Work by Location Archives - Leicestershire Tile Doctor

Jura Cream Honed Limestone Floor Renovation South Kilworth

Honed Jura Cream Limestone Tiled Floor Renovated in South Kilworth

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.

Jura Cream Honed Limestone Floor Before Renovation South Kilworth

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.

Jura Cream Honed Limestone Floor During Grout Cleaning South Kilworth

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.

Jura Cream Honed Limestone Floor During Grout Cleaning South Kilworth

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

Honed Jura Cream Limestone Tiled Floor Renovated in South Kilworth Read More »

Removing Grout Haze from Wood Effect Porcelain Floor Tiles in Stoneygate

Post Installation Clean of Wood Effect Porcelain Tiles in Stoneygate Leicester

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Leicester Tile Cleaning, Porcelain Tile Cleaning / Adam Carpenter

The floor in the Kitchen photos of a property in the Leicester suburb of Stoneygate are not as you might think made of wood but are in fact Wood Effect Porcelain Tiles. They had recently been installed but unfortunately the tiler had not managed to remove all the grout resulting in a film of grout haze on the surface. This film does affect the appearance of the tile and due to the textured nature of the grout it will also attract dirt more easily making it much more difficult to keep clean.

Wood Effect Porcelain Floor During Grout Haze Removal Stoneygate Leicester

Wood Effect Porcelain Floor Before Grout Haze Removal Stoneygate Leicester

Normally grout haze can be removed using an acid-based product such as Tile Doctor Grout-Clean-up however this was a modern polymer cement grout which is much harder to remove. Unsure how resolve the problem we were tasked by our customer to remove the grout haze and clean up the tiles to improve their appearance.

Removing Grout Haze from a Wood Effect Porcelain Tiled Floor

Before tackling the grout haze, the floor was thoroughly vacuumed and a silicone seal ran along the kitchen unit end panels to help protect against moisture ingress during cleaning.

The next step was to break down the polymers in the grout haze using Tile Doctor Remove and Go which is a versatile floor cleaning product we usually use to remove coatings such as sealers. This was allowed to dwell prior to agitation with an abrasive Tile Doctor 800-grit diamond pad. The resultant slurry was then rinsed off the tiles with water and extracted with a wet vacuum.

Next, I tackled the grout haze by giving the floor a wash and scrub in Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up diluted 1 to 10 with water. This product is designed for removing grout haze or grout smears as its sometimes referred to. This was agitated with a White floor pad getting into grain of the wood effect and removing the remaining grout and paint spots from decorating. Once done the floor was rinsed with water again and the slurry extracted using a wet vacuum as before.

Sealing Grout on a Porcelain Tiled Floor

With the grout haze removed the floor looked so much better and due to the nature of Porcelain should stay that way. Grout however is easily stained and there’s much more risk of that happening in a Kitchen so before leaving I agreed to seal the grout.

First the grout needed to be dry so I force dried the tiles with floor fans, then applied Tile Doctors Ultra Seal ‘natural look’ impregnating sealer to the grout lines.

Wood Effect Porcelain Floor After Grout Haze Removal Stoneygate Leicester

For aftercare I left my client with a bottle of Tile Doctor pH Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a gentle but effective cleaning product designed for use on tile and stone.

Wood Effect Porcelain Tile Cleaning in Leicester

Post Installation Clean of Wood Effect Porcelain Tiles in Stoneygate Leicester Read More »

Cracked Edwardian Terrazzo Hallway Floor Renovated in Knighton Leicester

1 Comment / Leicester Tile Cleaning, Terrazzo Floor Cleaning / Adam Carpenter

The pictures below are of an Edwardian era Terrazzo hallway floor in the Knighton near Leicester which we recently renovated for a client.

Edwardian Era Terrazzo Floor Before Renovation Knighton Leicestershire

Knighton is a small residential suburb of Leicester that dates to the Doomsday book. It was once a separate village but over the years the area has built up and it is now linked up with two other villages. During the Victorian period there was a greater demand for housing due to the expanding industrial and agriculture sectors which led to its growth.

The Terrazzo floor looked to be in good condition but as with many of these old floors it had suffered from movement at some point in its long life. This resulted in cracks and it had also sustained damage from when a carpet had once been tacked down on the floor.

Cracked Edwardian Era Terrazzo Floor Before Renovation Knighton Leicestershire

I visited the site to see the extent of the work required; I was confident I could fill the cracks and get a much better surface to the floor. I gave them a price which they were happy to accept.

Cleaning and Repairing an Edwardian Terrazzo Floor

Work started by filling up the cracks where possible, for this we used closely matching marble chips & resin adhesive. This is a successful method and helps to maintain the original style and colour of the traditional Terrazzo floor. The floor was then left to dry before we started the cleaning process.

Deep cleaning involved wetting the floor with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and allowing it to soak in for ten minutes so it can make a start on breaking down the dirt that had build-up in the floor. The cleaning solution is then worked in using a rotary machine fitted with a Black scrubbing pad and release the dirt. The floor is then rinsed with water and the soil is extracted using a wet vacuum. Once done the floor is inspected and the process repeated on stubborn areas.

We followed this with the burnishing process to remove light wear, scratches, and acid etching. To do this a four step Diamond burnishing pad system from Tile Doctor is applied that gradually refines the surface with application of different grades of diamond encrusted pads. Only water is used during the process and the floor is rinsed and extracted after each pad.

Edwardian Era Terrazzo Floor During Renovation Knighton Leicestershire

Sealing an Edwardian Terrazzo Floor

The client wanted a high polish finish which we achieved by burnishing using the last of the set of burnishing pads which is a 3000 grit. This last pad is applied using only a little water sprayed onto the floor and it leaves the floor dry and ready for sealing.

The Terrazzo floor was then sealed using several coats of Tile Doctors Colour Grow, this is a colour enhancing impregnating sealer that’s fully breathable and therefore idea for older floors like this one that won’t have had the benefit of a damp proof membrane installed.

Edwardian Era Terrazzo Floor After Restoration Knighton Leicestershire

Finally, we left instructions on maintenance along with a bottle of Tile Doctors Stone Soap to clean the floor without damaging the sealer. This would ensure the floor maintained its new finish. The client was very happy with the newly renovated floor and was very pleased they had called on Tile Doctor to carry out the work, they were confident they could maintain it moving forward.

Professional Restoration of an Edwardian Tiled Hallway in Leicestershire

Cracked Edwardian Terrazzo Hallway Floor Renovated in Knighton Leicester Read More »

Travertine Kitchen Floor Before After Refinishing Kings Norton Leicester

Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor Refinished in Kings Norton

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Leicester Tile Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning / Adam Carpenter

The photographs below are of a Travertine tiled floor installed in the kitchen of a 17th century cottage in the small Leicestershire village of Kings Norton. The owner had called us in to deep clean and refinish the Travertine tiles which had become soiled, dull, the grout had darkened in places and there were lots of holes that needed filling.

This issue is quite normal for a natural stone floor which benefits from having a sealer in place to stop dirt from becoming trapped in the pores. Travertine can also suffer from pitting which are small holes in the surface of the tile, these pits attract dirt and should be filled to prevent that happening. With Travertine especially you need to ensure a neutral ph. cleaner is used as anything stronger can exacerbate the problem.

Deep Cleaning a Travertine Tiled Floor

The first job was to give the floor a thorough clean with a particular focus on the grout and pitting. It was clear the sealer had pretty much worn off over time so Tile Doctor Pro-Clean was applied using a 1:4 dilution with water. The solution was left to soak into the floor for ten minutes first to help break down the soil build-up. The Pro-Clean was then worked into the Travertine tile and grout using a floor buffing machine fitted with a Black scrubbing pad and extra weights to increase contact.

Travertine Kitchen Floor Tile Refinishing Kings Norton During Cleaning

The soiled cleaning solution was then rinsed off and the soiling extracted using a wet vacuum. This process was repeated until I was happy the stone and the grout were as clean as possible.

With the dirt removed it made it easier to highlight the holes that needed to be filled. For filling I used a straw-coloured resin glue which matched the natural colours of the Travertine very well. Once the resin has set the next move was to burnish the stone to further clean it, remove light scratches and generally improve its appearance. This process also helps the filled pits blend in with the stone.

Travertine Kitchen Floor Tile Refinishing Kings Norton Before Cleaning

Travertine Kitchen Floor Tile Refinishing Kings Norton After Filling

Burnishing the floor involves stripping back the stone using a coarse 400-grit diamond encrusted burnishing pad and then building up the finish with a medium 800-grit pad to restore the finish and add the light sheen our customer had requested. The floor was given a light rinse and extraction in-between pads and then a thorough rinse afterwards to remove the slurry generated during burnishing.

Sealing Travertine Kitchen Floor Tiles

The floor was left to dry off naturally and we returned later to apply a sealer which for this floor the customer had requested a natural finish. After ensuring the floor was dry it was then sealed to saturation point using Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal which is an impregnating sealer that penetrates deep into the pores of the stone to ensure dirt cannot become ingrained there. This sealer doesn’t alter the look of the stone resulting in the natural appearance the customer had specified.

Travertine Kitchen Floor Tile Refinishing Kings Norton After Cleaning

I left a bottle of Tile Doctor Stone Soap for aftercare cleaning; this is a ph. neutral product that will gently clean the stone and improve patina. If your going to use a supermarket cleaning product always read the label and ensure they are compatible for use with sealed natural stone.

Professional Maintenance of Travertine Floor Tiles in Leicestershire

Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor Refinished in Kings Norton Read More »

Craven Dunhill Victorian Tiled Floor Before and After Renovation Birstall

Edwardian Geometric Craven Dunhill Tile Restoration in Birstall

1 Comment / Leicester Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Adam Carpenter

I took these pictures earlier in the year when a homeowner got in touch requesting repairs to a Geometric Tiled Hallway floor at their property in Birstall, Leicestershire.

The tiles were made by Craven Dunhill back in the Edwardian Era, a company which is still in operation today. They are an original Victorian Geometric & Encaustic Tile manufacturer and have been operating from their facility in Jackfield, Telford since 1872. The tiles were a lovely example of their work but clearly the tiles were now in need of some work to bring them back to their former glory.

I popped along to the property to have a look at the floor in person, survey the floor and produce an accurate quote for renovating it. I could see there was damage to border tiles from tacks, fixing holes and resin adhesive which indicated the floor had been covered by a carpet at some point in its long history. The main body of the floor also had movement cracks, and a section in front of the stairs had dropped considerably. This was loose underfoot and a trip hazard.

Craven Dunhill Geometric Tiled Hallway Floor Before Repair Birstall

After surveying the floor, I was able to give the owners an accurate quote for repairing and restoring the floor back to its original condition. They were happy with the quote and we agreed a date for my return. Original features like these are well worth preserving as they are very sought after and add a lot of value to a property, especially when the tiles are from a respected manufacturer like Craven Dunhill or Mintons.

Cleaning and Repairing an Edwardian Era Geometric Tiled Hallway Floor

Arriving on the first day, we prepared the area by taping off the surrounding areas with dust sheets. We then began the careful process of repairing the floor starting with the removal of the damaged and loose tiles.

With the tiles removed the next step was to repair the damage to the subfloor using cement to fill the voids and raise the lowered section. Once this has dried the tiling was replaced using a combination of original and replacement tiles. As the manufacturer was still in business the client had managed to source some replacements tiles which made the job a lot easier to complete and would ensure the heritage of the restoration.

Craven Dunhill Geometric Tiled Hallway Floor During Repair Birstall

Once the tiles had been replaced you could really see the floor was starting to come together and I we were all looking forward to seeing the finished result.

With the repairs completed we carried out a low-moisture restorative clean and seal using Tile Doctors Remove and Go and Acid Gel products along with light diamond pads. This two-stage process remove the build-up of soiling and sealers. Following this the floor was thoroughly rinsed, and the waste extracted with a wet vacuum. The floor was then left for a few days to dry out.

Sealing an Edwardian Era Geometric Tiled Hallway Floor

We retuned a few days later and tested the floor with the damp meter to check the floor was ready for the seal. The readings were acceptable and so we were able to finish the floor by apply a protecting sealer. For this floor we selected to use Tile Doctor Colour Grow. This is an impregnating sealer that soaks into the pores of the tile intensifies the colours and providing durable protection from within. Colour Grow is fully breathable sealer which is a vital consideration for floors of this age which do not have a damp proof membrane installed.

Craven Dunhill Geometric Tiled Hallway Floor After Repair Birstall

The work took us a week to complete and by the end floor was level and the lovely patten, colours and appearance of the floor was restored as promised. The owners were very happy with the results and new sealer will help protect the floor for up to 5 years if properly maintained with our Tile Doctor pH Neutral Tile Cleaning Concentrate.

Professional Restoration of a Craven Dunhill Tiled Hallway in Leicestershire

Edwardian Geometric Craven Dunhill Tile Restoration in Birstall Read More »

Glue Stained Ceramic Floor Before After Renovation Measham Leicestershire

Removing Carpet Adhesive from a Ceramic Tiled Floor in Measham

1 Comment / Ashby-de-la-Zouch Tile Cleaning, Ceramic Tile Cleaning, Work History / Adam Carpenter

The pictures below are of a Ceramic tiled floor covered in carpet glue at a house in the old Leicestershire village of Measham. The owner of the property had contacted us for a solution after deciding to remove the carpet in the kitchen which had been down for around 15 years. Ideally, he wanted to have the ceramic tiles restored to new, but this would depend on how well the glaze on the tiles had stood the test of time.

Ceramic Tiles with Carpet Adhesive Contamination Before Cleaning Measham

We called round to the property and could clearly see residue from the carpet adhesive used to secure the carpet had stained the tiles and contaminated the grouting.

Cleaning Adhesive Contaminated Ceramic Tiles

Before starting we removed the kitchen unit kickboards to protect them during cleaning. Next, we turned our attention to the floor and after fully removing the carpet could see that some of the adhesive had turned to powder, so our first step was to remove it by thoroughly vacuum the floor. We then reviewed the range of Tile Doctor cleaning products and problem solvers to determine which product would be the most effective at breaking down the residue. Our first thought was to use Remove & Go as it was developed as coatings remover and we have used it before to remove old worn sealers, paint as well as adhesive contamination.

A strong application would be needed to remove the glue to it was applied neat to the tile and grout. I left it to dwell for about 20 minutes, so it could get to work breaking down the adhesive contaminates. This was followed by mechanical agitation with a rotary floor machine fitted with a poly scrub brush. This quickly broke up the adhesive from the tile allowing it to be removed from the tile and grout with a wet vacuum.

Ceramic Tiles with Carpet Adhesive Contamination During Cleaning Measham

We then scrub cleaned the floor with Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up which is a strong acidic product. It was diluted at 1:20 with water and scrubbed into the floor to ensure any remaining contaminants were removed and the pH of the floor lowered so that no sticky residues remained.

The process went well and as you can see form the photographs the Ceramic tiles had stood up well to the adhesive and now look as though they were only just installed. The last step was to rinse the floor with fresh water which was then extracted with the wet vacuum and the floor force dried with air movers. After reinstalling the kickboards, they floor was finished much to the delight of the owner.

Ceramic Tiles with Carpet Adhesive Contamination After Cleaning Measham

Professional Renovation of an Adhesive Stained Tiled floor in Leicestershire

Removing Carpet Adhesive from a Ceramic Tiled Floor in Measham Read More »

Edwardian Quarry Tiled Hallway Restored in Market Harbourough

1 Comment / Market Harborough Tile Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Work History / Adam Carpenter

Details below of a restorative clean and seal we completed of an Edwardian Quarry Tiled Floor and Edwardian Geometric Floor at a house in the town of Market Harborough, Leicestershire. Market Harborough is a very old town that dates back to Saxon times, as a result it has some very old buildings including the church that was built in the 1300’s.

Both floors had been hidden underneath carpets for many Years. They were exposed by our customer thirteen years ago, who had painstakingly removed the cement-based levelling screed from the Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor.

Quarry Tiled Floor Before Restoration Market Harbourough

The floors were moisture damaged from years of inherent damp build-up and didn’t look their best with ingrained historic soiling and damage to the hall tiles.

We were asked to quote for a restorative cleaning, sealing and repairs by our customer. After inspecting the floor, we quoted for the work and advised how long it would take to complete. We also guided our customer where to purchase period reproduction tile replacements from. In this instance our customer purchased made to order tiles from world renowned tile manufacturer Craven Dunnill in Bridnorth, Shropshire.

Cleaning Edwardian Quarry Tiles

We carried out repairs first carefully removing the damaged tiles and fixing in place the replacements purchased by the customer. Some of the original tiles were also loose but in good physical condition so these were re-fixed in place and grouted in.

Quarry Tiled Floor During Restoration Market Harbourough

Once the grout had set we started the cleaning process with the application of Tile Doctor Remove & Go ready to use heavy duty cleaning solution and coatings remover to the tiles. Working in small sections we allowed the product to soak into the tile for thirty minutes and then agitated the solution, with both an abrasive brush and a coarse 200 grit pad. This process quickly broke down the years of soiling and surface contamination. We extracted the resulting slurry and followed up with the application of Tile Doctor Acid Gel to treat inherent cement contamination and historic efflorescence salt staining. This was again worked into the tiles and the floor rinsed using low moisture methods.

We had arranged to seal the floor the next day, so air movers and a fan heater were left in place to help dry the floor overnight.

Sealing Edwardian Quarry Tiles

On the second day after confirming the tiles were dry we sealed the tiles with four coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is a colour enhancing sealer that soaks into the pores of the tile protecting it from within. The floor was then buffed by hand to remove excess sealer and was ready for use within the hour. We advised the customer that whilst the floor could be walked on quite quickly, that the sealer would take up to 48 hours to fully cure.

Quarry Tiled Floor After Restoration Market Harbourough

Before leaving we advised the customer that the sealer can be prematurely worn down by the use of strong cleaning products and so recommended the they use Tile Doctors pH Neutral Floor Cleaning concentrate. This should always be diluted correctly, and the water changed frequently, to avoid suspended soils from being deposited back onto the surface of the floor. If properly maintained, then the sealer should last a minimum of 5 years.

Cleaning an Edwardian Quarry Tiled Floor in Leicestershire

Edwardian Quarry Tiled Hallway Restored in Market Harbourough Read More »

Restoring a Broken and Damaged Edwardian Geometric Tiled Floor in Quorn

1 Comment / Loughborough Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Work History / Adam Carpenter

Our customers typically ask us a lot of questions about their tiled floors with the most common being “Can it be restored?” This reflects the UK trend to restore period features in older properties including original tiled floors dating back several decades and sometimes over a century. These floors are, as you might expect, usually worse for wear but – importantly to know – they can in most circumstances be salvaged and even restored to look even better than when they were first installed.

Here’s a good example of this at a property in Quorn (not to be confused with meat substitute product), a town in Leicestershire situated near to the university town of Loughborough. Over three days we restored a beautiful black and white geometric Edwardian tiled hallway floor back to its former glory. Our customer had discovered the badly damaged and dirty floor after lifting the laminate wood flooring in the hallway, and we were called in to provide repairs and restorative cleaning and sealing.

Black White Edwardian Geometric Floor Before Restoration Quorn

A number of matching tiles would be required for this job so before beginning the work, we advised the customer as to where suitable replacements could be sourced.

Repairing and Cleaning a Damaged Edwardian Tiled Floor

To begin, we carefully removed the cracked concrete fill, before cleaning up the substrate and using a self-levelling compound to restore the surface to the point that new tiles could be installed. The damaged tiles along the edge of the recess were carefully cut out and removed. Using the modern reproduction tiles, we patched the area to complete the repairs to the floor. We also had to cut many tiles to size to achieve the best fit.

Next, we set about cleaning the tiles to restore a pre-soiled appearance to the floor. This was done using Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel, a strong alkaline-based gel cleaner that is used to break down dirt and grime. We chose to use this product over the similar alkaline-based cleaner Tile Doctor Pro-Clean because Oxy-Gel is gel based and therefore contains less moisture and therefore would exacerbate inherent damp issues in the old floor. The cleaner was left to dwell for a short period before being agitated with a scrubbing pad, and the resulting soiled cleaning solution was then soaked up using a wet vacuum.

Black White Edwardian Geometric Floor During Restoration Quorn

The floor was then allowed to dry off overnight, ready for sealing the following day.

Sealing an Edwardian Tiled Floor

Upon returning the next day, we checked for any excess moisture that may have delayed us from sealing the floor. Thankfully the tiles were dry and could be sealed with Tile Doctor Colour Grow, our colour intensifying, solvent-based impregnating sealer which is highly durable and provides an aesthetically pleasing natural matte finish. Three coats were applied to offer maximum protection.

Black White Edwardian Geometric Floor After Restoration Quorn

As you can see from the photographs, the restoration was a fantastic success. We left the ecstatic customer with a Tile Doctor maintenance guide, as well as with a litre of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner for regular cleaning. Correctly diluted, this product effectively cleans without effecting the integrity of the sealer.

Repair and Restoration of an Edwardian Tiled Hallway in Leicestershire

Restoring a Broken and Damaged Edwardian Geometric Tiled Floor in Quorn Read More »

Restoring an Edwardian Quarry Tiled Bathroom Floor in Braunstone

1 Comment / Leicester Tile Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Work History / Adam Carpenter

This is a job I recently completed in the small town of Braunstone, which lies just outside the city boundaries of Leicester, Leicestershire. My client wanted a restorative cleaning and sealing service for their very old Quarry tiled bathroom floor, which dates back to the Edwardian period. The floor was suffering from paint and adhesive staining, and was now in dire need of a thorough clean more generally along with a fresh seal to protect it from further damage.

Quarry Tiled Floor Before Restorative Cleaning and Sealing Braunstone

Cleaning an Edwardian Quarry tiled floor

I treated the floor in the first instance Tile Doctor Remove & Go which is a powerful stripper that breaks down old sealers remaining on the floor, as well as inherent paint and adhesive contamination. Remove & Go also contains cleaning properties which allows it to draw out ingrained dirt from the stone, lifting it to the surface. The product was applied to the floor and allowed to dwell for approximately thirty minutes prior to agitation with a hand-held rotary polisher fitted with a small black stripping pad.

The resulting slurry was promptly removed using a wet vacuum machine and our specialist Tile Doctor Acid Gel was then applied to the floor. Acid Gel is a blend of phosphoric and hydrochloric acids in gel form, and is specially formulated to treat grout haze and efflorescence on both wall and floor tiles.

Readers should be aware that this product is not suitable for use on acid-sensitive stone tiles such as Marble, Limestone and Travertine as it can potentially cause severe etching. In this case Acid Gel was left to dwell for ten minutes prior to agitation. This was effective in removing the white efflorescence salt staining that was present in several concentrated areas. Once again, the resulting slurry was vacuumed away, and the entire floor was rinsed with clean water.

Sealing an Edwardian Quarry tiled floor

The floor was left to dry for roughly twenty four hours before I returned to seal the floor. My choice of sealer in this case was Tile Doctor Colour Grow, a colour enhancing, impregnating sealer. The sealer will help to protect the tiles from soil ingress, and both water and oil based spills.

Quarry Tiled Floor After Restorative Cleaning and Sealing Braunstone

As you can see from the ‘Before’ and ‘After’ photographs, a marked difference was made to the appearance of this Quarry tiled floor. A professional and carefully thought out approach was taken to tackling the innate problems, particularly relating to efflorescence and paint and adhesive staining, and my client was extremely pleased with the results.

Restoring the appearance of Edwardian Quarry tiled bathroom floor in Leicestershire

Restoring an Edwardian Quarry Tiled Bathroom Floor in Braunstone Read More »

Polished Ceramic Tiles Stripped And Cleaned In Blaby Village

1 Comment / Broughton Astley Tile Cleaning, Ceramic Tile Cleaning, Work History / Adam Carpenter

This is a great photograph of a Ceramic tiled kitchen floor in at a house in the village of Blaby, in the centre of Leicestershire, that had at some point in its past had been incorrectly sealed with an acrylic topical floor polish. Ceramic tiles are glazed and don’t need sealing, nor usually will they accept one as the glaze make it difficult for anything for adhere properly and so this treatment should never have been applied. Needless to say it didn’t work out as over time the coating had become worn, damaged and heavily soiled.

Heavily Soiled Ceramic tiled kitchen floor before cleaning Blaby

Cleaning Heavily Soiled Ceramic Kitchen Tiles

Before starting we made sure the floor was clear of any obstructions and we removed the kick boards around the bottom of the kitchen units to ensure they would not get scuffed or damp during the cleaning process.

To get the floor clean again the old polish that was now heavily soiled would have to be removed so a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove & Go was applied to the floor and left to soak into the floor in-order for it to get to work breaking down the polish. Remove and Go is a specialist product produced by Tile Doctor that is safe to use on Tile and Stone and pretty much does what it says on the tin for the removal of coatings such as sealers etc.

After leaving the solution to dwell for thirty minutes the Remove and Go was scrubbed into the floor using a black scrubbing pad fitted to low-speed weighted rotary machine. The grout lines were also scrubbed thoroughly by hand using a grout brush. The floor was then rinsed and the resulting slurry and cleaning residues removed using a wet vacuum. The floor was inspected at this point and any stubborn areas were spot treated using the same process.

The floor was now clean again and looking as it should, the only thing left to do was to dry the floor which we did with the aid of a force air drying machine and then refit the kickboards to the kitchen units.

Heavily Soiled Ceramic tiled kitchen floor after cleaning Blaby

Cleaning a heavily soiled tiled floor in Leicestershire

Polished Ceramic Tiles Stripped And Cleaned In Blaby Village Read More »

Old Victorian Tiled Floor Restored In A Hinckley Public House

1 Comment / Hinckley Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Work History / Adam Carpenter

Here’s a really interesting commercial job for you, which I recently completed in the town of Hinckley, Leicestershire. I was asked to take a look at a Victorian Geometric and Encaustic tiled floor in the historic Queen’s Head pub.

This floor is over a century old and although in good condition for its age had suffered significant wear over the years, along with some cracked tiles and slight inherent moisture issues. What the pub landlord requested was a restorative clean to alleviate the aesthetically damaging effect of the wear, and to enhance the natural colours of the stone. I was also asked to seal the floor following the clean to achieve a semi-gloss finish.

Victorian Tiled Public House Floor Before Cleaning in Hinckley

Cleaning an old Victorian tiled floor

The first step in the cleaning process was to mix a strong solution of one part Tile Doctor Pro-Clean to four parts clean water. Pro-Clean is a high alkaline cleaner which also contains stripping properties, allowing it to break down old sealer and tackle heavy soil build-up. The solution was applied to the floor and left to dwell for 15 minutes, giving it times to seep into the stone, get underneath the dirt and lift it to the surface.

I addressed several paint spots and areas suffering from glue contamination by using Tile Doctor Remove & Go, which is specially formulated to break down paint and adhesives on unpolished natural stone floors, amongst others. The entire floor was then scrubbed using a special floor cleaning pad, and the resulting slurry was vacuumed away using a wet-vac machine.

The final issue to deal with was the inherent efflorescence staining. This was treated using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up, an acid-based product which removes not just efflorescence but also grout haze, mineral deposits, and rust stains. The solution here was one part Grout Clean-Up diluted with four parts water.

After completing the clean, I thoroughly rinsed the floor with clean water to remove any trace of cleaning product and dried the floor as much as possible with a wet vacuum, then before leaving for the day i installed a couple of air movers to assist with drying overnight.

Sealing an old Victorian tiled floor

Upon my return the following day, I checked the floor for any excess moisture before sealing it with our topical, semi-gloss finish sealer, known as Seal & Go Extra which due to its formula is ideal for external or old internal floors where there is unlikely to be damp from membrane.

This unique product provides excellent protection, and allows the tiles to breath where floors are suffering from inherent moisture issues. It is suitable for both internal and external use, on Victorian floor tiles, Sandstone, Flagstones, Terracotta, and rough Slate.

Victorian Tiled Public House Floor After Cleaning in Hinckley

As you can see from the photo, I was able to fulfil my client’s request to a high standard, bringing the pub’s old yet characterful Victorian tiled floor back to life again.

Commercial floor cleaning and sealing at a Public House in in Leicestershire

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Ceramic Tiled Toilet Floor Restored At Car Dealership In Melton Mowbray

1 Comment / Ceramic Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Melton Mowbray Tile Cleaning, Work History / Adam Carpenter

At Tile Doctor, we carry out professional tiled floor restorations in both residential and commercial environments. In this particular case we were asked to take a look at the tiles at a Car Dealership in the town of Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. Melton Mowbray is known as the “Rural Capital of Food”, thanks to its range of local specialities, including its famous pork pie and Stilton cheese.

The problem was focused in the toilet area, where the non-slip Ceramic tiles had suffered heavy soil build-up. Since the cleaning contractor was unable to tackle the issue, Tile Doctor was recruited to restore the area using specialist tile cleaning methods and products.

Cleaning non-slip Ceramic Tiles

Judging by the level of soil build-up on the floor I mixed a solution of one part Tile Doctor Pro-Clean (a high alkaline cleaner) with five parts of water. This was then left to dwell on the tiles so the solution could seep into the crevices of the non-slip tile breaking it down and making it easier to clean.

Non-Slip Ceramic Tile During Cleaning Melton Mowbray

I agitated the solution using scrubbing pads to remove the soil which once the dirty cleaning solution was rinsed away and removed using a wet vacuum made a dramatic difference to the overall appearance of the floor.

Removing Grout Smears from Ceramic Tiles

The floor looked much better however now it was clean I could see a film of grout haze residue on the surface of many of the tiles which had been left over from the initial installation. To tackle this problem I applied Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up which along with grout haze this product can also remove rust stains and other mineral deposits.

I was now happy with the condition of the ceramic tile and grout and after another rinse with water I promptly force dried the floor with a special fan in order to get the toilet ready for use again. You only need to look at the before and after photos to see the difference!

Non-Slip Ceramic Tile After Cleaning Melton Mowbray

Tile cleaning for heavily soiled Ceramic tile floor in Leicestershire

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Polished Marble Kitchen Floor Refreshed in Melton Mowbray

1 Comment / Marble Tile Cleaning, Melton Mowbray Tile Cleaning, Work History / Adam Carpenter

The photographs before are of Marble floor installed in the kitchen of a house in Melton Mowbray, that we recently refinished. The honed matte marble tiles had previously been finished with a water-based topical floor sealer by the customer to create a polished finish; unfortunately the coating had become damaged, worn and now soiled.

To restore the finish with something more durable we recommended the removal of any remaining coatings, then re-finishing with our restorative diamond encrusted burnishing pad system and then re-sealing with an impregnating rather than topical sealer. Our quote was accepted and we returned on the agreed date to restore the floor.

Marble Floor Before Cleaning and Polishing Melton Mowbray

Deep Cleaning Marble Tile and Grout

The first step was to remove the old coating and clean the grout using a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a strong alkaline formula that is safe to use on stone. The solution was scrubbed into the grout using a stiff brush and also worked into the Marble floor using a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad. The now dirty cleaning solution was then rinsed away using water and extracted with a wet vacuum.

Burnishing a Marble Tiled Floor

The next step was to burnish the floor using a set of Tile Doctor burnishing pads starting with a coarse pad to strip the Marble back and then moving onto the finer grit pads from medium to extra fine to re-build the polish. The pads are lubricated with a little water and you need to rinse the floor after each pad.

Sealing the Marble Floor

We left the floor to dry overnight and then came back the next day to seal the floor with Tile Doctor Ultra Seal which is a premium, no-sheen, natural-look impregnating sealer formulated to provide maximum stain protection and recommended for food preparation areas, two coats were sufficient.

Marble Floor After Cleaning and Polishing Melton Mowbray

Once completed we recommend that the floor was maintained using Tile Doctor Stone Soap which is an after care cleaning solution designed for honed or polished stone floors.

Re-Polishing Marble Floor in Melton Mowbray

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Efflorescence Removed From Old Quarry Tiles in Leicester

Leicester Tile Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Work History / Adam Carpenter

Efflorescence occurs when water rises up through the floor leaving salt deposits on the surface of the tile as it evaporates and can be a problem on old floors where there is no damp proof course. The photographs below of an old Quarry tiled floor at a house in Leicester are a great example of this, fortunately there is a solution and I’ll walk you through this in the story below.

Efflorescence on old Quarry tiles in Leicester

Removing Efflorescence from Quarry Tiles

The first step was to give the tiles and grout a good clean and then strip the floor of any remaining sealer for which I used a dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go which was applied to the floor and left to soak in for ten minutes before being scrubbed in with a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad. The now soiled solution was then removed using a wet vacuum and the floor rinsed with water.

To remove the efflorescence you need to acid wash the floor for which we use Grout Clean-Up which as its name suggests is normally reserved for removing grout smears from tiles however it’s also useful for removing mineral deposits such as the salts from efflorescence and even rust stains. The acid is scrubbed onto the floor just long enough for it to do its job and then quickly removed and the floor given a thorough wash with water, acids can damage a tiled floor if left on for too long so you do need to be careful.

Efflorescence removed from old Quarry tiles in Leicester

Sealing Quarry Tiles

Given there was no DPC the floor was left to dry off for a few days and when we returned it was sealed with several coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which gives the matt finish the customer wanted. Colour Grow is a penetrating sealer that provides stain protection by soaking deep into the pores of the Quarry tile and preventing dirt from becoming ingrained there, it also does a good job of enhancing the natural colour of the tile.

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Ashby-de-la-Zouch Tile Cleaning, Broughton Astley Tile Cleaning, Ceramic Tile Cleaning, Earl Shilton Tile Cleaning, Encaustic Cement Tile Cleaning, Fireplace Cleaning, Flagstone Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Hinckley Tile Cleaning, Leicester Tile Cleaning, Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing, Loughborough Tile Cleaning, Lutterworth Tile Cleaning, Marble Tile Cleaning, Market Harborough Tile Cleaning, Melton Mowbray Tile Cleaning, Porcelain Tile Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Sandstone Tile Cleaning, Slate Tile Cleaning, Syston Tile Cleaning, Terracotta Tile Cleaning, Terrazzo Floor Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Vinyl Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Adam Carpenter

Leicestershire Tile Doctor

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