carpet adhesive removal Archives - Worcestershire Tile Doctor

Quarry Tiled Hallway Floor Restoration in Stourport-on-Severn

Carpet Covered Quarry Tiled Hallway Renovated in Stourport-on-Severn

I was contacted by a client from the Georgian canal town of Stourport-on-Severn regarding their Quarry tiled hallway floor. The client had moved into the property sometime in the past and unhappy with the appearance of the tiled floor decided to have it covered up with carpet. The carpet was now due for a change and rather than replace it she looked around to see if anyone could restore the original quarry tiles.

Having found Tile Doctor, I was asked to pay the property a visit and quote for the restoration. I arranged a convenient time and went over to survey the tiles which although dirty were in good physical condition. The carpet however had secured to the floor with a carpet gripped screwed through the grout and a strong carpet adhesive all of which would need rectifying as part of the restoration.

Quarry tiled hallway floor Stourport-on-Severn Before Restoration

After reviewing the whole floor and completing a few tests I was confident we could remove the old glue and restore the floor back to its original condition. My quote was accepted, and a date agreed to start the work.

If you have never been, I can recommend a visit to Stourport, close to Kidderminster and famous for its canal junction location it was once one of the principal distribution centres for goods to and from the rest of the West Midlands.

Cleaning a Quarry Tiled Hallway Floor

The first job was to remove the carpet, underlay and carpet grippers. I then applied a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go to breakdown the adhesives and to remove any old sealers. It was left to soak into the Quarry tile and grout for about ten minutes before being worked into the floor with a scrubbing rotary machine fitted with a black pad. It wasn’t long before the solution went dark with all the dirt that had been released from the pores of the tiles and the slurry was removed with a wet and dry vacuum.

Quarry tiled hallway floor Stourport-on-Severn During Restoration

I then applied Tile Doctor Acid Gel to remove some cement residue and combat any potential efflorescence issues which are quite common in old floors like these that don’t have a damp-proof membrane installed. The floor was then rinsed down with water to remove any trace of cleaning products, then then left to dry off overnight. Before leaving I spent time filling in the holes left by the screws of the carpet rods with a dark coloured grout which was as close a match to the colour of the tile as possible.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled Hallway Floor

On my return the following day I checked the moisture readings on the floor using a damp meter and as the readings were good, I proceeded to seal the floor. For a sealer I had chosen to use the tried and tested Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra. This sealer allows for moisture vapour transmission making it partially breathable and ideal for situations where no damp proof membrane has been installed and where there is risk of moisture being trapped under the floor. It also allows the colour of the tiles to shine through without leaving a shiny finish. I gave the floor five coats allowing ample drying time in-between coats.

Quarry tiled hallway floor Stourport-on-Severn After Restoration

As you can see from the pictures the floor looked great and my client was extremely happy with the result and so pleased, they had finally taken the old hallway carpet up. For aftercare I recommended Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner to keep the floor in the best condition and ensure maximum longevity for the new sealer.

Professional Restoration of a Quarry Tiled Hallway in Worcestershire

Carpet Covered Quarry Tiled Hallway Renovated in Stourport-on-Severn Read More »

Victorian Minton Tiled Floor Before After Restoration Kidderminster

Minton Victorian Tiled Floor Restored in Kidderminster

1 Comment / Kidderminster Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Work History / Mark Conway

I was recently contacted by the owner of this Minton Victorian tiled floor in Kidderminster. The tiles had been covered over with carpet which I suspect was due to some the tiles being missing. Now uncovered it was stained with glue and carpet underlay was still stuck to the tiles in places. The owner was keen to have the floor fully restored including replacing damaged and missing tiles. We can replace missing or damaged tiles however the problem with old Victorian floors is finding matching replacements due to the unique patterns that many have. Fortunately, due to the popularity of Victorian tiles there are several suppliers who sell reproductions and occasionally you can find originals on ebay.

Minton Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Before Repair Renovation Kidderminster

I went over to survey the floor an could see the tiles were certainly in need of some love and care. As part of the visit I carried out a test clean on a patch of the floor and the results were very satisfactory, so the owner asked me to go ahead.

Cleaning/Repairing a Minton Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

On the day of arrival my first job was to spray the floor with neat Tile Doctor Remove and Go, this is a powerful cleaner/stripper which set to work on removing the glue and carpet underlay, this product will also remove any old sealer. I then left the solution to dwell and worked the chemical in with my buffer and a black pad removing the slurry with a wet and dry vacuum.

The tiles were then treated to an acid wash using Tile Doctor Acid Gel to further clean them and counter any potential efflorescence problem which is a problem with floors of this age that were installed without a damp-proof membrane. The product was scrubbed into the tile and grout, rinsed off with water and then extracted with the wet vacuum.

Minton Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor After Repair Renovation Kidderminster

Once the floor was clean, I checked the colour of the tiles so I could cut and replace the missing section. I had managed to source some tiles that were a close match and set about cutting all the tiles to size and then fitted them using a flexible rapid set adhesive. The newly laid tiles needed to set, and the floor needed to dry out before we could apply the sealer.

Minton Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor After Repair and Clean Kidderminster

Sealing a Minton Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

The floor was left to dry overnight, on my return in the morning I tested the floor with a damp meter to check the moisture levels and ensure it was dry enough for sealing. I was satisfied it was dry so was able to proceed and seal the floor. Five coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra were applied which takes a lot of time as you need to wait for the previous coat to dry before applying the next. This product is a semi-gloss breathable sealer which gives a nice sheen to the tiles and fully protects them. It really allowed the colours and detail of the pattern to shine through and being breathable it will cope with any moisture rising though the floor.

Minton Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor After Repair and Renovation Kidderminster

The client was very happy with the overall finish and was really pleased that the Victorian tiles were now restored to their original appearance. It a fact that original features like these are in demand and add a lot of value to a property.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in Worcestershire

Minton Victorian Tiled Floor Restored in Kidderminster Read More »