Stone Restoration

Slate Tiled Floor Before After Renovation Bromsgrove

Slate Floor Tile and Grout Deep Cleaned and Sealed in Bromsgrove

Earlier this year I visited a customer in the Worcestershire town of Bromsgrove who was considering replacing their Slate tiled floor due to the fact it was looking grey and unappealing. Realising this would be an expensive option I was asked to pop round and quote for renovating it instead.

Slate Tiled Floor Before Cleaning Bromsgrove

After visiting to survey the floor and quote for the renovation I explained that my renovation plan was to use diamond pads to resurface and clean the slate and flush and clean the grout lines. I could then seal the Slate to restore the colour and protect the stone from ingrained dirt and staining. A quote was sent, excepted and a date agreed to start the work.

Removing Old Sealer and Deep Cleaning Slate Tile and Grout

There was still evidence of the original sealer on the floor and this would need to be removed before applying a fresh sealer. So, to bring the Slate tiles back to life my first step was to spray the Tile and Grout with a strong cleaning and coatings remover called Tile Doctor Remove and Go which was worked into the floor using a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad. The floor was then rinsed with water and the slurry extracted with a wet vacuum.

With the old sealer removed I then moved onto to deep cleaning the tile and grout using Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel which being a gel is extremely easy to control and is great for treating stubborn areas. This was worked into the tile and grout with diamond encrusted burnishing pads of different grits until I was satisfied the Slate was as clean as it could be.

After another rinse and extraction, I turned my attention to the Grout, pads can struggle to get into the recesses of the grout line so I applied a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean onto the grout and worked it by hand with stiff grout brushes.

After a final rinse and extraction with the wet vacuum the floor was left to dry out overnight.

Sealing Slate Floor Tiles

The sealer stripping and cleaning took up most of the first day so day two I returned on day two to seal the floor, first checking the stone was dry enough to accept a sealer. I use a damp meter to check the moisture levels on various parts of the stone and all the readings were within tolerance. We do not recommend applying a sealer to a damp floor as the results can be patchy.

To seal the Slate and get the appearance my client was looking for I applied Tile Doctor X-Tra seal which is a very modern oil-based sealer that works well on dark Slate enhancing the black colours and giving a deep but subtle shine to the stone.

Slate Tiled Floor During Sealing Bromsgrove

Once done the floor looked transformed and before leaving, I left a bottle of Tile Doctor Stone Soap with the client and gave them information about how best to maintain the floor. This product is pH neutral and cleans whilst maintaining the patina on the stone helping to keep the Slate in good condition.

Slate Tiled Floor After Cleaning Sealing Bromsgrove

 

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Limestone Tiled Kichen Floor Before and After Renovation Worcester

Grubby Limestone Kitchen Floor Restored in Worcester

This client from Worcester contacted us about their Limestone tiled floor that was installed in their kitchen and utility room. The couple had only recently moved into the property and had wanted something done about the tile and grout which was looking worse for wear and thoroughly neglected by the previous owner.

Neglected Travertine Floor Before Renovation Worcester

I’m based in Worcester, so it wasn’t long before I was able to visit the property and survey the floor and create a quote for renovating it. Hopefully you can see from the photos that the grout had darkened in places and the Limestone tiles looked dull and grubby. The problem with natural stone floors like this is over the years the protective sealer becomes worn down leaving it vulnerable to ingrained dirt. Without a sealer to protect the stone it had become heavily soiled and loses its original polished appearance.

Neglected Travertine Floor Before Renovation Worcester

The quote (which was accepted) included deep cleaning the stone and grout to remove deep seated dirt and then to polish and seal the Limestone to protect it.

Deep Cleaning a Neglected Limestone Tiled Kitchen Floor

To bring the Limestone tile back to life my first step was to run a coarse 400-grit burnishing pad, fitted to a weighted Italian Hypergrinder rotary machine, over the floor using a dilution of Tile Doctor Stone Soap to help with the cleaning and provide lubrication. The 400-grit pad deep cleans the stone and can remove light scratches, old sealers and etching caused by the use of acidic cleaning products such as bleach.

Neglected Travertine Floor During Renovation Worcester

After rinsing the floor with water and then extracting the soil with a wet vacuum I moved onto the 800-grit Burnishing Pad which is the first step in rebuilding the polished appearance on the Limestone. The process is the same as the 400-grit pad and after another rinse and extraction it was repeated using the 1500-grit pad all of which further build on the polished appearance of the stone.

Deep Cleaning Grout on a Limestone Tiled Kitchen Floor

The cleaning and burnishing took up much of the first day however floor pads do struggle to reach into the recesses of the grout lines so before leaving I turned by attention to the grout. For this I made up a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and applied to the grout lines where it was left to soak in for ten minutes. Then I hand scrubbed the grout using a grout brush. Once done the soil was rinsed off the floor as before and extracted using the wet vacuum. The floor was dried as much as possible using the wet vacuum and then allowed it to dry off fully overnight.

Polishing and Sealing a Limestone Tiled Ground Floor

The following day the final 3000-grit pad in the four-pad set was applied to the floor to bring up the polish even further. The pad is applied dry with only a little water sprayed onto the tile. We call this process a “Spray Burnish” and as well as leaving the floor nice and dry ready for sealing it adds a nice subtle shine to the stone.

To seal the Limestone and further enhance the shine on the Limestone I applied Tile Doctor Shine Powder which is a crystalised powder that is worked into the stone with a White buffing pad running at a slow speed. The crystals add a tough durable deep shine to the stone that provide protection from ingrained dirt.

Neglected Travertine Floor After Renovation Worcester

Once done the floor looked transformed once complete and before leaving, I left a bottle of Tile Doctor Stone Soap with the client and gave them some information about how best to maintain the floor. This product is pH neutral and cleans whilst maintaining the patina on the stone helping to keep the floor in great condition.

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