Tile Doctor Feed 2

Ceramic Kitchen Floor Tile and Grout Renovated in Dedham Essex

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 12:53:05 +0000

A homeowner from the village of Dedham near Colchester asked me to visit regarding their Ceramic tiled kitchen floor. The client was tired of the dirty looking Ceramic tile and grout and having tried all the general household cleaners on the market were frustrated that it still didn’t look clean. It was bringing down the overall appearance of the kitchen and decided it was time to call in some professional help.

I visited the property to inspect the floor and confident we could make a significant difference discussed with them the options. They were happy to go ahead with my quote and we arranged a suitable date a few weeks later to carry out the work, which would just take a day.

Cleaning a Ceramic Tiled Kitchen

Work started with cleaning the floor using a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a powerful alkaline tile and grout cleaner. I like to leave it to soak into the tiles first for about ten minutes before working it into the tiles and grout with a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary floor machine. I also like to give the grout a good scrub by hand as the pads can struggle to reach into the recesses of the grout lines. A few areas were particularly stubborn, so we reapplied and scrubbed again.

Once done the floor was rinsed with water and all the liquids and soiling removed with a wet vacuum. After inspecting the floor for further cleaning, I noticed a few areas that had missing grout. we always keep some grout on the van, so it was not a problem to replace it.

Once the floor and grout were dry, a further inspection was carried out and although the grout was much cleaner some areas has deep seated staining that no end of scrubbing could shift. I had discussed this possibility with the owner earlier and so it was agreed to colour the grout using a Tile Doctor Grout Colourant in Limestone.

Grout Colouring is a straightforward process using a small brush to paint the colourant onto the grout. This forms a barrier over the grout giving it a uniform appearance whilst protecting it going forward. This gave the floor a clean fresh appearance that really uplifted the look of the kitchen, it was definitely the best solution.

Sealing Ceramic Tiled Kitchen Floor

Ceramic tiles have a glazed surface so there is no need to apply any type of sealant to protect them. However, for aftercare cleaning we left a free bottle of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner for the client to use to maintain their floor. This is preferable to the stronger acidic household cleaners which she had been using previously.

Once done the floor looked great, and my client was very happy that the kitchen now looked as it should.

Professional Renovation of a Ceramic Tiled Kitchen Floor in Essex

The post Ceramic Kitchen Floor Tile and Grout Renovated in Dedham Essex appeared first on North Essex Tile Doctor.

Sticky Linseed Oil Removed from a Terracotta Kitchen Floor in Brentwood

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 04:17:46 +0000

This is a Terracotta tiled floor at a property in Brentwood that had been recently installed. Unfortunately, the tilers decided to seal the terracotta with a linseed-based sealer that hadn’t gone off and was still tacky to the touch causing it to trap dirt. I suspect they simply put too much down; however, I was surprised they used linseed as this is a very old-fashioned method of sealing terracotta when modern sealers offer far better performance.

The solution I offered was to strip the linseed off the floor, give the tiles a good clean and then re-seal with a modern based sealer designed for the job. Happy with my quote and relieved the problem could be resolved, we agreed a date to complete the work.

Cleaning a Terracotta Tiled Kitchen

To strip off the Linseed Oil I applied a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go which is a powerful alkaline coatings remover. It was left to work breaking down the linseed for about ten minutes and then scrubbed in using a rotary machine fitted with a black 17″ pad. The soiling was then rinsed away with water extracted using a wet vacuum. This process had to be repeated several times before the floor was clear and I used several pads in the process.

The grout was then hand scrubbed using Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, these were small terracotta tiles so there was a lot of grouting to cover. Afterwards the soiling was rinsed off and extracted as before using the wet vacuum.

The last step in the cleaning process was to give the floor an acid rinse using a dilution of Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up. It was scrubbed in with a deck brush to remove excess grout smears and neutralise the pH level of the floor following the use of alkaline cleaners. Once done it was rinsed away and extracted as before.

Sealing a Terracotta Tiled Kitchen

I left the floor to dry out for a couple of days, before returning to apply a new sealer which for this floor we had chosen Tile Doctor Colour Grow. This is an impregnating sealer that soaks into the pores of the tile preventing dirt from becoming lodged there and thereby protecting it from within. Colour Grow as its name suggests includes a colour enhancing formula that improves the lovely orange/red colours so ideal for Terracotta.

Made from clay, Terracotta is a porous material and so does need quite a few coats before its fully sealed. For this floor I needed to apply give coats of Colour Grow, allowing for each coat to dry before applying the next. This is a low sheen sealer which will give the floor a much more hardwearing surface and it really brought out the natural colours in the Terracotta.

My client was very happy with the difference and left the following 5-star review.

“Matthew was a pleasure to work with and did a fantastic job on a tricky terracotta renovation.”

For aftercare I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner, which is a pH neutral tile cleaner, it’s a gentle yet effective product that won’t impact the sealer.

Professional Restoration of a Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor in Essex

The post Sticky Linseed Oil Removed from a Terracotta Kitchen Floor in Brentwood appeared first on South Essex Tile Doctor.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Renovated in Stourbridge

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 03:58:16 +0000

A customer from Stourbridge requested a visit to see what could be done about their Victorian tiled floor in the hallway. Changes to the property had required the installation of a gas pipe under the Victorian tiled floor in the hallway and so the beautiful tiles had been removed and a trench gouged out of the floor for the pipe. Naturally the owner now wanted to the tiled floor restoring to its original state.

I went over to assess the damage and informed the customer the gas pipe would need lowering by a gas safe engineer to enable me to install a new screed and continue the pattern. They agreed to get this organised and I worked out a price to restore the floor.

Happy with the quote they requested I track down the replacement tiles needed for the job and would be in touch once the gas pipe had been lowered.

Deep Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

Once that work was done, I returned to install a new screed level with the height of the existing base and left it to set for a few days. I had managed to source some reclaimed tiles that would match nicely so I ordered these up and returned to the property once they had arrived.

The tiles were then cut to shape and fixed in place to match the original pattern. Once set they were grouted in making sure to get a close to original match with the original floor as possible.

Once the floor has set, I was able to move onto cleaning the whole floor. To do this I applied Tile Doctor Acid Gel cleaner and scrubbed it in with a coarse 100-grit diamond pad. Being a gel, this product is more controllable and results in faster drying times. Gel cleaners are idea for Victorian floors which were installed before the invention of the damp proof membrane, their low moisture content ensures we don’t exacerbate any issues with dampness in the floor.

The gel was then rinsed off the floor using a little water and rapidly extracted using a wet vacuum. The process was then repeated using a 200-grit diamond pad to further clean and improve the surface of the tiles.

Once done the floor was inspected and stubborn stains spot cleaned by hand.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

To seal the Victorian tiles, I applied a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go Extra, this is a modern breathable sealer that improves colour and adds an appealing sheen finish. The new sealer helps blend in the replacement tiles and will protect the floor going forward ensuring any dirt remains on the surface where it can easily be cleaned away.

The customer was very pleased with the transformed floor and was especially happy with the tiling work which even if I do say myself worked out very well. I bet you can’t tell where the replacement tiles are in the finished photos.

For aftercare cleaning I left them with a bottle of Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner which is specially formulated for cleaning sealed tiles. We don’t recommend tile cleaning products you find on supermarket shelves as the are usually too strong and can strip a sealer off the floor prematurely. If your choosing another product to clean your floor always read the label to make sure its compatible.

Victorian Hallway Floor Deep Cleaned and Sealed in Merseyside

The post Victorian Tiled Hallway Renovated in Stourbridge appeared first on Worcestershire Tile Doctor.

Builders Clean of an Original Victorian Tiled Kitchen Floor at Grade II Manor House in Melton Constable

Mon, 15 Jul 2024 13:23:47 +0000

A client in the town of Melton Constable contacted us about the Victorian tiled kitchen floor following a recommendation from one of our past clients. They had only recently purchased the property which was a Grade II listed manor house and were keen to restore as many original features as possible. The Kitchen floor was tiled with Red and Black tiles laid in a diamond pattern and was in a very worn state.

The entire property was undergoing significant renovation and unfortunately the building contractors working in the property had ignored the delicate nature of the kitchen floor. Without any robust protection sheeting the tiles had become heavily coated with various types of construction contaminants particularly plaster and paint.

In an attempt to clean the floor one of the building contractors had tried to renovate the tiles using a lightweight hired buffing machine but had made virtually no improvement. Disappointed with the lack of improvement it was decided it was time to call in a specialist.

On my visit to the property, I was able to reassure the client that this would not be a problem and I was confident that restorative cleaning processes would remove all the contaminants and transform the floor to its former condition.

I produced a quotation for the renovation which would be done over two days, the first to deep-clean and the second to apply the appropriately approved sealing product. The client was happy with our costings so a pair of dates were scheduled for our return which was to happen the following month once the construction work in the kitchen had been completed.

Deep Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Floor in Melton Constable

Before starting the renovation of the floor, our first job was to protect the newly plastered walls and skirting boards with masking film to prevent potential damage from the strong cleaning products and processes required for this type of renovation.

Next, concentrating on removal of the paint splatters, a generous quantity of Tile Doctor Remove & Go was sprayed onto the tiles and left to dwell for fifteen minutes so that it could get to work breaking down the oil and water-based paint products. Then, using a black nylon stripping pad fitted to our heavy Klindex rotary machine, the product was scrubbed into the surface to remove as many of the building contaminants as possible. This process would also take care of any remaining sealer. Once done, the resulting slurry was extracted using our 3-stage high performance wet vacuum machine.

The next step was to treat the floor with a concentrated acidic scrub using Tile Doctor Acid Gel which was applied and left for five minutes before working in with a fairly coarse 200 grit diamond pad. This treatment has a lot of benefits for porous tiled floors and is very efficient at removing old cement, grout smears and other contaminants such as efflorescence salt deposits. Being acidic it also neutralises the pH of the tiles following the earlier use of high-alkaline Remove and Go stripper. The floor surface was then wet vacuumed again and the process repeated with a finer 400-grit diamond pad.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Floor in Melton Constable

The floor was then left to dry out completely overnight and the next morning it was tested extensively with a digital damp meter. This is to test that the moisture introduced during the cleaning processes had evaporated and the tiles were now ready for sealing. The moisture readings were acceptable so we were happy to proceed to the next step of sealing the floor.

Prior to producing our quotation for the renovation, we had discussed sealer options with the client and because there was a requirement in the Grade II listing for the use of a breathable sealing product, Tile Doctor Seal & Go Extra was the preferred choice. This is a fully breathable exterior-grade product which provides excellent stain resistance and is perfect for high traffic areas such as food preparation areas and hallways. It improves the intensity of the colour in the tiles and has a low sheen finish so does not make the floor look overly shiny once fully cured. Five coats were applied allowing each one to dry completely before applying the next.

On completion of our work, the client was extremely impressed with the overall finish we had achieved and was greatly relieved that the building contractor had not permanently damaged it through his inexperience.

For aftercare maintenance, I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner which is a highly effective yet gentle tile cleaning product that won’t impact the sealer.

Professional Victorian Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovation in Norfolk

The post Builders Clean of an Original Victorian Tiled Kitchen Floor at Grade II Manor House in Melton Constable appeared first on Norfolk Tile Doctor.

Bathroom Tiling Refresh at Bedminster Rental Property

Fri, 12 Jul 2024 04:26:13 +0000

A local letting agent was in touch earlier this year regarding the renovation of bathroom tiling at a rental property in Bedminster in Bristol. The one-bedroom flat had just become vacant and the landlord had agreed to have the work done in order to improve its prospects on the rental market.

The grout around the ceramic tiles over the bath had become very stained, and the silicone was mouldy and needed replacing. I had carried out previous work like this for the letting agent, so they recommended me without hesitation. I supplied a quote and the client agreed. Luckily, I was able to carry out the job that week while it was still empty, so the property could quickly be re-let.

Renovating Bathroom Ceramic Tile and Grout

I started by spraying the grout with Tile Doctor Duo Clean as this is brilliant at removing grime, mould, build-up of cleaning products that accumulate over time in the shower. The grout however had areas of deep-seated staining and would need more work.

The quickest way of renovating stained grout is to apply a grout colourant which is also much cheaper than re-grouting. Before applying the colourant, I started by scrubbing in a Pre-Treater to the grout. This prepares the surface for the colour itself and creates a surface that it can bond to. After 5-10 minutes scrubbing the grout, water was applied to remove the pre-treatment. I then removed the stained silicone around the bath, shower screen and corner wall area.

Once the grout was dry, two coats of Grout Colourant were applied by painting it onto the grout cleaning away any left behind on the tile as I went. In this case we went with a White colourant but there are 11 different colours to choose from including several shades of grey.

Once the Grout Colourant was applied, I moved onto the last step of applying a new strip of mould resistant silicone between the bath and tiling. Again, this product is available in numerous colours and in this case, I went with White to match the grout.

The works were completed in less than a day and I think you will agree the bathroom now looked a lot more appealing. Unfortunately, tenants do not always keep the properties as clean as they should but the new grout colourant will make the grout so much easier to clean going forward.

I understand from the agent that viewings took place the next day and the property was quickly re-let.

Professional Restoration of a Ceramic Tiled Bathroom in Bristol

The post Bathroom Tiling Refresh at Bedminster Rental Property appeared first on Bristol Tile Doctor.

Restoration of Victorian Hallway Tiles in Chorley

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 10:01:40 +0000

Joanna contacted us with regard her late Victorian (1893) L shaped tiled hallway at their large family home in Chorley, .

They had discovered the floor under carpet during renovation work some years ago and had some work done to replace damaged and missing tiles. However, the floor had not had a deep clean an and therefore much of the floor had ingrained dirt so never looked clean. Having lived with this the problem which had only got worse over time we were asked to finish the renovation.

I went over to property to survey the floor and work out a plan to restore it. Whilst there I realised the property had a cellar and was concerned that water from the vigorous cleaning process may seep downstairs resulting in staining to the ceiling. To avoid this, I realised I would need to complete the cleaning using low moisture gel-based products. Whilst there I also took several moisture readings with a damp meter which indicated that it would be best to use a fully breathable non acrylic sealer to protect the floor.

Following the survey, I was able to work out a comprehensive plan for restoring the floor and provide the owner with an accurate quote for the work which was accepted.

Deep Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Hallway

Working in sections work commenced with a layer of Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel which was left to dwell before working it in with a low-speed weighted buffer fitted with a coarse 100-grit milling pad. The slurry generated was then vacuumed away before giving the floor a light rinse, working in small sections, and quickly vacuuming away the waste.

To further clean the tiles a thin layer of Tile Doctor Remove and Go was then applied and after five minutes scrubbed in using a 200-grit coarse milling pad, vacuuming the waste away afterwards.

With the floor showing great improvement we set about tidying up the edges using a set of diamond hand burnishing blocks. A scraper and a hand brush were used to remove paint splashes, carpet adhesive and dirt already loosened by the main clean. This was followed with the application of a 400-grit burnishing pad, again working in small areas to minimise water getting into the floor

Last step of the restorative cleaning process was to treat the tiles to an acid rinse using Tile Doctor Acid Gel. This was allowed to dwell for around five to ten minutes before being worked in with a Black scrubbing pad. The acidic nature of the product neutralises the alkaline cleaners used earlier and dissolves alkaline salts built up in the tiles which is a common problem on these older floors. The soiled solution was extracted as before and rinsed thoroughly with cloths and water to minimise moisture levels, vacuuming away the waste as I went.

The floor was allowed to dry thoroughly, and a damp meter reading confirmed the moisture levels back to where they started. A quick dry burnish using an 800-grit burnishing pad with dust vacuumed away was the final preparation before sealing could commence.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway

After testing sealers, the preference was to revive the colours in the tile and give the floor a subtle sheen. Based on this I applied Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal which was ideal for as first coat revived the colours in the tile and the second coat added a very subtle sheen finish.

After allowing the floor to partially dry, a light burnish with a soft white pad was the final part of the process.

Joanna stated she was very pleased with the results, and we discussed aftercare using Tile Doctor’s pH Neutral cleaner to prolong the life of the sealer. She also later gave a 5 Star review along with the following comment:

“Kevin was excellent. He responded promptly to my enquiry and answered all my questions. Delighted with my lovely clean floor!”

Professional Renovation of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in Lancashire

The post Restoration of Victorian Hallway Tiles in Chorley appeared first on South Lancashire Tile Doctor.

Black and White Victorian Tiled Path Restored in Ewell

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 16:28:04 +0000

Having seen some of my other work this client contacted me about the restoration of their Victorian tiled path at their property in Ewell . It had various issues that would need resolving and although I was happy to restore it, I advised that it would be best to wait until the weather improved.

In the meantime, I went over to the property to survey the path, work out a restoration plan and provide a quote for the work. I could see It wasn’t the best of installations, it appeared to be built on mud as some of the edging had become unattached. It was dirty, having never been deep cleaned and about 30 tiles had been broken. All that being said it was definitely restorable so I gave them a price for the work, and they were happy to go ahead.

Cleaning and Repairing a Victorian Tiled Pathway

Having found a reasonable weather window, I was able to make a start on the structural issues. First, I needed to fully remove the detached edging which proved more difficult than expected resulting in the need to use a crowbar. With the edging removed the base was cleaned up and backfilled with self-levelling compound which takes three to four hours to set.

It was a warm day and I had plenty of other work to do while I waited, including removing the broken tiles with a power chisel being careful not to chip the surrounding ones. The detached edging had to be cleaned up with a tile cutter. I also prepped the tiles over the remaining pathway by soaking them in Tile Doctor Patio Cleaner. This would gradually seep into the tiles and remove any dirt.

After lunch the tiling was hand scrubbing with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. This took some time as they were small and fiddly. Once done the tiles were rinsed with water.

Once the self-levelling compound had set, I was able to start rebuilding the path using the original tiles setting them back in place to match the original pattern using a quick setting adhesive.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Pathway

Time was marching on and eventually the client’s children would start returning home from school, so I was keen to get the path completed before they arrived. Fortunately, it was a warm day and the tiles had dried so I moved onto applying a protective sealer.

For this I used Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal which is an oil-based product rated for external use, the oil also helps to restore colour to the Black tiles. Before leaving I taped up the area, to ensure nobody walked on the tiles whilst the sealer was drying.

My client was very happy with the work I had carried out, the pathway now looked complete and provided a much more inviting entrance to the property. The new sealer would ensure dirt remains on the surface where it can be easily cleaned away for which I recommended using Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Pathway in West Surrey

The post Black and White Victorian Tiled Path Restored in Ewell appeared first on West Surrey Tile Doctor.

Badly Stained Travertine Table Polished to New Condition in Newbury

Thu, 04 Jul 2024 11:33:30 +0000

We were recently asked to renovate a Travertine tabletop at a property in the market town of Newbury. This post follows on from a previous article I published about the renovation of their garden room floor tiles where the table was situated. If you haven’t seen that post do take a minute to take a look using the following link: Terracotta Tiled Garden Room Floor Deep Cleaned and Sealed in Newbury.

If you recall the client asked me to do something to improve the condition of the stone table that had sat in the conservatory for many years and was stained with water stains, ring marks and the dirt from the many plants that had been sat on it.

Cleaning and restoring a Travertine Tiled Tabletop

The travertine table had been cracked and was heavily stained due to years of standing water from various pots. So, after cleaning the conservatory floor I turned my attention to the table and started the renovation process using a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean so I could see the full extent of damage. Being a tabletop, this had to be done by hand, allowing the solution to soak in and then scrubbing it in with a scrubbing brush. Due to the height of the table, it was a bit awkward to use the hot water encapsulation system to extract the dirt after cleaning, but I managed.

The next job was to fill the crack using a two-part epoxy resin designed especially for this sort of work and colour matched to the table. This was then allowed to set before smoothing out with a set of handheld burnishing blocks of different grits.

Sealing a Travertine Tiled Tabletop

Once the resin had dried hard the table was burnished using an extended set of diamond encrusted pads starting from a coarse 100-grit all the way to a fine 3000-grit leaving the table with a polished look. Naturally I couldn’t use my floor buffer for this, so I had to use smaller 6-inch pads fitted to a hand buffer. The pads are applied with water for lubrication and the soiling rinsed off as before using the encapsulation system.

Once the Travertine had dried out, I sealed it with Tile Doctor Colour Grow to enhance the colours and textures of the stone. This is an impregnating sealer that works by soaking into the stone occupying the pores and thereby keeping any dirt or liquids on the surface where they can be easily cleaned away.

The Travertine table was completely transformed by the cleaning and polishing and needless to say my client was very happy with the outcome and was sure his friends would be impressed! For maintenance of the table I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Stone Patina Spray. This is a spray-and-buff cleaner that is designed to enhance the natural beauty and lustre of polished stone.

Professional Restoration of a Travertine Tabletop in Berkshire

The post Badly Stained Travertine Table Polished to New Condition in Newbury appeared first on Berkshire Tile Doctor.

Restoration of Victorian Tiled Hallway in Wigan

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 10:35:08 +0000

Lyndsey and Mick from Wigan contacted Tile Doctor earlier this year after uncovering a beautiful Victorian tiled floor in their hallway. Keen to have it restored as an original feature they requested a quote to get a restorative deep clean, some minor essential repairs and sealing.

I went over to the property to survey the floor and provide a quote for its restoration. I could see that the previous owners had glued carpet and underlay directly onto the tiles and though the new owners had managed to get a lot of that off there were some stubborn areas remaining. On top of that the tiles were very grubby and in need of a good deep clean. Finally, some loose tiles needed fixing, and they wanted the worst of the broken tiles sorted whilst retaining as much original floor and character as possible.

After discussing expectations, it was agreed to accept the history and disturb the original screed and fixed tiles as little as possible simply re-fixing where needed, replacing the missing and shattered ones, then cleaning and sealing to give an attractive, serviceable and useable floor in keeping with the age of property.

The quotation was to carry out a deep restorative clean of the hallway tiles to remove heavy soil and strip old sealers using both low moisture gels and a weighted low speed mechanical buffing machine fitted with suitable pads. All soiled gel being removed with a wet vacuum system. The edging was to be hand finished as necessary and the floor is then to be neutralised to prepare for sealing. The hall had a small number of broken/loose tiles that are to be reset or replaced (precise details to be provided by client). Once fully dry the floor would be protected with a breathable sealer to protect and enhance the floors colours.

Happy with the detailed quote and much encouraged that their hallway floor was going to be restored the quote was accepted and a date set for the work to begin.

Cleaning and Repairing a Victorian Tiled Hallway

Having unloaded our equipment, we started the cleaning process with the application of a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go. This product is a coatings remover which will breakdown the glue and other contaminants. It was left to soak into the tiles for ten minutes before carefully scraping the worst of the glue off with hand scrapers.

This work continued with a 100-grit soft milling pad fitted to a weighted buffing machine running at slow speed. A wet vacuum was used to remove the waste generated and then it was followed up with an application of Tile Doctor Oxy Gel. This product was allowed to dwell for a little longer before buffing with a 200-grit soft milling pad and extracting as before.

The pads can struggle to reach into the perimeters so the edges and corners were cleaned by hand with diamond blocks as needed. Again, vacuuming away the waste afterwards.

Next, the floor was treated to an acid rinse using Tile Doctor Acid Gel to further clean the tiles and neutralise the floor after the use of alkaline cleaning products. As before it was left to soak in for a short time before being scrubbed in with a black pad. The floor was then rinsed with water, working in small areas and quickly vacuuming away the waste to minimise the moisture.

Next, the floor was dried before carrying out a small number of tile resets and some repairs to the doorway. The floor was then left to dry off overnight.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway

The following morning, I wanted to make sure the tiles were dry enough to take a sealer so several moisture readings were taken with a damp meter to confirm. The readings were fine so we were good to go.

The Victorian tiles were then sealed with Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal with the sealer applied in sections working through the hallway until complete. X-Tra seal is an oil-based impregnator that improves colour and works well on Victorian tiles, its also rated for external use so ideal for hallways.

Once touch dry a second coat was applied to give the floor a nice sheen. The final step was to gently buff the floor using a white pad to remove excess sealer and bring up the appearance. A couple of hours later we inspected the floor before leaving a very happy customer.

Lyndsey commented:

Great work, just finished sealing our floor, but it looks fantastic already. Kevin has been very informative along the way as well and I would recommend him, and this company, to anyone else who is thinking of having similar work.

For aftercare of sealed Victorian tiles, I recommend Neutral Tile Cleaner, it’s a gentle yet effective tile cleaner that’s safe to use on sealed tiles.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in Lancashire

The post Restoration of Victorian Tiled Hallway in Wigan appeared first on South Lancashire Tile Doctor.

Carpet Covered Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovated in Pentlow

Thu, 27 Jun 2024 10:04:03 +0000

The pictures below are of a Quarry tiled floor at a property in Pentlow village, North of Braintree. The tiles had been covered in carpet for many years and it was now looking stained and worse for wear. Unsurprisingly the owner had decided it was time to get rid of the carpet and make the best of the Quarry tiled floor underneath which extended all the way into the dining room.

I surveyed the floor and could see the carpet had been fixed in place with adhesive which had stained the tiles and would need removing. The grout was also in a bad state with deep seated stains which I doubted would clean up to a consistent standard. With all this in mind I created a quote to deep clean the Quarry tile and grout and then sealing, I also added in an option to colour the grout which would be a lot easier than re-grouting.

Happy with my quote the owner gave the go ahead and a date was booked to start the work.

Deep Cleaning a Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor in Pentlow

First, I removed the carpet to reveal the whole floor, the kickboards below the kitchen units were also removed and tape applied everywhere else to protect the wood from the cleaning products we would be using.

With the woodwork protected I set about the deep clean with the application of a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go and left to soak in for roughly ten minutes. This product is a coatings remover and tile cleaner which breaks down or softens the carpet glue and other soiling making it easier to remove.

Next a Black scrubbing pad was fitted to a rotary buffing machine and was slowly worked over the floor to scrub the solution into the Tile and Grout. I also ran a stiff brush along the
grout lines to get them clean. After the whole floor had been scrubbed the soiling was rinsed off with water and extracted with a wet vacuum.

The floor was then inspected and the process repeated where required and spot treated in some areas to remove the glue by hand with a scraper. In total two litres of Tile Doctor Remove and Go was used during the cleaning.

The next step was to give the floor and acid rinse using Tile Doctor Acid Gel which further cleans up the tile and grout. Another advantage of this is the acidic nature of the product microscopically etches the grout to provide a stronger bond with a grout colourant, it also neutralises the pH level of the floor following the use of Remove and Go which is a strong alkaline product.

Applying Natural Grey Grout Colourant in Pentlow

The Quarry tiles were now clean but although the grout was now cleaner it was still stained in places. The solution was as suspected to apply a grout colourant. Available in eleven colours the Tile Doctor colourants are not like those grout pens you buy in DIY stores; they are made from a waterproof epoxy that adds a barrier over the grout.

Once the grout was clean and dry, I applied the colourant with a small brush wiping off any excess that got on the Quarry tiles quickly afterwards, I find a wet wipe is good for this. The floor consisted of small format square tiles which meant a lot of grout to cover. It’s a tedious process that has to be done by hand however the result was transformative.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor in Pentlow

The floor was left to dry out overnight and the following morning, I used the damp meter to check the floors moisture readings. I was pleased to see the readings were acceptable and the tiles could be sealed. If the floor was still damp the seal may not cure properly so this is an important step.

To seal the Quarry tile and grout looked like a new I applied three coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow. This is an impregnating sealer that works by soaking into the tile occupying the pores and thereby ensuring dirt remains on the surface where it can be easily cleaned away.

The Quarry tile and grout responded very well to the treatment and if you didn’t know you would think it was a new floor. The new sealer will make the floor easy to maintain and my client was very pleased with the transformation.

On the topic of maintenance, I left the owner with a complimentary bottle of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner. This is a pH neutral product which will not compromise the newly applied seal, which can be the problem with many household cleaning products which are simply too strong for use on a sealed floor. This will ensure the longevity of the seal and will make the floor easy to maintain which is of course a bonus.

Professional Renovation of a Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor In North Essex

The post Carpet Covered Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovated in Pentlow appeared first on North Essex Tile Doctor.

Polished Black Marble Foor Polished in Barrow in Furness

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 08:51:34 +0000

This client from Barrow in Furness contacted Tile Doctor about their polished black marble floor which had been installed 20 years ago. Its polished appearance had diminished with use over that time, and they had wasted money on different products sourced from DIY shops and the internet to rectify it.

Many of these products were unsuitable for this type of tile and as such the top surface was quite tacky to walk on and had done nothing to improve its appearance. Happy I could resolve the problem they accepted my quote to re-polish the floor and a date was agreed to commence the work.

Cleaning a Polished Black Marble Dining Room

My first task was to protect the woodwork by applying a bead of clear waterproof mastic between the wood and the floor, this prevents water being soaked into the wood through capillary action, this can cause water staining and worst-case blow MDF skirting and doors.

Once done work started on polishing the marble floor using a 200-grit 17-inch diamond pad fitted to a rotary floor machine. This pad removes encrusted sealers, old polish and other products that were upsetting the stone finish. Applied with water for lubrication this pad does a good job of cleaning up the stone but leaves it looking dull with a matt finish.

To bring back the finish, finer grit diamond Burnishing pads are applied in sequence starting with 400 then 800 and 1500-grit. These pads clean and rebuild the polish on the Marble slowly brings the stone back to life again. The floor is rinsed off with water after each pad and the soiling extracted with a wet vacuum. The edges were then completed with a small handheld machine using smaller pads of the same grits.

After this work, I started on the grout lines which were scrubbed by hand using Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is an alkaline cleaner and will not upset the marble. I find it best to do this work by hand as the pads can struggle to reach into the recesses of the grout line.

A final rinse with clean water which was then extracted with the wet vacuum and the floor left to dry off overnight.

I called back the next day and started work by checking the stone and grout was nice and dry and ready for a final polish using a 3000-grit diamond pad. This pad brings up the polish on the floor even further and is applied using a tiny amount of water from a spray bottle which aids in the final polish.

Sealing a Polished Black Marble Dining Room

Once the whole floor was polished including all the corners and edges it was time to start applying the sealer. With this being a Black Marble floor with more than a few marks on it from the wear and tear over the last twenty years, I opted to use a sealer normally designed for outside areas called Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal. This is an oil based breathable sealer that soaks into the pores of the stone protecting it from within and ensuring any dirt remains on the surface.

We don’t normally recommend X-Tra Seal for polished surfaces as the oil takes a lot to cloth off, however in this case I felt the extra work would be justified as the oil works well on Black stone.

Once done the Marble tiles were transformed by the work much to the relief of the owner who had really struggled to maintain the floor. Before leaving I made sure to spend time discussing future cleaning and recommended, they use Tile Doctor Stone Soap going forward. This is a mild but effective cleaner which helps maintain the patina on the Marble.

Professional Renovation of a Polished Black Marble Floor in South Cumbria

The post Polished Black Marble Foor Polished in Barrow in Furness appeared first on South Cumbria Tile Doctor.

Dirty Travertine Kitchen Floor Tiles Renovated in Gidea Park Romford

Mon, 24 Jun 2024 09:56:00 +0000

These photographs are of a Travertine kitchen floor at a property in Gidea Park near Romford. The floor was approximately 20m2 and had been laid 20 years ago. Although it had been sealed the client had been cleaning the floor with the wrong products and that had stripped the sealer off the floor. As a result, dirt had become ingrained into the pores of the stone making it look very dirty.

My client was so unhappy with its appearance they were seriously considering taking the Travertine tiles up and replacing it with something more manageable, as they could never get it to look clean. You can imagine their relief after I visited and advised them that the floor could indeed be recovered.

After surveying the stone floor, I worked out a plan for its renovation and provided them with a quote which they were happy to go ahead with.

Cleaning a Travertine Tiled Kitchen

I started the cleaning with the grout lines which had darkened with accumulated dirt. To do this I applied a 4:1 dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean along the grout lines and left it to soak in for ten minutes. The grout lines where then scrubbed by hand until their original colour returned. Although harder work, I find this method works better than using pads with a machine as the pads can struggle to reach into the recesses of the grout lines.

To get the ingrained dirt out of the stone and restore the beautiful appearance of the Travertine I used a set of Tile Doctor Burnishing pads. These are applied with a rotary buffing machine starting with the coarse 400-grit pad and worked into the stone with more Tile Doctor Pro-Clean.

After rinsing and extracting I then moved onto the 800 and 1500-grit pads, using only water this time for lubrication and rinsing and extracting after each pad. The last 3000-grit pad was applied with a little water sprayed onto the tiles to bring up a polish on the stone.

Sealing a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor

The floor was left to dry overnight, and I returned the next day to seal it using two coats of Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal sealer to give it a nice sheen. This will give the floor hardwearing protection by ensuring dirt remains on the surface where it is much easier to remove with regular cleaning.

My client was very happy with her new floor and relieved that the new sealer would make it much easier to keep clean going forward. She also left a 5-star review and commented:

“GOOD JOB….PLEASED”

On the topic of cleaning, I recommended Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a pH neutral cleaner. It will not strip the sealer like the previous products she had been using and should ensure the floor is kept in this condition for many years to come. Obviously, we are on hand in the future if she has any further problems.

Professional Renovation of a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor in South Essex

The post Dirty Travertine Kitchen Floor Tiles Renovated in Gidea Park Romford appeared first on South Essex Tile Doctor.

Terrazzo floor restoration in Cardiff

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 03:01:42 +0000

This owner of this property is an architect living close to myself in the centre of Cardiff. He approached Tile Doctor late last year about the restoration of a Terrazzo hallway floor. Having recently purchased the property which was built around 1910 with an aim to restore the whole house back to its original condition and he wanted to preserve as many original features as possible.

I went over to the property to survey the floor and carried out a cleaning test on a small part of the flooring to show him the potential result I could achieve. Whilst I was there, I measured up the Terrazzo which extended throughout the downstairs hallway and through to a matching section at the front of the property.

Happy with the result of the test clean I worked out a quote for restoring the whole floor, which was accepted, and a date set for the new year. The floor was one of many projects being caried out at the property which was unhabitable at the time so it would be just a question of picking up the keys and letting myself in.

Cleaning and Repairing a Terrazzo Tiled Hallway

My first task was to remove as much plaster and paint from the floor as possible with a sharp bladed scraper. Then I started scrubbing the floor with a very coarse 50-grit pad fitted to a rotary machine. The pad is applied with water for lubrication and run over each part of the floor several times. The floor is rinsed and extracted with a wet vacuum and the whole process repeated with a finer 100-grit pad and then a 200-grit pad.

Moving up the grits the next stage was to scrub the floor to remove staining with a 400-grit burnishing pad using a strong 50:50 dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. The pad was applied as before, rinsing and extracting once done and then moving up to the 800 and then 1500 grit pad.

As the floor became cleaner the cracks and damage to the terrazzo became clearly visible and so I started on repairing the cracks with a colour matched filler designed for this type of work. This was left to dry hard and sanded lightly until level with the floor.

The floor was then left to dry overnight, and I returned the next day to apply the last burnishing pad which was a very fine 3000-grit polishing pad to achieve the desired shine, also to polish out any light marks.

Sealing a Terrazzo Tiled Hallway in Cardiff

The sealer we selected was Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnator that soaks into the Terrazzo occupying the pores and preventing dirt from residing there. The sealer achieves a durable hardwearing finish and enhances the natural colours in the stone chippings it also ensures the dirt will remain on the surface where its easily cleaned away.

Once done I returned the keys, and the architect contacted me later to congratulate me on the restoration of the finished floor. For after care cleaning of polished Terrazzo I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Stone Soap which is a mild but effective floor cleaning solution that helps maintain the patina.

Professional Restoration of a Terrazzo Tiled Hallway in South Wales

The post Terrazzo floor restoration in Cardiff appeared first on South East Wales Tile Doctor.

Neglected Victorian Tiled Hallway Renovated in Formby

Mon, 17 Jun 2024 07:18:57 +0000

This client from Formby got in touch about the Victorian tiled floor in a property they were renovating. As you can see from the photographs the flooring had been completely neglected and had seen a lot of wear resulting in years of ingrained dirt.

I went over to Formby to survey the floor and come up with a plan for its restoration which I calculated would take two days. The first day to deep clean the tiles several times to extract all the dirt and the second to apply a protective sealer that would keep the dirt out of the floor and ensure it maintained its restored appearance.

Happy with my quote we agreed a date for the work to start.

Deep Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

Due to the deep-seated dirt I decided to start with a very strong cleaning concoction by combing Tile Doctor Remove and Go and Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. This makes a very powerful alkaline cleaning/stripping agent that should deal with the staining and break down the ingrained dirt.

The solution was mopped onto the hallway floor and left to dwell for twenty minutes before being scrubbed in using a black pad fitted to a weighted buffing machine. Water was added to increase lubrication and the extra weights added to the buffer ensured increased traction with the tiles.

The process released the dirt from the pores and surface of the tile into the solution which was then removed with a wet vacuum. Once done, I inspected the floor and then spot treated any areas that needed more work using the same process.

The initial clean removed the paint splashes and dirt and to further improve the condition of the tiles even further I decided to give the floor an acid rinse using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up. This is brushed into the removing old cement residue and dissolves any efflorescence in the floor which can be an issue with old Victorian tiled floors that don’t have the benefit of a damp proof membrane. After another rinse with water and extraction with the wet vacuum the floor was then left to dry off overnight.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

The next morning, I took several moisture readings with a damp meter to make sure the floor was sufficiently dry and ready to seal. For this floor I had chosen to use Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal which is an oil based breathable impregnating sealer that is rated for external use and therefore ideal for a hallway. Two coats of X-Tra Seal were applied, the first coat revives the colour in the tiles and the second adds a nice subtle sheen to the tile.

The floor was completely transformed by the work and on returning home after work the customer sent me a message to say the hallway had made a great finishing touch and was the final part of the house renovation.

For aftercare cleaning I left them with a bottle of Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner which is specially formulated for cleaning sealed tiles. We don’t recommend tile cleaning products you find on supermarket shelves as the are usually too strong and can strip a sealer off the floor prematurely. If your choosing another product to clean your floor always read the label to make sure its compatible.

Victorian Hallway Floor Deep Cleaned and Renovated in Merseyside

The post Neglected Victorian Tiled Hallway Renovated in Formby appeared first on Merseyside Tile Doctor.

Planked Effect Porcelain Floor Renovated after Water Damage in Leigh

Tue, 11 Jun 2024 16:36:33 +0000

I was originally called to this home in Leigh to deep clean approx. 100m2 of porcelain floor tiles in the living area after recent works, but plans changed somewhat when I arrived.

On my arrival the owners informed me that since my last visit to quote for cleaning the Porcelain floor a leak had come through the ceiling. This had left the previously dark grout in the textured ‘plank’ effect porcelain looking washed out and, leaving the floor in need of a refresh. I strongly suspect it wasn’t the leak that caused the problem, but the use of strong cleaning products used afterwards to clean up the mess, a lot of these cleaning products contain bleach, and this can wash the colour out of grout.

Out of interest the main issue we encounter with this type of flooring is grout haze, which occurs when the installer doesn’t manage to remove all the grout. This results in a thin film of grout on the surface which detracts from the final appearance. This probably happens with all installations but is certainly very evident on porcelain. The solution is to give the floor an acid wash using Tile Doctor Grout Clean Up, but most tilers don’t bother.

After discussion it was agreed to re-focus the time, we had available on the grout. However, after a deep clean it became clear the grout would need recolouring to look it’s best.

Grout Colouring Porcelain Floor Tiles with Chocolate Grout Colouring

Applying a Tile Doctor Grout Colourant in Chocolate colour was the ideal solution and after an urgent call to Tile Doctor HQ I set up a delivery to ensure it would be with us the next morning.

In the meantime, I continued the preparation of the grout and cleaning of the tiles using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up which not only removes the grout haze but will also etch the surface of the grout to ensure a superior bond with the colourant.

That afternoon we also discussed the high gloss porcelain floor in the hallway, the owners had spent a lot of time polishing it themselves since installation and were not completely happy with it. I setup a floor buffer fitted with a 3000-grit pad and dry burnished a small section in the hallway. The difference was obvious, and they could see an immediate improvement, as a result they decided to rebook me to do a day polishing as well once the living room was completed.

I returned on day two to find the colourant had arrived and so started the process of recolouring the grout with the chocolate colourant. This is a straightforward process but very time consuming as with these thin planks there were a lot of grout lines to cover.

Afterwards the tiles were gently buffed with a White pad before leaving to dry. The owners were very pleased with the result commenting we had done a “brilliant job in the front room.” Later he added the following feedback:

“Kevin was excellent and did a fantastic job at the house.”

They also booked us in to do the polish on the next available date, but I’ll discuss that in a separate post.

Professional Restoration of a Porcelain Planked Tiled Living Area in Greater Manchester

The post Planked Effect Porcelain Floor Renovated after Water Damage in Leigh appeared first on South Lancashire Tile Doctor.

Bathroom Floor Grout Coloured with Ivory Grout Colourant in Matlock

Mon, 10 Jun 2024 12:52:12 +0000

I received a call from a lady who lives in the beautiful spa town of Matlock in Derbyshire Peak District with a Porcelain tiled shower room floor. She had been recommended to myself from a good friend whose kitchen floor grout I had recoloured the week before.

She had a similar problem to her friend whose bathroom floor was being let down by the grout which had completely discoloured and no longer matched the wall tiles. This tends to happen as the dirt from the tile is washed into the grout lines during cleaning with a mop.

Having visited the property to survey the floor I advised her that although I could clean the grout it would most likely go dark again and that there may be deep seated stains that I simply can’t remove.

As a result, I recommended renovating the grout using a Tile Doctor Grout Colourant which is available in 11 different colours. I always carry a few colours with me so I applied a couple of different ones to the grout so she could see which one would work best with the tiles. Ivory seemed to work well so I worked out a quote to renovate the grout using an Ivory Grout colourant which she was more than happy with and so I booked her in.

Renovating Discoloured Grout in a Tiled Bathroom Floor

I turned up on the agreed date and I started work by spraying all the grout lines with a Tile Doctor Grout Pre-Treater. This product cleans and etches the surface of the grout to provide a better bond with the grout colourant which comes next.

The Pre-Treater was then scrubbed into the grout lines with a hand brush to agitate the solution and lift the dirt and other contaminants. After five to ten minutes, I wiped the spray away and the now grubby solution and rinsed with water and then wiped again to remove any pre-treater left behind.

Once dry I began to apply the Tile Doctor Grout Colourant to all the joints using a small brush in a painting motion, wiping away any excess left behind on the tiles as I went. The job is quite a slow one due to the small grout lines but quite satisfying as the difference is immediate.

The Grout Colourant not only rejuvenates the grout but also seals it in thereby protecting from future staining and making the grout so much easier to clean. After 2 coats and a final wipe of the tiles the renovation was complete.

The client was delighted and the floor looked amazing.

It was not necessary this time to replace the silicone sealant around the shower, but it’s worth knowing this is a service we offer. Often this becomes mouldy over time and brings down the overall look of the bathroom.

Professional Restoration of a Tiled Bathroom Floor in Derbyshire

The post Bathroom Floor Grout Coloured with Ivory Grout Colourant in Matlock appeared first on Derbyshire Tile Doctor.

Textured Ceramic Tile and Grout Deep Cleaned in an Epsom Kitchen

Fri, 07 Jun 2024 03:23:13 +0000

I was asked to clean this ceramic tiled kitchen floor at a property in Epsom that was very dirty and needed a deep clean. As usual I called in on the property to survey the floor and provide a quote for its renovation.

Upon initial inspection I thought the tiles were actually limestone, so I did a quick test to establish that they were definitely ceramic. These were a textured ceramic tile which often gets recommended for wet areas such as kitchens due to its non-slip properties, the textured surface of the tile however does cause it to trap dirt.

As well as the build-up of dirt on the tiles my client also wanted the grout cleaning, which was filthy, also some of the grout had holes in it and these had filled with dirt.

Cleaning a Ceramic Tiled Kitchen

To get the grout clean I applied a strong alkaline cleaner called Tile Doctor Remove & Go and worked it into the grout lines using a wire brush. This product is designed to remove all sorts of coatings and grime so just the thing for a dirty grout. The floor was then rinsed with water and the soiling vacuumed away with a wet vacuum.

Then as we were unable to move the furniture out of the kitchen, I had to divide the floor into three areas and scrub the Ceramic tiles with more Remove & Go. This was worked in with a rotary floor machine fitted with an aggressive carbide brush which gets deep into the annoying little holes and textured tile. Extra weights were applied to the machine to improve traction with the tile. After each section was scrubbed, the floor was rinsed and extracted as before.

Sealing a Ceramic Tiled Kitchen

Finally, I gave the whole kitchen a rinse with warm water to remove any trace of Tile Doctor Remove & Go and dried the floor as much as possible with the wet vacuum.

Ceramic tiles won’t take a sealer as they are already sealed within the manufacturing process. Therefore, once I was happy the floor was as clean as it could be the work was done.

The work was completed in less than a day and my clients were very happy with the transformation. I think you will agree from the photographs the Ceramic tile and Grout look so much cleaner.

Professional Restoration of Textured Ceramic Tile and Grout in West Surrey

The post Textured Ceramic Tile and Grout Deep Cleaned in an Epsom Kitchen appeared first on West Surrey Tile Doctor.

Large Pitted Travertine Patio Renovated in Henley-on-Thames

Thu, 06 Jun 2024 11:32:45 +0000

This client in Henley-on-Thames had a large and no doubt expensive Travertine patio installed at the rear of his property. The patio was now looking rather grubby with the usual staining and dirt you would expect with an outside patio that had not been professionally cleaned for several years. Additionally, many holes had formed in the stone which in turn had filled with dirt making effective cleaning difficult.

I went over to survey the stone and work out what would need to be done to renovate its appearance. The patio measured 150m2 and I recommended cleaning the patio, filling the holes and then honing the stone with a set of burnishing pads to brink back its appearance, a process which would take three days due to its large size.

Happy with my quote a date was set for the work to start with the proviso that it may need to be re-arranged if the weather was bad.

Deep Cleaning a Travertine Patio

Work started up with an application of Tile Doctor Patio & Driveway Cleaner which was left to dwell so it could breakdown the soils. The patio was then scrubbed with a Carbide Brush fitted to a rotary floor scrubber whilst spraying water onto the stone from the tank fitted to the machine. This hard-wearing brush gets right into the holes in the stone ensuring a very effective clean.

After scrubbing the whole area, the patio was inspected and any stubborn stains spot-treated using the same process. Once I was happy the patio was rinsed thoroughly with water and left it to dry off.

On the second day my attention turned to the holes in the stone which were filled by floating an epoxy grout filler into the holes and grout tiles. Again, it was a very large area to cover so this work took up the whole day.

On day three I quickly went over the patio again with the carbide brush to remove any detritus that had appeared overnight and then replaced the brush with the first burnishing pad in the set of four to being the honing process.

Applied with water for lubrication the first pad is 400-grit which opens the pores in the stone so the deep-seated dirt can be flushed out. The pad is run over each Travertine tile at least three times and then the soiling that is generated is rinsed off and extracted with a wet vacuum. This process is then repeated with the finer pads which were 800 and 1500 grit, these pads gradually close the pores in the stone and restore its polished honed appearance.

Once complete the patio was transformed, looked very inviting and was ready for the first of many summer pool parties. I did offer to seal the Travertine when finished but my client decided to do that themselves, it’s a straightforward process, just time consuming. I recommended Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal for this as it won’t alter the natural appearance of the stone and keep it looking very light in colour.

Professional Renovation of a Large Travertine Patio in Oxfordshire

The post Large Pitted Travertine Patio Renovated in Henley-on-Thames appeared first on Oxfordshire Tile Doctor.

Red Wine Stains Removed from a Limestone Fireplace Surround in Sealand

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 02:48:56 +0000

Earlier this year we was contacted by a resident on a new housing estate on the former MOD Sealand RAF base about their wine stained Limestone fireplace. This base was famous for its gliders and spitfires on the edge of North Wales and Cheshire but has since been closed.

The customer had dropped a glass of red wine on her new Limestone fireplace which resulted in obvious dark staining as it dripped down the Limestone. Naturally The customer was keen to have the stains removed and was horrified how badly it had affected the stone.

Fortunately, after researching the problem on the internet, she found Tile Doctor who have a simple solution for this problem which I’ll detail below.

Removing Wine Stains from a Limestone Fireplace

The first job was to protect the new carpet and walls from any splashing during the cleaning process. With that in place I started to apply our secret solution for dealing with these sorts of problems in the form of Tile Doctor Reduxa which is designed to remove acid stains from calcareous stone.

The stained areas were sprayed with Reduxa and then left to soak in for a few minutes. The solution was then warmed up with a heat gun. Doing this causes the solution to evaporate into a vapour which draws out the stain. This process needs repeating four or five times to draw out the stain but its very effective and does the job. Once removed the Fireplace was washed down with clean water then dried off with the heat gun.

The stone had never been sealed before so the last job was to apply Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal which is an impregnating sealer that works by soaking into the pores of the stone thereby preventing anything from residing there. Once dry it becomes invisible and does not change the colour of the stone.

The work was soon completed and as you can imagine my customer was relieved that the staining was now gone.

Professional Removal of Wine Stains from Limestone in Cheshire

The post Red Wine Stains Removed from a Limestone Fireplace Surround in Sealand appeared first on West Cheshire Tile Doctor.

Terracotta Tiled Garden Room Floor Deep Cleaned and Sealed in Newbury

Mon, 03 Jun 2024 03:17:35 +0000

I recently did some work for a customer in Newbury renovating a Terracotta tiled garden room floor. The conservatory was used to host annual horticultural themed events; however, years of use had worn off the sealer allowing dirt and contaminations to build-up in the floor and leaving it looking tired.

I went over to survey the tiles and work out a plan for their renovation. Whilst talking I discovered the floor had never been professionally cleaned since it was installed twelve years ago. The customer also had a stone table that was in a similar state however I’ll cover that in a separate article.

From my renovation plan I worked out a quote which they were happy to go ahead with and a date was arranged to carry out the work which would take two days.

Deep Cleaning a Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor

To get the Terracotta tiles clean I applied a strong dilution of an alkaline cleaning agent called Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and left it to soak in for several minutes. This dwell times gives the product time to breakdown the dirt and any remaining sealer present on the tile.

The solution was then scrubbed into the tile and grout using a silicon carbide brush fitted to a mechanical rotary machine that I had added extra weights to in order to increase traction. This process releases the dirt from the floor turning the cleaning agent into a dark slurry which is then extracted. I use a hot water encapsulation system for this which cleans the floor and extracts the soiling at the same time, it’s a real time saver and the hot water ensures the floor dries quickly.

Then the whole process was repeated using a mild acid cleaner called Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up. This second product further cleans up the tiles by removing unwanted grout smears and being acidic also neutralises the pH level of the floor after the use of the alkaline cleaner earlier. After another rinse and extraction, the floor was then left to dry off overnight.

Sealing a Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor

The next day I returned to seal the floor first checking it had dried with a damp meter. I had decided earlier that the best sealer for Terracotta in this environment would be Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal. It’s a modern oil-based product that is rates for internal and external use.

One good coat was applied before buffing off the excess using plenty of sealing cloths. After two hours I gave the complete area a final buff with the rotary buffer fitted with a White pad. This removed any excess sealer and left it with a gentle sheen.

My customer was very happy with the outcome and was sure his horticultural friends would be impressed! For aftercare I left a bottle of neutral floor cleaner to help maintain the floor. This product as its name implies is pH neutral so will ensure the newly applied seals stay in place unlike many acidic household cleaners that can strip the sealer from the floor. It is mild enough to use daily and has a nice fresh smell.

Professional Restoration of a Terracotta Tiled Kitchen in Berkshire

The post Terracotta Tiled Garden Room Floor Deep Cleaned and Sealed in Newbury appeared first on Berkshire Tile Doctor.

200-Year-Old Black Flagstone Floor Restored at Kendal Gaol

Fri, 31 May 2024 08:28:23 +0000

Earlier this year I was asked to improve this tired looking Black Flagstone floor which was at a house in Kendal that dates back over 200 years. The property used to be the Prison Wardens house and was part of the House of Corrections which was situated in Kendal on the Hill on the road up towards Windermere. The old Stone walls, in what is now the car park, are still present but the Gaol has long gone with new houses built in its place around 120 years ago.

The flagstones formed the floor of what is now a Kitchen and Pantry and sometime in the past a red cement base was put on top of the stone to level it and was then covered in a wooden Parquet floor. The trouble with this was that it stopped the stone from breathing leading to damp spreading into the walls which in turn encouraged mould to grow. Certainly not what you want in a house and certainly not in the Kitchen.

The customer had removed all the old Parquet floor which was rotten anyway and knocked out a lot of the leveller but the stone was very rough and he was unable to get it clean as it would shred mops and the dirt would get trapped in the pits and build-up.

I went over to look at the Flagstones and recommended that we mill the stone which would remove what remained of the levelling compound allowing the stone to breathe again and remove the roughness of the stone allowing it to be cleaned easily. I came up with a restoration plan to do that, address the pointing and then seal the stone with a breathable sealer. Happy with the quote and relieved they now had a practical solution we were given the go ahead to do the work.

Milling a 200-Year-Old Black Flagstone Floor

We used a series of coarse DRB milling pads to grind off a thin layer of stone off the flagstones. This exposes new stone underneath and removes the contaminates in the process. The work starts with the very coarse 50-grit DRB milling pad and is applied to the floor using a heavy-duty buffing machine that has weights added to improve traction. Water is used to lubricate the process and this slowly turns to a slurry as work progresses. The slurry is then rinsed and extracted from the floor and the process repeated with the 100 and then 200-grit DRB milling pads.

Once done we moved onto the pointing which was knocked out with a Hammer Drill and replaced with a breathable pointing product called VDW in a stone-grey colour. Work continued into the next day where the sandstone was cleaned again with the 200-Grit milling pad and focus turned to cleaning all the edges and corners where the pads struggle to reach. Once done the floor was given another rinse and extraction and left it to dry overnight.

Sealing a Black Flagstone Tiled Basement Floor

To return the dark Black colour to the stone I decided to use a breathable oil-based sealer called Tile Doctor X-Tra seal that leaves a low satin finish. This product is rated for internal and external use and being breathable it will allow moisture to rise through the floor and evaporate at the surface. Old floors like this don’t have a damp proof membrane so it is important to choose a sealer that can allow the floor to breath and this will resolve the damp issues the property was experiencing previously.

This was not an easy job for us, but luckily it was quite a small floor. I’m not sure the photographs really do it justice but our work certainly made a difference and my customer was very happy with the result. They even left the following 5-star feedback on our website.

Brilliant job, our flagstone floor is completely transformed!
By Helen M, Kendal, 11 March 2024

For aftercare I recommended Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which will clean the floor without impacting the sealer which can be a problem with many of the stronger products you find in supermarkets.

Professional Restoration of a Black Flagstone Basement in Cumbria

The post 200-Year-Old Black Flagstone Floor Restored at Kendal Gaol appeared first on South Cumbria Tile Doctor.

New Sealer adds Life to a Dull Multi Coloured Slate Floor in Stock

Mon, 27 May 2024 06:00:26 +0000

This multi-coloured Slate kitchen floor had been laid fifteen years prior and although in very good condition the owner was unhappy with the finish. Basically, it looked dull, un-inviting and the owner wanted some life putting back in the stone.

It was clear to me that the sealer that had provided previously provided the sheen finish had simply worn off with use. Without a sealer in place dirt was now becoming ingrained into the pores of the slate making the problem worse.

I visited the property to survey the tiles and provide a quote for renovating the floor. The work would take two days and would include removing what remained of the old sealer, deep cleaning the Slate and then re-sealing the tiles with a sheen finish sealer. The quote was accepted, and a date arranged to do the work.

Cleaning a Multi-Coloured Slate Tiled Floor

I started by applying a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go and let it soak into the stone for ten minutes. This product is a coatings remover and cleaner that is safe to use on all type of stone or tile. Then using a 200-grit milling pad fitted to a rotary floor buffer the solution was worked into the stone to strip off what remained of the remaining sealer and pull the dirt out of the stone. The floor was then rinsed, and the soiled solution was removed using a wet vacuum.

Next, I treated the floor to an acid wash using another Tile Doctor product called Grout Clean-up. This is great for removing grout smears left over from tiling and neutralises the pH level of the floor after the use of Remove and Go which is alkaline. After scrubbing in the solution with a deck brush the floor was then rinsed and extracted again with the wet vacuum.

Sealing a Multi Coloured Slate Tiled Floor

I left the floor to dry out overnight and returned the next days later to apply the sealer. Before doing so I checked the moisture level of the tiles with a damp meter to ensure they had dried sufficiently. This is always worth doing as applying sealer to a floor that is still damp can lead to an inconsistent finish.

All was well with the readings so I started applying the first coat of sealer which for this floor we used Tile Doctor Seal & Go. This product will protect the stone from ingrained dirt and adds a lovely subtle shine to the floor which matched the customers’ requirements exactly. After about forty minutes of drying time, I applied a second cost and as expected this resulted in a healthy sheen.

My client was very happy with the result and left 5-star feedback along with the following comment.

Very Professional

For the aftercare cleaning of sealed slate floors, I recommend the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a gentle but effective product that won’t upset the sealer like many of the bleach based products you find in supermarkets.

Professional Restoration of a Multi Coloured Slate Tiled Kitchen, Hallway and WC Floor in North Lincolnshire

The post New Sealer adds Life to a Dull Multi Coloured Slate Floor in Stock appeared first on South Essex Tile Doctor.

Blackspot-Stained Grubby Sandstone Patio Restored in Caistor

Thu, 23 May 2024 06:21:02 +0000

These photographs are from a client in Caistor whose Sandstone Patio hadn’t been cleaned for years and was covered in blackspot and sap from overhanging trees from the churchyard next door. It was so dirty and un-inviting they had decided it was overdue a deep clean and so got in touch with Tile Doctor to have it restored, if possible. Deep cleaning a patio is certainly cheaper than replacing it so it’s always worth investigating that option first.

After discussing the patio over the phone, I made an appointment to visit the property and survey the patio. I could see that the Sandstone had turned black with all the absorbed dirt and blackspot staining and was unrecognisable from what it once was.

Undeterred I was confident of being able to renovate its condition and worked out a quote for the work which shouldn’t take longer than a day. Happy with the quote and the prospect of enjoying the patio again in time for the summer we set a date with an eye on the weather forecast.

Deep Cleaning a Sandstone Patio

There was a lot of dirt to remove so I started by giving the whole area a thorough jet wash using an industrial pressure washer. The machine generates pressurised hot water and worked well to cut through the dirt. It comes with several wand accessories including a spinner attachment that is the most efficient way to cut through the dirt.

With most of the surface debris removed I followed up with an application of Tile Doctor Patio & Driveway Cleaner which was left to soak into the stone for some time before being rinsed off with the pressure washer. This dwell time is important as the strong chemicals need time to break down the staining and especially the blackspot which ran deep into the Sandstone.

I had to repeat the process several times to get rid of all the staining experimenting with different dwell times on each occasion but as can be seen in the pictures it made an amazing difference. Just goes to show that a little patience can make a big difference.

My client was blown away in the transformation and most relieved that they wouldn’t have to look at replacing it.

I’ve mentioned this before but it’s worth knowing that Tile Doctor can deal with all types of tiles, both internal and external. We do not just tackle tiles, patios form a lot of our work in the spring and summer time, along with driveways. Cleaning and recolouring of grout is also a popular request for internal wall and floor tiles.

Professional Restoration of a Sandstone Patio in Lincolnshire

The post Blackspot-Stained Grubby Sandstone Patio Restored in Caistor appeared first on North Lincolnshire Tile Doctor.

High Gloss Marble Effect Porcelain Kitchen Floor in Atherton

Tue, 21 May 2024 16:37:32 +0000

The tiled floor shown isn’t Marble, it is actually high gloss Porcelain made to look like Marble installed in a house near Atherton. This was my second visit to the property after originally resolving several issues with another Porcelain tiled floor that was laid with wood grain effect Porcelain planks.

I had noticed the floor in the Kitchen whilst working at the property on my first visit and so I offered to improve its appearance using a 3000-grit polishing pad. Impressed with the difference I was able to achieve I was booked in to do the whole floor.

Cleaning a Marble Effect Porcelain Tiled Kitchen Floor

On arrival I took some readings with a gloss meter so I could assess the gloss levels before and after the work, this would enable me to assess the level of improvement once finished. Sometimes it is difficult to see the difference, so this meter is useful for validating the process actually made an improvement, in this case however I need not have worried!

This was a large area, but I was confident that the polishing could be done in a day. The process involves fitting a 3000-grit diamond burnishing pad to a floor buffer and slowly running the pad over each tile at least three times. This very fine diamond pad gently cleans and brings up the polished appearance of the Porcelain. The whole area is polished in this manner and then followed up with a soft white buffing pad just to further refine the polished appearance.

In addition, we removed some silicone sealant that had spread onto tiles from the adjoining expansion joints.

The gloss meter readings confirmed an improvement and as the owner pointed out the floor now looked like it had water on the surface, such was the deep nature of the polish I had managed to achieve.

Gloss Meter Reading Before Polishing

Gloss Meter Reading After Polishing

Sealing High Gloss Porcelain Tiles

In this instance there was no need to seal the floor as this type of Porcelain is sealed in the factory during production. However, the last step before leaving was to discuss aftercare cleaning.

For this floor I recommended Tile Doctor Stone Soap, whilst I appreciate this is not a stone floor this product contains a patina enhancer that will help maintain the polished appearance of the tile.

My clients were delighted with the work we carried out.

Professional Polishing of a High Gloss Porcelain Tiled Kitchen Floor in Greater Manchester

The post High Gloss Marble Effect Porcelain Kitchen Floor in Atherton appeared first on South Lancashire Tile Doctor.

Stained Marble Shower Tray Deep Cleaned in Bristol City Centre Apartment

Mon, 20 May 2024 08:50:03 +0000

The owner of a high-end apartment in Bristol City Centre called us in to take a look at a black marble shower tray in their ensuite bathroom. The marble was stained with years of use and realising they had to be careful how it was cleaned decided to call in Tile Doctor.

Marble is a metamorphic rock and as such is acid sensitive, Marble is really just a denser version of Limestone but it’s still sensitive. Most don’t realise this but there are lots of acids in use in the home, especially so in a bathroom where its prevalent in soaps, shampoos and body washes. Once used these really need to be washed away from sensitive surfaces with lots of water.

Even the glass in the shower doors can be affected by acids as can the grout lines and silicone sealer. Although the acids used in these products are weak and designated safe for the human skin, long term use can cause the staining which you will see on the before picture on this post.

Cleaning a Polished Marble Black Shower Tray

I was able to rectify the problem using a set of 6-inch diamond burnishing pads fitted to a handheld polishing machine. No other products are required as the pads are applied using water to help lubricate the process.

The cleaning started with the application of a coarse 400-grit burnishing pad which deep cleans and re-surfaces the stone to remove etching and other stains. The soiling generated is then rinsed off and the pad is changed to the 800 and then 1500 grit using the same process. This action refines the surface and then re-builds the polish on the exterior.

The marble was then dried with a heat gun, and the process repeated using a very fine 3000-grit pad. This last pad is applied dry with just a squirt of water from a spray bottle where needed and results in a deeper shine.

Sealing a Polished Marble Black Shower Tray

The polished marble was then sealed to protect it and keep dirt on the surface where its easily cleaned away. I chose to use Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal for this as its oil based and it’s the oil that restores the dark tones to the stone, it is also rated for external use, so it is ideal for wet areas.

This sealer does have a caveat however, it needs to be polished in well after it’s been applied, otherwise the oil base wicks up and it can turn tacky, or slippery if not polished off well enough, only one coat is needed.

The client was very happy with the finish, in fact they made a comment that it never looked this good when it was installed three years ago. We get this comment a lot and we think it’s down to the fact that the installers do not have enough experience with the application of sealers or in fact choosing the right sealer for the job.

For aftercare I recommended they spray on Tile Doctor Aqua-Pro after showering, it’s a mild alkaline shower cleaner that’s ideal for use with sealed stone.

Professional Renovation of a Black Marble Shower Tray in Bristol

The post Stained Marble Shower Tray Deep Cleaned in Bristol City Centre Apartment appeared first on Bristol Tile Doctor.

Ceramic Bathroom Tile and Grout Renovated for New Colchester Homeowners

Fri, 17 May 2024 05:59:57 +0000

This fine example of a Ceramic tiled bathroom is from a house in the city of Colchester. The property had just changed hands and the new owner didn’t know how to restore the tile, grout, and silicone to their standards. It was clear that the tile and grout had been neglected by the previous owner and mould had started to form.

Refreshing stained tile and grout is such a quick thing to do and gives maximum benefit, especially if your selling a property as it will help achieve more interest. So, it always surprises me that many sellers don’t chose to do this before putting their house on the market.

Cleaning a Ceramic Bathroom Tiles

Work started with a deep clean of the grout lines with a generous application of Tile Doctor Duo Clean which is a fast and effective grout cleaner and mould remover. This product is designed for this purpose and comes with a trigger attachment so it can easily be sprayed onto the wall. The solution was then left for five minutes before being scrubbed into the wall tile and grout with a scrubbing brush. This action brought out a lot of dirt and staining from the grout which was then rinsed off.

After reviewing my handywork I decided more work was needed to the grout so I followed this up with an application of Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel. This is a gel cleaner that sticks well to vertical surfaces allowing for longer dwell times. After ten minutes it was worked into the grout as before and then rinsed off.

The Tile and Grout was now as clean as it could be but there were some deep-seated stains in the grout that simply couldn’t be removed. However, I always knew this could be the case and had already agreed I would apply a grout colourant if this proved to be the case.

Grout Colouring Ceramic Bath Tiles

Before applying the colourant though I needed to prepare the grout to achieve a stronger bond with the colourant. I did this with another Tile Doctor product called Acid Gel which is applied as before. This etches the grout at a microscopic level and being acidic further cleans the surface by removing limescale deposits.

I then set about stripping out the silicone mastic sealant between the bathtub and wall tiles with a sharp knife; the sealant was heavily stained almost black in places so very much in need of replacement. Once all the rubbish was swept out, I dried any remaining dampness from the grout and tiles.

This left the grout ready to be recoloured. I did this over the course of a few hours, using a White colourant from the Tile Doctor Grout Colourant range. White is just one of eleven colours available in the range and was chosen in this case to give the grout a really fresh look and to blend in with the Ceramic tiles. The Grout Colourant not only colours the grout joints – it also seals and rejuvenates them leaving it looking new.

Once the restoration was finished, I filled the bath with water and resealed the shower base with fresh silicone mastic again in White to match the tile and grout. This last step finished the renovation leaving it looking like a new installation.

The Customer was amazed by the transformation of their bathroom and left the following five-star review.

Dean did an excellent job of getting the mould off my bathroom tiles and re-grouting them. It’s like having a new bathroom! I’m very grateful and would highly recommend North Essex Tile doctor. Georgina D, Colchester

Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle Cleaning and Grout Recolouring in Derbyshire

The post Ceramic Bathroom Tile and Grout Renovated for New Colchester Homeowners appeared first on North Essex Tile Doctor.

Restoring a Multi Coloured Slate Kitchen Floor in Penarth

Thu, 16 May 2024 10:10:22 +0000

Tile Doctor was contacted by a homeowner in Penarth to see if anything could be done to salvage this multi-coloured Slate floor which had been revealed during a kitchen refurb. As the local Tile Doctor covering Cardiff and the surrounding areas, I was asked to get in touch.

I went over to the property to survey the floor, work out what needed to be done and put a quote together for its restoration. The slate was multi-coloured and didn’t look that old, however, it had been laid around the previous kitchen units and once they had been removed it left quite a few gaps in the flooring.

I managed to track down similar tiles from a specialist slate supplier and once I had all the prices, I was able to provide a quote for fully restoring the floor. Naturally the owner was keen to progress the work as soon as possible and it wasn’t long before the quote was accepted, and a date arranged for my return visit.

Cleaning and Repairing a Multi Coloured Slate Kitchen Floor

Work started with the repairs; the replacement tiles were bigger than the tiles laid on the floor, so they had to be trimmed by 10mm from two edges to make them fit correctly. Once cut they were fixed into place with quick setting adhesive and then grouted in.

My attention then turned to addressing the plaster and paint splatters which stained the floor from the previous decorating work. This proved more difficult than expected, but I persisted and managed to remove the debris with a sharp bladed tool taking care not to scratch the slate.

Once most of the plaster was removed, I set about with the next stage of restoration work, deep cleaning the floor. The products I used were Tile Doctor Pro-Clean mixed 50:50 with Tile Doctor Nanotech HBU cleaner, I’ve used this combination before as it results in a very powerful tile cleaner.

The solution was applied to the floor 1m2 at a time and scrubbed with a handheld brush, working it into the tiles and the grout lines also. I rinsed off the soiling with clean water and vacuumed off the waste as I worked.

Once completely clean, the floor was left to dry overnight ready for sealing the next day.

Sealing a Multi Coloured Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor

The desired finish was matt, so I applied Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is a colour enhancing impregnator sealer. It works by soaking into the stone, occupying its pores, and thereby ensuring dirt remains on the surface where it can be easily cleaned away.

As well as adding durable protection the new sealer truly brought out the natural colours of the stone. Needless to say, the clients were delighted with the finish on their newly renovated stone floor and were relieved it could be salvaged as they considering having it replaced.

Before leaving I took time to discuss aftercare cleaning and recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner. This product is a mild yet effective tile cleaner that is safe to use on sealed floors, this is important as many of the cleaning products you find in supermarkets are simply too strong and will erode the sealer.

Professional Restoration of a Multi Coloured Slate Tiled Kitchen in South Wales

The post Restoring a Multi Coloured Slate Kitchen Floor in Penarth appeared first on South East Wales Tile Doctor.

Stained Sandstone Fireplace Renovated in Chatsworth

Wed, 15 May 2024 06:27:29 +0000

Earlier this year I paid a visit to the beautiful village of Chatsworth to visit a client who had asked me to look at the Sandstone Hearth and Mantle that enclosed their fireplace. The hearth was grubby with dirt and soot from the log burner and the large stone mantle was soot stained and marked with candle wax.

We discussed the problem areas and I went through the cleaning options. I was confident of removing the staining and worked out a quote to carry out a deep clean of the stone. The client agreed the price and the works were scheduled.

Deep Cleaning a Sandstone Fireplace Hearth and Mantle

On arrival I prepared the area surrounding the fireplace by laying dust sheets and taping around the hearth. The protection would prevent any damage to the adjacent timber floor and ensure they wouldn’t get splashed during the cleaning process.

To deep clean the Sandstone several coats of Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel were applied with a large brush and left it to soak in. Being a gel, this cleaning product is very easy to manage and ideal for working in small areas, it also sticks well to vertical surfaces such as the mantle.

After about fifteen to twenty minutes the gel was then agitated and scrubbed into the stone with a stiff brush to release the staining. I also spent quite some time scraping away the candle wax that had dripped onto the hearth and mantel top.

The stone was then wiped to clean away the slurry and the process repeated until I was satisfied that the stone had come up as best it could. I then sprayed it with water to remove any remaining Oxy-Gel.

The Sandstone hearth and mantle were then inspected and stubborn stains were treated to a further clean using different grits from a set of hand-held diamond blocks.

Sealing a Sandstone Fireplace Hearth and Mantle

The fireplace was then left to dry which didn’t take long due to the use of low moisture cleaning products and small amounts of water. Once dry I applied two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow sealer which is an impregnating sealer that adds protection and improves the colour of natural stone.

The client was delighted with the finish.

Professional Clean of a Sandstone Fireplace in Derbyshire

The post Stained Sandstone Fireplace Renovated in Chatsworth appeared first on Derbyshire Tile Doctor.

3D Patterned Geometric Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Renovated in Guildford

Tue, 14 May 2024 04:04:50 +0000

I’ve cleaned many interesting geometric Victorian tiled floors in my career but none so eye catching as this example at a property in Guildford which featured a beautiful 3D pattern. My client had got in touch to see if I could restore the floor back to its original, it was currently looking quite grubby but thankfully appeared to be physically intact with no loose or broken tiles.

I was confident the floor would look great with a bit of love and care and all it needed was a deep clean to extract all the ingrained dirt and then sealing. I provided a quote for the work and arranged a convenient time to complete the work for them.

Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Mosaic Hallway Floor

It was quite soiled to start with, so I gently sprayed Tile Doctor Pro-Clean over all the tiles, leaving the product to dwell for twenty minutes whilst keeping the tiles moist. Whilst this has happening I setup a weighted buffing machine fitted with a coarse 100-grit diamond pad. I’m able to attach three heavy iron bars to the front of this machine to add more heft to the machine; increasing the weight improves downward pressure and traction to equal a better result.

Applied with water for lubrication the pad is run over each of the tiles in turn. This is quite an aggressive process that cuts a thin layer from the tile which is absorbed into the water turning it into a slurry and ensuring no dust is generated. Marching up and down, slowly from front to rear I slowly deep cleaned the tiles. Once I was satisfied, they were as clean as they could possible be all the waste with a wet vacuum.

The floor was then washed with hot water and then extracted with the wet vacuum again, this was done a couple of times to remove any remaining soiling. Hot water is preferable for this as it evaporates quickly.

The buffing machine doesn’t reach into the corners, so to make sure they were not missed I used handheld diamond blocks; again, rinsing the soil created away with water and extracting with the wet vacuum afterwards.

The floor was then left to dry out overnight and I asked the owners to try and avoid walking on it.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

Having discussed the clients’ needs and expectations of the final finish earlier it was clear they wanted the floor to have a subtle shine to it. They had said that a matte finish was a little boring but they thought a shiny finish was a little too much, so we opted for a sheen finish. To provide this effect I had recommended Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra which is a fine compromise that offers a subtle shine and is tough wearing. It’s actually my personal favourite that I use on many types of tiled floor.

So, the following day I applied several coats until I was satisfied the finish was as hoped. The floor looked great and created a stunning entrance to the property. This was now more in keeping with the rest of the original features in the period property.

My client was over the moon with the work and before leaving I took time to discuss aftercare. I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner for regular cleaning; this product won’t impact the newly applied sealer. It’s also mild enough to use every day which is always a possibility in high traffic areas such as a hallway.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in West Surrey

The post 3D Patterned Geometric Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Renovated in Guildford appeared first on West Surrey Tile Doctor.

Renovating Heavily Soiled Reclaimed Pamment Tiled Flooring in Gissing

Mon, 13 May 2024 11:19:04 +0000

I was contacted by clients with a Pamment Tiled Flooring who were living in Gissing, a small village in the centre of South Norfolk which has a long history dating back to Saxon times. The Pamments were reclaimed suffering from heavy soiling and in need of considerable expert attention. All the old protective coatings had pretty much worn completely off the surface of the tiles which had then allowed many years of dirt to become ingrained in the pores of the clay, making it almost impossible to clean for the homeowner using ordinary methods.

Pamment tiles were very popular in older Norfolk homes; they are made from locally sourced clay and, like terracotta, are extremely porous and therefore need to be thoroughly sealed against fluids and general soiling. When correctly cleaned and sealed, they are quite versatile and can be used for internal floors as well as external areas such as patios and pathways.

Cleaning a Pamment tiled floor

To remove all traces of the old sealers and clean the tiles I decided to apply Tile Doctor Remove & Go, which was diluted with water to form a medium strength solution. I applied a generous coat of this solution to the floor, leaving it to soak into the pores of the tiles for approximately ten minutes. The solution was then worked into the Pamments using a Black nylon scrubbing pad fitted to a 17″ rotary machine. Remove & Go is a powerful and versatile cleaner which is safe to use on natural stone floors, kiln-fired tiles and all types of grout.

I rinsed the solution off the floor with clean water once it had worked its magic and extracted the resulting dirty residue with a wet-vacuum machine. In order to tackle some particularly stubborn stains, I repeated this process until I was satisfied that the floor had been cleaned to the highest standard possible.

The whole area was then given an acid wash using a dilution of Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up. This further cleans the tiles to remove old grout stains and neutralises the pH level of the floor following the use of alkaline cleaning products, lastly it also ensures optimal adhesion of the new sealer.

The floor was then left to dry overnight before returning the next day to complete the seal. I left a dehumidifier running overnight to assist the drying process and ensure that the floor would be completely dry on the following day. It’s imperative that a tiled floor is completely dry before sealing as any excess moisture left in the floor can potentially adversely affect the overall performance of the sealer as it evaporates.

Sealing a Pamment tiled floor

To seal and protect the Pamment tiles I applied a total of five coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go, which provided a robust, durable surface seal along with an aesthetically pleasing, mid-sheen finish (as you can see from the photos). Seal & Go is the go-to sealer for internal, unsealed porous surfaces such as Terracotta, Sandstone or Slate.

The clients had left us to work our magic over the two days, returning at the end of the sealing day and were absolutely staggered at the results we had achieved with a floor they had thought beyond help.

For aftercare cleaning I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner, it’s a gentle yet effective product that won’t upset the sealer which can be the problem with many of the stronger products you find in supermarkets.

Deep Cleaning and Restoration of Reclaimed Pamment Tiles in Norfolk

The post Renovating Heavily Soiled Reclaimed Pamment Tiled Flooring in Gissing appeared first on Norfolk Tile Doctor.

Victorian Hallway restoration in Warwick

Fri, 10 May 2024 03:29:24 +0000

I took these photographs of an original Victorian tiled floor at a 1900’s house in Warwick, near the racecourse. The floor had been covered in vinyl for many years and had decided to replace it. However, after realising the value a restored period floor can add to a property, they investigated having it restored and consequently contacted Tile Doctor.

Before quoting I went over to the house to survey the floor and work out what would be needed to renovate it. I could see that the main issues would be the self-levelling screed and adhesive that had been used to secure the vinyl. There were also numerous tiles that would need replacing. None of this concerned me though as I have worked through these sorts of issues many times before.

I reassured the client that the original floor could absolutely be restored back to its original condition and worked out a price for the work which would take two days, one to clean/repair, and one to seal. My quote was accepted, and a date was arranged for my return.

Cleaning and Repairing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

Old floors like this one don’t have a damp proof membrane under the tiles so I was immediately concerned about increasing the moisture levels in the floor itself, especially as it was previously covered in vinyl which can prevent moisture rising through the floor. As a result, I decided to use as little water as possible when cleaning the floor by using low moisture gel cleaning products.

To remove the screed and adhesive I applied Tile Doctor Acid Gel to the floor and then left it to soak in for ten minutes before working it in with a 100 and then 200-grit abrasive pad. The acidic nature of the gel is really good at breaking down cement and mineral based contaminates allowing them to be removed more easily. After each pad I used a little water to help sluice away the soiled gel and extracted with a wet vacuum.

After cleaning I then turned my attention to the 23 or so tiles that were either loose or in a bad condition and needed changing. These were carefully removed, and the foundation cleaned up before being replaced with a matching tile that I had managed to source earlier. The replacements were secured with fresh adhesive and then grouted. The floor was then given a quick clean and then left to dry out fully overnight.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

The next day I returned and sealed the floor with Tile Doctor Colour Grow which leaves a matt finish and contains a colour enhancing formula that really brings out the colours in the tile. Additionally Colour Grow is also fully breathable and will allow moisture to rise unhindered through the floor and evaporate at the surface, a crucial feature when sealing old floors like this one.

For aftercare I recommended Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is an effective tile cleaner that is safe to use on sealed tiled floors.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in Worcestershire

The post Victorian Hallway restoration in Warwick appeared first on Warwickshire Tile Doctor.

Original Victorian Tiled Porch Deep Cleaned in Clifton Bristol

Thu, 09 May 2024 04:57:15 +0000

This customer from the Clifton area of Bristol contacted Tile Doctor about a small Victorian Tiled Porch at the entrance to their property that needed renovating. Happy to assist I went over to take a look and survey the tiles.

You can see from the photos the tiles were in quite a state and would need a deep clean to pull out all the dirt that had become ingrained in the pores of the tile. I was happy to deep clean the tiles to restore the appearance but there were two cracked tiles in the middle that needed replacing. I don’t cover tiling work at the moment so I asked the customer to arrange for those two tiles to be replaced and then I would return to do the deep clean.

Happy with the plan we agreed a price for the cleaning and waited for them to let me know when the tiling work had been completed.

Deep Cleaning Victorian Porch Tiles

I deep cleaned the tiles with Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel scrubbed in with a 200-Grit diamond milling pad. The Oxy-Gel is great for breaking down the dirt in small areas as being a gel its very easy to control and the industrial diamonds in the pads get right into the dirt. A little water is used with the Oxy-Gel to help lubricate the process and this soon begins to turn black as the dirt becomes released from the tiles. This soiling was then extracted from the floor using a wet vacuum.

I then switched over to a black pad and applied another Tile Doctor product called Acid Gel. This further cleans the floor and being acidic will remove old grout smears and other mineral deposits, it also neutralises the pH level of the floor from the use of Oxy-Gel which is a strong alkaline. Lastly being acidic it microscopically etches the clay tiles allowing for a stronger bond for the sealer. Once done the floor was rinsed with water and wet vacuumed again. This time I just used a deck brush for the final clean down.

The clean-up didn’t take long, just a few hours but it certainly improved the appearance of the tiles.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Vestibule

To save money my customer said they would seal the floor themselves so before leaving I discussed the process with them and recommended, they leave it to dry off overnight before applying the sealer. I left them a couple of sealing cloths and a partly used tin of Tile Doctor Colour Grow for this. I recommended applying the sealer with a brush and then polishing off any excess with the cloths within five minutes of it being applied. Colour Grow contains a colour enhancing formula and is also fully breathable so ideal for exposed porches like this one.

For aftercare cleaning I recommended Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which as its name suggests is a pH neutral tile cleaner. It’s important to use a pH neutral product like this as many of the products you find in supermarkets are simply too strong and can strip off a sealer with repeated use.

Professional Restoration of a Small Victorian Tiled Porch in Bristol

The post Original Victorian Tiled Porch Deep Cleaned in Clifton Bristol appeared first on Bristol Tile Doctor.

Restoring the Appearance of a Heavily Soiled Marble Tabletop in Pangbourne

Wed, 08 May 2024 06:10:19 +0000

I received an enquiry from a customer in Pangbourne regarding a heavy soiled Marble stone table. The customer was downsizing and thought the marble tabletop would make a great addition to the balcony at the new property. However, as you can see from the photographs below it was in a very bad condition, in fact the customer described the tabletop as “not fit enough for the skip let alone the garden”.

The tabletop was in such dire condition I wasn’t even sure it was Marble. However, after taking a more detailed look, I was able to confirm It was indeed marble and therefore confident it could be renovated to a good standard.

Time was of the essence as the customer was due to move in the following weekend so I quickly worked out a quote for doing the work, which was agreed, and I took the table home so it could be worked on in the evenings.

Repairing and Cleaning a Marble Stone Table

The outside elements had taken its toll on this tabletop and it was covered in algae, black spot and lichens. Tile Doctor have a wide variety of products that help us tackle various issues with stone however I figured a good start would be to use their Patio & Driveway Cleaner.

This product is seriously strong and designed specially to remove algae, lichens and black spot. It’s not what I would usually use on Marble however due to the severity of contamination it was my best option. Returning the next morning the results were incredible, about 80% of the contaminant’s had been removed but I knew if we repeated the process, we could achieve an even better result. I continued with the same method as before and left it to work overnight again. Happy with results I could continue with the next stage.

The next stage was to polish the Marble using a series of pads from Tile Doctors inventory of 6-inch diamond burnishing pads. The first pad in the set to be applied was a coarse 100-grit pad followed by a 200-grit. The pads are applied with water to help lubricate the process and are designed to repair damage left behind as a result of removing the algae and lichens.

The process was then repeated with a coarse 400-grit and fine 1500-grit pads which gradually closed the pores and return the shine. This is a messy process which generates a slurry which is removed with after each pad with the wet vacuum.

Sealing a Marble Stone Table

With the Marble surface restored the last step was to protect the stone with a sealer which will keep any dirt or contaminates on the surface where they can be easily wiped away. So once the table was dry, I applied a thin coat of Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal which is an almost invisible impregnator that soaks into the Marble occupying its fine pores and thereby preventing dirt from becoming lodged there.

The transformation was incredible, and both the customer and I were astonished by the outcome. My clients her husband even joked that I must have ‘swapped it out with a new one!’

For aftercare of polished stone worktops and tabletops I recommend the use of Tile Doctor Stone Patina Spray. Its a spray-and-buff cleaner that is designed to enhance the natural beauty and lustre of polished stone as it cleans.

Professional Repair and Renovation of a Stone Table in Berkshire

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Lino Covered Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor Restoration in Goulceby near Louth

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 13:01:55 +0000

I was asked to look at this Quarry tiled floor at a property in the village of Goulceby near Louth for a client who was renovating their kitchen. Previously it had been covered with lino and they lifted that to reveal the tiles underneath. Realising this floor was original to the property they decided to see if it could be restored and hence contacted Tile Doctor.

I went over to survey the Quarry tiles and could see there was quite a lot of cement screed staining on the tiles, a lot of which was quite thick. The installers of the linoleum will have done this to provide a completely level base. Although difficult I knew it could be removed and provided the client with a quote for restoring the floor. This was accepted, and a date scheduled for the work to commence.

Cleaning a Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor

From experience I know the quickest way to remove old screed is to soften it with a steamer and then scrape it off carefully with a large scraper. It is not quick, and the work is quite laborious, but it is effective, in fact removing the screed took the best part of two days.

With the bulk of the screed removed I gave the floor an acid wash using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up, this product breaks down mineral based contaminates such as the remnants of the cement screed and old grout smears. Being acidic it will also neutralise alkaline salts that may have built up in the tiles. Old floors like this are designed to breathe and the previous coverings would have prevented that. This can lead to moisture being trapped under the floor where it can potentially reach out to the walls and cause rising damp. The Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up was scrubbed in with a mechanical buffer and then the soiling was rinsed off and extracted with a wet vacuum.

I then gave the floor a deep clean using Tile Doctor Remove and Go to get rid of any old sealants and dirt trapped in the tiles itself. I used the previous method of scrubbing with the buffer followed by rinsing and extracting. Last step on day two was to spot treat any remaining problem areas by hand until I was satisfied the floor was as clean as it possible.

I used a lot of water during those two days so despite removing as much of it as possible with the wet vacuum I was concerned it may take a long time to dry out completely, so I left a couple of dehumidifiers in place for a further two days before I returned to apply the sealer.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor

On my return I checked the moisture levels of the tiles with a damp meter, taking readings from different parts of the floor to confirm it was dry. All was well so I set about applying the first of two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow. This is a breathable colour enhancing impregnating sealer that works by soaking into clay tiles, occupying the pores and ensuring dirt remains on the surface where it is easily cleaned away.

Once complete the Quarry tiled floor was transformed and as you can imagine my client was very happy with the result. They commented that they really didn’t think a tiled floor in this condition could be restored but figured it would be worth giving it a go.

Before leaving I took time to discuss aftercare, and recommended they use a sealer safe Tile Cleaning product such as Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner.

Professional Restoration of a Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor Lincolnshire

The post Lino Covered Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor Restoration in Goulceby near Louth appeared first on North Lincolnshire Tile Doctor.

Bathroom Grout Recolour, Repair and Silicone in Matlock Bath

Tue, 23 Apr 2024 13:15:09 +0000

I arranged to visit a property in the Derbyshire Dales village of Matlock Bath, to renovate the Ceramic bathroom tiles and grout. This is a beautiful area in the Peak District and consequently very popular with tourists.

I could see there was damage and missing grout to some areas of wall tiling, and this was resulting in damp staining to the hall ceiling below. The grout that was there was heavily stained even though it was only 2 years old. The client couldn’t understand why it had gotten so bad. I reassured him I could resolve the issue and get it looking like new again.

I cleaned down a small area of grout and applied a small amount of Tile Doctor Grout recolour in White. Instantly the client could see how good the finish would be. He agreed my quotation and booked me in the following week to do the work.

Cleaning and Repairing the Grout in a Ceramic Tiled Bathroom

I started by raking out any areas of loose or cracked grout and cleaning up the resultant debris. I then replaced all the missing grout with Mapei’s fast setting waterproof grout in White and left to dry.

Once dry I turned my attention to the rest of the grout which had discoloured from the use of soaps etc. To tackle this, I sprayed on a 3:1 dilution of Tile Doctor Duo Clean and left it to work its magic for approximately ten to fifteen minutes. This was followed by scrubbing the stained grout lines with a stiff grout brush and also wiping over the Ceramic tiles to ensure they were equally clean. The whole area was then rinsed down with water and dried with a cotton cloth.

Next was to spray the same areas with Tile Doctor Grout Colourant Pre-Treater and re-scrub the grout joints again. This prepares the grout for the colouring fluid to achieve a superior bond. I rinsed again with clean water to remove all traces and after another wipe down with a dry cloth I left the area to dry and went for a cup of tea.

After my cuppa I began to strip the stained silicone around the bath ensuring all traces of mould or grime build up was wiped away using Tile Doctor Duo Clean sprayed onto a cloth.

Sealing the Grout in a Tiled Bathroom

Once this was complete the grout areas were dry, so I started the application of a Tile Doctor Grout Colourant in White. This is done using a small brush and literally painted on to all the joints including the newly grouted areas to ensure a consistent finish. The excess is wiped off the tile as you go along and after two coats of colourant the grout was looking bright and sparkling clean again.

I finished the job by reapplying new sealant between the tiles and the bath using a mould resistant sanitary silicone in White.

As you can see, the bathroom was transformed by the work, in fact it looked like a new installation. Needless to say my client was delighted. Another benefit of the rough grout Colourant is it adds a smooth barrier over the grout making it very easy to clean.

Professional Bathroom Tile and Grout Renovation in Derbyshire

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Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle Refreshed for new Tenants in Swanwick

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 10:47:05 +0000

A private landlord got in touch recently to ask if there was anything that could be done to improve the tiles around the bath and shower in one of his rental properties in Swanwick just North of Ripley. There had been a long-term tenant living in the house who hadn’t maintained the area and as you can see from the photographs below the tiles were looking drab and the grout lines were heavily stained with grime, shampoo, and soap.

When renting property out a property it makes a lot of sense to give a bathroom a facelift to ensure it’s more attractive to future tenants, not only will it rent faster but it should also command a better price, after all no-one wants to rent a place with grotty tiles!

I arranged to visit to they property to determine a plan of action and provide a quote for the work. Whilst there I carried out a test clean and was able to reassure the landlord that it wouldn’t be a problem and I was confident that the tile and grout could be renovated to a very high standard.

Happy with the test clean and my quote my client gave the go ahead and asked for the work to be scheduled in ASAP so the search for a new tenant could begin.

Cleaning a Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle

I began by cleaning the grout lines with a generous application of Tile Doctor Duo Clean which is a fast and effective double action grout cleaner and mould remover. This product is designed for this purpose and comes with a trigger attachment so it can easily be sprayed onto the wall. The solution was then left for five minutes before being scrubbed into the wall tiles and grout with a scrubbing brush. This action brought out a lot of dirt and staining from the grout which was then rinsed off.

I then reviewed the wall tiles and concluded that even though they did look a lot cleaner there was some deep-seated staining in the grout that could not be shifted. I had planned for this though possibility though, given the original state of the grout it was clear to me from the start that the best solution would be to colour the grout with a White grout colourant and this had been factored into the quote.

For best results the grout needs to be further cleaned with a Pre-Treater which is a slightly acidic cleaner that prepares the grout and ensures a better bond with the colourant. This is applied to the grout and left for 5 minutes before being scrubbed in with the grout brush. It is then rinsed away with water and left to dry.

Before applying the grout colourant, I set about stripping out the silicone mastic sealant between the bathtub and wall tiles with a sharp knife; the sealant was heavily stained and damaged in places so very much in need of replacement. Once all the rubbish was swept out, I dried any remaining dampness from the grout and tiles.

Grout Colouring a Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle

The application of Grout Colourant not only colours the grout joints – it also seals and rejuvenates them. It also dries quickly, so I could apply a second coat quite soon after the first, removing any excess as I went.

Once the restoration was finished, I resealed the shower base with fresh silicone mastic again in White to match the tile and grout. This last step finished the renovation and the result was quite a transformation.

The Landlord was delighted and so was the Letting Agent.

Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle Cleaning and Grout Recolouring in Derbyshire

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Restoration of a Carpet Covered Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor in Lincoln

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 11:18:51 +0000

This client contacted me because they were renovating their house in Lincoln and wanted to know it was possible to restore the Victorian tiled floor they found underneath the carpet. They had seen previous work of mine on-line and so confident I could help they decided to get in touch to see what could be done.

I went over to survey the floor and could immediately see it needed a lot of work. The floor was covered in all sorts of contamination, carpet adhesive, paint, plaster, cement, years of dirt and there were several areas of crumbled tiles that would need replacing.

I measured up and worked out a restoration plan along with the materials I would need to get the job done. Later that day I emailed over a quote to the owner, and they gave me go ahead to get the work done.

Deep Cleaning and Repairing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor in Lincoln

I started work by deep cleaning the floor tiles with Tile Doctor Remove and Go, this as its name suggests is a coatings remover that can deal with quite a lot of problems. A strong dilution was made and sprayed onto one section of floor at a time where it was left to soak in for roughly twenty minutes. The tiles were then scrubbed to soften the contaminates and I used a steamer and a scraper to get off as much of the glue as possible. Once done the soiling was rinsed off with water and extracted with a wet vacuum.

The initial treatment did well to remove the glue etc, but I could see more work was needed to really deep clean the years of dirt out of the Victorian tiles. For this I applied another Tile Doctor product called Nanotech HBU Remover, HBU stands for Heavy Build-Up. This was applied and extracted in the same way as before.

Next step was to carry out the repairs that were required which were mainly around the door thresholds. I’m not sure what it is with thresholds, but I guess this is generally where two floors meet, and the floor can experience some movement. To ensure a perfect match the owner had agreed for tiles to be removed from under the stairs so they could be re-used for the repairs. The space under the stairs was due to be boxed in as part of the renovations so you would never know.

With that done I moved onto the next step of giving the floor an acid rinse using Tile Doctor Acid Gel. This cleans up the tiles further by removing grout smears, dissolving efflorescent salts in the floor and the acidic nature of the product also neutralises the pH level of the floor after the use of strong alkaline cleaning products earlier. The floor was rinsed again afterwards, and then dried as much as possible with the wet vacuum before leaving it to dry off overnight.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor in Lincoln

I left the floor to dry out for several days before returning to seal the tiles. Applying a sealer to damp tiles can result in a patchy appearance to on my return I checked the moisture levels first with a damp meter to ensure they were dry enough. The readings were fine, so I was able to apply a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is a breathable colour enhancing sealer. This is a super durable product which will give great protection to the floor, especially when it is in a high traffic area such as a hallway.

Once the work was completed the floor looked so much better and I’m happy to report that both the husband and wife were amazed at the transformation. Before leaving I took time to discuss aftercare and recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner to maintain the floor. This is a pH neutral product which will is mild enough to use every day and won’t harm the sealer. It’s supplied as a concentrate so you only need a small amount of cleaning fluid to clean the floor and so a one litre bottle will last some time.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in Lincolnshire

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Cleaning and Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor in Cardiff

Mon, 08 Apr 2024 18:43:11 +0000

A homeowner from Cardiff was in touch earlier this year regarding their 1930’s Geometric tiled floor more commonly referred to a Victorian. These floors are created using encaustic cement tiles benefit greatly from being sealed to prevent dirt from becoming ingrained in the tile and in this case the sealer had worn off some years ago.

I paid a visit to the property to survey the floor and come up with a restoration plan and produce a quote for work. It was clear that the floor had seen many years of heavy foot traffic since it had been last renovated and now you could see black staining building up on the tile. This had not gone unnoticed by the owner and wanted the floor restoring to its former glory.

I worked out a quote which was accepted and we agreed a date for the work to start.

Deep Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

To get the floor clean I created a 50:50 solution of two Tile Doctor products, Pro-Clean and Nanotech HBU Remover. The two products combine to create a very powerful alkaline tile cleaning product. The solution was applied neat to approximately one square meter at a time and after leaving it to soak for ten minutes it was worked in using a hand size scrubbing pad cut from a Black 17-inch floor pad.

This is an aggressive pad which helps shift the dirt with the help of the products which penetrate the pores of the tile to lift out the ingrained dirt. After working on the area for around five to ten minutes at a time it was rinsed with water and the soiling extracted with a wet vacuum.

The next step was to repeat the process using Grout Clean-up which is an acidic cleaning product that helps to further clean up the tiles, removing old cement residues and will dissolve any efflorescent salts that may be present in the floor. After another rise and extraction, I was able to move on to the next square meter.

Hallways lend themselves well to this approach as you can start at one end and progress down the floor, working in this manner also ensures each meter is checked and any issues are resolved as you progress.

One the whole floor had been cleaned in this way it was left to dry off overnight.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

The following day I returned and first used the damp meter to check that the floor was dry enough to seal. Satisfied with the results I began with the application of the first coat of sealer which for this floor we used Tile Doctor Seal and Go. This sealer provides a satin shine finish which also enhances the deep vibrant colours of the tiles.

The customer was delighted with the results so much that they asked me to return later to restore the Red Quarry tiled floor in there dining room. Before leaving I took time to discuss aftercare cleaning for which I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner, this is a gentle but effective tile cleaning product designed for use on sealed floors that will ensure easy maintenance and keep the floor in great condition.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in South Wales

The post Cleaning and Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor in Cardiff appeared first on South East Wales Tile Doctor.

Neglected Slate Tiled Utility Room Floor Cleaned and Sealed in Farnham

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 14:13:54 +0000

The Slate floor in this room at a property in Farnham was in quite a state. “Heavily soiled” is a polite description. The floor was situated in the utility room and hadn’t been cleaned properly since the house was constructed ten years ago.

The room was mainly used as a dumping ground for walking boots and was also where the dog slept. Being out of sight it was therefore out of mind but eventually they decided it was time to do something about it and reached out to Tile Doctor for help.

I visited the property, surveyed the tiles and was confident the floor could be restored! From my survey I was also able to provide a quote for a deep clean and seal of the Slate tiles which was accepted and a date set for my return.

Cleaning a Slate Tiled Utility Room Floor

I cleaned the grout first with Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, this was done using the usual method of applying it directly to the grout and leaving it to soak in for ten minutes before using an abrasive wire brush to scrub the grout clean. The floor was then rinsed then the waste extracted with a wet vacuum. This was repeated until I was happy the grout was as clean as possible.

Next up, I sprayed a strong dilution of more Tile Doctor Pro Clean over the tiles and left it to dwell this time for twenty minutes. The surface gradually turned yellow indicating that the product was working. Then using a tough carbide brush attached to a handheld polisher I slowly cleaned the tiles. Slate has a riven surface with lots of nooks and crannies that the brush can get into. All the waste soil was removed again with a wet vacuum and I then neutralised the floor rinsing it twice with hot water.

Sealing a Slate Tiled Utility Room Floor

For the next hour or so I dried the floor with a heater and while waiting I cleaned the small brick patio by the front door which made the entrance look a lot more inviting!

Once the floor looked dry, I tested with the damp meter to make sure it was ready to seal. Satisfied the levels were good, I applied three coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra. This is a moder tough sealer that’s ideal for busy floors that leaves an attractive sheen finish.

Once dry the floor looked so much clear and appealing, much to the relief of my client who was very happy with the work we carried out- and so was the dog!

For aftercare I recommended using Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner which is a Neutral pH tile and grout cleaner and will help ensure the floor stays in great condition for many years to come. It always worth readying the label of a Tile Cleaning product to check its suitable for use on a sealed floor as most household products are usually acidic and can trip a sealant off a floor with repeated use.

Professional Restoration of a Slate Tiled Utility Room in West Surrey

The post Neglected Slate Tiled Utility Room Floor Cleaned and Sealed in Farnham appeared first on West Surrey Tile Doctor.

Discoloured Grout Restored with Limestone Grout Colourant in Redland Bristol

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 07:33:32 +0000

This is a ceramic tiled hallway floor at a property in the Redland area of Bristol, where the grout had suffered discolouration and darkened. The owner was unhappy about the way it looked as it made each tile more obvious and made the rooms look narrower.

We often get called out to cover grout cleaning on a ceramic or porcelain floor tile as these tiles are glazed and are easy to clean but the grout will often discolour. Even if cleaned well, the grout can still be patchy due to staining and potentially due to chemical misuse.

By chemical misuse I’m talking about coloured grouts which have a colour dye added to them and this dye is stripped away with the use of strong bleach-based cleaning products or degreasers such as a washing up liquid.

To resolve discolouration issues there are only two options, either you rake out the old grout and start again or clean the grout and re-colour it back the way it was.

Cleaning a Ceramic Tiled Hallway Floor

As the client had no spare tiles and had electric under floor heating installed removing the grout was not a feasible option. The reason being that during the grout removal it’s quite possible the edge of a tile will get chipped and need replacing which in turn would damage the heating element. Also, there’s always the danger that the matt could be cut through when removing the grout.

It was decided grout colouring was the best option as it won’t cause any damage to the tiles, or the underfloor heating and it is long lasting. It can be upset by degreasers and bleaches which is what has upset the main grout in the first place, so we like to leave the client a complimentary bottle of Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner after every job. This is designed to clean the tiles and has a nice, pleasant lemon scent.

First, we applied Tile Doctor Grout Pre-Treater which cleans the grout and provides an improved bond for the new colourant to adhere to. There are eleven popular grout colours to choose from an on this occasion Limestone was chosen which was a good match for the tiles. Naturally this is down to the customers preference but our advice is that the grout shouldn’t be obvious, it should be the tiles that you see as grout is just secondary and not meant to be all that visible.

The colourant is simply painted onto the grout lines using an applicator tool that screws directly onto the grout bottle which makes the job much faster. Once applied the excess is wiped off the adjacent tile shortly after. Two coasts are usually all that’s needed depending on how badly stained the grout is.

Once the grout colour had dried completely the job was complete, there’s no need to seal the ceramic tiles as they are sealed with a glaze at the factory during production.

My client was very happy with transformation and before leaving I arranged for a complimentary bottle of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner to be sent to the client.

Professional Restoration of a Ceramic Tile Grout in Bristol

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Soiled Limestone Floor Tile and Grout Renovated in Southam

Wed, 27 Mar 2024 05:38:33 +0000

Details below of an impressive Limestone Floor installed at a large county house in the historic market town of Southam. I had been asked to deep clean the limestone floor tiles and grout lines in the kitchen and adjacent hallway. They had been previously cleaned by another company a few years ago and they now needed doing again.

I went over to survey the tiles and provide a quote as requested. The stone was dirty but in good shape, I could see the previous sealer had started to fail in the busiest areas and this was now letting dirt become trapped in the pores of the stone. The main problem though was the grout which had a very rough surface and was heavy contaminated with acrylic sealer.

Cleaning and Burnishing Limestone Tiles

Before beginning the work, I took the precaution of adding a clear silicone sealant between the kitchen units and tile. This is needed to prevent any water used during the cleaning process from soaking into the woodwork and damaging it.

Once that was done work started on talking the grout which had to be rubbed back using handheld diamond blocks which was able to cut through and remove the acrylic sealer and dirt along with it. All the grout lines had been treated in this way and so realising it was going to be a tough job I had arranged for Steve Carpenter from Nottinghamshire Tile Doctor to lend me a hand for two days.

After resolving the grout issues, I moved on to restoring the appearance of the Limestone tiles themselves. This was done coarse diamond encrusted Burnishing Pads. Each pad has a different level of grit to grind away the dirt from the stone and build up the polished appearance. The process effectively resurfaces the stone leaving it looking new and fresh.

The process started with the application of a coarse 200-grit pad, fitted to a rotary machine, to grind away any excess muck and sealant lubricated with a little water and Stone Soap cleaning fluid. The resultant slurry was rinsed away and I followed up with the application of the 400-grit pad again with a small amount of water and Stone Soap.

Sealing Limestone Tiles

The last step was to seal the floor and after discussing this with the owner previously it was clear they wanted the Limestone to keep its light appearance and look as natural as possible. With that requirement in mind, we sealed the floor using a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Ultra Seal which is a premium impregnating sealer that is almost invisible and doesn’t alter the look of the stone. It works by soaking into the stone, occupying the pores, and thereby preventing dirt from becoming lodged there, this keeps the dirt on the surface where it can be easily cleaned away. Ultra-seal is also an excellent grout sealer.

After three days of hard work by the team working the Limestone and Grout was looking so much better and was a massive improvement. The new sealer will also ensure the stone and the grout is much easier to maintain going forward.

My customer was very happy with the floor and pleased it would be easier to clean from now on. Regarding cleaning, I recommended they use Tile Doctor Stone Soap which is a gentle yet effective tile cleaner that won’t impact the sealer.

Professional Cleaning of a Limestone Tiled Floor in Warwickshire

The post Soiled Limestone Floor Tile and Grout Renovated in Southam appeared first on Warwickshire Tile Doctor.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Deep Cleaned and Sealed in Portobello Edinburgh

Tue, 26 Mar 2024 06:35:03 +0000

This Victorian Tiled Hallway floor at a property in Portobello which is on the coast, East of Edinburgh. It had not been deep cleaned for some time and was looking very neglected. The owner felt it was time to get it renovated so we were asked to do the work.

Any sealer protecting the tiles had long since worn off resulting in dirt becoming ingrained into the pores where it’s very difficult to shift. The dirt had built-up in the tiles, and they were also stained with a few paint splashes from decorating.

Additionally, there were three small tile repairs that were needed and some grouting to do. Happy to assist I came up with a restorative cleaning plan for the floor that was considerate of its age and provided a quote for doing the work.

Renovating a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor in Portobello Edinburgh

Old floors like this one don’t have a damp proof membrane under the floor so you have to be wary of how much water you use during cleaning, if you use too much it could take a long time to dry out and you can seal it.

To start the cleaning I have the whole floor an Acid Wash using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up. The product is applied to the floor and left to soak in for ten minutes before being worked in with low grit brushes fitted to a rotary buffer. Then after going over the floor a few times the floor was wiped with damp cloths and speed dried with air movers. The paint splashes had now been softened by the cleaning were be scraped off.

Giving a floor like this an acid wash also has the advantage of neutralising any efflorescent salts in the tiles which can be an issue with old floors like this one.

With that complete I started with repairs which involved carefully removing the three broken tiles, cleaning up the base and then laying replacements which I had managed to source earlier. Your really have to be careful when removing tiles on a floor of this age as it doesn’t take much to upset the neighbouring tiles and before you know it your re-tiling a area much larger than you had originally planned for.

Once the replacement tiles had set and grouted in, I was able to move onto the next step of scrubbing the floor with a 200, 400 and then 800-grit Diamond burnishing pad. A little water is used to help lubricate the process which opens and then closes the pores on the surface allowing the dirt to be flushed out and makes the tiles slightly smoother. We find doing this also speeds up drying times. The water turns into a slurry which is removed with a wet vacuum after each pad is applied.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

With the floor clean it was left to dry off for a week before returning to seal the tiles, applying a sealer to a damp floor can result in a cloudy appearance so it’s always best to wait.

The sealer chosen for this floor was Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal, it’s an oil-based long lasting breathable impregnator that’s rated for external as well as internal use; these are perfect credentials for a Hallway floor at the front of the house which is likely to get wet often.

The sealer brought the floor to life enhancing the deep colours giving the floor hardwearing protection that should last many years to come. The fresh sealer will ensure dirt remains on the surface where it can be cleaned away easily.

Before leaving I took time to explain the importance of using a neutral pH tile cleaning product such as Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner for day-to-day cleaning. A lot of products you find in supermarkets contain bleach and are simply too strong for cleaning a sealed surface and will quickly erode the sealer with use.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in Portobello Edinburgh

The post Victorian Tiled Hallway Deep Cleaned and Sealed in Portobello Edinburgh appeared first on Edinburgh Tile Doctor.

Large Limestone Tiled Floor Stripped and Resealed in Weybridge

Mon, 18 Mar 2024 10:32:35 +0000

The photographs below were taken at a property in Weybridge where the owner had Limestone tiles installed throughout the Kitchen and adjacent dining room. Like any stone floor the sealer and appearance will degrade with use and in this case the tiles and especially the grout had become darker with ingrained dirt. The owners had decided it was time to the floor professionally cleaned and asked me to quote for the work.

Limestone is a beautiful stone that cleans up really well but to get the best out of it needs to be polished with burnishing pads using heavy equipment, something the tile shop salesman usually forgets to mention.

Having surveyed the floor I worked out a renovation plan which included tile and grout cleaning, stone polishing and finally sealing to protect it going forward. Happy with my quote we set a date for the work to begin.

Resealing a Polished Limestone Floor

My first job was to protect the kitchen cabinets from splashing with a sheet of decorator’s plastic about a foot from the ground upwards. I also like to apply a thin line of transparent mastic at the base of the cabinets where they meet the tile as this is usually a place where unwanted water can find its way in.

Once the kitchen woodwork was protected, I set about deep cleaning the grout. To do this I run a dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean along the grout lines then leave it to dwell for five minutes and then scrubbed by hand using a wire brush until clean. All the waste is then rinsed off and extracted with a wet vacuum.

With the grout now clean and the soil removed I set up my rotary floor cleaning machine ready to burnish the stone tile and restore the finish with a set of diamond encrusted burnishing pads.

The first pad in the set to be applied is a coarse 400 grit pad that is designed to open the pores of the stone allowing dirt to be flushed out and removes existing sealers in the process. Water is used for lubrication and the during the following hours the process was repeated with the medium 800 grit and fine 1500 grit pads which gradually close the pores, buildup the polish and return the shine. This is a wet process which generates a slurry which is removed with after each pad with the wet vacuum.

Once the whole floor had been burnished it was given a final rinse and dried as much as possible with the wet vacuum. It was then left to fully dry off fully overnight.

Sealing Limestone Tiles

Returning the next day, I tested the floor was dry with a damp meter which confirmed the floor ready for sealing. The customer wanted a natural look to the floor so we chose to apply Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal which adds almost invisible protection. This sealer is an impregnator which soaks into the pores of the stone preventing dirt from becoming ingrained and keeping it on the surface where it can be easily removed. Two coats were applied and this should keep the floor protected for many years to come.

Once complete I advised the owner to stay off the floor for an hour or so and then they can return the furniture. For aftercare cleaning I recommend Tile Doctor Stone Soap which is a gentle but effective cleaner that will keep the floor clean whilst maintaining the patina and without harming the sealer.

Stripping and Resealing a Polished Limestone Floor in West Surrey

The post Large Limestone Tiled Floor Stripped and Resealed in Weybridge appeared first on West Surrey Tile Doctor.

Polishing a Limestone Hallway Floor in Ainsdale

Fri, 15 Mar 2024 04:24:02 +0000

A homeowner from Ainsdale was in touch recently regarding the Limestone floor in their hallway which needed attention. The floor had been laid six years prior and over that time its appearance had degraded significantly losing its colour and almost turning white in places.

I visited the property to survey the floor and it was clear to me that the original sealer and polish had long since worn off. Additionally, I suspect they may have been using the wrong product to clean the floor with.

I recommended giving the floor a deep clean to remove ingrained dirt and what was left of the original sealer and then polishing the stone with burnishing pads to bring up the appearance of the stone and then finishing with the application of a protective sealer. Happy with my quote a date was set for the work to start.

Cleaning and Polishing a Limestone Tiled Floor

On arrival the first step was to give the floor a general clean with a focus on cleaning the grout lines and removing any grit from the floor. I used a 1:4 dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is an alkaline tile cleaning product that is safe to use on grout and stone. The cleaning solution was applied by sponge mop and left to soak in for fifteen minutes before being scrubbed in along the grout line using a stiff narrow brush to get them really clean. Once done the floor was then rinsed with clean water and the now soiled cleaning solution removed with a wet vacuum.

The next step was to use a set of Tile Doctor burnishing pads to polish the stone back to a deep shine. The pads which are encrusted with industrial diamonds are applied with a rotary floor buffer in sequence from coarse to extra fine. The first pad has a Coarse 400 grit which is applied with only water for lubrication, removes minor scratches, sealers, and the top surface dirt. Working in small areas, I applied the pad across the Limestone, rinsing in between and picking up the soiled solution with a wet-vac machine. I then repeated this same procedure with the Medium 800 grit pad which is the first stage polishing pad again rinsing with water after use. The next two pads are a Fine 1500 grit and Extra Fine 3,000 grit which really build up a high-quality polish on the stone.

Sealing a Polished Limestone Tiled Floor

The floor was left to dry off fully overnight and I returned the next day to seal the Limestone first checking with a damp meter that the stone was dry. The Limestone had some lovely brown colours so I had recommended we use Tile Doctor Colour Grow to seal the floor as this brings out the colour and it certainly didn’t disappoint. This sealer is an impregnating sealer that works under the surface by occupying the pores in the stone thus preventing dirt from becoming ingrained there. This ensures dirt remains on the surface where it can be easily removed with regular cleaning.

A couple of floor fans were used to help speed up the drying process and after about an hour the floor gently buffed with a White pad to bring up the shine even further. Once complete the floor looked amazing.

For the aftercare cleaning of a polished stone floor like this we recommend using Tile Doctor Stone Soap. It’s a gentle yet effective cleaner that helps maintain the patina and won’t damage the sealer ensuring it lasts a long time.

Professional Limestone Floor Polishing in Merseyside

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Bathroom Floor Tile Grout Restoration in Tooting SW17

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 08:05:00 +0000

A client was renovating a house in Tooting and wanted to see what could be done to improve the Ceramic floor tiles in the bathroom without the expense of a major overhaul. Having discussed the floor over the phone I was confident it could be improved and agreed a date to come over and survey the tiles and provided a quote for their renovation.

Except for one cracked tile, the tiles were in good condition and I could see it was really the grout that was bringing the bathroom down. The grout was generally discoloured and some had cracked and become loose. This cracking issue is indicative of using an inflexible grout when tiling on a wooden floor as these floors tend to have a bit of movement in them.

I discussed my renovation plan with the customer and provided a quote for carrying out the work which was accepted.

Renovating Bathroom Floor Grout

On the first day I set about raking out the cracked grout and stripping out the silicone between the tile and the bath. Silicone seems to attract mould and although it can be cleaned to some extent, I usually find its more effective to simply replace it. I then tidied up the bathroom to remove the waste grout and silicone, so the area was ready for grouting. I used a flexible White grout for this in order to match the original, although most of that was no longer White due to the staining.

I left the grout to set overnight and returned the next day to complete the job starting with the re-application of the silicone sealant, again in White but this time using an anti-mould variety. My attention then turned to the floor tile grouting which of course was now a mixture of fresh new grout and stained grout. I had realised this would be the result, so I had come prepared and was ready to apply Tile Doctor Grout Colourant in white to make everything uniform.

Before applying the colourant, I prepped the grout joint with Tile Doctor Pre-treat cleaner that is an acidic cleaning solution that is sprayed onto the grout and then scrubbed in. This cleans the grout joints, and the acidic nature of the cleaner helps prepare the grout to achieve a better bond with the colourant. The grout was then wiped with a wet sponge to remove the dirt and then dried ready for the colourant. Although the cleaner had helped to clean the grout and remove surface dirt it can’t do anything about deep seated staining, so colouring was still necessary.

Once the grout was dry the White grout colourant was painted onto the grout using a small brush wiping off any excess from the tile as I went. The Tile Doctor range of Grout Colourants come in eleven different colours and form an epoxy barrier over the grout preventing dirt from reaching the grout line and making it much easier to keep clean.

Once the colourant had dried, I gave the floor a quick clean with Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner to get the ceramic tiles clean and the job was complete. The refreshed grout now has a consistent white appearance, and it really lifted the appearance of the bathroom.

Professional Restoration of a Bathroom Floor Grout in South London

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1850’s Flaking Flagstone Flooring Renovated in Saddleworth

Mon, 11 Mar 2024 16:38:14 +0000

A couple from Saddleworth contacted us about their flagstone flooring which was laid throughout the ground floor in their home which was built around 1850. Since buying their home they had decided to take up the carpets and floor coverings to most of the ground floor (approx. 60sqm) to allow the floor to breathe and help with some damp issues in the walls. In addition, it would be in keeping with the house to have its original floor back in use and make a great period feature.

With the stone covered for such a long period the main issue was ingrained dirt and grime as well as the remnants of self-levelling compound and paint. The whole floor also had flaking issues on numerous stones and was very uneven in parts.

After some discussion over the phone around the options of cleaning, stone milling, repointing, and sealing I scheduled a survey. I recommended the floor needed the render removed, stone milled (and possibly repointing) before cleaning and finally sealing. An impregnating sealer which provided a matt, colour-enhancing finish was recommended in view of the damp and animals. In addition, we suggested the use of breathable pointing.

Whilst the work was more involved than initially anticipated, they fully understood the scale of the problems and what was needed and so decided to go ahead.

Cleaning/Repairing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

Work started with the application of 50-Grit Extra Coarse Milling pads which were fitted to a weighted rotary floor machine. The pads were run over each of the rough Yorkshire flagstones to remove the top of the flaking stone and reveal new stone underneath. The process was lubricated with water and Tile Doctor Remove and Go, the water helps keep the dust down and the Tile Doctor Remove and Go helps clean up the stone. We used quite a lot of these pads to clean up the whole floor. The resultant slurry was rinsed away with water and extracted with a wet vacuum.

Once done, the process was then repeated using 100-grit and then 200-grit milling pads to improve the surface of the stone. I must give credit to Russell Taylor from Lancashire Tile Doctor for his experience and assistance on this job, an extra pair of hands were needed given the scale of the work and to speed up work given the owners were still living in the property.

We next used an acid wash Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up, this is to counter any efflorescence salts that can be generated with floors like this that have no damp proof course. After application it was rinsed off and extracted with the wet vacuum.

After this the pointing was then redone using a modern flexible product.

Sealing a Flagstone Tiled Floor

The floor was then left to dry out for a few days before returning to seal the floor using Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer that contains a colour enhancer to bring out the natural colours in the stone. This product is also breathable which is an important consideration for old floors like this.

The project went well, and the floor was completely transformed. My clients were very happy with the work and left the following feedback for us.

“Kevin and Russell did a great job on our flagstone floor. They regularly checked in with us throughout the process and worked around us being in the house most of the time with no problems! Highly recommend.”

For aftercare cleaning I recommend they use Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a mild yet effective tile cleaner that won’t harm the sealer.

Professional Restoration of a Flagstone Tiled Floor in Greater Manchester

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Honed Jura Cream Limestone Tiled Floor Renovated in South Kilworth

Sat, 09 Mar 2024 16:44:01 +0000

This is a Honed Cream Jura Limestone floor in the Kitchen of a property in the village of South Kilworth outside of Lutterworth. Our customer asked us to renovate the floor and resolve a couple of issues they were having.

The grout was the main area of concern, some parts had failed and needed replacing and the rest just needed cleaning. There were scratches on some of the Limestone tiles that also needed attention. The stone itself was in good condition but as it hadn’t been professionally cleaned and sealed for seven years it was overdue a refresh.

Renovating Grout on a Jura Limestone Floor

Work started with cleaning the grout lines which was done by manually scrubbing in a 1:4 dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean with a stiff brush. This product is a very effective alkaline tile and grout cleaner product that releases the dirt ingrained into the cementous surface of the grout. When we were happy with the result the soiled cleaning solution was removed with a wet vacuum and the floor washed with clean water.

The next step was to sort out the cracked and heavily stained grout by raking it out with a special tool and then replacing. I also dealt with several structural movement cracks in the limestone tiles at this point by filling with a colour matching stone resin filler.

Removing Scratches from Honed Jura Limestone Tiles

Attention then turned to removing the light scratches and etching with an abrasive 200-grit diamond pad. This pad is applied using a weighted rotary floor machine that can grind, hone & polish natural stone. It’s applied with water for lubrication which turns into a creamy slurry that is rinsed off with water and then extracted with a wet vacuum.

With the scratches removed the tiles were then burnished with a 400-grit pad to create a satin low light reflection finish across the whole floor. As before the resulting slurry was removed with a thorough rinsing and wet vacuuming.

Sealing Cream Jura Limestone Floor Tiles

After the floor had dried the stone and grout was sealed using Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal, several coats were applied until the stone had reaches its saturation point. We chose Ultra-Seal for this floor as its almost invisible and doesn’t darken the colour of the stone at all, which is exactly that natural look finish the customer wanted.

Although it’s probably difficult to appreciate the improvement to the floor from these pictures my customer was certainly happy. In fact, they mentioned that it had never looked as good as it does now.

We recommend re-sealing every five years as sealers will eventually wear down, especially in high traffic areas. We do however offer an annual maintenance clean & top up sealer treatment which is ideal for maintaining the appearance of highly polished natural stone floors.

This particular sealer is an impregnator that soaks into the pores of the stone, thereby preventing dirt from becoming ingrained there. This will protect from liquid-based surface spills & soil penetration ensuring dirt remains on the surface where it can be easily cleaned away.

On the subject of cleaning, I left a bottle of Tile Doctors pH Neutral Stone Soap with the customer. This product is designed for the cleaning of sealed stone floors and will help maintain the integrity of the sealer whilst building a slight patina on the stone. It’s important to use the correct maintenance cleaner as stronger products will weaken the sealer and if correctly used the sealer may last up to five years

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Flood Damaged Victorian Hallway Renovated at Cleethorpes Guest House

Mon, 04 Mar 2024 08:21:55 +0000

I was asked to look at renovating a Victorian tiled hallway floor for a guesthouse owner in Cleethorpes. There had been a flood at the property and the tiles had developed a White blooming which is usually a sign of Efflorescence. Also, a wooden floor in an adjoining corridor had been damaged and had to be lifted and in doing so the discovered that the Victorian floor actually continued along the corridor, which was a nice surprise.

Another issue was the old mat well by the front door where the tiles around the edge were coming away. I could have repaired that with salvaged tiles, but the client wanted a cheaper option, so I suggested making several repairs with the tiles we had available and rebuilding the matt well with a new piece of matting. This was the option she was happy with.

Cleaning and Repairing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

I first carried out a deep clean to Victorian tiles in the adjoining corridor to remove the glue that had been used to secure the wooden floor, it was also covered in paint splashed from decorating, however, my method should take care of both these problems.

I used a combination of Tile Doctor Remove and Go mixed with Tile Doctor Pro-Clean to create a strong coatings remover/tile cleaning solution and left it to soak on the tiles for ten to twenty minutes. This gave it time to break down and soften the paint and glue, it was then removed using a hand scraper with some assistance from a steamer. The mess generated from the process was then rinsed off and extracted with a wet vacuum.

To counter the efflorescence and further clean up both the corridor tiles and the main hallway I treated the tiles to an acid rinse using Tile Doctor Acid Gel. This is left for another ten minutes before being worked into the floors and then rinsed off and extracted as before. Being an acid, it will neutralise the alkaline efflorescent salts in the floor, it also cleans the tiles to remove old cement and grout.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

The next day the corridor floor was dry enough to seal with Tile Doctor Colour Grow and between coats I carried on with the cleaning the rest of the hallway which needed more attention.

The problem I had with the hallway was that the white blooming wasn’t just efflorescence, it turns out it still had traces of an old topical sealer on the tiles and that would need to be stripped off. I used more Tile Doctor Remove and Go for this, working in a strong dilution until all the sealer had gone. Again, this was rinsed off with water and extracted with a wet vacuum.

Once this was all done, I reset all the tiles around the mat well. Finally, I laid some self-levelling compound within the well to get it to the required height.

On the third day I made up a wooden frame for the mat well and secured it down before cutting a piece of matting to fit in snuggly. I then finished off sealing the hallway floor using Tile Doctor Colour Grow to get a consistent look between the corridor and main hallway. While I was waiting for everything to dry, I even gave the front entrance tiles a complimentary clean.

The floor was completely transformed by the work, and I’m pleased to say my client was over the moon with what had been carried out. For aftercare cleaning I recommended Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is safe to use on sealed floors and will help keep the floor looking beautiful for many years to come.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in North Lincolnshire

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Porcelain Tiled Bathroom Grout Renovation in Wandsworth

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 08:22:48 +0000

This is a great example of how easy it is to improve the appearance of a tiled bathroom. In this case the property was in Wandsworth and the tiles were Porcelain. My client had originally asked if I could re-grout their bathroom tiles which included the shower, wall and floor tiles in a room that was around 5sqm.

We discussed the bathroom, and I pointed out that if we re-grout the tiles it would only get grubby again at some point. The problem is that the grout is cementitious which leaves it rough and attracts dirt easily. I recommended cleaning up the grout and then applying a grout colourant which would seal the grout in making it much easier to clean. I also offered to remove the silicone sealant between the edges of the bath and tiles. Unfortunately, once mould gets into the silicone, you’re fighting a losing battle, and it is best to just replace it.

Re grouting a Porcelain Tiled Bathroom Floor

Before colouring the grout, it needs to be prepared with an acidic cleaner that will not only remove any dirt but also etch the surface of the grout to improve the bond. Tile Doctor Pre-Treat Cleaner is the product we use for this purpose, but I decided in this case to go with a different product as the floor tiles had some old silicone on them which had been left to dry out. To resolve this, I used a different product in the range called Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up which is primarily designed for removing grout haze.

It was only a small area, so I worked the Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up into the tiles and grout by hand and then rinsed it off with water and extracted with a wet vacuum. The grout was then dried, and I started applying the Tile Doctor Grout Colourant in white with a small brush wiping off the excess as I went. The colourant is available in a range of eleven colours so there is usually a match for most situations. The colourant adds an epoxy barrier over the grout; this then prevents dirt from going into the grout line and means the floor is much easier to keep clean.

The last step in the renovation involved carefully stripping out the old silicone and replacing it with a new anti-mould variety. This last step really finished off the bathroom giving the impression it was a new installation.

My clients were very happy with the result, the bathroom was transformed, and they were relieved that the problem was solved so easily.

For aftercare cleaning I recommended regular use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a mild yet effective tile and grout cleaning product that would help keep the bathroom looking good going forward.

Professional Restoration of a Porcelain Tiled Bathroom Grout in South London

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Renovating a Classic Ceramic Tiled Kitchen Stained with Adhesive in Ripley

Mon, 19 Feb 2024 03:23:13 +0000

This 1940’s Black and White Ceramic tiled floor at a property in the Surrey village of Ripley was covered in adhesive and the owner needed our help in cleaning them up. Originally, they had been covered in hideous blue tiles which the customer decided to remove to see what was underneath.

They started pulling them up only to uncover a classic chessboard pattern ceramic tiled floor underneath. The blue tiles came up quite easily however the tile adhesive that was left underneath had heavily stained them and proved much too difficult to remove. Overwhelmed with the size of the task now faced and unsure how to renovate the ceramic tiles a decision was made to ask for professional help. They contacted Tile Doctor to get a quote.

I popped over to the house to have a look at the job and estimated it would only take around a day to complete the work, which would be a bit of a manual task to remove the remnants of the adhesive. They were happy to accept my quote and pleased that I was confident the floor could be restored.

Removing Adhesive from a Ceramic Tiled Kitchen Floor

Donning safety glasses and ear defenders my approach was to carefully remove the bulk of the adhesive with a power chisel. It took several hours to remove most of it and the rest I scraped off with sharp blades leaving some residue and dirt.

To deal with the remaining adhesive I covered the tiles with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go and left it to soak in. I then brought in a weighted buffer fitted with a coarse diamond pad and ran it over the tiles. This removed all the remaining adhesive and lifted out the dirt.

The resultant slurry was then rinsed off and extracted with a wet vacuum. The floor was then thoroughly rinsed with warm water then dried. Before finishing I cleaned up around the edges with a handheld diamond block.

Generally ceramic tiles don’t need sealing as they are sealed within the factory process. So, once all the adhesive was gone, the job was finished.

The floor was transformed by the work, and my customer was very happy with the finish. They were pleased to see the nasty blue tiles gone and very happy to see the classic original floor restored.

Little maintenance is required for a floor like this, normal regular mopping will suffice. They can use Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner for this, it has a minty fresh fragrance and is mild enough to be used daily, keeping the floor in great condition.

Professional Restoration of a Ceramic Tiled Kitchen Floor in Surrey

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