the rotary pads to reach it.

I then repeated the burnishing process with the medium 800-grit pad and fine 1500-grit pad, the 800-grit pad removes any small surface scratches and the 1500-grit further refines the look of the Limestone slowly restoring its polished appearance.

Renovating Stained Grout on a Limestone Tiled Floor

After the whole floor had been burnished in this way it was given a further rinse with water and the soil extracted as before. I then inspected the floor to see if more work would be needed.

I was not fully happy with how some of the grout lines had responded, some were still slightly stained, and some marks were visible in the high traffic areas. I had already discussed on my initial visit with the client that this might be the case and it was agreed between us that should this be the case I would apply a Tile Doctor Grout Colourant in Light Grey to recolour all the grout lines and achieve a uniform finish.

The stone and grout was still damp from cleaning and polishing, so I decided to leave the grout colouring until the following day.

Sealing a Limestone Tiled Kitchen Floor

On day two I started by grout recolouring all the grout lines, it’s a straight forward process but can be a little tedious where there is a lot of grout to cover. Once complete I allowed the grout colour to dry for a couple of hours before moving onto the next step.

The last pad to be applied in the stone burnishing process is the very fine 3000-grit polishing pad which is applied dry to the tiles using a small amount of water sprayed onto the floor and leaves the stone dry and with a polished silk finish.

The floor was then sealed using two coats of Tile Doctor Ultra Seal Sealant allowing the first coat to dry before applying the second. Ultra-Seal is an impregnating sealer that works by occupying the pores in the stone thereby preventing dirt from becoming ingrained there. It’s also a natural look sealer that doesn’t affect the appearance of the stone

My customer was very happy with the transformation of her floor and provided the feedback copies below. In-fact she was so impressed with the results that she also used our services to restore the grout and silicon in one of her bathrooms.

“Phil was on time & easy to deal with and did an amazing job on my kitchen and bathroom floors and the carpets & sofa. No fuss, just a great job. Liz O.”

Professional Restoration of a Limestone Tiled Kitchen Floor in Northamptonshire

The post Renovating Polished Limestone Floor with Stained Grout in Wellingborough appeared first on Northamptonshire Tile Doctor.

Renovation of Encaustic Tiled Bathroom in Histon

Mon, 09 Mar 2020 03:02:29 +0000

These photographs were taken of a bathroom and WC in a property in Histon The client had just had these modern Encaustic tiles laid a couple of months prior. The owner had never been happy with the final look of them and from the markings on the surface it looked like had been damaged in storage or left outside and neglected. They are a pretty unusual design so I can only assume the tiler thought their appearance was perfectly normal at the time of installation.

I was confident I could improve the appearance of the tiles and gave the client a quote for the work. Whilst she didn’t want to spend more money on her new floor, she did want it to look as it should, so rather reluctantly she agreed to go ahead.

Histon is next to Impington, they are small villages in Cambridgeshire, over the years the two villages have grown and have entwined together. Many villagers in fact do not know where one village starts and the other ends. The have 6 pubs in total!

Cleaning/Repairing an Encaustic Tiled Bathroom Floor

I wasn’t sure what had been applied to the tiles so after adding protective tape to the wooden skirting I gave them a deep clean with Tile Doctor Remove and Go which was worked into the tiles with a black scrubbing pad. Then to renovate the surface and remove the markings I honed the surface with 400-grit and then 800-grit burnishing pad using water to lubricate the process and rinsing and extracting the soil away after each pad with the wet vacuum.

Sealing an Encaustic Tiled Bathroom Floor

There were two areas that needed work so whilst one area was drying, I was able to get to work on the second and then return to the first later to apply a sealer. My product of choice for this floor was Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer which improves the colour and works by penetrating the pores of the tile and protecting it from within. I applied three coats allowing each one to dry before applying the next. The bathroom now looked as it should have done from the beginning.

My client was very happy with the improvement and left the following 5-Star review.

I only had my floor tiles fitted a few months or so ago and was so disappointed with them. I called Tom and within a few hours, he had transformed them! They look absolutely fantastic! Great value for money as well!

I recommended that in order to maintain the tiles, she should use Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner, this is a pH neutral cleaner which will keep the floor without harming the sealer. Many tile cleaning products are only designed for Ceramic or Porcelain tiles and are too strong for use on sealed floors where they will strip the sealer off with time.

Professional Renovation of an Encaustic Tiled Bathroom Floor in Cambridge

The post Renovation of Encaustic Tiled Bathroom in Histon appeared first on Cambridge Tile Doctor.

Restoring a Victorian Tiled Hallway in Nailsworth

Thu, 05 Mar 2020 11:12:37 +0000

This Victorian tiled hallway floor at a property in Nailsworth needed repairs to four areas and then required a deep clean and seal. The client was unsure if this was something, we would be able to help with but after speaking to him on the phone and review the photographs he sent over I reassured him it should be possible. that as they were unsure if the floor could be restored.

The owner was keen to progress to I arranged an appointment to visit the property and survey the floor to get a better idea of the issues and provide a price for fully restoring the floor to the best condition possible. As the pictures show the Victorian tiles looked dull and washed out, there were also white paint spots on the tiles. I was confident the floor could be saved, and the owner was happy with my quote, so we scheduled a date for the work to start.

Repairing and Cleaning and a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

I spent the first day repairing the floor which in most cases requires carefully lifting the old tiles, scraping out the adhesive and cement and then re-fixing the original tile or a replacement back in place. We are usually able to source replacement tiles, either reclaimed or reproduction and we had managed to find some to match this floor. It’s a slow process and with four areas of Victorian flooring in need of attention so this step took up much of the first day. The floor was left to dry overnight so the adhesive would set.

On the second day I deep cleaned the tiles with a 200-grit diamond pad fitted to a rotary buffer using water to lubricate. The resultant slurry was then extracted with a wet vacuum and the process was repeated with a 400-grit burnishing pad. All the edges were done with water and small handheld diamond blocks as the rotary machine was too large to reach the corners and edges.

To finish the cleaning I treated the tiles to an acid wash using Tile Doctor Grout Clean Up which as well as removing any old grout smears would neutralise any efflorescent salts contained within the floor which can be problem on old floors like this that don’t have a damp proof membrane installed. Another advantage of doing this is that you achieve a stronger bond between the sealer and the tile.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

The floor was left to dry for 3 days after which I returned to seal it. Before starting thought I took some moisture readings with the damp meter. Once I was satisfied, I started applying the first of what would be five coats of sealer and for this floor I chose Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra. There were several reasons for choice including the satin finish however my main thought was the age of the floor which meant it would not have a damp-proof membrane installed so any moisture would need to rise through the tile without being impeded, Seal and Go extra allows for this.

My customer was really pleased with the result and happy to have the floor restored back to its original state.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in the Cotswolds

The post Restoring a Victorian Tiled Hallway in Nailsworth appeared first on Gloucester Tile Doctor.

Stunning Indian Slate Floor Renovated in Bradfield Kitchen

Mon, 02 Mar 2020 00:56:14 +0000

Details below of a very heavily soiled Indian Slate floor at a property in the small village of Bradfield near Reading. The floor had been cleaned a couple of years before, but the client said they were never completely satisfied with the result and suspected the old seal hadn’t been removed completely before the new one was applied.

I was quite sure I could improve the appearance significantly, so I arranged to call in and survey the floor. Whilst there I carried out a test clean on a small part of the floor which came up well. I provided a quote to complete the work, and they were happy with the price, so the work was booked in.

Cleaning an Indian Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor

I started by applying a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which was left on the Slate for ten minutes before being scrubbed in with a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad. I used a strong dilution in order to strip the old sealer off the stone and during this part of the renovation I was able to confirm that the recent seal had been placed on top of the old discoloured seal. Tile Doctor Pro-Clean did a fantastic job on the first layer but I needed to use something stronger to remove the thicker layers of seal underneath.

I applied Tile Doctor Nanotech HBU Remover on a small area before covering with plastic sheeting, this allowed the product to slowly break away at the old seal. Some areas had to be treated twice. It was difficult work so I can see why the other company had given up, but I was determined to achieve a uniform look throughout the floor.

Once the old sealer was broken down, I added water and turned my attention to scrubbing the tiles and grout with a rotary machine this time fitted with a nylon brush. I then extracted the wet slurry with a truck mounted extraction system.

I slowly worked my way through the kitchen/diner and utility room until the whole area was stripped back and looked uniform. The floor looked completely different. The floor was left overnight to dry out before we could tackle the sealing process.

Sealing an Indian Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor

After reviewing pictures of previous slate renovations, I had completed my client selected Tile Doctor Seal and Go as the product to seal their floor. They were keen to use something that would allow the natural colours of the stone to shine through. Seal and Go works really well on Slate floors leaving the stone with a subtle satin finish as well as proving durable protection from staining.

I applied six coats of sealer using a combination of small rollers and an applicator pad allowing 30 minutes to dry between each coat. The roller was to ensure I got the seal within all the groves that semi riven slate has and smoothing it out with a paint application pad.

Once completed the floor looked stunning and my customer was very pleased to say the least. They couldn’t believe how bright and colourful the slate had become so much so he left the following feedback

“Dennis did a wonderful job with our kitchen & utility room which is Indian Slate I might add it hadn’t been attended to for a number of years, so it was very challenging for Dennis and the result was outstanding we now have a new floor. What a great guy Dennis his client care was second to none and the dog liked him”

Professional Renovation of an Indian Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor in Berkshire

The post Stunning Indian Slate Floor Renovated in Bradfield Kitchen appeared first on Berkshire Tile Doctor.

Removing Varnish from a Slate Tiled Floor in Walton on Thames

Wed, 19 Feb 2020 03:23:09 +0000

Our client had previously employed another company to tackle this large Slate floor in Walton on Thames but they hadn’t managed to remove the old sealer due to it being an old varnish seal. Varnish was used as a traditional way of sealing stone but can be damaged by scratching and it does little to improve the look of the stone. Varnish is also very difficult to break down which is a problem as it’s important to remove the old sealant before applying new, applying a new sealer onto Varnish simply wouldn’t work.

I visited the property to survey the floor and work out which combination of products and methods would work best and after some testing and I was able to confirm that not only could the old varnish be removed but once re-sealed with a modern sealer the slate would be transformed.

The client was over the moon to hear this news as they had thought there was nothing, they could do to improve the floor.

Removing Varnish and Deep Cleaning Slate Floor Tiles

With a price and schedule agreed I returned to the property at a later date and started by tackling the varnish. The method I used was to apply Tile Doctor Remove and Go, let it soak into the floor for ten minutes and then work it in with a heavy rotary scrubbing machine fitted with a black pad. The soil was then rinsed with water and extracted off the floor with a wet vacuum.

The floor was then inspected, and each tile checked to ensure the varnish was completely gone, any stubborn areas were then spot treated and scrubbed by hand. Once I was satisfied, I set about giving the stone a deep clean by repeating the same process with Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. As before all the soil and cleaning products were then low pressure rinsed off the stone and vacuumed away. The floor was then left to dry overnight.

Sealing a Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor

I returned the following day to apply a new modern sealer. First, I tested the floor was dry using the moisture meter. It was in the acceptable readings range, so I was able to start applying the sealer straight away.

For this floor I chose to apply Tile Doctor Seal and Go, it works really well on Slate tiles and as you can see from the photographs it completely transformed the appearance of the stone. Seal and Go is a water-based blend of acrylic polymers that provides both a stain resistant surface seal and a durable low-sheen finish, being water based it has the added advantage of not giving off any odour as it dries. The client had specified earlier that they didn’t want the floor to look shiny to the resultant silky appearance was the perfect solution. Thee coats were applied, and my client was very pleased with the finish.

Professional Restoration of a Slate Tiled Kitchen in South Middlesex

The post Removing Varnish from a Slate Tiled Floor in Walton on Thames appeared first on South Middlesex Tile Doctor.

Restorative Clean of an Old Quarry Floor in a Levington Gamekeepers Cottage

Tue, 18 Feb 2020 11:42:41 +0000

The Quarry Tiled Floor pictured below was located in a wood on the outskirts of the pretty coastal village of Levington, just East of Ipswich. The client had recently purchased this old Gamekeepers cottage and they were looking to redecorate and refurbish the property including the floors.

The floors in the house were all very dirty and the new owners wanted them cleaned in time for Christmas. I visited site and conducted a demonstration on a small section of Quarry tiles which covered the whole of the ground floor. The demonstration went well, and the client was very pleased to see the kind of result they could expect. We agreed a price for the work and arranged a suitable time to return.

Cleaning a Quarry Tiled Floor

I knew from the age of the cottage it very unlikely to have a damp-proof membrane present under the floor so I had to consider damp and efflorescence issues could become factors during cleaning. Efflorescence occurs when salts trapped in water from the ground rise through the porous Quarry tiles and are left on the surface of the tile as white deposits when the moisture evaporates.

Before starting with the cleaning process, we set about taping up the wooden skirting and doorways to protect them. Then because of the lack of a DPM I decided to clean the floor with Tile Doctor Acid Gel which would require less water and counter any alkaline salts trapped in the floor. It was applied to the floor and then worked in using a rotary machine fitted with a scrubbing pad. The grout was then scrubbed by hand using a wire brush and the resultant slurry vacuumed using our wet vacuum.

Once I was satisfied the floor was as clean as possible the floor was rinsed with warm water using the least amount of water possible. This removed any trace of cleaning product and the floor then dried using the wet vacuum and microfibre cloths. The floor was then inspected, and any stubborn areas were spot treated before leaving the floor to dry off fully overnight.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled Floor

The following morning, I conducted a damp test with a moisture meter to ensure the floor was dry enough to take a sealer. Sure enough, due to the cleaning method used, the floor was dry, and I was able to move on to applying the sealer which for this floor I used Tile Doctor Seal & Go Extra.

I selected Seal & Go Extra as it has a special acrylic-based formula which allows moisture vapour transmission making it partially breathable and well suited for floors without a damp-proof membrane. This is important as to use non-breathable sealer can result in damp building up in the tiles and under the floor where it can cause damage and spread out to the walls resulting in rising damp. Six coats of sealer were applied to the Quarry tiles to ensure the floor was fully sealed and this left a nice low sheen finish.

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The clients were extremely happy with the result, as you can see from the the pictures the floor looked in much better condition.

For aftercare I recommended the use of the Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner to keep the floor in the best condition and make maintenance easy for them. This would ensure the newly applied seal stayed put.

Professional Renovation of Quarry Tiled Flooring in Suffolk

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Cleaning a Ceramic Tiled Shower Room in Romiley

Mon, 17 Feb 2020 02:17:27 +0000

The pictures below are of a White Ceramic tiled shower cubicle at a property in Romiley that was installed twelve years prior. The home owner had cleaned it regularly with household cleaning products but were unable to improve the dirty and mouldy grout and the silicone seal around the edges.

The owner was most concerned about the discolouration of the grout and had never been happy with the silicone sealant between the shower tray and tiles which had been poorly applied and for the most part smeared over 3cm up and down over where the bead should be.

I visited the property and recommended that the best course of action would be to apply a White Grout Colourant over the grout which would seal the grout in and protect it from further staining as well as making it much easier to clean. Grout is cementous and as such its rough surface easily traps dirt as well as making it easier for mould to take a hold.

A few miles east of Stockport Romiley was for centuries an agricultural area, until the late Victorian era when it grew into the popular residential area it is today.

Renovating a Ceramic Tiled Shower Room

I started by cleaning the grout using the Tile Doctor Pre-Treater which comes with the Tile Doctor Grout Colouring Kit, I also made use of a professional steamer with a special grout cleaning attachment to get the grout as clean as it could be. The Tile Doctor Pre-Treater is also slightly acidic, so it etches the surface of the grout to improve the bond with the grout colourant. I rinsed the shower wall with water to remove the soiling and then dried it with a soft cloth and heat gun. The White Grout Colourant was applied using a small brush, taking care to wipe off the excess from the surface of the adjacent tile as I went.

Sealing a Ceramic Tile Shower Room

Whilst waiting for the Tile Doctor Grout Colourant to dry I started to carefully strip away the old silicone using a sharp Stanley knife and scraper. This is a slow job and you have to be careful not to damage the shower tray or the tiles with the blade. The old sealer was smeared all over as you can see in the pictures- so it took me two hours of scraping to remove all the sealant.

They really had made a poor job of applying the seal. The ceramic tiles were slightly textured which didn’t help. Once that was cleaned off and replaced with new silicone the bathroom looked transformed. The silicon just needed to dry for 24 hours before they could start using the shower again.

My customer was very happy. As you can see from the pictures the shower room now looks clean and tidy and like new.

Professional Restoration of a Ceramic Tiled Shower room in Greater Manchester

The post Cleaning a Ceramic Tiled Shower Room in Romiley appeared first on Greater Manchester Tile Doctor.

Victorian Period Hallway Floor Restored in Bourneville

Thu, 13 Feb 2020 11:38:13 +0000

This client had recently discovered a Victorian tiled floor hidden underneath hallway carpet at their property in the Birmingham suburb of Bournville. It didn’t look in great condition as some areas were missing and staining from carpet adhesive, but it was a beautiful patterned floor tiled potentially with Minton tiles and they were really keen to find out if it could be restored to its’ former glory.

The rest of the property in Bourneville had retained its’ original features so the floor would be the icing on the cake.

I went along to survey the floor, provide a quote and perform a small cleaning demonstration so I they could get an idea of the results they could expect. The damaged areas were repairable and once I had completed the test clean, we were confident the floor could be restored. They were happy to proceed with my quote and the job was booked in.

Bourneville is the home of the chocolate makers Cadbury, so many people will have visited and been aware of the area. Many of the houses were built for the workers at the Cadbury factory.

Repairing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

On the first day I started on relaying the three internal door thresholds with some existing tiles and matching replacements that I had managed to source online. We are usually able to source reclaimed tiles and reproduction ones, so repairs are not usually a problem. It took some time to clean out the old adhesive, cut the replacement tiles to size where required and then then fix in place with fresh adhesive.

The next job was to replace some broken ones along the edges and some in the main part of the floor which had been drilled in to. These can be tricky to do as they can easily break adjoining tiles. When this was done the tiles were grouted and the other loose ones reset. It’s meticulous work and the tile adhesive needs time to set before the next stage which would be giving the entire floor a deep clean.

Deep Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

The following day I focused on deep cleaning the tiles starting with the removal of the strong adhesive that had secured the carpet gripper. This had to be removed by applying a neat Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and leaving it to dwell for ten minutes. The Pro-Clean helped loosen the glue which was then carefully scraped off.

The floor was then mopped with a strong dilution of Pro-Clean before running over the tiles with a 200-grit diamond pad fitted to a rotary machine. This combination gets into the pores of the tile, releasing the dirt and renovating the surface. The resultant slurry was then rinsed off with water and extracted using a wet vacuum.

Next, the floor was given an acid rinse using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up worked in with a 400-grit burnishing pad to further clean up the tiles and close-up the pores. The floor was rinsed and extracted again and allowed to dry for two nights.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

On my return I tested the floor was dry with the damp meter and satisfied myself that the floor was dry and ready to accept a sealer which would enhance its appearance and protect it going forward.

My sealer of choice was Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra which adds a nice subtle sheen to the floor and being breathable will cope with any potential moisture rising through the tiles. This is an important consideration on old floors like this where no damp proof membrane will have been fitted.

By the time I had finished the floor was transformed and had become the main focal point of the house. My clients were very pleased with the new entrance to their home and before leaving we discussed after care for which I left them with a complementary bottle of Neutral Tile Cleaner.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in Birmingham

The post Victorian Period Hallway Floor Restored in Bourneville appeared first on Birmingham Tile Doctor.

Terracotta Floor Renovation Prior to Kitchen Installation at Flore Village

Thu, 13 Feb 2020 03:28:52 +0000

The following photos are of a Terracotta floor restoration I carried out in the picturesque village of Flore, situated between Northampton and Daventry. I was asked to assess the potential of the Terracotta floor in an old cottage, the clients had always liked the floor but didn’t want the bad condition of the tiles to detract from the effect of the beautiful new kitchen they were planning to install. They needed reassuring that it would be possible to restore the floor to a good standard and thereby enhance the final look of the new kitchen before they went to the expense of replacing the entire floor.

Whilst I was there, I carried out a test clean to a small area of floor, stripping off all old the sealers to expose the natural blemish free face of the tile. Having worked out a process for restoring the floor I was also able to come up with an accurate price for completing the floor. I left the quote with the customer and was pleased to hear back from them a few days later to let me know they had decided to go ahead with the restoration of their floor.

Before being able to set a date for my return I had to liaise with for the kitchen company to agree a date them to come and remove the old kitchen and install the new. I would slot in-between the two dates.

Stripping Terracotta Kitchen Floor Tiles

When returned to the do the work the kitchen had been stripped out as promised and with no kitchen units etc. to protect from splashing, I was able to get straight on with the cleaning of the floor using Tile Doctor Oxy-Pro alkaline tile cleaner.

Oxy-Pro is a gel and doesn’t require a lot of water to activate it, my concern was Terracotta tiles are very porous and it helps the drying process if you keep the moisture down to a minimum, especially as this work was carried out in November. The product was scrubbed into the Terracotta tiles using a stiff brush tool attached to rotary machine. I also used grout brushes on the wide grout lines working in small sections at a time and clearing the resulting slurry with a wet vacuum as I went.

Once the cleaning process was completed across all the Terracotta, I spot treated the many stubborn stains with Tile Doctor Acid Gel, especially along the grout lines. This was brushed in, left to dwell, scrubbed and then removed with a wet vacuum. The stone was then mopped with plain water to neutralise and remove any trace of cleaning products. I then installed a fan to dry the entire area as quickly as possible.

Sealing Terracotta Floor Tiles

As the customer was not using the kitchen it provided time to leave the floor for a few days to fully dry out with a small dehumidifier left on site to assist with the drying process. I returned later to seal the floor and started by taking a damp meter reading so I could be sure the Terracotta was completely dry.

The results were good, and I was able to go ahead and seal the Terracotta using several coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go Extra for a silk finish. Once of the reasons I picked this sealer is its breathable so it will cope with any moisture rising through the tile from the subfloor which is an important consideration on old floors which have no damp proof course.

Although I never got to see the new kitchen installed my customer was very pleased with the transformation of the floor and left the following testimonial on the Tile Doctor feedback system.

Philip did a fantastic job restoring the terracotta tiles in our kitchen. They are good as new! Philip was hardworking and excellent at communicating with us and planning the best time to do the work around our new kitchen being fitted. Highly recommend! Ayesha D.

Professional Restoration of a Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor in Northamptonshire

The post Terracotta Floor Renovation Prior to Kitchen Installation at Flore Village appeared first on Northamptonshire Tile Doctor.

Lack Lustre Marble Floor Given a Deep Durable Shine in Great Shelford

Wed, 12 Feb 2020 09:03:52 +0000

This customer from village of Great Shelford south of Cambridge was unhappy with their Marble tiled floor which quickly lost its lustre relatively after being laid. Fortunately, she was given our contact details from a neighbour who we completed a Marble re-polish for a couple years ago and the floor still looks amazing.

Polished Marble will loose its appearance over time, especially in a Kitchen due to abrasion it receives from foot traffic and the use of the wrong cleaning product. Because of this problem Tile Doctor now offer a maintenance program where we make an annual visit to the property to re-polish the floor and top up the sealer.

After discussing the floor, I recommended we hone the Marble tiles with a set of burnishing pads which will bring back the polished appearance and then work in a crystallising powder to achieve a deep shine before applying a sealer to protect the stone going forward. This is the procedure we followed for her neighbour and she was happy to have the same.

Honing Marble Floor Tiles

Firstly, I removed the existing sealer and dirt with a 400-grit diamond burnishing pad which is applied with water to provide lubrication. Although this initially appears to make the floor look worse, this is only temporary and is the first step in restoring the appearance of the stone. Much to the amusement of a couple of Peacocks who appeared by the back door I rinsed the floor with water and removed the slurry from the floor with a wet vacuum.

Then I worked my way through the 800-grit and 1500-grit burnishing pads again using water to lubricate and rinsing the floor and extracting after each pad. These finer pads start the process or re-polishing the stone and took up most of the day. Once done I gave the floor a final rinse, extracted the slurry and left the floor to dry off overnight.

Sealing Marble Kitchen Tiles

The next day I returned and completed the polishing process by applying the fourth burnishing pad which is an extra fine 3000 grit pad, you apply the pad dry with only a little amount of water sprayed onto the floor in process we call a spay burnish and this final pad really brings up the polish in the Marble.

The next step was to apply Tile Doctor Shine Powder to the Marble. This is a crystallising powder that is worked into the floor using a White Buffing Pad to provide a very high shine and tough durable finish.

Once the polishing was completed, I set about applying the sealer which for this floor I chose Tile Doctor Colour Grow. This is a colour intensifying sealer that provides durable stain protection by impregnating the pores in the stone with sealer so dirt cannot become ingrained there. As you can see from the pictures the sealer dramatically enhanced the natural colours in the stone leaving my client much happier.

Once dry I ran over the floor with the white buffing pad to remove any excess sealer and bring up the sheen of the tiles even further. For aftercare cleaning I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Stone Soap which is designed for the cleaning of polished sealed floor and will help maintain the patina.

Professional Restoration of a Marble Tiled Kitchen Floor in West Surrey

The post Lack Lustre Marble Floor Given a Deep Durable Shine in Great Shelford appeared first on Cambridge Tile Doctor.

Astonishing Victorian Floor Restoration at Weybridge College

Mon, 10 Feb 2020 15:37:23 +0000

I was asked by the facilities manager of St Georges College in Weybridge to survey a Victorian tiled floor for restoration. Having worked there for twenty years he lifted a carpet over the summer in the main reception of the original building as part of renovation work. Underneath he found an original Victorian mosaic tiled floor dating back over a hundred and fifty years to when the school was established. However, for some reason in the distant past they had been partially covered with concrete levelling screed and just to make it more challenging for me the carpet had been secured with adhesive.

After visiting the school to survey the floor I could see this going to be a very challenging job for one person. Fortunately Tile Doctor has a network of over 50 specialists like me all around the Country, so I reached out to neighbouring East Surrey Tile Doctor Mick Conlon who is also very experienced in floor restoration. Together we broke down the job into sections, e.g. remove the adhesive, remove the screed, hone the tiles, repair any missing, broken or damages tiles and finally seal. All in the work would take five days to complete.

Removing Carpet Adhesive from Victorian Floor Tiles

The first task was to smother the surface in Tile Doctor Remove and Go which in turn was covered by plastic sheeting. By trapping the product under a plastic sheet, it couldn’t dry out and thereby remains active for longer.

After a couple of hours, it had broken down the adhesive which we swept up and disposed of. This was unpleasant work which required us to wear protective gloves, masks and goggles.

Removing Cement Screed from Victorian Floor Tiles

On day two we turned our attention to the removal of the concrete screed and cleaning up the tiles. This was done with a process called honing. A circular 200-grit pad was attached to a floor buffer and run over the tiles using water for lubrication. The honing pad is impregnated with industrial diamonds which gradually cuts through and removes the screed covering.

After several hours the tiles began to reveal themselves. It also became apparent that after over 100 years of thousands of pupils walking over them some of the tiles were somewhat dipped in the middle. Using a handheld buffer these areas had extra attention with a very coarse 100-grit diamond pad. This process took most of the day with one man honing whilst the other constantly rinsed the floor with more water and extracted the waste.

Replacing Broken Victorian Floor Tiles

Once the tiles were totally free of concrete screed it exposed several broken and missing tiles. Some tiles had been removed and not replaced but back filled with concrete. Fortunately, I had managed to source matching reclaimed tiles was able to cut and fit replacements. All holes and cracks were filled so the floor was ready for sealing the next day.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Floor

Given the age of the floor and the high amount of floor traffic this floor would receive I advised against using a high shine sealer and recommended an impregnating breathable matt sealer instead. There were two main reasons for this, first old floors don’t have a damp-proof membrane installed so it’s important to use a sealer that will allow the floor to breath and allow moisture to rise through the tiles. Secondly, only an impregnating sealer which soaks into the pores of the tile would cope with the anticipated heavy footfall.

With that agreed several coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow sealer were applied to the tiles leaving the floor looking great and completely transformed. At end of the last day the headmistress came to give her approval as did the whole secretarial staff. My favourite word was “astonishing”. Hard to disagree.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled College Hallway in Surrey

The post Astonishing Victorian Floor Restoration at Weybridge College appeared first on West Surrey Tile Doctor.

Dull Travertine Floor Filled, Polished and Sealed in Stocksbridge

Thu, 06 Feb 2020 04:17:12 +0000

Late last year I was called to a property in Stocksbridge, near Sheffield, to survey a Travertine tiled floor which had become dull, grubby and had completely lost its appeal. Over the years the floor had lost its shine, the grout lines were filthy and worse still holes had appeared in the stone which had then filled with dirt making it difficult to clean.

I discussed with the client what we could do to restore the Travertine floor back to its’ former glory. I explained holes or pitting as it’s known is quite common with Travertine and is normally sold with the holes filled with a colour matching resin. In this case it’s possible the filler had come loose, or the Travertine had become eroded due to the constant use acidic cleaning products. To restore the floor, I would re-fill the holes, hone the floor and polish it and then finally seal it. I showed them a small test area and they were suitably impressed and were happy to go ahead with my quote. We arranged a convenient time for the work to be carried out.

Cleaning and Repairing a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor

We started by preparing the Kitchen for floor cleaning which involves removing the kick boards under the units and protecting any exposed areas from splashing. Next, I sprayed the stone tile and grout with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, left it to soak in for then minutes and then scrubbed the area with a rotary machine fitted with a black pad. This action was designed to get the dirt out of the holes and give the grout lines a good scrub. Once done the floor was rinsed with water and the soil extracted with a wet vacuum.

I then set about filling the many holes that had appeared in the floor, a colour matched epoxy resin is used to fill the holes so once filled they’re almost invisible. When the resin had set, we began honing and polishing the floor using the Tile Doctor burnishing system which involves the application of specialist floor pads encrusted with industrial diamonds.

Four burnishing pads are used for this, each of a different grade from coarse to extra fine which slowly refine the stone. The first pad which is coarse 400-grit pad removes old sealers, grime and stains. We then start building the polish of the stone back up with the 800 and 1500-grit pads. You need to lubricate the process with water and then extract the fine slurry that is generated with a wet vacuum after each pad. This always makes a huge overall difference to the look of the floor and by the end of the first day the floor was starting to get its appearance back.

Sealing a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor

The floor was then left overnight to dry out and we returned the following morning to finish off polishing the floor with our highest grade 3000-grit diamond pad. This last pad is applied with a little water which is sprayed on to the floor during application. This process leaves the floor dry, polished and ready for sealing.

To seal the floor three coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow were applied to the floor, you have to wait for the sealer to dry (usually 30 minutes) before applying the next so this took some time to complete. Colour Grow is an impregnating sealer that protects the floor from staining from within by soaking into the pores of the stone thereby preventing dirt from becoming ingrained. It contains a colour enhancing formula that improves the colour and tone of the stone, additionally it will protect the floor against grime and stains and will ensure the floor is easier to keep clean.

For aftercare I recommended they should use Stone Soap for day to day cleaning. Unlike everyday household cleaners it has a pH neutral formula so will not prematurely erode the newly applied seal. It can be used regularly and will also help maintain the patina.

My client was over the moon with the new floor, the kitchen area had been transformed and they said they would happily recommend Tile Doctor to their friends.

Professional Restoration of a Travertine Tiled Kitchen in South Yorkshire

The post Dull Travertine Floor Filled, Polished and Sealed in Stocksbridge appeared first on South Yorkshire Tile Doctor.

Renovation of Slate Tiled Patio in Brentford

Wed, 05 Feb 2020 10:18:58 +0000

This Slate patio that had been installed at a property in Brentford one year prior to our visit last year. It had not been sealed after installation and as you can see from the pictures it was now looking very tired after a very short period. Additionally, the pointing had not been cleaned off the slate entirely leaving a haze over the stone which detracted from its appearance.

I explained the process to tackle the grout haze, clean the Slate then finally seal it. I worked out a quote which was accepted, and a date scheduled for my return to complete the work which would take a couple of days.

Cleaning a Slate Tiled Patio in Brentford

My first task was to sweep up all the detritus that typically builds up on a patio, especially grit and small stones which can get caught in the cleaning pads and scratch the surface of the stone.

Once that was done it was time to tackle the grout haze. This was done by applying Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up to the slate and scrubbing it in with a heavy-duty scrubbing machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad. This product is specifically designed to remove excess grout and cement from the surface of tile and contains concentrated phosphoric acid. You need to be very careful with the use of acids on stone as it can cause surface etching if left on too long. In addition, I wouldn’t recommend the use of the brick acid products you typically find in DIY stores which are stronger and are likely to cause damage.

Once satisfied all the soil and haze had been released from the stone the patio was rinsed off with water and the soil extracted away with a wet vacuum.

The next step was to seal the stone however it would need to be dry before that could happen. Fortunately, I had managed to find a couple of days where the weather was unseasonably warm and for once it hadn’t rained for a while. So, the next day I was able to return and apply a sealer to help protect the patio.

Sealing a Slate Tiled Patio Floor

I used Tile Doctor Colour Grow for this, it’s an impregnating sealer that works by occupying the pores in the stone which would otherwise become occupied by dirt. Tile Doctor Colour Grow is also rated for external as well as internal use and enhances the dark tones in the Slate. Additionally, It should cope well with the weather in this part of the UK as long as we don’t see a really severe drop in temperatures over the winter.

Two coats of Colour Grow were applied to the slate which restored the floor to a nice dark charcoal colour. The client was extremely pleased with the outcome and were keen to recommend us to their friends.

For aftercare the Patio should be regularly hosed down to keep the grit and debris from accumulating and for cleaning I recommended using Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a pH neutral product which is safe to use on sealed Stone.

Professional Restoration of a Slate Tiled Patio in South Middlesex

The post Renovation of Slate Tiled Patio in Brentford appeared first on South Middlesex Tile Doctor.

End of Tenancy Clean of a Ceramic Tiled Floor in Stroud

Mon, 03 Feb 2020 04:11:58 +0000

This customer from Stroud was soon to be re-letting her house but the Ceramic tiled floor and especially the grout had been left in a poor and dirty condition by the previous tenant. The ceramic tiled floor was installed throughout the Kitchen and through into the adjacent conservatory. Conscious this would affect future lettings she contacted Tile Doctor to see if we could help.

I paid a visit to the property to survey the floor and discuss how we would restore the Ceramic tiles and get them looking clean again. She was happy to hear we could help and agreed to my quote and we booked the work in for the following week. It would only take a day which suited her perfectly as she was keen to get the property back on the market.

Stroud is a lovely market town and in the centre of Gloucestershire. It is the main town in Stroud District and forms the centre for numerous surrounding market towns.
The Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty surrounds the town, and the Cotswold Way path passes by it to the west, so it really is a desirable place to live with lots of lovely walks.

Cleaning a Ceramic Tiled Floor

The first job was to protect all the walls and units to ensure they did not get splashed by the products we would be using. I then sprayed Tile Doctor Remove and Go all over the floor and the grout lines, this was left for a short time to dwell and get to work breaking down the dirt. The floor was then scrubbed using a black buffing pad fitted to a buffing machine finishing off by scrubbing the grout lines with a stiff brush. The soil released from the floor was then rinsed off with water and extracted with a wet vacuum. Once I was happy with the result the floors were speed dried with a blow heater. The alternative was to leave the floor overnight, but as time was of the essence speed drying was the best option.

Sealing Grout on a Ceramic Tiled Floor

Later that day the floor was dry, and I was able to seal the grout lines with Tile Doctor Ultra Seal. I used a pipette to apply the sealer directly to the grout to ensure maximum coverage. The tiles themselves did not require any sealant as ceramic tiles are sealed at the factory when they are produced. Grout being cementitious however does attract dirt and so sealing it will keep it looking fresh for some time to come and make it easier to clean.

The client was very pleased with the results and relieved she could re-let the house again. Now the floor was clean and much more attractive it would ensure she could achieve the best rental value.

I suggested she left a bottle of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner for the new tenants as this would be the best product to keep the floor clean moving forward, you only need a small amount to dilute and it has a pleasant fresh fragrance. At least if the product is on site the tenant is more likely to keep the floor looking good and not resort to everyday household cleaners which eventually break down the grout and its’ seal. She thought this was a great idea.

Professional Restoration of a Ceramic Tiled Kitchen Floor in Gloucestershire

The post End of Tenancy Clean of a Ceramic Tiled Floor in Stroud appeared first on Gloucester Tile Doctor.

Pitted Jerusalem Limestone Floor Renovated in Twyford

Wed, 29 Jan 2020 02:09:13 +0000

The owner of this recently purchased property in the Berkshire village of Twyford had inherited a Jerusalem limestone floor that had been installed throughout the ground floor including the Kitchen. The previous owner hadn’t maintained the stone floor very well and as a result it had become dull, patchy and the new owner was finding it impossible to keep clean. The floor was becoming a problem for them and they had been considering ripping it all up and getting it replaced. However due to the size of the floor and potential cost of replacing it they searched for other solutions and contacted Tile Doctor to see if it could be renovated.

I scheduled an appointment with the owners to survey the floor and it wasn’t long before I realised that we could achieve a great result by polishing the Limestone using a set of diamond burnishing pads. To prove how well I thought the floor would clean up I offered to complete a demo within the small utility room. This was arranged and completed a week later, as I expected once I had finished the demo the floor looked fantastic, more importantly the client was ecstatic with the results and couldn’t wait to book us in to complete the rest of the house.

It was a large floor so I estimated the process would take 4-5 days to complete and would need to work in sections starting with the kitchen then progressing into the study and cloakroom, dining room and finishing off with the entrance hall. Thankfully I had an empty house to work in which helped as I could start sealing the area I worked on the prior day.

Cleaning a Jerusalem Limestone Tiled Floor

The limestone had become quite pitted in the high traffic area, these pits had filled up with soil and become unsightly. My first task was to deep clean the dirt filled pits and grout, to do this I used a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro Clean and a stiff nylon brush making sure I could get into the pits releasing the dirt, then vacuuming up all the chemical slurry as I went along.

The next task was to fill these pits I used a two-part epoxy filler that matched the colour of the stone. Once the filler had dried, I worked through the hand burnishing blocks from 100 grit to 400 and I smoothed out the areas that had been filled.

Now the holes/pits had been filled I continued with the restoration of the floor by moving onto the burnishing process using diamond encrusted floor burnishing pads. This involves honing the Limestone with a set of burnishing pads starting at 400-grit. The pads are applied to the floor with a heavy floor buffing machine using water to lubricate the process. The pad is run over each tile around three times and the fine slurry this process generates is rinsed off afterwards with water and then extracted with a wet vacuum. You then move onto the 800-grit and then 1500-grit slowly building back the appearance of the stone.

Sealing a Jerusalem Limestone Tiled Floor

As I had worked in sections/rooms at a time I was able to allow a full day drying time before sealing. Happy with the depth of colour from the pad system I opted to seal the floor with two coats of Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal. I had a range of sealers to choose from an in this case I felt Ultra-Seal would be most suited as it doesn’t change the natural appearance of the Limestone yet will provide years of protection and make it much easier to keep clean.

The owners were over the moon with how the limestone now looked and relieved that their problem floor had been restored. For aftercare cleaning I recommended Tile Doctor Stone Soap which is designed for maintaining the patina on polished stone floors.

Professional Restoration of a Jerusalem Limestone Tiled Floor in Berkshire

The post Pitted Jerusalem Limestone Floor Renovated in Twyford appeared first on Berkshire Tile Doctor.

Bathroom Shower Tile & Grout Renovation in Handforth

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 01:57:44 +0000

The pictured Ceramic tiled bath with a shower over was installed eight years prior at a house in the Cheshire town of Handforth. They had cleaned it regularly, but the client was not able to remove all the stains from the grout along with the soap scum which was present on both the tiles and the bath.

Despite their best efforts with all varieties of household cleaner, the bathroom looked dirty and uninviting, the grout was getting discoloured in some places and there was lots of soap residue and limescale on the bathtub and taps.

I visited site and discussed with them the process, I was very confident that we could get the bathroom clean again without too much trouble and within one day. They were happy to go ahead with my quote and we arranged a mutually convenient time to return.

Cleaning a Ceramic Tiled Bathroom Shower

To get the tiles clean I used a combination of Tile Doctor Duo Clean on the grout and then a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go on the soap scum, this product also draws out ingrained stains and removes heavy grease build-up. With some help from a professional steamer that had a grout attachment I was able to give the area a very deep clean

The soap scum was particularly difficult to remove but the combination of Tile Doctor Remove and Go, the steamer and lots of elbow grease we got the job done.

Sealing a Ceramic Tiled Bathroom Shower Floor

Although Ceramic tiles are factory sealed, after cleaning I dried the tile and grout with a heat gun and then sealed with Tile Doctor Wall Tile Aerosol Sealer. This would ensure the grout was sealed and it also ensures that water runs straight off the tile.

The last step was to strip out the old silicone sealant that ran around between the bathtub and the tiles and replace with new in white.

The work was completed in less than a day and the customer was very happy with their revamped bathroom. It now looked a lot more inviting and more like it had when it was installed. I also suggested they should use Tile Doctor Aqua Pro to maintain the tile and grout going forward, its designed for cleaning bathroom tile and will help prevent the build-up much more effectively than the household cleaners they had been using previously. It also has a fresh lemon scent which leaves the room smelling clean and fresh.

Professional Restoration of a Ceramic Tiled Bathroom Shower in East Cheshire

The post Bathroom Shower Tile & Grout Renovation in Handforth appeared first on East Cheshire Tile Doctor.

Brick Floor in Barn Conversion in Great Green

Mon, 27 Jan 2020 01:55:26 +0000

Details below of large Brick tiled floor we worked on at barn conversion in the village of Great Green on the outskirts of Thurston. The floor had been laid fifteen years ago when the barn had been converted. The customer was now finding it almost impossible to keep the bricks clean. They also had two rather large husky type dogs and five smaller breeds that had all been rescued from various parts of the world.

I knew this would be a challenge as the bricks had not been sealed when they were first installed, so dirt was just going straight into the floor and getting embedded in the rough surface of the brick. I discussed with client the process we needed to go through, first cleaning the floor and then sealing it. I demonstrated my cleaning method on part of the floor, and they were impressed with the result. They agreed to my quote and we arranged a time to carry out the work.

Deep Cleaning a Brick Tiled Floor

We cleaned the floor in sections using Tile Doctor Acid Gel which was brushed onto a 1m2 area of the bricks and then left for five minutes to soak in. It was then worked in using a rotary machine fitted with a scrubbing pad. The slurry was then vacuumed of the floor using our wet vac. The bricks were then rinsed using warm water and dried with microfibre cloths – this is a long drawn out method but is very effective on porous floors as not much water is used which results in less being absorbed into the brick.

The whole floor took a complete day to clean and was then left overnight to dry.

Sealing a Brick Floor

The following day I conducted a damp test to ensure the floor was dry enough to take a sealer. I was confident it would be due to the cleaning method we had used, and I was not disappointed.

The sealer of choice was Tile Doctor Seal & Go Extra this is an acrylic sealer which I like to use on brick. My reason for using this sealer is that it fills all the pores in the brick and provides a surface coating making the brick nonporous and therefore easier to clean as the dirt has nothing to grip hold of.

The floor was very porous and soaked up six coats of sealant before it was fully sealed. You have to let each coat dry before applying the next which I usually do with a paint pad and then wipe off what little excess there is with a microfibre cloth. This process took up much of the first day, but the result was transformational. My clients were overjoyed at the clean floor and happy they would now be able to clean their floor without shredding mops!

For regular cleaning I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner, as this is pH balanced it will ensure that the newly applied sealer is not compromised by the use of a strong cleaning product. It has a nice fresh fragrance and a small amount goes a long way. They were happy they would now be able to keep the floor clean and have asked for me to come round once a year to maintain the floor.

Professional Restoration of a Brick Tiled Floor in Suffolk

The post Brick Floor in Barn Conversion in Great Green appeared first on Suffolk Tile Doctor.

Restoring Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor in Harborne Part 2

Thu, 23 Jan 2020 13:25:45 +0000

Here’s the 2nd part of the floor restoration work I did for a property developer last year in Harborne, this time detailing the renovation of the Victorian tiled hallway floor. I must credit the builder for engaging me on this project as many builders would attempt this work themselves, rather call in a professional, which often leads to a less than desirable result.

The house dated from the 1800’s and contained two old floors that needed restoration. I didn’t want to trample over a recently renovated hallway floor whilst rebuilding the old Quarry tiled floor in the front room so naturally I addressed that first. If you missed the first post detailing its restoration you can find it here: Victorian Quarry Tiled Floor Restoration in Harborne

Once the front room restoration was complete, I moved onto the original Victorian Hallway which was dull, dirty and needed some tiling work around one of the door thresholds.

Cleaning and Repairing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

The Victorian Hallway needed to have a threshold restoring, luckily the builders had kept the original tiles. Firstly, the space below the tiles needed to be filled with quick drying cement. The tiles were then re set and grouted.

Next issue was to tackle the paint spots and carpet adhesive. I did this by spraying the surface of the tile with a strong solution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go and after leaving to for ten minutes to soak in and soften the glue and paint. I was then able to carefully scrape of the glue and paint with hand scrapers.

The floor was then deep cleaned with a 200-grit diamond pad on a weighted rotary machine. The edges and corners were done by hand with diamond blocks. The floor was then rinsed with water and the soil extracted with a wet vacuum.

Last stage of the cleaning process was to give the floor an Acid Wash with Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up to further clean up the floor and neutralise any efflorescent salts that may have been present in the tiles. Efflorescence can be a big problem for old floors like these which don’t have a damp-proof membrane. I gave the floor another rinse and extraction before leaving for the day and left the floor to dry out overnight.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway

On return both the floors were checked for moisture with a damp meter to ensure they were dry. The readings were good, so I proceeded to start the long process of applying the sealer. On this occasion I chose Tile Doctor Colour Grow sealer, main reasons being its fully breathable so will cope well with any moisture evaporation due to there being no damp-proof membrane also its really good at bringing out the colours in the tiles. Three coats were applied, allowing each coat to dry before applying the next. I then buffed off any excess with a white pad.

The new sealer really brought the Victorian tiles to life and allowed the colour and geometric patterns in the Victorian hallway floor to shine through.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor in Birmingham

The post Restoring Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor in Harborne Part 2 appeared first on Birmingham Tile Doctor.

Dark Green Riven Slate Floor Cleaned and Sealed in Oldham Kitchen

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:40:27 +0000

The pictures below are of a Dark Green Riven Slate floor that was installed around twenty years ago in the kitchen of a property in Oldham. The floor was renovated about 12 years ago, but the client did not follow recommendations from the previous contractor about the use of a Neutral Cleaning product or topping up the sealer each year. As a result, the slate had become progressively dirtier as the sealer wore down and dirt became ingrained in the stone making it difficult to clean. The slate was now dull and had lost its character, the grout was also looking grubby and there was talk of having it removed and replaced.

I went over to Oldham to survey the floor and quote for renovating the floor. Whilst I was there, I discussed the fact that natural stone floors like this Slate floor need to be sealed in order to keep the dirt out of the pores of the stone. Once dirt becomes ingrained in the stone its very difficult to keep it clean and the only way to restore its original appearance is to give it a deep clean and apply a fresh sealer. Keen to have the floor restored and relieved to hear I could clean the grout they gave me the go ahead and we arranged a date for my return.

Cleaning a Natural Dark Green Riven Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor

To get the floor clean I followed my usual technique of applying a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go, leaving it to dwell for ten minutes and then working it in with a rotary machine fitted with a scrubbing pad. I also used more Tile Doctor Remove and Go along the grout lines and scrubbed it in with a scrubbing brush and a steam cleaner. The floor was then rinsed with water and all the soils extracted with a wet vacuum. The floor was inspected, and any stubborn areas re-treated with a repeat of the process until I was satisfied the Slate tile and grout was as clean as it could be.

One problem I had was cleaning behind the big American fridge freezer, I had to wait until the adjacent floor was clean and fairly dry before I could move the fridge onto it, allowing me to get behind and clean the floor. Fortunately, the water pipe going to the fridge was just long enough to be able to easy mover fridge backwards.

Getting the Slate tile and grout clean took up the whole of day one and before leaving I put several specialist floor fans in place to assist with the drying process.

Sealing a Dark Green Riven Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor

The next day the floor was clean and dry, in fact I always use a damp meter to check the moisture level in the stone to ensure its dry before sealing. The cleaning process had removed all the dirt from the stone but had also taken away some of the natural oils which now needed to be put back.

To do this I applied a coat of Tile Doctor Stone Oil which is an impregnating sealer designed to enhance the colour and texture of floors and improve mechanical strength once cured. Once the Stone Oil had dried, I followed with a coat of Tile Doctor Ultra Seal to add further protection. This is a no-sheen, natural-look sealer that provides maximum stain protection.

Once the sealer had dried the floor looked fantastic, certainly my customer thought so and left the following on-line review:

“Kamila was quick to contact me and was helpful, friendly and professional. She has done a fantastic job stripping, cleaning and resealing my kitchen slate floor. I would highly recommend her work! Katy, Oldham”

We discussed maintenance cleaning and I re-iterated the point about using a Neutral Tile cleaner for the regular cleaning of the floor and the benefits of using the Tile Doctor maintenance program which they are considering.

Professional Restoration of a Dark Green Riven Slate Tiled Kitchen in Greater Manchester

The post Dark Green Riven Slate Floor Cleaned and Sealed in Oldham Kitchen appeared first on Greater Manchester Tile Doctor.

Limestone Floor Cleaned and Polished in Hammersmith

Sun, 19 Jan 2020 14:02:56 +0000

Recently I paid a visit to a customer in Hammersmith whose whole ground floor was covered in Limestone tiles. It was a nicely situated Victorian house, but the Limestone floor was a big concern for the owner. The floor had been installed during a house renovation approximately seven years earlier and hadn’t been treated since. The Limestone was now looking dull and in need of a renovation to bring back the polished appearance.

Limestone was used throughout the property including the Hallway and Kitchen which are typically the busiest area’s and so not surprisingly they had seen the biggest build-up of soiling. This is not an unusual situation for stone floors which will trap dirt in the pores of the stone once the sealer wears off. Sealer wear is inevitable and will usually last between three to five years depending on use and what is used to clean the floor.

I explained the process of renovating and honing the Limestone and bringing back its appearance, after agreeing on details we chose the dates. The job was scheduled for 3 days to be completed.

Cleaning Limestone Floor Tile and Grout

When we arrived on the first day, we set about covering the skirting boards and furniture, to protect from any splashes. Then starting in the Kitchen and Dining area the first phase involved giving the floor an initial clean using a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. The primary focus was on the grout lines which were hand scrubbed using a stiff grout brush.

Then the solution was spread all over the tiles and left for approximately ten minutes to allow it to soak into the pores of the stone and break down the dirt and what was left of the old sealer. I used a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine to work the solution into the floor. Then the floor was then carefully rinsed, and the soil extracted with a vacuum.

The floor was already showing improvement when I moved onto phase two which reconditions the stone using a set of diamond encrusted Burnishing Pads. There are four pads in the set, each one with a different grit from coarse 400-grit through to extra fine 3000-grit. I started with the 400 grit, followed by 800, 1500, 3000 grit to bring back the shine. Water is used to lubricate the process and the floor is rinsed well after each step to remove the fine slurry generated. At the end of the first day the Kitching and Dining section looked really good in comparison to the untouched areas and I hadn’t applied the sealer yet.

Sealing Limestone Floor Tiles

On the second day we started on the Limestone floor in the Hallway using the same technique as before. Being a smaller area, it didn’t take as long to complete, and we were able to make a start on applying a fresh sealer to the floor we cleaned the day before.
Underfloor heating was installed, and this is useful for helping to dry a wet floor however I don’t like to use it when sealing and I asked the owner to switch it off. In my experience you get a better result if the sealer is allowed to dry and cure naturally.

For this floor I used Tile Doctor Colour Grow, Limestone is a light stone and Colour Grow really brings out the brown shades in the stone. It actually works by penetrating into the pores of the stone thereby preventing dirt from becoming ingrained there. As well as protecting the stone it will also make regular cleaning much easier and for polished Limestone you should use Stone Soap which is designed for cleaning sealed stone floors and will help maintain the patina.

The job took 3 days to complete but to do it properly and to a high standard there is no place for a rush or cutting corners. The final result was transformational, and our customer was more than happy.

Professional Restoration of a Polished Limestone Floor in West London

The post Limestone Floor Cleaned and Polished in Hammersmith appeared first on Central London Tile Doctor.

Painted Quarry Tiled Floor Restored in Bayston Hill

Thu, 16 Jan 2020 13:12:33 +0000

The pictures shown are of a Quarry Tiled floor in the dining room of a property in Bayston Hill, Shrewsbury. Bayston Hill is a large village in central Shropshire around three miles away from the county town of Shrewsbury.

The client had recently purchased the property and decided to renovate the quarry tiled dining room floor by painting it with red tile paint. The floor had not been painted previously and due to its age did not have a damp-proof membrane installed in the sub floor. I suspect the lack of a membrane led to moisture rising through the tile only to become trapped under the layer of paint. The moisture built-up until it destabilised the bond between the tile and the paint causing to lift and peel away.

I wouldn’t recommend painting a Quarry Tiled floor and clearly painting the tiles was not a viable option in this case. Looking for a solution the owner reached out to Tile Doctor to see if the Quarry tiles could be restored to their original condition. There was also an area by the kitchen door where there was a row of tiles missing in the threshold and just filled with concrete which needed restoring.

Restoring a Quarry Tiled Dining Room Floor

I started the work with the repair which involved removing the concrete, cleaning up the area and relaying replacement tiles. Luckily, they had found spare tiles in one of their sheds, so I was able to use those.

After the repair was done, I sprayed down a generous amount of Tile Doctor Remove and Go and then left it to work for about half an hour making sure that it wasn’t drying to the surface. After the dwell time I went over the floor with a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad. The combination of Tile Doctor Remove and Go and the scrubbing action removed most of the paint. I then repeated the process on the stubborn areas.

There were some old cement deposits on the tiles in places which I removed using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up. I then rinsed the floor several times with water using a wet vacuum to remove the soil. I then left the floor to dry off for a week.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled Dining Room Floor

I returned the following week and first checked the floor was totally dry using a moisture meter. The readings were good, so we were ready to seal. I selected to use a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow. This is a solvent based sealer that provides durable surface protection as well as allowing the surface to breath which is important on this floor as it has no damp proof membrane. It provides a colour intensifying finish which enhanced the natural colour beautifully.

The client was very happy with the new floor and certainly pleased to see the back of the paint that they had applied. The floor now had the natural finish that was in keeping with the age of the property.

Professional Restoration of a Quarry Tiled Dining Room in Shropshire

The post Painted Quarry Tiled Floor Restored in Bayston Hill appeared first on Shropshire Tile Doctor.

Fired Earth Limestone Floor Renovated in Godalming

Wed, 15 Jan 2020 14:43:21 +0000

This property in Godalming had the whole downstairs floor tiled with Fired Earth Limestone tiles nine years prior and had never had it cleaned or maintained professionally. The once beautiful stone was now looking dull and the grout had turned black with dirt leaving the floor looking uninviting.

This is quite normal for stone floors as it is the sealer that protects the stone from dirt and enhances its look. Most sealers wear off after three to four years sealer and in this case after nine years it was well overdue a deep clean and reseal.

I visited the property to survey the floor. It was indeed looking in need of some attention and the kitchen was particularly bad. To restore the appearance of the Limestone tile and grout the floor would need to be stripped of what remains of the old sealer, then deep cleaned with attention to the grout, polished with burnishing pads and then finally resealed. I was confident I could get it restored to a nearly new finish and to prove it I completed a small demonstration clean which the homeowner was very happy with. They agreed to my quote and we scheduled in a couple of days to carry out the work.

Cleaning a Limestone Tiled Kitchen Floor

On day one I started by cleaning the grout using a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. its run along the grout line and then left to soak in for about ten minutes so it can get to work breaking down dirt and old sealer. The grout is then scrubbed using a grout brush which is then scrubbed backwards and forwards along the grout line until clean. The area is then rinsed with water and all the waste removed with a wet vacuum cleaner.

Next, I turned my attention to the Limestone tiles which needed stripping of any remaining sealer, cleaned and polished. I find the best way to do this is by apply a set of diamond encrusted Burnishing pads in sequence starting with a coarse 400-grit followed by 800, 1500 and finally finishing with an extra fine 3000 grit. Water is used to lubricate the burnishing process and the slurry is rinsed and extracted off the floor between pads. Each pad is run over the tiles three times, and it was a large floor so as you can imagine this process took most of the day.

Sealing a Limestone Tiled Kitchen Floor

I left the floor to dry out overnight and returned the next day to seal the Limestone. Before doing that, I reviewed my previous day’s work and I cleaned up any areas that needed further attention. Next step was to ensure the floor was dry as I don’t recommend applying a sealer to damp tile as you won’t get an even appearance, so before sealing a floor I tested for moisture using a damp meter.

To seal the floor, I applied two coats of Tile Doctor Ultra Seal which is an impregnating sealer that works by occupying the small pores in the stone to prevent dirt becoming ingrained there. Limestone is a light stone and most customers like that appearance so I find it best not to use a colour enhancing sealer as it can darken the stone. Ultra-Seal doesn’t contain any colour enhancer and leaves the floor with a natural finish whilst allowing the stone variations and patterns to show through.

Once the sealer was dry, I gave it a further polish with the 3000-grit pad which further brought out the natural beauty of the stone. My client was very happy with the floor, it really lifted the who area and the Kitchen in particular.

Professional Restoration of a Limestone Tiled Kitchen in West Surrey

The post Fired Earth Limestone Floor Renovated in Godalming appeared first on West Surrey Tile Doctor.

Polishing Water Stained Marble Flooring in Earls Barton

Mon, 13 Jan 2020 23:13:50 +0000

I was asked to look at a Polished Marble floor that had been installed in the hallway of an executive property in the Northamptonshire village of Earls Barton and had suffered severe water damage from a burst pipe. Water had penetrated through the ceiling and as the occupants were away at the time two inches of water had flooded the ground floor where it sat for several weeks causing extensive damage and efflorescence to appear in patches all over the floor. The homeowner was extremely worried as this was a very expensive and large Marble floor which was a key feature of the property and didn’t want the disruption of having the tiles lifted and replaced.

As you can see from the pictures, there were white etching marks over the surface of the marble ruining the polished appearance and these could not be removed using normal domestic cleaning processes.

I wasn’t surprised to find that the owners couldn’t restore the polished appearance of the Marble, as a hard stone like Marble needs to be burnished to build up a polish. I carried out a damp test and cleaned a test area using diamond encrusted burnishing pads, as the floors were still slightly damp I advised the customer to turn on the underfloor heating to assist in drying out the stone for a week, in that time a quote was issued and accepted and the work was booked in.

Restoring the Appearance of Water Damaged Marble Flooring

Before work commenced, I instructed the client to turn the underfloor heating off as it can affect the chemicals and cleaning process by drying the floor out too quickly.

To restore the polished appearance of the Marble I applied a set of five 17” diamond encrusted burnishing pads which come in 200, 400, 800, 1500 and 3000 grit and are applied to the stone with a heavy duty weighted rotary machine. I started with the very coarse 200-grit pad and worked up through the series of pads gradually building up the polish with increasingly finer grit pads. Water was used to lubricate the polishing process and I rinsed the tiles in between with more water to remove the soil generated using a wet vacuum to remove the resultant soil.

I also used a set of 6” diamond encrusted burnishing pads with a handheld machine for getting close to the edges and around the pillars to ensure the floor was polished evenly throughout all areas.

Achieving a High Shine Polish on Marble Tiles

Once the stone had dried, I carried out the final polish to a very high shine as requested by the customer using the very fine 3,000-grit burnishing pad. Unlike the other pads this one is applied dry with only a little water sprayed onto the tile. To finish I applied a couple coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is a colour intensifying impregnating sealer that will provide durable protection going forward making it very easy to clean.

Once complete the natural features of the Marble really stood out and the hallway looked stunning, certainly our client was greatly relieved and very pleased the floor had been restored to its former glory and was once again a beautiful feature when friends and family enter the property.

To keep the Marble looking its best I recommended the client use Tile Doctor Stone Soap going forward and left a complimentary bottle and cleaning instructions. This product has been specially formulated for the regular cleaning of polished stone, it helps build patina and will keep it in excellent condition between professional maintenance cleans.

Restoring the Appearance of Polished Marble in Northamptonshire

The post Polishing Water Stained Marble Flooring in Earls Barton appeared first on Northamptonshire Tile Doctor.

Cleaning a Limestone floor in Shepperton

Mon, 13 Jan 2020 13:59:08 +0000

This customer from the south side Shepperton has a galley kitchen installed around twelve years ago with a Limestone floor. Since that time the floor had not been professionally cleaned or the stone re-sealed. The old sealer had long since worn down and was no longer providing any protection to the floor allowing soil and grease from cooking to penetrate the stone and darken the grout. It was now looking permanently dirty and the owner decided it was time to have it renovated.

Shepperton is a suburban village in the borough of Spelthorne, the Thames river is to the south and much of the east. It is set between the towns of Chertsey and Sunbury-on-Thames. The village has a long history and is even mentioned in a document of 959 AD and in the Domesday Book when it was primary farm land, it’s also my base of operation.

Cleaning a Limestone Tiled Kitchen Floor

To deep clean the stone floor and grout I started with a mixture of Tile Doctor Remove and Go combined 50:50 with Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. This cocktail of sealer remover and cleaning agent was applied to the floor and left to soak in for ten minutes in order to get to work breaking down all the dirt, grease and what was left of the old sealer.

The solution was then worked into the Limestone tiles and grout using a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad. These pads can struggle to reach into the recesses of the grout lines, so afterwards the grout was scrubbed by hand using a stiff brush along with the more difficult to reach corners that the machine had missed. The floor was then rinsed with water and the products and soil vacuumed off the floor. I repeated the process in a couple of areas where the dirt was a little stubborn. The floor was then clean and after drying out overnight it would be ready for a new seal.

Sealing a Limestone Tiled Kitchen Floor

The following day I returned to apply the sealer first checking the floor was dry using a moisture meter. The readings were good, so I set about applying a colour enhancing impregnator sealer Tile Doctor Colour Grow to the Limestone. Tile Doctor Colour Grow works by seeping into the pores of the stone intensifying natural colour, preventing staining and providing a durable protection. Two coats of sealer were applied to the Limestone tile and grout which was all that was needed to return the floor back to its original condition.

The client was very happy with the finished floor and wanted to know how to keep it looking its best going forward. I explained that the best way to keep it looking good is to get maximum longevity from the sealer which will wear down over time but can be prematurely damaged with strong cleaning products. So, for aftercare I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Stone Soap which is designed for everyday cleaning of sealed stone floors.

Professional Restoration of a Limestone Tiled Kitchen in South Middlesex

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Shower Cubicle Renovation in Bolton Upon Dearne

Wed, 08 Jan 2020 00:24:43 +0000

The pictures below detail the renovation of Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicleat a property in Bolton Upon Dearne South Yorkshire. I was called in as the homeowners dreaded using the shower due to the state of the tiles, grout and cubicle in general.

As you can see from the photograph the grout was filthy, the silicone was mouldy, and the shower frame was caked in mouldy dirt. Over the years there had been a build-up of hard water and staining from products which leave a residue. They had used everyday cleaning products, but these had not been able to touch the problem as it had been left for too long.

I discussed with the clients how Tile Doctor could help, and how we would be able to deep clean the shower area and replace the mouldy silicone. I was confident we could get the renovate the cubicle and get it looking like new again. They were happy to accept my price and we arranged a time to complete the job. It would certainly be far cheaper than ripping out the shower cubicle and replacing with new.

Bolton Upon Dearne is a small village in the very middle of South Yorkshire, it is almost the same distance away from the centres of Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster. It has a rich history of coal mining but like many pit villages it has suffered since the pit closures of the 80’s and 90’s.

Cleaning/Repairing a Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle

To start the shower was treated with Tile Doctor Oxy Gel, being a gel this product sticks well to the vertical surfaces giving it time to break down grease and grime, you’ll see from the picture just how much dirt was released.

This was followed with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Duo Clean which is great for restoring lighter coloured grout back to its original state as well as removing mould. After scrubbing the soiled water was easily drained away using the shower hose. The transformation was amazing, the area already looked so much more inviting!

Sealing a Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle

Next the old silicone that had gone mouldy was removed with a sharp knife, this is a slow work as you have avoid damaging the tile or the shower tray. Additionally, a clean and dry surface is required for the new silicone to adhere well.

The tiles were Ceramic which are given a glazed surface during manufacture, so they don’t need a specialist sealant like natural stone. However, the surface of grout is cementous and attracts dirt easily so the whole shower wall was sealed using a can of Tile Doctor Wall and Grout Sealer. This gives a layer which will protect the tiles and grout and will ensure the tiles are easier to keep clean.

For everyday cleaning I recommended they use Tile Doctor Aqua-Pro which is an effective, yet pH neutral tile and grout cleaner designed for everyday use in Bathrooms and Kitchens. The formula eliminates soap scum build-up and hard water deposits and its neutral formula won’t prematurely degrade the sealer. Used regularly this will prevent the build-up they had previously experienced and will keep the tiles looking good for some time to come.

As you can imagine my client was very happy with the completed work.

Professional Restoration of a Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle in South Yorkshire

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Renovating Flood Damaged Flagstone Floor in a Whalley Listed Building

Mon, 06 Jan 2020 07:57:37 +0000

This Flagstone floor was under water in 2015 due to a flood that affected the beautiful village of Whalley resulting in many residents being evacuated from their homes. Four years later and the floor had settled in places and large chunks of Limecrete pointing had become loose. As you can imagine the floor hadn’t been the same since.

It took a while before the customer could get back into the house and the insurance assessor said that because this was an original floor and the building was grade 2 listed the flagstone floor had to stay in place. There is no guarantee from the local council that the house and adjacent streets won’t get flooded again in the future, but this type of floor is probably the most hardwearing for this situation so is best left in place. Wood flooring, carpet, vinyl etc will not stand up to another flood and would have to be replaced every time.

I was asked to come up with some solutions for renovating the flagstone floor and replacing the Limecrete pointing which was tricky as whatever replaced the Limecrete pointing needed to be fully breathable as did the sealer that went on the stone.

After some research we decided to use a German product called VDW 800 for the pointing instead of Limecrete. it’s designed to be fully breathable (permeable) and suitable for outside use such as patios and porches etc which made it ideal for a floor that may face flooding again. Its highly flexible, durable and comes in four colours. It can be cleaned via a pressure washer on a wide fan and it won’t loosen, so I was confident that if another flood hit the town all this floor would need was a clean down.

The client was very happy to hear this news and wanted us to go ahead as soon as possible and get the floor restored. With a restoration plan worked out we agreed a date for our return to complete the work.

Cleaning and Repointing a Flagstone Floor

On our return our first course of action was to clean the stone using a 100 and 200-grit milling pads which were run several times over each flagstone using water for lubrication. The resulting slurry was removed using a wet vacuum and the floor was then treated to an acid rinse using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up. After a rinse with water and extraction with the wet vacuum the flagstones were given a final clean using a 400-grit diamond burnishing pad.

With the floor now clean we set about removing the old pointing using an 8lb pneumatic drill, whilst noisy it did make quick work of the task. After a another clean to remove the debris the floor was repointed using the VDW 800 product mentioned earlier. The floor was then left to dry overnight.

Sealing a Flagstone Tiled Floor in Lancashire

I came back the next day to review the previous days work and ensure I was happy with the state of the floor before applying a sealer. This is important as otherwise you risk sealing in dirt which would affect the appearance. It’s tricky to tell when a floor it wet and on this occasion I felt the stone would benefit from another clean so I cleaned the floor one last time using a black buffing pad and water. The water was then removed as before with a wet vacuum.

The floor was left to fully dry out for a further 24 hours and I called back one more time to review the floor and apply three coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is a breathable sealer that also enhances the natural colours in the stone.

Once finished the floor looked great again and the clients were over the moon with the result. Fingers crossed there would be no further flooding in the future, however even if there was the new grout should stand up to it.

Professional Restoration of a Flood Damaged Flagstone Floor in Lancashire

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