tile sealing

Quarry Tiles Refurbishment Worcestershire Farm

Restoring Quarry and Flagstone Tiles at a Worcester Farmhouse

This restoration of two different types of tiled floor took place in the kitchen of a farm property in Worcester which had been in same family for generations. The floor was made up of Quarry tiles, some of which were damaged and Flagstones both of which were in true need of a deep clean and seal.

Cleaning Quarry and Flagstone Tiles

Before I could start cleaning the Quarry floor, we needed to carefully remove and any broken tiles and install suitable replacements including a large damaged flagstone.

Quarry Tiles Refurbishment Worcestershire Farm Flagstones Replacement Worcestershire Farm

I wanted everything to match as closely as possible so I also opted to grind out the old grout and replace with fresh grout in a light grey.

The whole area was then deep cleaned with a black scrubbing pad and Tile Doctor Pro-Clean to remove ingrained dirt, the soiled cleaning solution removed with a wet vacuum and then the floor was treated to an acid wash with Tile Doctor Acid Gel. Acid Gel is a blend of phosphoric and hydrochloric acids in gel form which can remove grout smears and efflorescence from salts on the tiles.

Sealing Quarry and Flagstone Tiles

After leaving the floor to dry completely overnight, I returned to the property to seal both sets of tiles with three coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra. This sealer is very breathable allowing moisture vapour to rise up through the tile and ideal for situations where no damp proof membrane has been installed which is especially relevant in older properties such as this one.

Quarry Tiles Refurbishment Worcestershire Farm Flagstones Replacement Worcestershire Farm

The customer was very pleased with the results. The positive influence of a deep clean and seal on both the Quarry and Flagstone tiles is very clear in the photos. Another satisfied customer.

Professional Quarry and Flagstone Farmhouse Floor Renovation in Worcestershire

Restoring Quarry and Flagstone Tiles at a Worcester Farmhouse Read More »

Victorian Floor Stourbridge Cleaned Repaired and Sealed

Fantastic Victorian Tiled Floor Restored to New in Stourbridge

Victorian tiled floors are known for their interesting and unique mosaic patterns – and this one was no different. It was installed at a house in the historic West Midlands town of Stourbridge (famous for its glass industry). Unfortunately it was now looking worse for wear and was in dire need of not just cleaning and sealing, but also some minor repairs and the owner was keen to have it restored back to its former glory.

Victorian Floor Stourbridge Before Cleaning

Repairing Victorian a Tiled Floor

This particular Victorian tiled floor had been arranged in a fantastic pattern comprising tiles in shades of yellow, blue, red and white. There were, however, some missing tiles but fortunately I know a number of specialist suppliers where I can source replacements. I spent the first day making minor repairs and replacing the missing tiles, including the grouting, and then left the treated areas to set overnight.

Victorian Floor Stourbridge Before Cleaning

Cleaning a Victorian tiled floor

On the second day I returned to the house to complete the cleaning process starting with a combination of Tile Doctor Remove & Go – a powerful sealer stripper – and Tile Doctor NanoTech HBU cleaner to lift out ingrained dirt and break down old layers of sealer. NanoTech HBU is particularly effective as it utilises tiny nano sized particles to penetrate deep into the stone and lift out the dirt. The resultant slurry was rinsed off the floor and removed using a wet vacuum.

Victorian Floor Stourbridge Cleaned Repaired and Sealed
The next step was to give the floor an acid wash using Tile Doctor Acid Gel, this product can remove old grout haze and other mineral deposits, additionally being in a gel form makes it easy to control and although primarily designed for use on walls it works really well on floors as well. Following this I gave the floor a thorough rinse, dried as much as possible with a wet vacuum and left it to dry overnight, ready to be sealed the next day.

Sealing a Victorian tiled floor

Upon my return to the house on the third day I set about sealing the floor, checking first that the area was completely dried by running damp tests with damp meter, all was well so I able to start applying the sealer. The sealer chosen for this floor was Tile Doctor Seal and Go which is a water based product which is a popular choice as it gives the floor a nice sheen and doesn’t leave the smell that the solvent based sealers do; three thin coats were applied to provide a robust surface seal and to achieve a semi-shine finish, as per the client’s requested.

My client was extremely pleased with the results, with a lot achieved over the space of roughly two and a half days. They left the following feedback:

“Mick did a fantastic job. He was polite and friendly and kept us informed at every stage of the work. He is extremely professional and it is obvious that he takes a great deal of pride in his work. We are thrilled with our ‘new’ floor.”

Victorian Floor Stourbridge Cleaned Repaired and Sealed Victorian Floor Stourbridge Cleaned Repaired and Sealed

 

Professional Victorian Tile Restoration and Maintenance in Worcestershire

Fantastic Victorian Tiled Floor Restored to New in Stourbridge Read More »

Quarry Tiled Hallway Worcester Before and After Cleaning

Old, Salt Damaged Quarry Tiled Ffloors Restored in Worcester

Here’s an interesting job I recently completed for a client in the historic city of Worcester. My client had two tiled floors in her house that were in dire need of restoration. They were located in the hallway and dining room of the house, and were a mix of Quarry tiles, with some believed to be over a century old. The entire area required a thorough clean and seal, while some of the tiles were showing evidence of salt damage in the grout lines, this is usually caused by damp evaporating up through the tile and grout and is more commonly known as efflorescence.

Quarry Tiled Hallway Worcester Before Cleaning Quarry Tiled Hallway Worcester Before Cleaning

Cleaning Quarry tiled floors

I completed the cleaning and sealing processes over the course of two days. My first task was to break down any old sealer and hard wax coatings left on the surfaces of the floors from previous maintenance. Working in two metre square sections I scrubbed Tile Doctor Remove & Go into the floor, Remove and Go is a coatings remover (aka stripper) that is safe to use on Tile, Stone and Grout and is great for tackling old sealers and waxes, the product can also used to remove glue and other adhesives. This was then rinsed off and the resulting slurry extracted using a wet vacuum; the process was then repeated as necessary until all the sealers etc. had been removed.

Following the removal of the old coatings I diluted Tile Doctor Pro-Clean with four parts water and I worked the solution into the floor using a black scrubbing pad to lift out any ingrained dirt from the tile. Pro-Clean is a high alkaline cleaner which is highly effective and again safe to use on Tile, Stone and Grout.

To complete the cleaning process I addressed my attention to the salt that was evidence in the grout between some of the tiles. I used Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up for this, which removes salt and other mineral deposits, along with any stains, dirt and grout haze.

Sealing Quarry Tiled Floors

After completing the clean I gave the whole floor a thorough rinse which was then removed using a wet-vac machine, before leaving the whole area to dry overnight. I installed two air movers and a dehumidifier to speed up the process, and by the time I returned to the house the next day, the tiles were ready to be sealed.

To seal the floor I used four coats of the new Tile Doctor Seal & Go Extra, which is especially recommended for sealing external tiles or internal tiles with a damp problem. The product formula has increased breathability as well as providing a robust surface seal along with an aesthetically pleasing, low-sheen finish.

Quarry Tiled Hallway Worcester After Cleaning Quarry Tiled Hallway Worcester After Cleaning

 

Quarry Tiled Hallway and Dining room Stripped, Cleaned and Sealed in Worcestershire

Old, Salt Damaged Quarry Tiled Ffloors Restored in Worcester Read More »

Limestone and Slate tiled floor Before and After Restoration in Worcester

Limestone and Slate tiled hallway restored in Worcester

I recently had a chance to complete a job at a house down in the bustling city of Worcester, home to one of the UK’s fastest growing universities, the University of Worcester, along with the much-loved condiment, Worcestershire sauce.

Limestone and Slate tiled floor before Restoration in Worcester
I was asked by my client to restore an interesting hallway floor that was made up of Limestone and Slate tiles laid in a diamond pattern. Both Limestone and Slate are reputed for their durability, and are popularly used for both interior and exterior flooring. However, this particular floor, situated in a high-traffic area of the house, was covered with many layers of dirt built up over the course of several years, and was marked by a number of loose tiles.

Limestone and Slate tiled floor before Restoration in Worcester

Cleaning and replacing Limestone and Slate tiles

My first job in the process of restoring the hallway was to give it a deep clean. I mixed up a solution of Tile Doctor Pro Clean and clean water, before scrubbing it into the tiles. I use Pro-Clean to clean most natural stone floors as it works very well to lift out ingrained dirt and stains.

Limestone and Slate tiled floor before Restoration in Worcester
Nonetheless, as the floor had suffered from more than its fair share of dirt over the years, I opted to also use Tile Doctor Remove & Go stripper which, in addition to removing any old sealer from the surface of the tiles, contains cleaning properties to ensure any remaining muck is eradicated.

Limestone and Slate tiled floor During Tile Replacement Restoration in Worcester
After completing the clean, I set about refitting the loose tiles, and in one particular area I had to remove and re-build the base back up. In order to effectively reuse the tiles, I had to grind off all the old adhesive.

Limestone and Slate tiled floor rebuilding base Restoration in Worcester

Sealing Limestone and Slate tiles

After leaving my work to set and dry for a period of a few days, I returned to put the finishing touches on the job with by sealing the hallway floor. I made sure that the surface was completely dry before commencing the seal, as any excess moisture might have affected the performance of the sealer, Tile Doctor Seal & Go.

This product is used to provide internal, porous surfaces with a stain resistant surface seal and, as you can see from the photos, a nice low-sheen finish. The low-sheen finish really helps to bring out the distinct colours in the Limestone and Slate tiles.

Limestone and Slate tiled floor after Restoration in Worcester
My client was amazed at how quickly I was able to rejuvenate the appearance of her hallway floor, especially considering the many years’ worth of dirt there was to tackle, as well as some tricky loose tiles.

Slate Hallway given new life in Worcestershire

Limestone and Slate tiled hallway restored in Worcester Read More »

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