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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

The post Bathroom Grout Recolour, Repair and Silicone in Matlock Bath appeared first on Derbyshire Tile Doctor.

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

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 White Ceramic tiles.

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

The post Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle Refreshed for new Tenants in Swanwick appeared first on Derbyshire Tile Doctor.

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

The post Restoration of a Carpet Covered Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor in Lincoln appeared first on North Lincolnshire Tile Doctor.

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

The post Discoloured Grout Restored with Limestone Grout Colourant in Redland Bristol appeared first on Bristol Tile Doctor.

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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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

The post Renovating a Classic Ceramic Tiled Kitchen Stained with Adhesive in Ripley appeared first on West Surrey Tile Doctor.

Terracotta Brick Tiled Floor Deep Cleaned and Sealed in a Harwich Kitchen

Sun, 18 Feb 2024 17:19:30 +0000

This Terracotta Brick tiled floor had been laid in the kitchen of a house in the port town of Harwich less than a year prior. I suspect the floor hadn’t been sealed very well after installation as it was already proving difficult to keep clean and was beginning to mark easily.

Terracotta is made from clay and as a result a very porous material that needs to be sealed to prevent dirt becoming trapped in its pores. Sealing keeps the dirt on the surface where it can be easily cleaned away. I recommended giving the floor a deep clean to remove dirt ingrained dirt from the pores of the bricks and then sealing with a stronger product that could take some wear. Kitchens are after all one of the busiest rooms in the house.

Happy with my quote a date was agreed for the work to start and the products needed were ordered in time for my arrival.

Cleaning a Brick Terracotta Kitchen Floor

To get the brick tile and grout clean I sprayed the floor with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and left it to soak in for ten minutes. The dwell time is important as it gives the product time to start breaking down old sealers and ingrained dirt.

The next step was to run a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine over the floor which in turn with the Pro-Clean lifts out the dirt to the surface. The pads can struggle to get into the recesses of the grout lines and along the edges so I like to follow this up with a handheld scrubbing brush.

The floor was rinsed with clean water to remove all the dirt and soiling using a wet vacuum. I carried out an inspection of the floor at this point looking for stubborn marks and staining and then re-treated those areas to a spot clean using the same process.

I used a full litre of Pro-Clean on the floor getting it clean and then once satisfied it was as clean as it could be I left it to dry off fully overnight assisted with a couple of down blowers.

Sealing a Brick Tiled Kitchen Floor

Returning on the 2nd day the tiles were tested for moisture using a damp meter to check they were dry enough to accept a sealer. The blowers had done the job and the meter confirmed all was well.

Work then started on sealing the Terracotta bricks using Tile Doctor Seal & Go Extra, this is a modern acrylic based sealer that improves the appearance of the brick tile bringing out the colour. Terracotta is as mentioned earlier quite a porous material so it took the application of five coats to fully seal the floor, fortunately it was only a small area so only 1 litre of sealer was needed.

The work made a big improvement to the appearance of the floor and what was once a dull almost grey herringbone pattern brick floor is now a colourful attractive feature that will prove much easier to keep clean.

For aftercare cleaning I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner, which is a mild but effective, neutral ph cleaner. We recommend this as many of the products you find in supermarkets are simply too strong and bleach based which will slowly strip off the sealer and allow dirt back into the floor.

Professional Restoration of a Brick Tiled Kitchen Floor in Essex

The post Terracotta Brick Tiled Floor Deep Cleaned and Sealed in a Harwich Kitchen appeared first on North Essex Tile Doctor.

Sandstone Flooring and Staircase Renovated at a Gainsborough Mansion

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 07:39:26 +0000

Earlier this year I completed a job at an old mansion south of Gainsborough which had a unique Sandstone staircase and flooring. The home had been in the family for generations and my client was in the process of having it renovated. My involvement related to the Sandstone hallway and staircase which needed deep cleaning and sealing.

I visited the property first to survey the stone and it was clear it hadn’t been cleaned in decades so there was quite a bit to do. As an added problem there were old strips of adhesive on the steps that had been used to secure a stair carpet and the adhesive had absorbed into the stone staining it.

Deep Cleaning a Sandstone Hallway and Staircase

My first task was to deep clean everything and my choice of product for this was Tile Doctor Remove and Go. This is a strong alkaline cleaner and coatings remover that’s designed for stripping off sealers and other contaminates such as adhesives; in this case however I suspect any sealer may have been work off years ago. I worked in sections and used a strong dilution decanted into a sprayer and applied to the stone; it was then left to soak in for a good ten to fifteen minutes before being scrubbed in.

For the sandstone floor tiles I used a 17-inch black scrubbing pad fitted to a weighted rotary floor buffer, the extra weight increases surface traction on the stone; I use the machine with a plastic skirt around the pad to minimise splashing. Once done the soiled solution was rinsed away with water and extracted with a wet vacuum. This process was very effective, and you can clearly see the difference in the photographs between the dirty and clean floor.

The large buffer machine wasn’t a practical choice for scrubbing the stone staircase so to tackle that, I used back 6-inch scrubbing pads fitted to a hand buffer. It is a slower process but combined with more Tile Doctor Remove and Go it got the job done.

After rising and extracting I inspected the staircase and it was clear that the marks from the adhesive strips would need more attention to completely remove the staining. I turned to another Tile Doctor product for this called Nanotech HBU Remover, HBU stands for Heavy Build-up and it is a real problem solver for issues like this. Again, the product was left to soak in for ten minutes and then scrubbed in using a similar process as before using the handheld machine. I had to do this a few times until we were happy with the results. I then used coarse 200 and 400 grit diamond burnishing pads to even out the surface.

Sealing a Sandstone Tiled Hallway and Staircase Floor

After a final rinse and extraction, the floor was left to dry out completely for a few days; a lot of water is used in the cleaning process and the stone needs to be dry before applying the sealer.

On my return I took moisture readings with a damp meter to confirm the floor had dried and then started applying the sealer which for this floor I used Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal. This is an impregnating sealer that soaks into the pores of the stone adding protecting it from within, it leaves the stone with a natural finish and is almost undetectable. This product is also fully breathable which is an important point when dealing with old floors that don’t have the benefit of a damp proof membrane.

The client was amazed by the transformation and said she had never seen the stone so much lighter and clean. For aftercare I recommended Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a gentle but effective cleaning product that is safe to use on sealed stone.

Professional Restoration of a a Sandstone Tiled Hallway and Staircase in North Lincolnshire

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Edwardian Terrazzo Hallway Floor Renovated in Mapperley Nottingham

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 07:33:29 +0000

Here we have an Edwardian Era Terrazzo floor in the hallway of a property in Mapperley Nottingham. I was asked to retore the floor which would involve a restorative deep cleaning to remove years of ingrained dirt and then seal it to add protection going forward.

I went over to the property to survey the Terrazzo and create a quotation for the work. Whilst there I noticed the floor has had experienced some structural movement at some point in its 100-year history which has resulted in several cracks. I have a system for repairing this using marble & granite chips with colour matched Portland cement however this can take longer and does increase the cost, so I put it as an option.

After the reviewing the quote, they decided to go ahead with the restorative clean and then call me back later to deal with the cracks if they felt it was needed.

Cleaning and Repairing a Terrazzo Tiled Hallway Floor

To deep clean the Terrazzo, I started with the application of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean diluted four parts with water to make a strong cleaning solution that breaks down both soiling, and old coatings. The was allowed to dwell on the Terrazzo for fifteen to twenty minutes before being worked in, this gives it time to soak to get to work. Then I started on cleaning the edges first using 100 and 200-grit hand burnishing blocks which are metal bonded diamond abrasives.

Once I was satisfied the edges were clean, I proceeded to mechanically hone the floor with a 400-grit diamond burnishing pad fitted to a weighted Italian Floor rotary grinding machine. The resulting slurry was removed with a wet vacuum, and the floor checked to ensure contamination, including paint spots were fully removed.

I then repeated this process with finer 800 and 1500-grit diamond pads that slowly burnish the stone and restores the polished lustre of the floor, these pads also close down the porosity of the stone, making it more hard wearing to foot traffic. As before the resulting slurry was rinsed and extracted after each pad.

Sealing a Terrazzo Tiled Hallway Floor

The next step would be to seal and protect the floor however it needed to be fully dry first, so it was left to dry overnight and when I returned the next day, I took several moisture readings with a damp meter to confirm it was ready.

The sealer of choice for this floor was Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is a fully breathable impregnating sealer which also enhances the colour of the stone chippings in the Terrazzo. This sealer is an impregnator that works by soaking into the pores of the floor rather than sittings on the surface, thus protecting it from ingrained dirt. Hallways are by their very nature a high traffic area so the sealer will provide adequate protection from both ingrained dirt and moisture and keep the floor in good condition.

The final process was to complete the polishing of the Terrazzo with the last pad in the set which is 3000-grit. This creates a lustrous hard wearing polished finish to the stone and is applied with a fine mist of water using a process we call a spray burnish.

Once cleaned, sealed and polished the Terrazzo look great and the colours in particular really came to life. The new sealer will keep the dirt on the surface where it can be easily cleaned away and if maintained correctly should last for up to five years.

On the subject of maintenance, I recommend the use of Tile Doctors Stone Soap for this floor. It’s an effect sealer friendly product that will also help maintain the patina. There are many products you can use for cleaning floors, but you do have to be careful as many are simply too strong for the sealer, always check the label.

Professional Restoration of a Terrazzo Tiled Hallway in Nottinghamshire

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Aldous Red Sandstone Floor Milled Back to Health in Greystoke

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 08:38:26 +0000

The customer at this 200-year-old property near Greystoke asked if we could do anything for their old Stone floor as a new Kitchen was to be fitted and a decision had to be made to either rip up the old floor or have it restored.

The stone was Aldous Red Sandstone which if you have read our website is something we are quite familiar with. One thing we have learned from restoring these floors over the years is that they are very forgiving and the best way to renovate them is to grind off the old and often badly stained surface. We call this process Milling and it involves applying different grades of coarse diamond pads, the result is a fresh new surface that smoother and much easier to maintain. We can also re-point the mortar which is often past its best on these old stone floors.

Having discussed my recommendation, they agreed to go ahead, and we set a date in the diary for the work to start.

Milling Aldous Red Sandstone

Milling involves the application of several coarse grades of hard diamond pads to the stone using water to lubricate the process, the water also helps make the removal of the soil easier and reduces dust. I followed our usual method of starting with a very coarse 50-grit pad and then moved up to 100 and then 200-grit milling pads rinsing and extracting the soiling in-between each pad with a wet vacuum. These 17-inch pads fit a rotary floor buffer that has weight added to ensure maximum traction between the pad and the stone floor.

Once done the next step was to rake out the loose mortar between the slabs, cleanup the area and then repoint with a breathable pointing mix in Light Grey. That was left to set and the floor was given a light clean with Tile Doctor Pro-Clean to remove any dust and get it ready for sealing.

Sealing a Red Sandstone Tiled Floor

We returned the following day and checked the floor was dry using the moisture meter, we don’t recommend applying a sealer to a damp floor as the sealer will not cure properly. All was well, so we then applied Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal which is an oil based Breathable Colour enhancing sealer.

Using a breathable sealer on old stone floors like this is highly recommend as these floors rarely have a damp proof membrane installed and so it’s important to give moisture a way of rising through the floor naturally and evaporating rather than being trapped under the floor where it can eventually build up in the walls.

You can see from the photos that the work was transformational and have added new life to a 200-year-old floor which I’m sure will look even more stunning once the new kitchen has been fitted.

For aftercare cleaning of a sealed floor, we recommend the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner, it’s a mild but effective cleaning product that won’t impact the sealer.

Professional Restoration of an Aldous Red Sandstone Paved Floor in North Cumbria

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Restoring the Appearance of a Marble Coffee Tabletop in Putney

Tue, 30 Jan 2024 07:29:35 +0000

The photographs below are from a client in Putney, and show what will happen to a Polished Marble tabletop if you try and clean it with Viakal. Marble is made from calcium and magnesium carbonate which makes it acid sensitive, Viakal on the other hand is an acid cleaner blended from Formic and Citric acids resulting in a pH level of 2.2. This product uses the acid to dissolve the calcium and magnesium deposits in Limescale.

To be fair to Viakal the label does state not to use it on natural stone, but who reads the label, certainly my clients cleaner hadn’t. The result was the acid had etched the lovely, polished Marble surface and it appeared to be ruined.

I was happy to re-assure my client that the etching could be removed, however, to do this the table would need to be burnished with a set of diamond pads of different grades. This process cuts into the stone with a coarse pad to remove the etching and then slowly builds back the polished appearance using finer grades of pad. The table was very heavy however so the work would need to be done on-site.

Polishing a Marble Tabletop

Due to the weight of the stone table, it couldn’t really be moved so my first job was to relocate nearby furniture, roll up the rug and cover everything in blankets and a drop cloth. The last thing I wanted was any other possessions getting splashed during the burnishing process.

When polishing Marble floor tiles, I would normally use large 17-inch diamond pads fitted to a rotary floor buffer, however that simply wouldn’t work on a table, so I ordered a set of 6-inch burnishing pads from Tile Doctor instead. These smaller pads fit nicely on a hand-held buffer that would be perfect for this situation.

The burnishing process involves working through the pads in sequence. I started with the coarse 100, 200 and then 400-grit pads applied with a little water, these coarse pads were able to remove the etching and ingrained dirt. The table was rinsed down and then the 800-grit medium pad was applied which is the first step in the polishing process. Again, this pad is applied with water to lubricate, and the table was rinsed down afterwards.

The process was repeated with the 1500-grit fine pad and then the 3000-grit very fine pad to bring up a really nice shine to the Marble table, I should mention the last pad is applied dry with only a tiny amount of water sprayed onto the surface.

Sealing a Marble Table

The last step was to seal the stone to protect it going forward. I used Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal for this, it’s an oil-based impregnator and I figured the oil in the sealer would mask any marks that I wouldn’t be able to remove, however I actually ended up removing all the etching so the sealer just gave the stone a really nice colour and gloss.

My customer was very pleased with the work and said that the table looked better than it ever had before. NB. For the aftercare cleaning of a polished Marble coffee table like this I recommend the use of Tile Doctor Stone Patina Spray which has been especially formulated for the regular cleaning of stone worktops.

Professional Restoration of a Marble Tabletop in South London

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Travertine Floor Tiles Cleaned and Sealed in a Cobham Kitchen

Sun, 28 Jan 2024 15:32:02 +0000

The property in Cobham had a large Travertine tiled floor in the kitchen, which was not looking its best, and was now in need of a deep clean and re-seal to bring it back to life.

Travertine is a beautiful, natural stone that needs some regular attention to keep it looking at its best. Like any natural stone its vulnerable to dirt becoming ingrained in the pores and to prevent this it needs to be sealed. A sealer keeps the dirt on the surface where it can be easily removed through regular cleaning, however a sealer will usually only last for three to four years depending on how the floor is used and maintained.

Another issue specific to Travertine is its acid sensitivity which comes from the calcium carbonate that it’s formed from. You need to be careful not to use acidic products on the stone as this can cause it to dissolve over time leading to pitts and potentially holes forming in the surface. If the pitts are not filled they will attract dirt easily making the floor hard to keep clean.

I visited the property to survey the floor and gave the client a price for its renovation which would take two days. Whilst there I also carried out a small cleaning test to ascertain the best cleaning method and to demonstrate what could be achieved. They were happy to go ahead with the quote so we agreed a suitable date for the work to start.

Cleaning a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor

On day one I started by wrapping the kitchen cabinets in decorator’s plastic to protected them and applied a thin line of mastic where the tiles meet the floor. This is done to keep unwanted water out during the cleaning process.

The travertine floor had been laid using different sizes of tile in an irregular pattern which resulted in a lot of grout lines that needed cleaning. I find the best way to do this is with Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, scrubbing it in by hand with a wire brush, its hard work but its effective although it did take up most of the morning. Afterwards the grout was rinsed with water and the waste removed with a wet vacuum.

After lunch, I turned my attention to the tiles which needed to be burnished using a series of diamond pads fitted to a buffing machine fitted with extra weight to increase traction. Work started with the application of a coarse 400-grit pad which is run over each tile three to four times using only water for lubrication. The floor was then rinsed and the soiling extracted before moving onto the next pad in the series which is 800-grit and then onto 1500-grit.

This wet process pores in the stone allowing the dirt to be flushed out and then slowly closes them again leaving the floor clean and ready for sealing. By the end of day one all the Stone and Grout was clean and was left to dry out overnight.

Sealing a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor

The following day I checked the moisture levels of the floor with a damp meter to make sure it was dry and ready to accept a sealer. The results were good, so I set about applying the first of what would be two coats of Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal. This sealer is an impregnator that soaks into the pores of the stone preventing dirt from becoming ingrained there, it doesn’t contain a colour enhancer so leaves a very natural finish.

The floor was then once polished with the final burnishing pad in the set which is a very fine 3000-grit, this last pad removes any excess sealer and leaves a nice subtle appealing shine on the floor. The client was very happy with the finish we had achieved, the floor now has a lovely sheen and should stay looking good for some time.

For aftercare cleaning I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Stone Soap which is ideal for sealed stone floors. Not only is it pH neutral so its safe to use on sealed travertine but it also includes a patina enhancer that will help maintain the shine.

Professional Renovation of a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor in West Surrey

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Encaustic Tiled Bathroom – Saffron Walden, Essex

Thu, 25 Jan 2024 02:17:00 +0000

This modern Encaustic tiled floor had been laid in the bathroom of a house in Saffron Walden about a year prior to my visit. It was now beginning to mark easily and its appearance had diminished, additionally my customer was finding it hard to keep clean. All these issues are classic symptoms of the sealer wearing down, so I recommended giving the floor a deep clean with burnishing pads and then resealing. It was only a small floor so the process should only take a day.

Modern Encaustic tiles are very popular these days due to the spectacular colours and patterns available and they do look great in smaller areas such as bathrooms. Many varieties do require you to maintain the sealer though and this requirement is often overlooked when being sold. This is not usually a problem when used to create a wall feature, however when installed on a floor you can expect the sealer to wear down with foot traffic. Once the sealer wears down it allows dirt to become ingrained in the tile and this becomes difficult to remove, thereby making the floor difficult to keep clean.

Another problem we find with sealed tiles in bathrooms and kitchens is the use of bleach-based cleaning products, the products are very strong and will quickly erode the sealer with regular use leaving the tiles vulnerable. This is why we always recommend the use of pH neutral tile maintenance products such as Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner.

Cleaning an Encaustic Tiled Bathroom Floor

To resolve the problem, I started with the application of a coarse 400-grit burnishing pad fitted to a rotary machine and lubricated with water. The floor was just big enough to squeeze the buffer machine in, and it made quick work of removing what was left of the old sealer and ingrained dirt. After a rinse with more water, the soiling was extracted with a wet vacuum and I repeated the process with the 800 and 1500-grit pads, rinsing and extracting after each pad. These pads gradually refine the tile and slowly build-up a polish on its surface.

Finally, I moved onto the very fine 3000-grit pad which is applied with only a mist of water sprayed onto the surface to bring up the final polished appearance. This last pad has the added advantage of leaving the tiles fairly dry, however, just to be sure I installed a couple of down blowers to fully dry out the floor before sealing.

Sealing an Encaustic Tiled Bathroom Floor

The blowers worked well, and I was able to seal the floor later that day using four coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow using around a litre of sealer. This is an impregnating sealer that works by soaking into the tiles, where it occupies the pores to prevent dirt from becoming ingrained there.

The appearance of the encaustic tiles now looks great with a nice even, easy to maintain sheen. I also left them a free bottle of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner to maintain their floor after we had finished.

Professional Restoration of an Encaustic Tiled Bathroom Floor in North Essex

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Victorian Tiled Hallway Restored in Lincoln

Mon, 15 Jan 2024 09:38:59 +0000

I was asked to restore this Victorian tiled hallway floor at a property in Lincoln which as you can see was in quite a state. I don’t have the full history of the floor but essentially there were two large sections of missing tiles including under and in front of the stairs. these areas had been back filled with cement to level the floor so it could be covered with lino.

I’ve seen plenty of Victorian floors in my career, but I’ve never seen anything quite like it before. I discussed a price for the work which they were happy to accept and booked in a date to start.

Cleaning and Repairing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

The first job was to carefully remove all the cement from in front of the staircase and cut back the cement around the back of the staircase along the hall. The owner planned to create an understairs cupboard so there was no need to remove all of it as the cement floor would eventually be hidden.

With the ugly cement removed, the floor sections were brought level ready for tiling with a self-levelling compound. I had managed to source replacement tiles ready for the restoration, so then the next task was to use these to tile the floor following the existing pattern. Once they had set, I then grouted the floor.

The next step was to deep clean the old and new sections of tiling for which I used Tile Doctor Remove and Go. This was left to dwell and soak in for fifteen minutes before being scrubbed in with a Black pad. The residue generated was then rinsed off and then extracted with a wet vacuum. The tiles were then inspected, and stubborn paint splashes were spot treated with more product until I was happy the floor looked clean.

The next step was to give the floor an acid rinse with Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up, this counters potential efflorescence and neutralises the pH level of the floor after using Tile Doctor Remove and Go which is alkaline. Efflorescence is a common problem with these old floors which don’t have a damp proof membrane and have been covered with rubber underlay or lino which prevents moisture rising through the floor. The floor was then rinsed and extracted again and left to dry out for a couple of days.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

On my return I checked the moisture level of the tiles with a damp meter to make sure the floor was dry before starting. All was well so I sealed the floor with four coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which enhanced the colours in the tile and produced a lovely matt finish. Colour Grow is a breathable sealer which will allow for any moisture to rise through the tile and evaporate at the surface, this is an important feature for old floors that don’t have the benefit of a damp proof membrane.

The floor looked so much better after the work was complete and my client was amazed at the transformation that had taken place. For aftercare I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a gentle but effective tile cleaning product that won’t harm the sealer.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in North Lincolnshire

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Historically Important Victorian Hallway Floor Restored in Handbridge Chester

Mon, 08 Jan 2024 02:41:39 +0000

I was first asked to restore the large Victorian tiled hallway floor at this mansion type property in Handbridge, Cheshire two years ago. The floors had a lot of history and had been used as a template for the famous Minton Hollins encaustic tiled floor at St George’s Hall in Liverpool that was built in 1854. Unfortunately, however my work was put on hold as other restoration works including repairing dry rot took priority.

I kept in touch with the owners whilst the other works progressed and kept a look out for 22 beige Octagon shaped tiles that were needed to replace some of the damaged tiles in the floor. In fact, it wasn’t until later in 2023 that I was called back to start the renovation work to the floor, by which time I had managed to source all the replacement tiles needed.

Handbridge is a district of Chester with a mixture of large Victorian mansion type properties on the South bank of the river Dee and workers cottages built to service the water powered factories that sprung up along the river.

Repairing and Cleaning a Victorian Hallway Tiles

Before starting the cleaning process my first task was to replace all the broken tiles. This needs to be done carefully so as not to dislodge any adjacent tiles and make more work for myself. Once removed the base is cleared of old cement and then the replacement tiles fitted using rapid set adhesive and cut to size where required.

Once the repairs were complete and the adhesive set, I began the cleaning process which is designed to remove and remaining protective sealer and flush out ingrained dirt from the pores of the tile. This is done by applying a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean with a mop and then leaving it to soak into the tile for ten minutes. The floor was then scrubbed using a buffing machine fitted with a black pad and lubricated with water. The cleaning alkaline cleaning solution soon turns black with the dirt and then floor is then rinsed with water and the residue extracted with a wet vacuum.

Attention then turned to the decorative historical piece of flooring at the entrance to the hallway. This only needed to be cleaned with Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is used for regular cleaning and maintenance of tiled floors. this was applied with a two-minute dwell time before cleaning by hand using soft scrubbing brush then wiped down with damp microfiber cloths then left to dry.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

The next day damp meter readings were taken from both floors to make sure they had dried and were ready to be sealed. The readings were within tolerance so work could begin on applying the first of what would be three coats of sealer.

Tile Doctor Colour Grow was chosen to seal the tiles, it’s an impregnating colour intensifier sealer which is fully breathable so it will allow for moisture to rise through tile, an important consideration for old floors that don’t have a damp proof membrane.

The sealer was applied using a paint pad and any excess is wiped off after five minutes with microfiber cloths before leaving it to dry for twenty minutes. I use air blowers around the floor to increase the drying speed.

The owner of the property was over the moon with the work and pleased that the work to restore the property to its former condition was nearing completion after what had been four years of restoration.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in West Cheshire

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Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle Refreshed in Battersea

Tue, 02 Jan 2024 13:41:33 +0000

I was contacted by a customer in Battersea who was concerned about the state of their Ceramic Tiled shower cubicle. Ceramic tiles are glazed so usually very easy to keep clean however grout has a rough surface and attracts dirt easily. Where this happens it best to keep on top of the problem with regular cleaning as once you get a deep-seated stain on grout it’s very difficult to get it clean again.

The photograph below shows the worst of the problem where dirt had collected behind a wire basket that was fixed to the wall. The basket allowed dirt to build-up behind it and had deposited rust on the tile and grout.

Maintaining grout is a large part of the work Tile Doctor does and we have several tried and tested products and processes for doing this. Having spoken to the client over the phone and having been sent photographs via email I created a quote for the work which should only take a few hours. My customer was happy with the quote and we agreed a date to do the work.

Cleaning a Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle

To begin, I cleaned the grout lines using our acidic cleaning product, Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up. The product is decanted into a spray bottle and sprayed onto the tile and grout where it was left to dwell for ten minutes before being scrubbed in with a handheld scrubbing brush. Spraying the solution onto the wall mixes it with air to make it lighter and more able to stick to the wall.

Being a concentrated phosphoric acid cleaner, Grout Clean-Up effectively removes mineral deposits including rust and old grout smears from the tile surface to leaving it looking much fresher, it also prepares the grout for a superior bond with the grout colourant that was to be added later.

Following this, I rinsed down the tile and grout with water to remove the dislodged dirt. The next step was to remove all the existing silicone mastic with a sharp knife; the mastic sealant stained with mould and much in need of replacement. Once all the rubbish was swept out, I dried any remaining dampness from the grout and tiles with a heat gun.

I then moved onto to recolouring the grout using a Tile Doctor Grout Colourant which is simply painted onto the grout lines using a small brush and any excess wiped of the tile before it dries. There are eleven colours available in the Tile Doctor colourant range and in this case, we chose a colour to match the tiles.

The application of Grout Colourant not only colours the grout joints – it also seals the grout in so dirt can’t become stuck in its rough surface, this also makes it very easy to clean going forward.

Once the restoration was finished, I resealed the shower base with fresh mould resistant silicone mastic to match the tile and grout. Tile Doctor don’t sell this but there are many makes available from local DIY stores.

Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle Cleaning and Grout Recolouring in South London

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Victorian Tiled Hallway Deep Cleaned and Sealed in Farnham

Wed, 20 Dec 2023 13:33:28 +0000

This client from Farnham had been in touch regarding their Victorian tiled hallway which needed deep cleaning and re-sealing. As usual I paid them a visit, surveyed the floor, and provided a quote for renovating it which they were happy to accept, there were no broken tiles to remove and replace so it was a straightforward clean and seal. It was a lovely floor which had been laid in a herringbone pattern with lovely black and gold floral inserts and a beautiful green border.

Whilst discussing dates it became apparent that they were planning on having some decorating done in the same area, so I recommended they book me in for a date after the decorators had left. It’s always good practice to get the floor cleaned after your last tradesperson has left, decorators especially have a habit of not covering floors properly.

Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

I turned up on the agreed date and was pleasantly surprised to see there were only a few paint splashes on the floor so I wondered if my comments to the owner must have been passed onto the decorators. The hallway led onto several rooms many of which had new carpets, so with my own advice in mind I made sure to cover them with a plastic sheet before starting work.

The first job was to remove any existing sealer from the tiles using Tile Doctor Remove and Go, this is brushed onto the tiles, left for ten to fifteen minutes, and then scrubbed in with a black pad fitted to a rotary floor machine running at slow speed. The resultant slurry was then rinsed off and extracted with a wet vacuum. It was a small floor so I planned to seal the floor later that day and so I only used a minimal amount of water and used the wet vacuum to remove as much moisture as possible.

Next, I gave the floor an acid rinse by carefully smearing Tile Doctor Acid Gel over the tiled surface. Leaving it to dwell for half an hour yet keeping it moist with water. I then introduced my weighted burnishing machine. Circling the floor, it slightly cuts the tile creating a slurry of tile and dirt. The pads can struggle to get right into the corners so once that was done, I scooted around the edges hand cleaning them with a scrubbing brush and ensuring any paint splashes the decorators had left were removed.

All the waste was extracted, and the floor given a rinse with hot water. I left a small heater on them while I had my lunch. As the gel doesn’t penetrate the tiles like fluid it didn’t take long for the floor to dry sufficiently enough for sealing.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

Finally, I applied three coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra. This is a hard-wearing colour enhancing sealer. Each coat takes twenty to thirty minutes to dry. After the final coat I ask that it’s not walked on for a good hour.

Once done to the floor looked really clean and the new sealer should keep it that way for many years to come. Before leaving I took time to discuss maintenance cleaning and of course get their feedback which they gladly gave and is copied below:

“Great service. Rupert was professional, informative, friendly clean worker who made a great job of cleaning our original Victorian tiled floor. Tile Doctor were recommended to me by a friend, and I would definitely recommend them and Rupert for tile cleaning.”

For the aftercare of Victorian tiled floors, I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which due to its neutral ph makes it idea for the regular cleaning of sealed tiles. Many of the products you will find in supermarkets are simply too strong and will prematurely erode the sealer on a tile and so best avoided.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in West Surrey

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Black Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovated in Tooting

Tue, 19 Dec 2023 11:43:38 +0000

The photos below are of a Black Slate Kitchen floor at a property in Tooting SW17, which as you can see had lost all its colour and character. I went over to survey the floor and discussed a renovation plan with the owner.

One of the problems was the grout which like the tile hadn’t faired very well over the years and being in the Kitchen was subject to staining. I explained that like all stone floors the Slate needed to be sealed in order to keep the dirt out of its pores and keep it looking its best. Sealers however wear down with use and in this case the floor hadn’t been deep cleaned and sealed for some time.

I costed out a renovation plan which included deep cleaning the Slate tile removing any remaining sealer in the process, renovating the grout, and then re-sealing the whole floor to bring back the appearance of the stone and protect it going forward. Happy with the quote we agreed a date to start the work.

Deep Cleaning a Natural Black Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor

Normally I would use a Tile Doctor product called Remove and Go to remove the sealer, however in this case testing had shown that what was left of the sealer could be removed with Pro-Clean which is also our go to Tile and Grout Cleaner.

I used a strong dilution of Pro-Clean to do this, spraying it onto the floor and leaving it to soak in for ten minutes and break down the dirt etc. Then using a black scrubbing pad fitted to a heavy rotary buffer machine it was worked into the Slate to release the dirt and old sealer. The floor was then rinsed with water and the soiling extracted with a wet vacuum.

The pads can struggle to get into the corners and edges of the floor and the recesses of the grout line. So, to complete the cleaning a handheld scrubbing brush was used and a wire brush run along the grout lines, again with more Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. After another rinse and extraction with the wet vacuum the floor was left to dry aided with a couple of floor blowers.

Grout Colouring and Sealing Black Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor

Once dry the grout was coloured with a Black Tile Doctor grout colourant which is basically painted onto the grout with a small brush and any excess wiped off the tile. This grout colourant gives the grout a uniform appearance and adds an impenetrable barrier over the grout sealing it in and keeping it safe from further staining. Keeping grout clean in a kitchen is always a problem so the colourant will protect it and make it very easy to clean.

The last step was to seal the Slate for which I used Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal. This was chosen because it’s an impregnating oil-based sealer that will restore the beautiful dark colour in the stone. Impregnators work by occupying the tiny pores in the stone thereby forcing dirt to remain on the surface where they can easily be cleaned away.

In the subject of maintenance cleaning, I recommend the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a gentle but effective cleaner that won’t harm the sealer. Many of the floor cleaning products you find in supermarkets etc are not for use on sealed stone, they contain strong chemicals such as bleach etc which will strip off the sealer prematurely so best avoided.

Professional Renovation of Black Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor in South London

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Replacing a Blown and Sticky Sealer on Slate Floors in Wragby

Sun, 03 Dec 2023 15:57:05 +0000

This client from Wragby contacted me because their Slate tiled shower room floor was covered in limescale and despite trying numerous products they couldn’t get rid of it. Also, for some reason the slate kitchen floor was always sticky, and they wanted this resolving as well. If you haven’t been, Wragby is just East of Lincoln on route to the Lincolnshire Wolds which is an area of outstanding natural beauty.

I went over to the property to survey the tiles and produce a quote for rectifying the problems. I discovered that the Kitchen floor had been over sealed with a solvent based topical seal and that had turned tacky, and in the shower room it wasn’t limescale that was the issue, in fact it was a moisture problem that had bloomed the seal. The tiles needed to be completely dry before applying a sealer or it can cause problems, also because the dining room followed from the kitchen it would need to be stripped as well of sealer and resealed otherwise the two floors would look different in colour.

I quoted for stripping and cleaning all three floors, and then re-sealing. The quote was accepted, and the job was booked in for a few weeks later.

Cleaning a Slate Tiled Kitchen, Dining and Shower Room Floor

To remove the sealer, I used a combination of Tile Doctor Remove and Go mixed with Tile Doctor Pro Clean. This was applied to the floor in the usual way, allowing it to soak in for ten minutes before being scrubbed in with a Black pad. This action removes the old sealer and further cleaned the floor.

The soiling was then rinsed away with water and extracted with a wet vacuum. A couple of the areas were more stubborn that others, so the process was repeated until I was satisfied the sealer was gone and the Slate was as clean.

I setup a couple of air blowers in place to assist with drying and then left the floor to dry out fully overnight.

Sealing a Slate Tiled Kitchen, Dining and Shower Room Floor

Returning the following day, I used a damp meter to take moisture readings and ensure the stone was dry before applying the new sealer, as mentioned earlier it is not a good idea to seal a wet floor.

My client wanted a shine on the floor so for the Kitchen and Dining room I used a topical water-based sealer called Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra. For the shower floor I explained that due to the moisture it would have to be sealed with a fully breathable impregnating sealer however it would leave a matt finish, they didn’t want a repeat of before so happy to accept my recommendation the shower room floor was sealed with Tile Doctor Colour Grow.

The whole process took 3 days, and all the floors were transformed by the work, certainly my clients were extremely happy with the result. For the aftercare cleaning of Slate floors, I recommend the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which an effective tile and grout cleaner but gentle enough not to effect the sealer.

Professional Restoration of a Slate Tiled Kitchen, Dining and Shower Room in North Lincolnshire

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Ceramic Tile and Grout Cleaning in a Woking Kitchen

Fri, 01 Dec 2023 12:07:03 +0000

I took the photographs below of a Ceramic Tiled kitchen floor at a property in Woking. Two adults, two children and a dog so a lot of foot fall coming in and out of the patio doors that opened to the garden. Ceramic tiles are an ideal choice for a busy floor like this however we all know that children and animals don’t tend to wipe their feet and so they were struggling to keep the tile and grout clean.

Ceramic tiles are usually very easy to keep clean however grout has a rough cementitious surface and so easily attracts dirt turning it black. Also, we find that dirt is washed into the grout line during cleaning which doesn’t help.

Happy to assist I quoted for deep cleaning the tile and grout with a weighted mechanical floor buffer which would scrub the floor clean again, the work would also involve manually cleaning the grout as the pads can struggle to reach into the recesses of the grout line.

Deep Cleaning Kitchen Ceramic Tile and Grout

On arrival I ran a thin line of transparent mastic along the kickboards where they meet the tiles. Unwanted water can be destructive and cause the boards to warp. I leave the mastic in place once I’ve finished as it looks subtle and offers added protection.

With that done I sprayed the tiles with and 1:5 dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and left this to soak into the floor for twenty minutes. The Pro-Clean breaks down the dirt turning it a shade of yellow. While this was happening, I retrieved a weighted floor polisher from the van. The iron bars I use as weights improves traction to make the clean more.

Once the Pro-Clean had soaked in I went around the grout lines giving them a good scrub with more Pro-Clean and a wire brush. I’m yet to find a machine that does this as effectively as hand brushing so for best results I get on my hands and knees and give it a good scrub. You can see from the pictures the dirt being released.

Once the grout was done the buffing machine was brought in fitted with a black scrubbing pad that won’t scratch the tiles but does a job of releasing the dirt. All the dirt is vacuumed up with a wet vax. Then just to be sure I neutralise with fresh, warm water. This is also removed leaving the tiles to dry.

Once dry the floor was inspected and any stubborn areas spot treated until both I and the customer were satisfied the tile and grout was as clean as it could be.

Normally after cleaning the final step would be to seal the tiles, however Ceramic tiles won’t take a sealer so once the cleaning was done the job was completed, and in less than a day.

Professional Clean of a Ceramic Tiled Kitchen in West Surrey

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Flood Damaged Red Sandstone Hallway Floor Renovated in Penrith

Sun, 26 Nov 2023 16:49:05 +0000

The customer from Penrith called us in to see if we could improve the appearance of their Red Sandstone hallway floor. Several weeks earlier it had been covered in mud and water from flooding. Once the flood waters had subsided the floor was given a general clean, but the stone looked terrible and completely washed out.

Its important to let everything dry out before attempting any renovation work and this is especially the case with Stone and Clay tiles. When the floors this bad there’s no point trying to get a decent clean just by using chemicals alone, so we often offer a system we have perfected at Tile Doctor called “Milling”. We discussed the project in detail with the client and agreed a price and a time to complete the work.

Restoring Flood Damaged Red Sandstone

Milling pads are encrusted with very coarse industrial diamonds and allow you to cut deeper into the stone than the burnishing pads we use for polishing. We use them to remove a thin layer of stone from the floor to reveal new stone underneath.

Tile Doctor supply these pads in different sizes, types and grits and on this occasion, we used a 17 inch 200-grit milling pad fitted to a Numatic buffing machine running on low speed. Extra weight was added to the machine to improve the depth of clean and the process was lubricated with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go. The edges were then cleaned with a set of handheld Diamond Blocks which allow you to get right into the corners. Once the whole floor had been treated it was rinsed with water and the soiling extracted with a wet vacuum.

The Sandstone floor was then given an acid rinse using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up to remove stone resins and neutralise alkaline salts which can build up in the stone and present themselves as White Efflorescence later. The floor was then given a final rinse and dried as much as possible with the wet vacuum before allowing it to dry off overnight.

Sealing Red Sandstone Flooring

The stone floor was left to dry out for a full 24 hours and we called back on the 3rd day to apply a coat of Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal, which is an oil-based sealer that improves colour and structure to the stone. This product is fully breathable and rated for external use and so will cope with any further dampness coming up from the ground.

The sealer really brought out the true red colour of the Sandstone and completely transformed its appearance. The customer has only lived in the house a short time and had no idea of what colour the stone should be as it was Grey when they moved in.

Re-Pointing Red Sandstone Flooring

It was quite rewarding to bring the stone back to life and to finish the renovation of the floor our attention turned to the pointing which had been compromised by the flooring and was in a bad state.

The old pointing was carefully knocked out and after cleaning up the floor was re-pointed using a modern breathable pointing product called VDW 800 which comes in four different colours, it’s very easy to apply, copes well with wide gaps and fully hardens in 48 hours.

Traditionally a Lime mortar was used for this but there are several draw backs with this as it never really sets, and if you mop or clean the floor then traces of White pointing stain the stone. This is very noticeable on darker stones and secondly, it’s difficult to work with and remove after it has dried.

All in all, the Sandstone floor responded very well to our restoration methods and sealer, needless to say the customer was very happy with the result. For aftercare cleaning of Sandstone flooring I recommend the use of Neutral Tile Cleaner which is gentle enough not to impact the sealer yet an effective floor cleaning product that can be used regularly.

Professional Restoration of a Red Sandstone Hallway Floor in North Cumbria

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Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Repaired and Restored in Scunthorpe

Fri, 24 Nov 2023 16:44:26 +0000

This Victorian tile floor was found under a carpet in a property in Scunthorpe during redecoration. The client asked if it could be cleaned up and some minor repairs carried out so we scheduled a date for me to go over and survey the floor.

Whilst at the property I took some measurements so I could create an accurate quote for doing the work. Sometimes I can price the work off photographs but with old floors like this I prefer to take a detailed look as you never know what you might find. Another consideration is efflorescence due to it being covered in carpet and probably rubber backed underlay, materials like this prevent the floor from breathing. Old floors like this one don’t have a damp-proof membrane it is best to let the floor dry out before doing any further work.

Cleaning and Repairing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

My quotation was accepted, and the work started by addressing the the repairs using the tiles provided. The repairs however turned out to be more than expected as I discovered lots of patches that required lifting and re-fixed in place using a rapid setting adhesive and grout; this was unexpected but had to be done.

The next day with the floor now stable, I started the cleaning process using Tile Doctor Remove and Go which is a strong alkaline product that cleans tiles and removes coatings. This is sprayed onto the floor and left to dwell for twenty minutes before being worked into the tiles using a buffer machine fitted with a Black scrubbing pad. This process breaks down old sealers and soils lifting them to the surface where they can be removed. The residue was then rinsed away using minimal water and extracted with a wet vacuum.

After rinsing I then repeated the process with Tile Doctor Acid Gel which further cleans up the tiles and dissolves any alkaline salts in the floor that might result in efflorescence later. As the name suggests this is an acidic product, it also neutralises the pH level of the floor after the use of alkaline cleaning products earlier.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

The hallway was then left to dry for a couple of days before returning to seal with Tile Doctor Colour Grow which has a matt finish. This is a hardwearing sealer which will ensure the high traffic area is protected and allows the natural colours of the Victorian tiles to shine through. The other reason this sealer was chosen though was that its fully breathable and will allow moisture to rise through the floor.

The client was over the moon with the result especially as I had kept to the quote and not charged for the additional tiling work. Before leaving I took time to discuss ongoing maintenance cleaning of the Victorian tiles and recommend the use of Neutral Tile Cleaner which won’t affect the sealer.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in Lincolnshire

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Repairing a Stone Table for Repeat Client in Swallowfield Reading

Thu, 16 Nov 2023 11:17:06 +0000

I received a rather fraught text message followed by a bunch of pictures from a client in Swallowfield regarding a broken stone table. My client lets out properties in the Thames Valley and Berkshire areas so over time we have built a nice relationship as maintenance work is constantly needed within these properties.

Unfortunately, my client and his son dropped the large stone table while preparing the property for new tenants causing significant damage to one corner. Time was of the essence as the new tenants were due to move in the following weekend.

Having reviewed the pictures and discussed the damage in detail over the phone I was confident I could significantly improve the damage, so we booked in a date that was mutually convenience. Fortunately, they had the good sense to collect the pieces of broken table which would make the task easier.

Repairing and Cleaning a Travertine Stone Table

My first job was to reconstruct the puzzle of broken pieces to ensure the table would all fix together again. Happy I had all the parts I began the reconstruction using a two-part epoxy resin that binds rock hard in about 15-30 minutes, clamping each part in place while the resin hardened.

Once I was happy with the repair, I gave the table a deep clean using Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, this product is a strong alkaline cleaner that breaks down dirt, grease, and contaminations. After scrubbing in a strong dilution by hand it was then rinsed off with water and the table was left to dry.

Sealing a Travertine Stone Table

I returned later that day and happy it was thoroughly dry I applied two coats of Tile Doctor Ultra Seal which is an impregnating sealer that works by occupying the pores in the stone thereby preventing dirt from taking up residence there. This ensures contaminates remain on the surface where they can easily be wiped away. This product is almost invisible and so doesn’t change the appearance of the stone, so it keeps its natural appearance.

They were impressed with the repair work and as you can see from the pictures there is very little evidence of the previous damage. They were also relieved that it could be repaired as a piece like this is expensive to replace. More importantly the property was also ready for the new tenant to move in.

We have already carried out lots of work for this client previously, maintaining the various tiled floors that they have in the various properties, floors you wouldn’t want to trust with a standard cleaning service.

Professional Repair and Renovation of a Stone Table in Berkshire

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Polishing a Limestone table in Burford, Oxfordshire

Sun, 12 Nov 2023 15:37:48 +0000

This client from Burford in the Cotswold hills contacted us to see if I could polish up a Limestone table which was now surplus to requirements, and they wanted to sell it. They realised though that the polished appearance was dull and unappealing, so if it was to achieve the best price if would need polishing first.

We discussed the project over the phone and I explained that although we are more used to polishing stone floors with large diamond burnishing pads there was no reason why the same technique wouldn’t work on the table. For this project we would use smaller six-inch pads that can be fitted to a hand-held buffer machine. Confident I could complete the work and get the table back to its former glory I agreed to call in and demonstrate the process.

Polishing a Limestone Tiled Table

Using a set of small diamond burnishing pads of increasing grits and water I was able to quickly polish a sample area of the table to a nice shine. This newly polished section really highlighted just how dull the rest of the table had become. Like any polished surface it will lose its lustre over time with regular use and potentially cleaning with the wrong products.

Happy my solution was effective, and the price was right, he asked me to continue and polish the whole table. I put tape around the edge of the table to prevent splashes and had a dust sheet on the floor.

Next using a flex polishing machine fitted a six-inch 200-grit pad the stone was lightly cut back to remove the staining and cup marks. A little water is used during this process to help lubricate and a sponge with more water is used afterwards to remove the slurry which is generated. This process was then repeated using 400, 800, 1500 and finally a 3000-grit pads until the Limestone was polished to a honed finish. Again, the slurry was sponged away after each pad.

Sealing a Limestone Table

Then to get a very deep durable Tile Doctor Shine Powder was applied which is ground into the stone using a White buffing pad. Once this had dried, I buffed the table with another White pad to leave table looking like new.

The client was delighted with the finished result and considered keeping it for a moment! However, they were satisfied that they could now sell it for a good price. For the maintenance cleaning of polished stone tables and countertops we recommend Tile Doctor Stone Patina Spray which is very easy to apply and helps protect the polish.

Although we specialise in the maintenance of tiles, stone or grout, mainly involving floors, but from time to time we do get asked to do something different such as resurfacing stone tables or work surfaces. It makes a nice change to complete something different and is very satisfying when the results are as good as this.

Professional Restoration of a Limestone Table in Oxfordshire

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Neglected Black & White Victorian Tiled Pathway Restored in Surbiton

Sat, 04 Nov 2023 13:57:20 +0000

Over the past ten years I’ve restored many tiled pathways, however none were in such a poor state as this example in Surbiton. Unfortunately, it had been badly installed and then further “repairs” by the customers ex father In-law hadn’t helped. I certainly had my work cut out and working outside of course has its own challenges.

Repairing a Neglected Victorian Tiled Pathway

The first task was to clear the area of plant life and other detritus, all the existing holes had to be totally cleaned out so I could see exactly what I was dealing with. I discovered the foundation of the path was not very deep and this had allowed it to be disturbed by adjacent rose bushes so these had to be chopped back and the roots removed. I also had to rope-off the area as anyone treading on the path would dislodge further tiles resulting in Amazon and the postwoman having to take a more cumbersome route.

The next step was to remove the existing concrete edging, now normally I wouldn’t do this as I’m not a building contractor however given the problems with the path foundations it made sense. Additionally new steel edging would form an excellent base and straight line from which I could re-build the path. I had to break the concrete edging out with a power chisel and left the pieces in building sacks for the customer to dispose of. The customer supplied the replacement metal edging which is joined together, worked into the ground with a sledgehammer and then secured with foot long metal stakes.

The next day were spent cleaning up three buckets of loose tiles in the rear garden. These had been reclaimed over the years. I knew we would be short of replacements so I also ordered matching Victorian tiles from the Vintage Tile Company in Margate. The only way to clean them up effectively is with a wet tile cutting machine whizzing down the edges. It’s a wet, messy, noisy business made harder by the incoming rain. It took all day to make 100’s of tiles acceptable. It was tedious work but made more enjoyable by the numerous cups of tea that were made available.

The next day was spent removing and cleaning up the existing broken base. Once removed I filled the holes and gaps with self-levelling compound. Thankfully the new metal straight edges allowed the compound to level out nicely. It was then left to set over night.

The next two days were spent tiling. I had three buckets and two boxes of tiles to use. It’s a slow process that sometimes you need to step away from to make sure you’d used the correct colour and pattern. The customers ex father in-law hadn’t done this so rogue tiles were removed.

Deep Cleaning a Neglected Victorian Tiled Pathway

Once I had finished repairing the tiles on the pathway, I was able to move onto what I know best, i.e., cleaning and sealing the whole area. This work began by coating the path in a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go which as the name suggests is a coatings remover that breaks down dirt, old sealers and other contaminates. As usual it was left to dwell for ten to fifteen minutes to give it time to break down the soils.

Then I introduced a heavily weighted buffing machine fitted with a 100-grit diamond pad to scrub the product into the tile. The industrial diamonds in the pad slightly cut the tiles resulting in a Black and White slurry. This is then rinsed with water then extracted with a wet vacuum cleaner.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Pathway

Once the tiles had dried from the warm Sun, I was able to start applying the sealer which for these tiles I applied Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal. This is a modern oil-based sealer that is rated for external use and contains UV protection thereby providing excellent protection and making the tiles very easy to maintain.

This was a long job that due to being outside I had to come back to due to the weather, so it took longer expected but I think the transformation speaks for itself. Lastly for aftercare cleaning I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner. Most tile cleaning products you find in supermarkets are simply too strong for the sealer and can degrade them prematurely.

Professional Victorian Tiled Pathway Repaired and Restored in Surrey

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Victorian Porch Floor Deep Cleaned and Sealed in Edinburgh

Thu, 26 Oct 2023 13:06:32 +0000

This is a small job we did recently to renovate a Victorian Tiled Porch floor at a property in Edinburgh that was extremely dirty and stained. Situated at the front of the house the porch was exposed to most of the traffic coming into the property and over time the sealer had worn off the tiles allowing dirt to become trapped into its pores.

Renovating a Victorian Tiled Porch Floor in Edinburgh

If you have read any of my posts before you will know I’m vary of old Victorian tiled floors like this one. Older floors don’t have a damp-proof membrane so you have to minimise the use of water otherwise it can take days or even weeks before the floor dries out, it can also exacerbate efflorescence issues.

To work around this issue, we have adopted a “Low Moisture Cleaning” system that uses Gel based cleaning products. To start we apply Tile Doctor Acid Gel which being a gel is very easy to control. The gel is applied to the floor and left to dwell for a while before it is worked in with a coarse 100-grit burnishing pad that opens the pores in the tile so the dirt can be flushed out. Then after going over the floor a few times with the pad the slurry was extracted with a wet vacuum.

https://edinburgh.tiledoctor.biz/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/10/Victorian-Tiled-Porch-Floor-During-Cleaning-Edinburgh-512849.m4v

The porch floor was then inspected and stubborn stains were spot treated until I was happy with the condition of the tiles. I also had to scrape off some paint splashes from decorating.

The next step was to further improve the condition of the Victorian tiles by applying 200, 400 and then an 800-grit burnishing pads. This closes the surface pores and makes the tiles slightly smoother. We find doing this also speeds up drying times. I used minimal water to help lubricate the burnishing process and wipe the floor after each pad using damp cloths.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Porch Floor

The floor was then left to dry off for a week before I returned to seal the floor using Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal. This is a modern oil-based sealer that improves structure and is rated for external use so ideal for an area like a porch that gets wet, its also fully breathable so perfect for floors without a damp-proof membrane.

For the regular cleaning of sealed floors, I recommend the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner which is a gentle yet effective tile cleaner. It’s important to choose a neutral pH cleaner for cleaning sealed tiles as 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 Edinburgh

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Renovation of a Beautiful Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor in Gainsborough

Tue, 24 Oct 2023 16:30:43 +0000

The photographs below were taken during the renovation of a Victorian tiled hallway floor at a property near Gainsborough. The floor was in good condition except for several areas of missing tiles which had been back filled with cement.

There were also two doorway sections where the owner wanted additional tiles adding to match the original. Fortunately, there was a large entrance matting covering more tiles, so I was able to take what I wanted from there to carry out the repairs.

Repairing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

Work commenced with the tiling work carefully removing the tiling from under the entrance matting and then cleaning them up. The matting was then dropped into the floor so it was level with the tiles.

The sections that had been replaced with concrete were then carefully scraped out and then prepped to take the tiles level with the existing floor. I dry fitted the tiles first cutting some of them as required to match the existing pattern.

Once I was happy with the pattern, they were then secured in place with a rapid setting adhesive and then grouted. There were a couple of areas that needed this attention and the two door thresholds so this work took up the whole of day one.

Repairing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

The next day the adhesive and grout had set and I was able to turn my attention to getting the floor clean and removing any remaining sealer. To do this I applied a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go and left it to soak in for twenty minutes. The dwell time gives the product time to work into the tile and break down the old sealants and dirt. The floor was then scrubbed using a black pad fitted to a rotary machine and you could see the dirt lifting out of the tiles.

I worked in sections and used a wet vacuum to extract the dirt that had been released from the tiles. Once done I inspected the floor and spot treated any areas that needed more work.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

The next day the moisture levels of the tiles were checked with a damp meter to ensure they were dry enough to be sealed. 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.

My client was very happy with the result and hadn’t really expected it to come out as well as it did. 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 Renovation of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in Lincolnshire

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Extending a Victorian Tiled Conservatory floor in Malvern

Fri, 13 Oct 2023 16:44:56 +0000

I was contacted by a homeowner in Malvern who had a conservatory floor that was tiled in Quarry and Victorian tiles. They wanted a quote for removing the Red Quarry tiles and replacing with matching Victorian tiles. The Victorian floor tiles looked so much more interesting and beautiful than the Quarry so it was definitely the right thing to do.

My background is tiling so undertaking this sort of work is not a problem, my only concern was tracking down Victorian tiles that would match the original. With this in mind I popped over to the house and took all the necessary measurements and tile colour samples. I was then able to use this to research suitable matching replacements and put together a quote for the work. Happy with my price my quote was accepted and agreed a date for the work to commence.

Extending a Victorian Tiled Conservatory Floor

The first step was to remove the Quarry tiles and prepare the base to accept the new tiles making sure to get the level just right. This can be a messy and dusty job but fortunately being in a conservatory there was plenty of ventilation through the patio doors. The floor was then cleaned up ready to take the replacement tiles which as it turned out wasn’t that difficult to source as they are still very popular.

I then set out spirit and laser levels and tiled the inset of the main floor, this is meticulous work as many of the tiles had to be cut to just the right size to match the original pattern. The tiles are then laid dry onto the floor so ensure they pattern is exactly right before being fixed permanently in place with adhesive.

Once this central section was dry, I moved onto the borders making sure to replicate the existing border pattern along the walls, again this was meticulous work and it took 3 days before all the tiling work was complete and I was able to grout the floor.

Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Conservatory Floor

On the fourth day the tiling work was complete, and I set about giving the original Victorian floor a thorough clean starting with the application of Tile Doctor Remove and Go to remove any remnants of sealer, paint splashes from decorating and other marks. The solution was left to soak into the tile and grout for ten minutes before being worked in with a 100-grit diamond pad to really get the dirt off.

After a rinse with water the soiling was then removed with a wet vacuum. This was followed up with a 200-grit diamond pad applied only with water for lubrication and again the soiling generated was rinsed off and extracted with a wet vacuum.

The whole floor was then treated to an acid wash using Tile Doctor Acid Gel. This final step in the cleaning process removes any grout smears left over from tiling and further cleans up the tiles. After a final rinse and extraction, the floor was left to dry off overnight.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Conservatory Floor

I returned the next day to seal the tiles checking first that the floor was dry by taking a few moisture readings with a damp tester. This confirmed the floor was dry and ready for sealing for which I used Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal which is an oil-based sealer that adds character and a subtle shine to Victorian tiles. It’s also fully breathable sealer with built in UV protect that is rated for internal and external use and so ideal for a conservatory floor.

Over the course of the five days the floor was transformed, and my customer was very happy with result and confirmed it was the right decision. For aftercare of Victorian floor tiles, I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner which is an effective yet gentle floor cleaning product that won’t degrade the sealer.

Professional Extension of a Victorian Tiled Conservatory Floor in Worcestershire

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Dirty Silver Travertine Kitchen floor in Spencer’s Wood, Reading

Wed, 11 Oct 2023 04:25:42 +0000

This client in Spencer’s Wood, a small civil parish village located south of Reading within Berkshire, had a spectacular Silver Travertine tiled floor that had become grimy, stained and generally dull from use. Unhappy with how it now looked I was asked to quote for renovating it.

I called in to survey the floor and I could see how the grout had become badly stained and the natural pits in the travertine had trapped a lot of dirt which had accumulated over time. Kitchen floors are generally the busiest in any house and with a build-up of dirt, grease and other soils ingrained into the pores of the travertine.

It was clear any sealer that had once protected the stone was no longer effective. Though the kitchen was the worse effected area the client wanted the whole tiled area cleaned which included the hallway and cloakroom. I worked out a quote for doing the work, which was accepted and a date was booked in.

Cleaning a Silver Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor

On arrival I applied a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which was left to dwell for ten minutes so it could soak into the pores and break down the dirt, grease, and any remaining sealer. For best results I then went over the floor with a rotary buffing machine fitted with a nylon scrubbing brush. Personally, I find nylon brushing perfect for cleaning grout and pitted travertine as the brush gets into the depressions releasing the contaminations. The resulting slurry was then vacuumed off the floor using a wet vacuum, the floor was then rinsed with water and vacuumed again.

To improve the appearance of the Travertine and remove any potential imperfections caused by wear and tear, it was given a light burnish using a 400-grit then 800-grit burnishing pads this left the floor with a gentle satin sheen. We could then improve the shine further by adding a 1500-grit followed by 3000-grit however, it was the client’s request that they didn’t want the floor to look “too shiny”.

The burnishing pads are attached to the rotary machine and then run over each tile several times using only water for lubrication. After another rinse and extraction to remove the slurry, the floor was left to dry off overnight.

Sealing a Silver Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor

Returning the next day, the floor had dried out and looked stunning. I damp meter was used to test the floor for moisture and after confirming it was dry, I proceeded to seal the Travertine using two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow.

Tile Doctor Colour Grow is an impregnating sealer that enhances and improves the colour and texture of natural travertine whilst providing durable protection.

The client was thrilled with the outcome of the floor and was glad to have it back to how they remembered it. Before leaving I took time to discuss aftercare and recommended the client to use Tile Doctor Stone Soap as a maintenance cleaner.

Professional Restoration of a Silver Travertine Tiled Kitchen in Berkshire

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Quarry Tiled Shop Floor Renovation in Henley-on-Thames

Mon, 09 Oct 2023 09:23:12 +0000

If you want an example of the improvement that we can make to a Quarry tiled floor, then pop into the Farrow & Ball Paint shop in Henley-on-Thames. They were in touch in August this year about renovation of their very well-worn Red and Black quarry tiled floor, which after many years of commercial foot fall was now in need of deep cleaning and sealing.

I visited the property to survey the floor and discuss with them the work that needed to be done. I was confident we could make a big improvement to the floor and would soon have the shop looking very much more welcoming.

Being a shop, the work had to be done out of hours, so we discussed the options and decided on starting work at 5pm on a Sunday evening and working through the night. I provided a quote for the work which they were happy to accept, and a date set for the work to begin.

Cleaning a Quarry Tiled Paint Shop Floor

The first process was to remove what was left of the old sealer and soiling by putting down a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. I left this to dwell and soak into the tile and grout for ten minutes before scrubbing it in with a a rotary machine fitted with a silicon carbide brush.

Once all the tiles had been scrubbed, the floor was rinsed with water and the soiling extracted using an industrial wet vacuum. The floor was then expected and the process repeated on those areas that needed more work.

Next, the floor was treated to an acid rinse using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up which is a mild acidic product that removes old grout smears, alkaline salt deposits and further cleans up the tiles. This process also neutralises the pH level of the floor following the use of the strong alkaline cleaner used earlier. Again, this was then rinsed off the floor with water and removed with the wet vacuum.

Once the tile and grout were clean and free of old sealer the wet vacuum was used to get the floor as dry as possible. Several air movers were placed around the floor to speed up the drying of the floor.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled Paint Shop Floor

After waiting some time for the floor to dry it was then sealed with a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go Extra which is a hard wearing acrylic based sealer that leaves a mild sheen and will protect the tiles for many years to come.

I finished at 4am.

As you can see the floor looked fantastic, the owners were over the moon with the improvement. I left them a small bottle of Tile Doctor pH Neutral Cleaner and recommended they purchase some. This is a pH neutral cleaner which can be used every day by their cleaner and it will keep the newly applied sealer in place. It has a lovely fresh smell, so will be very welcoming for their customers. I also recommended our Tile Doctor Maintenance Plan which means will return annually and give the floor a deep clean and seal.

Professional Restoration of a Quarry Tiled Paint Shop in Oxfordshire

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30-Year-Old Laminate Floor Removed to Reveal Heavily Stained Quarry Tiles

Sat, 16 Sep 2023 14:37:26 +0000

The photos below are of a Quarry tiled floor situated in a small kitchen at a house in Purley. The quarry tiles were previously covered in laminate for about 30 years which had recently been removed. This left the floor in quite a state as you can see from the photograph below. The floor was stained with numerous deposits including paint and adhesive and some sort of wax covering which was all over the surface.

Cleaning a Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor

Before cleaning I covered the entire kitchen in a drop cloth to protect the units from splashing, I normally remove the kick boards as part of this process however, in this case the bottom of the units were already siliconed to the tiles. This is good practice as otherwise the boards which are usually made of MDF can soak up the water used during cleaning and warp the boards.

Next, I tackled the staining, surface paint, adhesive and wax using a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove & Go combined with Tile Doctor Pro-Clean to make a double strength stripper and cleaner. This was applied to the tiles and grout, and then left to soak in for ten minutes. I used a floor scraper to dislodge the glue which had been softened by the solution and then removed using a wet vacuum. The next step was to scrub the floor with a carbide brush and a coarse 200-grit diamond pad using only water to lubricate the process.

Once this was done, I rinsed the floor with water and extracted the slurry with the wet vacuum and allowed it to dry.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor

Once the floor was dry, I returned to protect the tiles by applying Tile Doctor Colour Grow sealer. This is an impregnating sealer that works by soaking into the pores of the quarry tiles occupying the spaces within and thereby preventing dirt from becoming ingrained and making it much easier to clean. Tile Doctor Colour Grow also contains a colour enhancer that works well on Quarry tiles as it brings out the red colours in the tiles. Two coats of the sealer were applied allowing thirty minutes between coats.

I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner for ongoing maintenance. This is a pH neutral product which is mild enough to use every day, gentle on the floor and will ensure the newly applied sealer will stay in place and the floor will continue to look great.

The result was transformational, and it certainly impressed my customer who left the following 5 star feedback.

“Daniel and his team were amazing! Extremely professional, thorough, and undeniably delivered an excellent end result for my old and tired tiles. So impressed! I would most certainly use this service again. By Sarah, Purley, 12 June 2023”

Professional Renovation of a Quarry Tiled Kitchen in South London

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Dishevelled Brick steps Deep Cleaned in Ascot

Tue, 05 Sep 2023 07:12:43 +0000

I received an enquiry regarding a set of Brick Steps at a property in Ascot that had fallen victim to the elements and had become ingrained in years of ingrained dirt, algae, and lichen. As the entrance to the property the brick steps were making it look uninviting and dishevelled. My client emailed over a couple of photographs, and I was confident that with our variety of cleaning products we could vastly improve the appearance.

I visited the site in to take a closer look and conducted a test clean to demonstrate what could be achieved. I discussed the process with the client and provided a quote for the work. Happy with the results of the test clean and the quote a date was booked into the diary for my return.

Deep Cleaning a Brick Stepped Entrance in Ascott

To start I removed any moss and loose soil with an industrial scraping tool and a wire brush, this would allow the cleaning product, Tile Doctor Brick and Patio Cleaner to have full contact with the brick and mortar. This product is a very strong fast acting cleaner designed to remove black spot, algae and lichens from external concrete paving and brick driveways.

I applied the product neat using a pump-up sprayer and allowed the product to dwell for thirty minutes, scrubbing every so often and keeping the surface damp to ensure the brick and patio cleaner didn’t dry out. With this product the longer you leave it the better the result. In this case I let the bricks and mortar soak for about an hour before scrubbing it in further and then rinsing off with water. Some areas were more stubborn than others and needed more work by once I was happy with the results, I gave the steps a thorough rinsing with plenty of water.

The results were so noticeable that the client’s friend and neighbour “not wanting to be outdone” also wanted their smaller steps deep cleaned. Thankfully I had the time needed so I was more than happy to oblige.

Sealing a Brick Stepped Entrance

I discussed the benefits of having the steps sealed, however my client was happy with how they looked and opted to have me back each spring to keep on top of things. There are several products we have available for sealing outdoor bricks and patios, Tile Doctor Colour Grow, Ultra Seal and X-Tra Seal, all of these will provide protection to the area by preventing dirt from becoming ingrained into the brick.

Professional Restoration of a Brick Stepped Entrance in Berkshire

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Bathroom Floor Tile Grout Renovated in Gipsy Hill SE19

Thu, 31 Aug 2023 08:49:22 +0000

The Grout on this tiled floor in the bathroom of a property near Gipsy Hill SE19 was as you can see from the photo below in a bit of state. Originally White the colour of the grout had darkened to black in numerous areas and was bringing down the appearance of what was a lovely bathroom.

The floor tiles were Travertine effect Ceramic or Porcelain and as you would expect with tiles of this nature in very good condition. Ceramic and Porcelain tiles are not porous and so very easy to maintain, however what tends to happen is the dirt is washed off the tiles straight into the adjacent grout line where due to the rough nature of the grout it gets stuck.

My renovation plan for tackling dirty grout is to start with a strong grout cleaner like Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and if the staining is still evident apply a Grout Colourant. I discussed this plan with owner of the property who were happy that one way or another the problem was about to be resolved.

Cleaning a Natural Black Ceramic Tiled Bathroom Floor

The first step in renovating this floor was to tackle the grout which was clearly the biggest issue with this floor. This work started by applying a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean along the grout lines and then waiting for about ten minutes before scrubbing it in with a wire brush. I also used a 6-inch Black scrubbing pad fitted to a hand-held polisher to clean the tiles which as mentioned earlier only needed a light clean. The floor was then rinsed with water and then dried with a wet vacuum to remove the excess water and slurry from the cleaning.

The grout responded well to the treatment but unfortunately the staining was simply too deeply seated to make it look new again so I decided to adopt plan B and apply a White Grout Colourant. These colourants have the added advantage of sealing in the grout and are very easy to clean.

The grout was force dried and then once I was happy it was dry enough, I started the process of applying the grout colourant to the grout lines. Grout Colouring is a straightforward and involves using a small brush to paint the colourant onto the grout and then wiping the excess off the tile as you go. We find a wet wipe works well for this. Two coats of Grout Colourant were applied.

Whilst that was drying, I stripped out the silicone sealant around the edges of the bathroom and replaced with new. This last step really finished off the transformation and it would have been obvious if I had missed it.

Once finished the floor looked like a new installation and the Grout Colourant should keep it looking that way for many years to come.

Professional Bathroom Floor Grout Cleaning and Colouring in South London

The post Bathroom Floor Tile Grout Renovated in Gipsy Hill SE19 appeared first on South London Tile Doctor.

Stained White Sandstone Patio Deep Cleaned in Liscard Wallasey

Tue, 29 Aug 2023 06:41:08 +0000

A client from Liscard in Wallasey asked me to look at their White Sandstone Patio which was stained with moss, blackspot, and lichen. I contacted her and arranged to a time to pop over and survey the patio which was installed in the rear garden and down the side of the house.

I could see the staining on the patio was the typical result of exposure to the UK weather and discussed the best way to tackle the problems. I recommend applying a powerful patio cleaner to break down the staining and then use a high-power pressure washer to force the dirt out of the stone.

With a plan agreed I worked out a quote which was accepted, and a date was put in the diary for our return and hoped the weather would be on our side.

Deep Cleaning a White Sandstone Tiled Patio

Fortunately, the weather was nice and dry so work began by decanting Tile Doctor Patio and Driveway Cleaner into a large spray bottle from which it was applied to the patio and then was left to soak in. The longer you leave this product the better the result and, in this case, we left it to dwell for two hours so it could really attack the different stains on the patio. In total five litres of cleaner were applied to cover the whole patio by the time we had finished.

The patio was then cleaned with a powerful pressure washer fitted with a spinner tool that gets into the pores of the stone but is gentle enough not to blow the grout between the large white sandstone tiles. The soiled cleaning solution was then rinsed off the patio and extracted using a wet vacuum.

Once done the patio was inspected and spot cleaned where required.

Sealing a White Sandstone Tiled Patio

I discussed sealing the patio with the client, however with the location being so close to the sea I felt that a sealer may struggle to cope in the harsh salty environment and so we decided to leave it unsealed. I did however recommend the Tile Doctor Annual Maintenance Plan; this is where we visit annually to keep the patio in its best condition. The client thought this was great idea.

The grubby patio was transformed following the cleaning and now looks so much more inviting. They are now ready for summer entertaining assuming the weather stays warm.

Professional Restoration of a White Sandstone Tiled Patio in Merseyside

The post Stained White Sandstone Patio Deep Cleaned in Liscard Wallasey appeared first on Merseyside Tile Doctor.

Gruby Limestone Kitchen Floor Renovated in Marylebone

Wed, 23 Aug 2023 06:49:06 +0000

The pictures below are of a Limestone tiled kitchen floor at a property just off Marylebone High Street in Central London. My client has a dog, and years of walking back from Regents Park through West London streets back into the kitchen floor has led to it becoming very dirty.

Over the year the sealer had worn down and this had allowed dirt to become lodged in the natural pits that are common with Limestone. The dirt had then become ingrained in the stone turning it black in places and resulting in a very undesirable appearance. The other problem that can play a part here is dog urine which is naturally acidic (uric acid) and can weaken a sealer.

As usual I arranged a visit to the property to survey the floor and work out which method and products would be best for renovating it. From that I was able to work out an accurate quote for its renovation and later I emailed a quotation across to my client which was accepted.

Cleaning a Limestone Tiled Kitchen Floor

To get the floor clean I started by spraying a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean onto the Limestone tile and grout and left it to soak in for ten minutes to give it time to break down the dirt. Then the floor was thoroughly scrubbed with a rotary floor buffer fitted with a poly brush, this was followed up with hand scrubbing with Tile Doctor Pro-Clean along the grout lines. The floor was then rinsed with water and all the soiling extracted with a wet vacuum.

To further refine the appearance of the limestone a 400-grit diamond encrusted burnishing pad was run over each tile using water to lubricate. After another rinse and extraction with the wet vacuum the process was repeated with the finer 800-grit pad. My client didn’t want a high shine, so I finished on the 800-grit pad and gave the floor another rinse.

Sealing a Limestone Tiled Kitchen Floor

The floor was left to dry off overnight and the next day I returned and dry burnished the floor with a 3000-grit pad to improve its appearance even further. Dry burnishing is done using only a few drops of water and leaves the floor completely dry and ready for sealing.

To protect the now clean Limestone tile and grout from ingrained dirt it was sealed using Tile Doctor Colour Grow sealer which is an impregnating sealer containing a colour enhancing formula. A couple of coats were applied allowing thirty minutes of drying time between each coat. Impregnators work by occupying the pores within the stone thereby preventing dirt from taking up residence there.

The client was very happy with the work we carried out. We recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is pH neutral and will help maintain the floor and the newly applied sealant, it is mild enough to use daily, so will keep those muddy paw prints at bay!

Professional Renovation of a Limestone Tiled Kitchen in Central London

The post Gruby Limestone Kitchen Floor Renovated in Marylebone appeared first on Central London Tile Doctor.

Deep Cleaning Shower Ceramic Cubicle Tile and Grout in Lower Whitley

Mon, 21 Aug 2023 07:39:11 +0000

We were recently contacted about cleaning a Ceramic Tiled shower cubicle by a landlord in Lower Whitley which is set in the rural countryside of Cheshire. The area was once part of Lord Daresbury Estate, the Greenall Whitley brewery and only a short drive from my base in Warrington.

The client had been renting out their cottage and following the end of a long lease they discovered the shower cubicle had never been cleaned properly and was now full of mould. The grout lines in particular had attracted a lot of staining and in some places were orange with the dye that occurs in soap and shampoo. It would be difficult to attract a new tenant with the bathroom in this condition, and so I was asked to clean the shower tiles and the grout and make it presentable again.

Deep Cleaning a Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle

I started by spraying the grout lines with Tile Doctor Duo Clean which is a double action grout and mould remover and was designed for situations like this. After leaving it to dwell for ten to twenty minutes the grout lines were scrubbed with hot water and a stiff brush then rinsed off with more water.

There was still some staining left so I coated the wall tiles and grout with Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel and again left it to soak in, being a gel, it stays put for longer so it can get to work breaking down the dirt.

As this was soaking in, I removed all the old silicone around the cubicle, between the tiles and shower glass and shower tray. Once this was done, I gave the stubborn areas a further scrub and rinsed the soiling off with more water. When working on these type of jobs, rinsing is much easier in the shower. In other situations, where immediate drainage is not an option, we use a wet vacuum to extract the soil away.

I forced dried the tiles and grout and then set about replacing the silicone sealant I had stripped out earlier.

Sealing a Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle

The last step was to seal the grout by spraying on Tile Doctor Aerosol Tile and Grout Sealer which is very quick to do and ensures water simply runs straight off the tile and grout and doesn’t collect on the surface. The tiles themselves are ceramic so are sealed in production so there is no need to apply any products to them however the grout has a rough surface which can attract dirt and mould so it’s always best to protect it.

The work took about 4 hours and once done the shower was transformed and looked amazing. I was confident they would not have a problem attracting a new tenant now.

My client was delighted with the work we had done and were rather relieved that more work and tile replacement was not needed.

I also suggested that they should invest in some Tile Doctor Aqua Pro Cleaner and recommend it to the incoming tenant, this is a pH neutral product which is designed with everyday use in mind. It will remove the scum build up and any hard water deposits, ensuring the shower does not get back into poor condition.

Professional Restoration of a Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle in Cheshire

The post Deep Cleaning Shower Ceramic Cubicle Tile and Grout in Lower Whitley appeared first on West Cheshire Tile Doctor.

Renovation of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in Attleborough following Building Work

Fri, 18 Aug 2023 09:19:08 +0000

A client in the town of Attleborough, Norfolk contacted us about her Victorian tiled hallway following a recommendation from a neighbour. She wanted to get the floor renovated and had been struggling to find someone with the appropriate knowledge and experience to complete the work. She had tried to clean the floor herself but had little success and decided it was time to call in the experts.

The whole house was being renovated and unfortunately the contractors working in the property had not taken care to cover up the hallway floor and it has subsequently become covered in all sorts of mess including a lot of plaster and paint. I explained that this would not be an issue and we were confident that we could remove all the contaminants and restore the floor to its former glory.

I created a quote for doing the renovation which would take two days, one to clean and one to seal. Happy with my quotation, we scheduled a date for our return which was to follow the conclusion of all remaining building works.

Deep Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Floor in Attleborough

Before starting the renovation of her floor, our first job was to cover the walls and skirting with masking film to protect the newly plastered walls from splashes during cleaning. Next, with a focus on removing the paint splatters, a generous quantity of Tile Doctor Remove & Go was sprayed onto the tiles and left to dwell for ten minutes so it could get to work breaking down the dirt and softening the paint. Then using a black scrubbing pad fitted to our Klindex rotary buffing machine, the solution was scrubbed into the surface to remove as much of the contaminants and old now-ineffective coatings as possible. Once done, the resulting slurry was extracted away using an industrial wet vacuum.

The next step was to treat the floor to an acid scrub using Tile Doctor Acid Gel which was applied and left for five minutes before working in with a coarse 100-grit diamond pad. This treatment has a lot of benefits for tiled floors and is great for removing old cement, grout smears and other contaminants such as efflorescence salt deposits. Being acidic it also neutralises the pH of the floor following the use of Remove and Go earlier which is a strong alkaline. The floor was then wet vacuumed again and the process repeated with a finer 200-grit pad.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Floor in Attleborough

The floor was left to dry out overnight and then on our return it was tested with a damp meter to ensure it had dried and was now ready for sealing. The moisture readings were good, so we were happy to go ahead and apply the sealer.

We had discussed finish options with the customer earlier and as a result Tile Doctor Seal & Go Extra was chosen. This is a fully breathable exterior grade product which provides high stain resistance and is perfect for high traffic areas such as hallways. It improves the colours in the tiles and has a low sheen finish so does not make the floor look too shiny. Five coats of sealer were applied leaving each one to dry before the next was applied.

My client was amazed how well her floor had come up and was delighted that the building contractors had not permanently ruined it! For aftercare cleaning I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner which is a highly effective yet gentle tile cleaning product that doesn’t damage acrylic finishes.

Professional Victorian Hallway Floor Renovation in Norfolk

The post Renovation of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in Attleborough following Building Work appeared first on Norfolk Tile Doctor.

Grout Haze Removed from Brick Slip Bathroom Flooring in Saxilby

Sun, 13 Aug 2023 13:02:15 +0000

I was asked if I could improve the look of this new bathroom floor that had been laid with brick slips in a herringbone pattern at a property in Saxilby near Lincoln. The builder had done a solid job of laying the bricks but had been overzealous on the grouting and was unable to remove all of it resulting in a whitening of the red bricks due to grout haze. Unhappy with the appearance of their new bathroom floor and with little chance of resolution with the builder they contacted Tile Doctor to see what could be done to improve their appearance.

Brick Slip tiles are basically a very thin brick which allows it to be laid like a tile, normally they are cut from an actual clay brick although there are other types. Thin like a tile and light weight they can be used to quickly create authentic looking brick walls and floors.

I visited the property to understand the problems and whilst I was there, I carried out a test clean to show the client what could be achieved. They were happy with what I showed them and booked me in to have the work done.

Removing Grout Haze from Brick Slip Flooring

To remove the grout haze, I started off with an application of Grout Clean-up which contains phosphoric acid and is designed exactly for this purpose. It was a small space to work in so the product was scrubbed into the tile by hand until I got them as clean as possible. This was followed by a quick rinse and extraction with a wet vacuum.

I then inspected the floor and could see more work was required so this time I laid down Acid Gel which is a blend of Phosphoric and Hydrochloric acids and left it to dwell for ten minutes. After another scrub I was pleased to see I had managed to remove all the grout haze and the red brick was really starting to come through. I then gave the floor a thorough rinse with water and then removed the soiling and as much moisture as possible with the wet vacuum. I left the floor to dry off whilst I went to lunch leaving an air mover in place to assist with the drying.

Sealing Brick Slip Flooring

Once it had dried the floor was then sealed using Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is a colour enhancing product that as the name suggests improves colour in the tile, it’s also an impregnator which works by occupying the pores in the brick protecting it from within.

The client was over the moon and said that is how they wanted it to look originally. For cleaning I made the client aware of the problem of using harsh cleaning products on sealed tiles and advised them to use Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a mild but effective cleaner that won’t erode the sealer with regular use.

Professional Restoration of Brick Slip Flooring in Lincolnshire

The post Grout Haze Removed from Brick Slip Bathroom Flooring in Saxilby appeared first on North Lincolnshire Tile Doctor.

Terrazzo Hallway Floor Renovation in Cardiff for the Archbishop of Wales

Thu, 10 Aug 2023 07:24:56 +0000

After undertaking restoration work for Catholic churches in the areas of Wales and England over the past years, I was recommended to the team who maintain the personal residence of the Archbishop of Wales in Cardiff. They had decided to restore the Terrazzo flooring at the property and I was invited over to quote for doing the work.

The flooring had seen many years of wear and tear due to the nature of the building and the amount of footfall relating to meetings and staff. They were delighted to have found us and I was more than happy to get involved and be able to reassure them that I was confident the floor could indeed be restored to its former glory.

I attended a meeting at the property with the church architect to discuss the work needed and talk about the history of the property. It turns out the floor had been covered in carpet and this had been giving people at the property an allergic reaction due to dust accumulating in its thick pile. After removal of the carpet, they discovered the original Terrazzo floor underneath and decided it would be best to have that renovated.

The Terrazzo suffered from numerous issues including adhesive staining and the imprinted pattern of the carpet underlay, fortunately however there were no cracks which can be an issue with Terrazzo floors of this age. Having surveyed the floor I explained the method of work needed to the architect, and we then agreed the price and arranged to carry out the work on a time schedule that suited.

Cleaning and Repairing a Terrazzo Tiled Hallway Floor

To start the restoration process, I began by scraping as much of the remaining adhesive and other contaminates off the surface of the floor with a handheld scraper attached with a 6-inch razor blade. Then I was able to run over the Terrazzo with a coarse 50-Grit diamond pad fitted to a rotary floor machine, this was followed by a 100-grit then 200-Grit pad to remove more ingrained residues. Water is used to lubricate this process and the slurry generated is rinsed off after the application of each pad and extracted with a wet vacuum.

The next stage was to polish the Terrazzo using a set of less aggressive burnishing pads, starting with a Tile Doctor 400-grit pad then a 800, 1500 pad again using water to lubricate the process, rinsing with water between pads and vacuuming the waste as I worked.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

The Terrazzo was left to dry out overnight and the following morning the floor was tested for moisture with a damp meter. I do this to avoid applying sealer to a damp floor which can lead to an uneven finish. In this case the readings were fine so I was able to move on to apply the sealer.

The sealer used was Tile Doctor Colour Grow which contains a colour enhancing ingredient that lifts the colours in the stone whilst providing a durable hard wearing sealed finish. Additionally, this product is fully breathable which is an important consideration when sealing old floors like this that won’t have a damp proof membrane.

Once completed the entrance hall looked a lot more welcoming for visitors, more importantly the Archbishop and the Architect were delighted with the result as they were initially unsure if it could be restored.

For aftercare cleaning going forward I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a mild but effective pH neutral cleaner that is safe to use on sealed floors and has a nice fresh smell.

Professional Restoration of a Terrazzo Tiled Hallway in South Wales

The post Terrazzo Hallway Floor Renovation in Cardiff for the Archbishop of Wales appeared first on South East Wales Tile Doctor.

Multiple Georgian Terrazzo Hallway Floors Renovated in St. Helens

Sat, 05 Aug 2023 15:47:49 +0000

We were contacted by the owner of a large Georgian property in St Helens to clean, polish and seal multiple Terrazzo floors. Its very difficult to quote a price for such an old floor over the phone as the photographs don’t reveal all the problems, so I arranged a mutually convenient time for to pop over a conduct a survey first.

Typically floors of this type need to be sealed to keep the dirt from getting into the pores of the stone, however sealers wear off over time, especially in a hallway so every few years they need to deep cleaned and re-sealed.

Whilst at the property I discovered that the house was originally built for a manager at the nearby Pilkington Glass company. Four different Terrazzo floors has been installed which ran through the ground floor of the house, the small grey floor was the entrance porch that led onto the main orange hallway that then led onto the Kitchen.

Terrazzo is made from thousands of pieces of crushed stone including marble and laid as single slab so any movement in the base can lead to cracks which have to be sympathetically filled. Structurally this floor was solid with only a few cracks that needed repair, other than that it was simply dirty and needed a deep clean and polish to bring up its appearance.

Deep Cleaning a Terrazzo Tiled Hallway Floor

To renovate the Terrazzo, I decided to cut the floor back using a 200-grit diamond encrusted burnishing pad to get the scratches out of the floor. The pad fit to a rotary floor buffing machine which is heavily weighted to improve contact with the floor. The coarse pad breaks out the deepest stains, removing dirt and old sealers and each pad is passed over each part of the floor four times. Water is used to lubricate the process and it isn’t long before this turns into a dark slurry. Once done the floor is rinsed with a little more water and the slurry extracted with a wet vacuum.

After the initial clean I moved onto repairing the cracks which is these where filled in using cement and stone-coloured chippings blended to closely matched the colours in the floor. Once set the excess was ground down using the 200-grit pad until the repair successfully merged in with the surrounding floor.

The next step was to burnish the Terrazzo using a set of finer grit burnishing pads to slowly bring up the polished appearance of the stone. This starts with a 400-grit pad and moves up to a 1500-grit pad, again rinsing and extracting after each pad has been applied to the floor. After a final rinse and extract with the wet vacuum the floor was left to dry out overnight.

Sealing a Terrazzo Tiled Hallway Floor

The next day the last pad in set of burnishing pads sequence which is a 3000-grit pad was applied to the floor dry with only a little water sprayed onto to the floor. This pad really brings up the polished appearance and adds a subtle satin shine to the Terrazzo.

The last pad also leaves the floor dry and ready for sealing for which I had selected Tile Doctor Colour Grow which not only seals the floor but enhances the colours of the stone segments to achieve a beautiful result. Colour Grow is also breathable which means it will allow moisture to rise through the floor, this is an important consideration when dealing with 200-year-old floors which will not have the benefit of a damp proof membrane underneath.

Once done the floor looked cleaner, lighter and all the little characterful motifs, patterns and orange borders designed into the floors really stood out. My customer was over the moon with the improvement and has taken advantage of our maintenance plan service and asked us to pop back every six months to do a quick re-polish of the floors and top up the sealer.

For aftercare cleaning I’ve advised the use of Tile Doctor Stone Soap, this is a mild but effective floor cleaner that’s designed for polished floors and will help maintain the patina.

Professional Restoration of a Terrazzo Tiled Hallway in Merseyside

The post Multiple Georgian Terrazzo Hallway Floors Renovated in St. Helens appeared first on Merseyside Tile Doctor.