Work by Location

South-Essex-Tile-Doctor

Welcome to my Work History archive where you will find detailed examples of Tile, Grout and Stone Cleaning and renovation work carried out within South Essex.

I have organised the posts by the most populous locations throughout South Essex, if I haven’t listed your location do get in touch, Tile Doctor covers the whole country so if I can’t cover it there’s a good chance one of my colleagues can.

Local towns and villages I cover include: Aveley, Barking, Barkingside, Basildon, Becontree, Billericay, Blackmore, Brentwood, Buckhurst Hill, Bulphan, Burnham-on-Crouch, Canvey Island, Chadwell Heath, Chadwell St Mary, Cheshunt, Chigwell, Chipping Ongar, Clayhall, Collier Row, Corringham, Cranham, Dagenham, Doddinghurst, East Horndon, Eastwood, Elm Park, Emerson Park, Epping, Epping Forest, Foulness Island, Gants Hill, Gidea Park, Grays, Great Baddow, Great Burstead, Great Notley, Great Warley, Hainault, Harlow, Harold Hill, Harold Wood, Havering, Havering-atte-Bower, Heath Park, Herongate, Hockley, Hornchurch, Hutton, Ilford, Ingrave, Laindon, Langdon Hills, Leigh-on-Sea, Little Heath, Little Warley, Loughton, Maldon, Mawneys, Mayland, Mountnessing, Navestock, Newbury Park, Noak Hill, Ockendon, Orsett, Prittlewell, Purfleet, Rainham, Redbridge, Rochford, Romford, Rush Green, Seven Kings, Shoeburyness, South Benfleet, South Woodham Ferrers, South Woodham Ferrers, Southend-on-Sea, Southminster, Stanford-le-Hope, Stifford, Stondon Massey, Thorpe Bay, Thundersley, Thurrock, Tilbury, Tolleshunt D’Arcy, Upminster, Waltham Forest, Wennington, West Horndon, Westcliff-on-Sea, Wickford, Woodford Green

Dirty Victorian Hallway Floor Cleaning Westcliffe on Sea

This extremely dirty and dull Victorian tiled hallway floor was at a house in Westcliffe on Sea near Southend. The tiles were well overdue for a deep clean and having worked on many of these types of floors before I was confident we could do the job.

Victorian floor before cleaning Westcliffe on Sea

Deep Cleaning Victorian Floor Tiles

Any sealer that was originally present had worn off years earlier so I went straight in with a strong solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean diluted 1:1 with water. This was applied to the floor and left to soak in for ten minutes before being worked into the tiles with a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary buffing machine.

The soiled cleaning solution was then removed using a wet vacuum and the floor was rinsed. The process was then repeated a few times to ensure all the ingrained dirt had been removed and we also tackled a few paint splashes that became evident. The floor was given a final and thorough rinse with water to ensure all trace of cleaning products had been removed and dried as much as possible using a wet vacuum.

Sealing Victorian Floor Tiles

The Victorian tiles were left to dry out for two days before we returned and the floor checked for dampness using a damp meter. Everything checked out OK so we proceeded to seal the tiles using numerous coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go which is our recommended sealer for Victorian tiles as it gives a nice low sheen effect that enhances their appearance as well as protecting them from future staining.

Victorian floor after cleaning Westcliffe on Sea

 
 

Deep Cleaning a Victorian Floor Tiles in Essex

Dirty Victorian Hallway Floor Cleaning Westcliffe on Sea Read More »

Cracked Limestone Floor Repaired and Polished in Hornchurch

I appreciate my photography is not the best but hopefully if you take a close look at the lower half of the picture below showing a dull Limestone floor tiles you can see a couple of long cracks in the tiles. The picture was taken at a house in Hornchurch which is in the East End of London; we had been asked round to see if we could repair the cracked tile and put some new life into the floor.

Limestone floor before cleaning in Hornchurch

Cleaning and Repairing a cracked Limestone floor

To begin I gave the floor a thorough clean using Tile Doctor Pro-Clean worked in with a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine. I wanted the floor clean before I tacked the cracked tiles and this would also ensure any grit etc. would be removed from the floor before I started the polishing process. After cleaning the floor was rinsed with water and the soiled cleaning solution extracted using a wet vacuum. I should mention Pro-Clean is a versatile, alkaline cleaner recommended for cleaning natural stone floors such as Limestone. The crack was then filled using a special stone glue and hardener.

Polishing a Limestone tiled floor

Once the glue had hardened we started to restore the appearance of the Limestone using a set of diamond encrusted burnishing pads which you apply in sequence from coarse to super fine with a little water for lubrication and a rinse with water in between. It takes a while to do but it does a great job of bringing back the polish on the tiles.

Once we were finished burnishing the next step was to apply Tile Doctor Shine Powder into the tiles, the shine powder is worked in using a white buffing pad attached to a rotary machine running on slow speed. It adds more depth to the polish and forms a very durable finish.

Sealing a Limestone tiled floor

Last step was to finish the floor by sealing it with Tile Doctor Colour Grow, Shine Powder works as a sealer too but Colour Grow gets deep into the pores of the stone protecting it from within and enhancing it’s natural colours.

Limestone floor after cleaning in Hornchurch

As you can image the owner of the property was very happy with the results and with the added protection of Shine Powder and Colour Grow it should stay that way for some time to come.
 
 

Cracked Limestone Floor Tile Repaired and Polished in Essex

Cracked Limestone Floor Repaired and Polished in Hornchurch Read More »

Dirty Victorian Hallway Floor Cleaning Mersea Island

These photographs are from a dirty Victorian tiled hallway floor at a house on Mersea Island which is south of Colchester in the Colne Estuary. The tiles were in good physical condition but the sealer had worn down and dirt had become lodged in the pores of the tile causing them to look dull and faded.

Dirty victorian floor before cleaning Mersea Island

Deep Cleaning Victorian Floor Tiles

To strip off any remaining old sealer and to give the tiles a good deep clean I applied a strong 1:3 dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean with water and worked it into the floor using a rotary buffing machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad.

The now soiled cleaning solution was rinsed off and extracted using a wet vacuum and I could see there were some stubborn stains that would need extra work. To tackle these I used a solution of Nanotech HBU cleaner which was applied and left to dwell for fifteen minutes before being scrubbed in using the black scrubbing pad as before.

The dirty solution was then removed using a wet vacuum and the floor was rinsed thoroughly with water to ensure all trace of cleaning products was removed.

Sealing Victorian Floor Tiles

The Victorian tiles were left to dry out for a few days before we returned to seal the floor using numerous coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go which is our recommended sealer for Victorian tiles as it gives a nice low sheen effect that enhances their appearance as well as protecting them from future staining.

Dirty victorian floor after cleaning Mersea Island

 
 

Victorian Tiled Floor Renovation in South Essex

Dirty Victorian Hallway Floor Cleaning Mersea Island Read More »

Restoring Poorly Maintained Sandstone Tiles in Thaxted

Sandstone is a particularly popular choice for kitchen and hallway floors amongst home owners in the UK. It not only possesses beautiful natural shades and features, but it is also typically hard wearing, making it an ideal stone for tiled flooring in high traffic areas of a house and can often be found laid as large riven flagstones in pubs and other commercial premises.

Naturally, just like any other type of tiled floor, Sandstone needs to be maintained using appropriate products and methods. A lack of adequate surface sealer in particular leaves Sandstone susceptible to ingrained dirt, and can leave distinct, unsightly patches such as those in the photograph below.

Sandstone Floor Before Cleaning in Thaxted

In this instance, I visited a client in the old Essex town of Thaxted, who believed that her four square meter Sandstone tiled floor might be suffering from damp issues after lifting up the mats covering the area.

However, when I arrived at the property and ran damp tests, I found the issue to be superficial. The Sandstone floor however did require attention in the form of a deep clean and a fresh seal to tackle the white patches and prevent further discolouration.

Cleaning a Sandstone tiled floor

To begin the cleaning process I spread Tile Doctor Remove & Go evenly across the floor. It was left to dwell for approximately 15 minutes, during which time it worked to break down the old sealer remaining on the tiles. I then agitated the area twice over with both a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotation machine lift away any dirt.

The resultant slurry was removed using a wet vacuum and the floor was then rinsed with water and then mixed a strong solution of one part Tile Doctor Pro Clean to three parts water which was used to give the floor a final clean and scrub the grout clean before using the wet vacuum again and giving the floor a final rinse with water.

Sealing a Sandstone tiled floor

After completing the cleaning process I left the floor to dry over the weekend. Upon my return to the house I proceeded to seal the tiles with three coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer that soaks into the pores of the stone and provide durable surface protection going forward. Colour Grow is also specially designed to let the floor breathe and enhance the natural colours in the stone and, in this case, really helped to intensify the natural sand-coloured shades in the tiles.

Sandstone Floor After Cleaning in Thaxted

The difference made to these Sandstone tiles was really noticeable, with the white patches completely removed and the surface more generally back to looking like new, needless to say, my client was very happy with the results.
 
 

Patchy Sandstone Tiles Cleaned and Maintained in Essex

Restoring Poorly Maintained Sandstone Tiles in Thaxted Read More »

Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor Refreshed in Wickford

Sealers really do bring out the best in Terracotta tiles, however the catch is they will wear off over time and if you want to maintain that appearance you have to work out a regular maintenance plan. If you don’t maintain the sealer you will find that the sealer near the most heavily used areas such as doors etc. will wear away first and once that happens dirt will become ingrained in the tile and becomes difficult to clean resulting in a patchy appearance.

The remaining sealer on this Terracotta tiled kitchen floor at a house in the town of Wickford, Essex was no longer effective and had worn completely off in places. The solution was to strip off the old sealer, clean the Terracotta tile and gout and then re-seal with a fresh seal.

Terracotta Kitchen Floor During Cleaning Wickford

Stripping Sealers from Terracotta Tiles

I started by giving the floor a deep clean with Tile Doctor Pro Clean diluted 2 parts water to 1 part cleaner. This is quite a strong dilution designed to allow the removal of the sealer and was left to dwell on the floor for ten minutes before working it into the floor using a scrubbing machine fitted with a black pad. Surprisingly the sealer was proving difficult to shift in certain areas and I had to repeat the process a few times and made sure to give the grout a good scrubbing as well.

I managed to get rid of most of the sealer using this process and for the remaining stubborn areas I used a stronger product called Tile Doctor Remove and Go which is a very effective coatings remover that is safe to use on tiles. This did the trick and the floor was now free of sealers and the grout was looking much better too, the resultant slurry was removed using a wet vacuum and I then rinsed the floor several times with water before leaving it to dry for weekend.

Terracotta Kitchen Floor During Cleaning Wickford

Stripping Sealers from Terracotta Tiles

Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer that seeps into the pores of the tile to block them and prevent contaminates becoming ingrained in there and it also enhances the natural colours. Once this was dry I followed up with a number of coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go which is topical sealer that will protect the surface and adds a nice sheen to the floor and is a popular choice for Terracotta and Quarry tiles.

Terracotta Kitchen Floor After Cleaning and Sealing Wickford

I’m not sure my photographs do this post any justice however hopefully you can see that floor was quite transformed, the grout is much cleaner and the colours in the Terracotta have really come to life.
 
 

Maintaining Terracotta Tiles in Essex

Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor Refreshed in Wickford Read More »

Travertine Tiled Floor Deep Cleaned and Resealed in Dunmow

Recently I worked on a house in the historic market town of Dunmow, Essex. My client had a Travertine tiled floor in dire need of some professional maintenance. Specifically, my client requested a deep clean, with special attention paid to the grouting, along with a fresh seal.

Unlike a polished stone floor – which would require a process known as ‘burnishing’ – this Travertine floor required a fairly straightforward liquid cleaning process, using some professional products to fully restore the appearance of the tiles and grouting. Here’s how I did it.

Travertine floor Before Cleaning Dunmow

Cleaning a Travertine tiled floor

I began the cleaning process by mixing a strong cleaning solution consisting of one part Tile Doctor Pro Clean to three parts water. I applied this solution across the floor and left it to dwell for ten minutes, giving it time to seep into the stone. The solution was then more directly scrubbed into the tile using a scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary buffing machine.

Following this, I focused my attention on the grouting, cleaning it by hand using more Pro Clean, but this time worked in using stiff brushes along the grout lines.

The entire area was then rinsed with water which was then extracted using a wet vacuum, before I left it to dry overnight.

Sealing a Travertine tiled floor

Upon my return to the house the next day I checked the floor to ensure it was dry and then began to seal the tiles using two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow. Colour Grow is an impregnating sealer which sinks into the pores of the stone intensifying the natural colours whilst also providing durable stain protection.

Once the sealer had dried, I used a very fine burnishing pad to buff up the appearance of the floor and add an aesthetically pleasing shine.

Travertine floor After Cleaning Dunmow

 
 

Professional Travertine Floor Maintenance in Essex

Travertine Tiled Floor Deep Cleaned and Resealed in Dunmow Read More »

Grout Cleaning And Re-Colouring A Ceramic Tiled Floor In Canvey Island

Here’s a quick grout cleaning and re-colouring job I completed in the town of Canvey Island, Essex. Canvey Island lies on the south east coast, and lies just above sea level which in my job is always worth noting as the area can be prone to flooding. This wasn’t the problem here though, simply put, my client was unhappy with the colour of their grout, and wanted it re-coloured to a darker shade to match the grey Ceramic floor tiles.

Cleaning the grout before re-colouring is essential because, as many readers are probably well aware, grouts are porous and therefore can very easily absorb dirt and grease. Most often this will result in grout discolouration if not dealt with promptly.

Ceramic tiles before cleaning and colouring in canvey island

Cleaning and Re-Colouring the grout lines of a Ceramic tiled floor

So, as mentioned above the first step in the re-colouring process involved cleaning the grout lines. For this Tile Doctor has a special Pre-Treat Cleaner which is sprayed on and scrubbed into the grout to both remove any existing dirt and also to prepare the grout joints for a superior bond with the Grout Colourant. Once complete the grout lines looked clean and refreshed.

To clean the ceramic I diluted one part Tile Doctor Pro-Clean to three parts water, and used it to wash down the Ceramic tiles, leaving a consistent level of cleanliness across the entire floor. I then rinsed the floor with water which was then extracted using a wet vacuum and waited for 3 hours for the floor to dry.

Once dry, I began the process of applying the Charcoal Grey (as chosen by the client) Grout Colourant to the grout lines. As well as changing the colour the colourant also forms a barrier over the grout sealing it in and protecting it from future staining for years to come.

Then, once dry, the floor was given another quick clean using a light spray of water and a white buffing pad, resulting in an aesthetically pleasing sheen finish. My client was very happy with the outcome and now has the floor they wanted.

Ceramic tiles after cleaning and colouring in canvey island

 
 

Cleaning and Re-Colouring grout lines with grout colourant in Essex

Grout Cleaning And Re-Colouring A Ceramic Tiled Floor In Canvey Island Read More »

Dirty Terracotta Tiled Floor Refreshed in Wickford

Not too long ago, I was contacted by a client in the town of Wickford, which is a fairly small, quiet town in the south of Essex. My client had a Terracotta tiled floor that was in dire need of a complete refresh in the form of a thorough clean and seal.

You might not be aware of this but the word ‘Terracotta’ actually means ‘burned earth’, owing to the stone’s fantastic natural orange-auburn colours. A strong, durable material,it has been in use for residential uses for over two thousand years; the ancient Romans, for example, used Terracotta tiles to decorate their villas and palaces. However, as anyone who has ever owned with a Terracotta tiled floor will know, a major downside to the stone is that it has no natural glaze on the surface, and therefore can pick up ingrained dirt very quickly.

Terracotta Tile Before Cleaning Wickford

Cleaning a Terracotta tiled floor

I began the cleaning process by focusing on the grout lines. Firstly, I mixed a solution of one part Tile Doctor Pro-Clean to two parts clean water. Pro-Clean is a high alkaline cleaner that is suitable for use on most types of natural stone tile. I scrubbed the solution into the grout lines using a stiff grout brush in order to lift out the ingrained dirt and freshen up the grout.

To clean the tiles I applied Tile Doctor Remove & Go, which is a powerful coating remover product designed to break down and strip away any remaining old sealer on the surface. Nonetheless, most of the old sealer on this floor had clearly already worn away, allowing dirt and muck access to the tiles beneath. The product was applied to the tiles and agitated using a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine. As you can see from the photographs, the clean made a marked difference to the appearance of the floor, and also helped to remove some linseed oil which had been applied at some point in the past.

Once I was satisfied with the results of the clean, I left the house for a total of four days in order to allow enough time for the floor dry completely. This was important, as any excess moisture can inadvertently affect the performance of the sealer.

Terracotta Tile After Cleaning Wickford

Sealing a Terracotta tiled floor

Upon my return, I finished off the job by sealing the floor with multiple coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go. Seal & Go offers durable surface protection, which is especially important for porous stone like Terracotta that can, as I’ve mentioned, become very easily ingrained with dirt. Seal & Go also provided the aesthetically pleasing, low sheen finish that my client had requested.

Terracotta Tile After Sealing Wickford

TIP: If you have ever wondered how to tell if you floor is fully sealed, simply add a few drops of water to the surface; if the water forms a bubble on the surface as in the photograph below, then its sealed.

Terracotta Tile After Sealing Wickford

 
 

Tile cleaning and sealing for dirty Terracotta tiled floor restoration in Wickford

Dirty Terracotta Tiled Floor Refreshed in Wickford Read More »

Damaged Terrazzo Tiled Floor Repair In Southend

A few months ago I was called down to the coastal town of Southend to restore a damaged Terrazzo tiled floor. Terrazzo is a very beautiful type of stone of Italian origin, and has been used for hundreds of years for residential flooring. The problem with this floor was a significant crack in the surface that was not only spoiling the appearance of the Terrazzo, but also posed a potential hazard for anyone walking in and around this area. I was also commissioned to give the floor a thorough clean and seal .

Cracked Terrazzo floor Before Repair Southend

Repairing a crack in a Terrazzo flooring

To begin the repair, I first mixed a strong solution of one part Tile Doctor Pro-Clean to three parts clean water. I then applied this solution to the hole and the surrounding area, making sure that any dirt and muck had been completely removed before filling. Pro-Clean is a versatile, alkaline cleaner recommended for cleaning natural stone floors.

The damaged area was then dried using an air blower to remove any moisture from in and around the hole, paying special attention to the tricky cracks that were not so easy to dry. The cracks were then filled with a stone glue and hardener. Once the filling had been completed I gave the area a coat of acrylic paint mixed with glue to match the original colour of the floor as much as possible. The final stage in the repair process was sanding down the treated area to achieve a smooth surface that was consistent with the rest of the floor. As you can see from the photograph, the finish came out very nicely however I apologise for the photograph which I appreciate could have been better.

Cleaning a Terrazzo tiled floor

As aforementioned, I was also commissioned to give the floor a thorough clean. I did this using a similarly diluted solution of Pro-Clean and water. The solution was worked into the stone using a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary floor scrubbing machine. After completing the clean I rinsed the floor and removed the resulting soil with a wet vacuum, I then left the property to allow the floor plenty of time to dry before being sealed.

Sealing a Terrazzo tiled floor

I returned the next day to seal the floor using Tile Doctor Shine Powder. The crystallised powder is applied directly to the floor and then worked in with a buffing pad. The result is a nice durable shine which had previously become dull over time due to high usage and the breakdown of an old surface seal.

Cracked Terrazzo floor After Repair Southend

 
 

Terrazzo tiled floor repaired and polished in Esses

Damaged Terrazzo Tiled Floor Repair In Southend Read More »

Flagstone Tiled Kitchen Floor Cleaned and Sealed in Maldon

Here’s a job I completed not too long ago in the town of Maldon, which sits alongside the Blackwater estuary in South Essex. Although the Flagstone tiled floor in my client’s kitchen was – generally speaking – in good physical condition, the surface seal had worn down over time, leaving the tiles looking dull and lifeless.

Flagstone is quite a hard wearing stone that is commonly used for both internal and external surfaces, whether this is something as simple as a kitchen floor, or something more complex like a public monument. I was commissioned to restore the floor back to looking it best, by way of a thorough clean and a new seal.

Flagstone Floor Before Cleaning Maldon

Cleaning a Flagstone tiled floor

My go to cleaner for most kinds of natural stone tile is Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, a high alkaline product which contains both cleaning and stripping properties depending on the dilution ratio. In this case I wanted a strong solution so I could strip off any remaining sealer and so it was diluted one part Pro-Clean to three parts clean water. The solution was left to dwell for 10 minutes, allowing it to soak into the stone and get to work breaking down any remaining sealer.

I then attached a black scrubbing pad to my rotary machine, and used this to agitate the solution into the tiles. This helped to lift out any ingrained dirt and remove the stubborn marks blemishing the floor. Once the initial clean had been completed, I turned my attention to the grout between the tiles, using Pro-Clean in combination with a stiff grout brush to clean up the grout as much as possible. I cleaned the floor twice in total before rinsing the entire area with water and leaving the house for a few days, giving the surface time to dry.

Sealing a Flagstone tiled floor

Upon my return to the house, I ran some damp tests to double check that the floor had dried completely. This is important as any residual moisture can potentially damage the performance of the sealer. Once I was satisfied that the tiles were able to take the seal, I applied two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow sealant.

Flagstone Floor After Cleaning Maldon

Colour Grow is an impregnating sealer that seeps into the pores of the stone provides durable stain protection from within, along with a nice finish. It’s also specially designed to intensify the natural shades and colours in the stone, turning dull floors into characterful household features. Colour Grow is suitable for use most stone surfaces, including Flagstone, Limestone, Marble, Quarry, Sandstone and Slate.

My customer was very pleased with the result, with marked differences in condition and appearance achieved in the space of a few short days.

Flagstone Floor During Sealing Maldon

 
 

Tile cleaning and sealing for Flagstone tiled kitchen floor restoration in Maldon, South Essex

Flagstone Tiled Kitchen Floor Cleaned and Sealed in Maldon Read More »

Travertine Tiled Floor Cleaned in Dunmow Offices

These photographs are from the cleaning of a Travertine tiled floor installed in an old house in Dunmow that had been used as offices by employees of a Ford dealership. The house was empty when we started the cleaning process and you could see that the dirt had become ingrained into the tile and any sealer that had been present had now been worn away.

Travertine Tiles in Dunmow Office Before Cleaning

Cleaning Travertine Tile and Grout

We tackled the grouting first by applying Tile Doctor Pro-Clean (diluted 1 part cleaner to 3 parts water) which was left to dwell on the grout for about fifteen minutes before being scrubbed in using small stiff hand brushes. As you imagine this was time consuming but the grout came up really well so the end result was well worth the effort. The tiles were then cleaned using more Pro-Clean (diluted 1 part cleaner to 2 parts water) but this time we were able to use a scrubbing machine fitted with black pads. We scrubbed the tiles several times in order to bring them up to a good standard. The floor was also washed down at this point to remove the soiled cleaning solution, all liquids being removed using a wet vacuum.

Travertine Tiles in Dunmow Office During Cleaning

Burnishing Travertine Tile

The Pro-Clean worked well to clean the Travertine but if you want to restore the original appearance it needs to be burnished using a set of diamond encrusted burnishing pads. The pads come in a set and you start with the coarse pad and a little water and move on through to the very fine pads until the surface is pristine.

To protect the floor and bring up the appearance even further Tile Doctor Shine Powder was polished into the floor using a buffing pad, the powder add a deep finish to the appearance of the travertine and hardens on the surface to provide durable surface protection.

Travertine Tiles in Dunmow Office After Cleaning

I think you will agree we have managed quite a transformation; certainly the customer was very happy with the work.
 
 

Travertine office floor maintained in Dunmow, Essex

Travertine Tiled Floor Cleaned in Dunmow Offices Read More »

Terracotta Tiled floor Restoration in Chingford

These photographs are from an old Terracotta tiled floor in Chingford, Essex that had been under carpet for years. The owners had removed carpet which had been glued to the tiles beneath and found this lovely floor which they wanted to restore as an original feature. As you can see it was in a bad state and needed some work on it.

Terracotta Tiles in Chingford Before Cleaning

Remove Grout Haze and Cleaning Terracotta Tiles

We started by giving the floor a deep clean with Tile Doctor Pro Clean which was left to dwell on the floor for ten minutes before working it into the floor using a scrubbing machine fitted with a black pad. I knew this wouldn’t resolve all the problems but it was a good start and would show what was going to be removed easily.

As expected there were a number of stubborn areas including the surface glue especially around the edges which needed to be tackled with a stronger product so the next step was to apply Tile Doctor Remove and Go which as the name suggests is a coatings remover that will remove almost anything and is safe to use on tiles. Hand scrapers were used along the edges of the floor and although the area was relatively small it took a long time to remove all the various contaminants.

Another issue we found was grout haze on the surface of the tile and for that we need to apply Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up which was applied to the tile surface and scrubbed in with black scrubbing pads.

Terracotta Tiles in Chingford During Cleaining

Once satisfied the haze was removed we washed the floor down three times with water to remove any residue using a wet vacuum to pick up the slurry and suck any remaining liquids from the floor to allow it to dry quicker..

The floor turned out to be quite acceptable to customer who was happy with the results. They were going to seal the floor themselves once all the decorating had been completed.

Terracotta Tiles in Chingford After Cleaning

 
 

Restoring Terracotta tiled floor in Essex

Terracotta Tiled floor Restoration in Chingford Read More »

Grout Haze Removal from a new Quarry Tiled floor in Woodford, E18

These photographs are from a recently laid Quarry tiled floor in Woodford. East London where the tiler had smothered the tiles with grout and left it on the surface too long where it had then dried and he was unable to remove it. Unable to rectify the problem the Quarry tiles were then sealed, I suspect this was in an attempt to improve the look of the floor which unfortunately left it looking quite the opposite.

Quarry Tiles with Grout Haze

Remove Grout Haze and Cleaning Quarry Tiles

Undeterred by the state of the floor which we were confident could be put right we took the job on. The first step was to remove the sealer by using a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean mixed 3 parts water to 1 part Pro-Clean. This was left to dwell on the tile surface for ten minutes before scrubbing with black pads fitted to a rotary scrubbing machine.

Removing Grout Haze

Once we were happy the sealer had been removed we could tackle the Grout Haze with Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up. It’s applied to the tile surface and again scrubbed in with black scrubbing pads. There was a lot of grout haze so the processes had to be repeated; all the edges were done on hands and knees with small doodle bug pads. Once the haze was removed we washed the floor three times with water to remove any residue.

Quarry Tile During Cleaning Quarry Tiles with Partial Grout Haze

The dirty solution was removed using a wet vacuum and the floor was rinsed three times to remove the residue and neutralise it, the floor was then left for 48 hours to allow it dry fully prior to sealing.

Sealing Quarry Tiles

When we returned we sealed the Quarry tiles using Tile Doctor Seal and Go which is recommended for sealing quarry tiles and give’s a nice low sheen effect. Five coats of sealer where needed in total which took some time to apply as you have to let the sealer dry before applying the next coat.

Quarry Tiles Cleaned and Sealed

The result was a very satisfied customer.
 
 

Grout haze removed from new Quarry tiles in East London

Grout Haze Removal from a new Quarry Tiled floor in Woodford, E18 Read More »

Terrazzo Floor Cleaned in Dagenham Food Hall

The photographs below are from a large commercial premises we were asked to clean recently in Dagenham, East London. The property had been used as a large furniture retail outlet and the 250m2 Terrazzo floor was in need of a deep clean before the new tenants moved in. The customer had struggled to clean and improve the condition of the floor and the tenant was going to use the premises as a food hall so it was important to get it clean. Time was tight so we completed the clean over a weekend between the old tenant leaving and the shop fitters moving the following week with fridges, counters and shelving etc.

Terrazzo Tiles Dagenham Food Hall Before Cleaning

Cleaning a Terrazzo Floor

To clean the floor we used Tile Doctor Pro-Clean diluted 1 part cleaner to 2 parts water, Pro-Clean is a heavy duty alkaline cleaning product and this was left to soak into the Terrazzo tile for thirty minutes to help soften the ingrained dirt. We then started working the solution into the floor using black scrubbing pages fitted a Numatic buffing machine. This activity was continued for the weekend over and over until we were happy with the condition of the floor.

Terrazzo Tiles Dagenham Food Hall During Cleaning

There were a few stubborn stains in places and we tackled those using Pro-Clean again but this time mixed 50/50 with NanoTech Ultra Clean which adds tiny abrasive particles into the cleaning solution; again this was left to dwell on the Terrazzo for up to one hour in order to penetrate deep into the surface and soften the ingrained dirt before being worked in with a machine. Remove and Go was also used in some areas of the floor to tackle some of the stubborn areas and we also brought in rotary machines with a faster RPM to progress the work as we found the heavier and faster machines made a difference.

For some of the really stubborn stains we concocted a poultice made up of a strong dilution of Pro-Clean and NanoTech Ultra Clean which we covered in a plastic sheet and left on the floor surface overnight; it did improve the stain quite a bit, not perfect but a big improvement. The end result was good and can be seen in the photograph below . There were some rust stains that we could not remove in places, but the customer was ok about this given the deadline.

Terrazzo Tiles Dagenham Food Hall After Cleaning

 
 

Terrazzo Tiles Deep Cleaned in East London

Terrazzo Floor Cleaned in Dagenham Food Hall Read More »

Saltillo Terracotta Tiled Floor Cleaned and Sealed in Abridge

Pictures below of a job we did cleaning and re-sealing a 25m2 Saltillo Terracotta tiled floor installed in the kitchen of a house on a working farm outside Abridge, Essex. The owner had been applying coats of sealer for the last 10 years or so and over the course of time a bad build-up of layers of sealer had occurred causing and un-even and darkening effect on the tile (see picture below).

Saltillo Terracotta Floor Before

Cleaning Saltillo Terracotta Tile

Removing the old sealer to get back to the bare Terracotta surface was incredibly hard work, normally we can get most of the sealer off with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean but in this case something a lot stronger was required so we applied Tile Doctor Remove and Go (which is a coatings remover designed for taking off sealers and other coatings from tile) mixed 50/50 with Nano Tech Ultra-clean which adds tiny abrasive particles to the mix. We applied the resulting solution and let it soak in for 30 minutes before tackling it with scrubbers and a steamer, gradually over the course of three days we managed to remove all of the sealer. We rinsed the Terracotta down with clean water to remove any trace of chemical and neutralise the floor before sealing and then left it to dry out.

Saltillo Terracotta Floor After Cleaning

Sealing Saltillo Terracotta Tile

We left the floor for 10 days to dry out and came back to seal it using two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is a colour enhancing sealer that protects the tile as well bringing out the natural colour in the tile.

Saltillo Terracotta Floor Part Sealed

I left the floor to cure overnight, and came back the next day to finish sealing with Tile Doctor Seal and Go, Seal and Go is a water based sealer so it doesn’t give off an odour when it’s drying and also offers durable stain protection together with a low sheen finish. In the end the floor actually took seven coats of Seal and Go before it was fully sealed, this naturally took a long time to apply as you have to wait for it to dry before applying the next coat. Needless to say this was a very long job but the difference was remarkable and the owner was very happy with the result.

Saltillo Terracotta Floor After Sealing

 
 

Difficult Saltillo Terracotta Floor Cleaned and Sealed in Essex

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Marble corridor cleaned in Victoria apartment block

This Marble tiled floor was installed in the corridor of a very smart block of apartments in the Victoria area of Central London. The corridor was the main access route in and out of the apartment block and was constantly being used by residents, as a result there was a lot of foot traffic and decorators had contributed to the state of the floor which was now looking worse for wear with dirt, varnish and paint spots. Having struggled to get it clean the managing agent was considering replacing the floor, that was of course until the contacted us.

Marble Corridor Before Cleaning

Cleaning Marble Tiled Floors

To remove the paint and varnish we used Tile Doctor Remove and Go which is an effective coatings remover designed for use on most types of tile and stone, we left it to soak and penetrate into the floor for 45 minutes before scrubbing it into the floor with rotary machine fitted with a black pad scrubbing pad followed by a hot water rinse to remove the cleaner. We followed this with the application of 1 to 4 dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean again scrubbed in with a scrubbing pad; Pro-Clean is a Cleaner and Stripper so this step removed any remaining sealer and dirt from the Marble floor. Last step was to wash the tile down again to remove any chemical and neutralise the floor.

Polishing Marble Tile

The floor was now clean and just needed polishing to get the shine back, this we did with a set of diamond encrusted Burnishing pads which are and designed for use on Marble and Limestone. They come in different colours each one is a slightly finer grade and work to close up the pores and bring up the shine. Cleaning and polishing took up all of the day so left the day.

Marble Corridor after Cleaning and polishing

Sealing Yorkshire Marble Tile

We came back following day and sealed the floor with two coats of Tile Doctor Ultra Seal which is a premium, no-sheen, natural-look sealer that penetrates into the floor and will work to protect the floor going forward. You can see from the photographs how the combination of the burnishing pads and sealer and really made a difference in the floor.
 
 

Marble Tiled Floor Cleaned in Victoria Area

Marble corridor cleaned in Victoria apartment block Read More »

Slate Tiled Floor Cleaning in an Islington Phone Shop

Shop floors see a lot of foot traffic and this Slate Tiled floor installed in a mobile phone retail outlet Chapel Market, Islington was certainly no different resulting in the floor becoming dull and tired over time. Were happy to cover Residential and Commercial property however in this case we had to wait until the store had closed for the evening before we could get to work.

Cleaning the Slate Tiled Floor

The first step was to clear the floor of any moveable displays and anything we couldn’t move was covered in a plastic sheet to protect it from splashing. We then set about cleaning the slate tiled floor by applying Tile Doctor Pro-Clean diluted one part Pro-Clean to four parts water, this was left to dwell on the floor for a short while before working it into the floor with a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad. We used a grout brush to clean out the grout lines and then removed the soiled cleaning solution with a wet vacuum to see how it looked.

Slate Floor London Phone Shop Before

A quick inspection revealed more work was required, there were a few areas of ground in dirt and a stronger dilution of Pro-Clean was applied to clean these up, a number of these areas were proving stubborn so we mixed the Pro-Clean with NanoTech Ultra Clean which adds tiny abrasive particles to the cleaning agent which makes for a very effective cleaner.

The wet vacuum was brought in again to remove the soiled cleaning solution and we inspected the floor again. We were happy with the results so we rinsed the slate tile and grout down with clean water a number of tiles to wash away any remaining cleaning agents and neutralise the floor before sealing. A number of fan blowers were then switched on to help the floor dry and we took a break.

Sealing Slate Tiled Floor

Once the floor was dry we proceeded to seal it with Tile Doctor Seal and Go which provides good stain protection with a low sheen finish, slate is quite porous and it took five coats before it was fully sealed.

We managed to complete the job in a single evening and the shop manager was very pleased with the results.

Slate Floor London Phone Shop After

 
 

Cleaning and Sealing a Slate Tiled Floor in a London shop

Slate Tiled Floor Cleaning in an Islington Phone Shop Read More »

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South Essex Tile Doctor

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