Quarry Tile Cleaning Archives - Worcestershire Tile Doctor

Quarry Tiled Floor Before After Extension Blakedown

Quarry Tiled Floor Blakedown, Kidderminster

We received an enquiry requesting we take a look extending a Quarry Tiled hallway floor at a property in Blakedown which is a small village in the Wyre Forest District of North Worcestershire. The house had an extension to the front of the property added previously which increased the size of the hallway however this had not been tiled to match the existing, simply backfilled with screed.

Quarry Tiled Floor Extension Blakedown Kidderminster Before

The owner had decided to have the extension floor tiled to match the existing Quarry tiled floor which would also need renovating due to it being covered in part with a variety of paint, glue and screed. Whilst most of our work is repairs and cleaning my background in tiling means I’m also able to lay new tiled floor so this job was a perfect match for my skills.

I arranged a site visit to view the floor as it is difficult to tell from the photos the work that would be needed. The floor would require extensive restoration and then extending into the extension so after visiting the property and assessing what was required, I wrote out a detailed quote and the quote was accepted. We booked a date in to complete the works which would be carried out over a few days.

Cleaning and Extending a Quarry Tiled Hallway Floor

The first job was to break up the existing screed that the builder had laid in the extension. It was a lot of work, so I enlisted the help of Mick Gayton the Warwickshire Tile Doctor. Together we broke up the screed, removed the rubble and then used Bal self-levelling compound to prepare the surface for tiling.

Quarry Tiled Floor Extension Blakedown Kidderminster Removing Existing Screed

The customer had decided to go with a slightly different shade of tile for the extension as the original front door step had been left in the existing floor and would create an interesting feature between new and original. It turns out that the step penetrated deep into the substrate and could not be removed.

I waited for the new surface to dry before laying out the tiles to find the best layout, then satisfied with the pattern the tiles were fixed in place using a flexible adhesive and grouted in.

Quarry Tiled Floor Extension Blakedown Kidderminster Laying Tiles

Quarry Tiled Floor Extension Blakedown Kidderminster Tiles Laid

The next day we returned to restore the original Quarry tiled floor, firstly using Tile Doctor Remove and Go to break down any old sealer and paint. The product is sprayed on and allowed to dwell for a short time giving it time to penetrate. The product is then worked into the tile and grout using a rotary floor machine fitted with a scrubbing pad. The soil generated is rinsed off the floor with water and extracted using a wet vacuum.

Next, I decided to give the floor an acid wash using Tile Doctor Acid Gel to remove any old grout smears and other mineral deposits that were affecting the appearance of the Quarry tiles. Again, the product was scrubbed in and then removed using water and the wet vacuum. Once that was done the floor was left overnight so it could dry out ahead of the sealing process.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled Hallway Floor

The following day the floor was check for moisture and then sealed with four coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra. This has a special acrylic-based formula which being fully breathable copes well with locations such as hallways where damp conditions are more likely. Seal and Go Extra also adds a nice subtle sheen to the Quarry tiles which enhanced their appearance and made the difference between the original and new tiles less conspicuous.

Quarry Tiled Floor Extension Blakedown Kidderminster After

The customer was very happy with the new floor and pleased that we had been able to match it so well to the existing.

Professional Restoration of a Quarry Tiled Hallway in Worcestershire

Quarry Tiled Floor Blakedown, Kidderminster Read More »

Renovating a Quarry Tiled Cloakroom Floor in Brotheridge Green

These photographs are from a beautiful farmhouse in the tranquil village of Brotheridge Green near the city of Worcester. Worcester is famous for many things, Royal Worcester Porcelain, Lea and Perrin Worcester Sauce, Berrow’s Worcester Journal which claims to be the oldest newspaper, and indeed it was also the hometown of the composer Edward Elgar.

Quarry Tiled WC Floor Brotheridge Green Farmhouse Before Cleaning

The owner of the farmhouse asked me to come and look at their downstairs cloakroom which had existing quarry tiles fitted. They were becoming frustrated that they couldn’t get the area to look clean and were considering replacing the floor. The owners of the property had used every cleaning product they could find and scrubbed for hours to try and get these quarry tiles in their cloakroom clean. The problem with the tiles was a build-up of ingrained dirt over time as the tiles had not been sealed, so no amount of cleaning with household products would have helped. There was also an issue with salts rising through the tiles which was making them look worse, common in properties of this age.

Following my inspection, I explained to the customer what I could do to bring the tiles back to life. I completed a quote for the work that evening which they gladly accepted, and the work was scheduled in.

Cleaning a Quarry Tiled Cloakroom Floor

On day one of the job my first step was to sweep away any loose debris from the quarry tiles. I then tackled the floor with Tile Doctor Pro-Clean this is a heavy-duty alkaline cleaner which is safe to use on Tile and Stone, in concentrated form it can strip away sealers and grease and was perfect for this job. As I was working in a confined space I opted to complete the job by hand using a deck brush and scrubbing brush to work the solution in after leaving the Pro-Clean to dwell and soak into the floor for ten minutes. I then extracted the resultant slurry off the floor with my wet and dry vacuum and repeated this process until I was happy the floor was as clean as it could be given its age.

I then finished the cleaning of the floor with an acid rinse using Tile Doctor Acid Gel to remove grout stains and counter potential salt efflorescence issues which are a common problem with these old floors where no damp proof membrane has been installed. The floor was then rinsed again with water, dried with the wet vacuum and left to dry off fully overnight.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled Cloakroom Floor

When I returned the following morning, I checked the floor was dry using my moisture meter; this is important step as a damp floor will effect the ability of the sealer to cure.

I decided to seal the Quarry tiles with Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra, which is a semi-gloss breathable sealer to allow for any damp issues and applied four coats allowing each coat to dry for approximately 30 minutes before adding the next. This gave a nice natural finish letting the colour of the quarry tiles shine through.

Quarry Tiled WC Floor Brotheridge Green Farmhouse After Cleaning

The customer was very happy with the result and is looking to get the rest of the Quarry tiles in the house cleaned and sealed in the future. They were very happy that the floor didn’t need to be replaced.