If you would like to see an example of my work why not pay a visit to the Bell Inn Public House in St John’s, Worcester where I recently renovated a Victorian tiled floor. The request actually came through a recommendation from a previous client for who I also restored a Victorian floor. It’s a traditional pub which hosts many regulars throughout the week, so the tiles do get a fair bit of regular wear.
I arranged an initial assessment and after visiting the pub I realised the Victorian floor had been covered in several coats of sealer. The sealer had worn thin in the high traffic areas and this had allowed dirt to penetrate leaving them dull and uninviting. I suspect the cleaners had been using a strong cleaning product on the tiles and this had also impacted the sealer reducing its life.
The solution would be to strip off what was left of the sealer throughout, deep clean the tiles and then re-seal. A quote was sent and accepted and then the job was arranged to include very early starts so work could happen before the pub opened.
Deep Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Public House Floor
The first stage on my 7am start was to weaken and remove what was left of the sealer. I started by spraying the tiles with a strong 50:50 dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and then followed this up with a coating of Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel leaving both products to dwell for sixty minutes. Old floors like this don’t a damp proof membrane under the floor so I wanted to keep the use of water to a minimum to reduce drying times.
On returning I checked if the sealer was loosening which it was. I then proceeded to work the solution into the tiles using a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine. After several passes the floor was clear and the slurry extracted using a wet vacuum. The floor was then checked and any stubborn areas re-treated. The floor was given a quick rinse and then dried as much as possible with the very vacuum in time for the pub opening.
The second day was another early start and began with the application of coarse diamond pads worked into the tiles using more Oxy-Gel. This would further clean the floor to ensure all the sealer and dirt was removed, the pads also refine and improve the surface of the worn tiles. The soiling was rinsed and removed as before with the wet vacuum.
Last step in the cleaning process was to give the tiles an acid rinse using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up which is acidic. This product further cleans up the tiles countering any dormant salts in the tiles and neutralises the pH level of the tiles after the use of the use of strong alkaline cleaning products earlier.
After a final rinse and extraction with the wet vacuum I wiped the floor with micro fibre cloths and clean water so it would be ready for sealing the following day when the pub was due to closed most of the day.
Sealing a Victorian Tiled Public House Floor
The landlord had requested a satin finish, so Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra was chosen to seal the tiles and it leaves a lovely subtle sheen, it’s also breathable so fine to use on old floor like this one.
Before starting the moisture levels in the floor were checked with a damp meter and this confirmed it was dry and ready for sealing. The first coat was applied leaving an hour between coats to allow for drying. In total four coats were applied which left durable protection and a sheen finish.
Once done the landlord commented on how good the floor looked and I understand it’s also been remarked on by a few of the regulars.
For aftercare cleaning I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner, this is a gentle yet effective cleaner that will ensure they get maximum life out of the new sealer.
Great transformation, and thanks for pointing out that we cover Commercial as well as Residential tile installations; in-fact there are over 50 Tile Doctors operating throughout the UK so we are able to provide specialist services to businesses on a local or national level.