Leicester Tile Cleaning Archives - Leicestershire Tile Doctor

Removing Grout Haze from Wood Effect Porcelain Floor Tiles in Stoneygate

Post Installation Clean of Wood Effect Porcelain Tiles in Stoneygate Leicester

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 »

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 »

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.

Efflorescence Removed From Old Quarry Tiles in Leicester Read More »

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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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