Chelmsford Archives - South Essex Tile Doctor

Basalt Tiled Kitchen Floor Cleaning Polishing Sealing Chelmsford

Basalt Tiled Kitchen and Bathroom Floor Renovated in Chelmsford

I thought I would share the following case study which involved the renovation of Black Basalt tiles in the kitchen and bathroom on a property in Chelmsford Essex. The owner had the tiles installed ten years ago and since that time they had lost their appeal and now looked dull and flat.

Basalt Tiled Bathroom Floor Before Cleaning Chelmsford

Basalt Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning Chelmsford

Unhappy with the way they looked he decided to call me in to see what could be done to revitalise the tiles improve their appearance.

I called in on the property when I was next in the area to do some measurements and run some tests to work out the best way of proceeding. Basalt isn’t a very popular tile which is surprising as it’s a very hard stone and has a lot in common with Granite. Nevertheless, I was confident that by treating it in the same way as a hard stone I would be able to get the best out of the tiles and restore it to its original condition.

I worked out a renovation process and submitted a quote for the work which was accepted.

Cleaning a Basalt Tiled Kitchen and Bathroom Floor

I returned on the agreed date and set about cleaning the floor using Tile Doctor Remove and Go worked in with a 400 and then 800-grit burnishing pad fitted to a rotary buffer running at a slow 150 RPM.

Tile Doctor Remove and Go is a cleaner and seal remover, I had worked out that the previous sealer had worn off on most of the floor, so it now needed to be completely stripped off and replaced. The 400-grit burnishing pads are great for cleaning hard stone, the coarse pad got right into the basalt tiles lifting the dirt and what remained of the old sealer to the surface where it was rinsed off with water and extracted with a wet vacuum. The 800-grit burnishing pad is a polishing pad and adds a slight sheen to the surface.

Basalt Kitchen Floor During Cleaning Chelmsford

Next the tile and grout were treated using a weak dilution of Tile Doctor Grout Clean Up, paying extra attention to the cleaning of the grout lines in the process. This is an acidic cleaner which also neutralises the floor following the use of Remove and Go which is alkaline.

After another rinse with water and extraction with the wet vacuum I left a blower in place to dry the floor for a couple of hours and asked the owner to put the under-floor heating on overnight to full.

Sealing a Basalt Tiled Kitchen and Bathroom Floor

The floor had dried by the next day, and I was able to start applying the first of what would be two coats of Tile Doctor Xtra Seal to give the basalt its correct look. X-Tra seal is a modern oil-based sealer that is rated for wet areas and puts colour and structure back into the stone.

Basalt Kitchen Floor After Cleaning Chelmsford

Having two separate areas to seal worked to my advantage as I was able to start sealing the bathroom floor whilst the first coat to the kitchen floor was drying.

Once complete both Basalt floors looked great and my client was very happy with the difference we had managed to achieve. Additionally, the new sealer will ensure dirt remains on the surface of the stone making it easier to clean going forward.

Basalt Tiled Bathroom Floor After Cleaning Chelmsford

On the subject of cleaning, I recommended the use of a PH neutral floor cleaner such as Tile Doctor Stone Soap going forward. This product won’t impact the sealer and contains a patina enhancer which will help the stone keep its polished appearance.

Professional Restoration of a Basalt Tiled Kitchen and Bathroom Floor South Essex

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Travertine Kitchen Floor Renovation Chelmsford Essex

Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovated in Chelmsford

Earlier this year I paid a visit to a client in Chelmsford who had a large that needed attention. The floor had been installed twelve years ago when a extension was added to the rear of the house.

Travertine Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning Chelmsford

Discussing the floor on the phone my client had said that the floor always seemed dirty and was proving hard to keep clean. This to me is a sign that the protective sealer that keeps dirt on the surface of the tile had failed. It is important to maintain the sealer on a stone floor as without it the dirt becomes ingrained in the pores of the tile where it is difficult to shift. With stone floors like Travertine, I always recommend our annual maintenance program to ensure the floor keeps looking its best.

I paid a visit to the property to survey the large floor and came up with a renovation plan that would deep clean the floor, remove the ingrained dirt from the tile and grout and then re-seal. Keen to improve the appearance of the floor my quote was accepted, and a date set for the work to start.

Cleaning a Travertine Tiled Kitchen

To remove what was left of the original sealer and get the tiles clean I applied a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go and left it to soak in for ten minutes. Then the floor was scrubbed using a rotary buffer machine fitted with a Black pad running at a slow 150 rpm. The black pad was then changed to a poly brush which would be better at cleaning into the recesses of the grout lines. The floor was then rinsed with water and the soiling extracted with a wet vacuum.

Travertine Kitchen Floor During Cleaning Chelmsford

Once clean I was able to inspect the floor and spot clean any stubborn areas. With the cleaning finished the floor was given a final rinse and then dried as much as possible with the wet vacuum. The floor was then left to dry off overnight.

Sealing a Travertine Tiled Kitchen

I returned the next day and checked the floor was dry using a damp meter. I always like to do this as applying sealer to a damp floor can result in a patchy result. The moisture readings were fine, so I went ahead and sealed the floor with two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow sealer.

This is a colour enhancing impregnator that works by soaking into the pores of the stone, improving colour and preventing dirt from residing there. Tile Doctor Colour Grow is ideal for characterful tiles like travertine as it helps bring out the brown shades in the stone. It certainly did the trick on this floor and helped bring out its character.

Travertine Kitchen Floor After Cleaning Sealing Chelmsford

For aftercare cleaning I recommended Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a gentle yet effective tile and grout cleaner that won’t impact the sealer. This is important as many of the tile cleaning products you find in supermarkets are simply too strong for use on a sealed floor and will quickly degrade the sealer.

Professional Cleaning of a Travertine Tiled Kitchen in Essex

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Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovation Danbury Chelmsford

Filthy Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovated in Danbury

1 Comment / Chelmsford Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Terracotta Tile Cleaning / Matthew Tyler

The Terracotta tiles in the kitchen of this property in Danbury near Chelmsford were installed by the owners only five years prior. At the time they didn’t like the light colour of the terracotta, so they were sealed with a black pigment added to the sealer in an attempt to darken the floor. Five years later and the sealer had clearly failed, and the tiles and grout were now seriously filthy and impossible to clean.

I wanted to be certain I could remove the dirt and old sealer so whilst at the property surveying the floor I did a cleaning test with Tile Doctor Remove and Go scrubbed into a couple of tiles by hand. The product worked really well and easily cleaned the tiles and grout with excellent results (see picture).

Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning Danbury Chelmsford

The difference was quite striking and equally impressive so after I worked out a quote, they were more than happy to get me booked in to complete the floor.

Deep Cleaning a Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor

I returned on the agreed date and immediately set about applying the same process to get the Terracotta tile and grout clean. I used a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go working it into the tiles using a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine which also cleaned the grout lines.

The Terracotta was rinsed, and the soiling extracted with a wet vacuum. Once done the tiles and grout were inspected and any stubborn areas re-treated using the same process until I was satisfied the Terracotta, and grout was as clean as possible.

The underfloor heating was switched on and used to dry the floor overnight so it would be dry and ready for sealing the next day. This was a helpful addition and avoided the need for me to get the fan dryers out overnight.

Sealing a Terracotta Tiled Kitchen

Terracotta is made from clay and as a result is a very porous material, because of this it took eight coats sealer before it was fully sealed. I applied Tile Doctor Colour Grow sealer for this, it contains a colour enhancing formula which really brought out the orange and red colours in the tile.

This sealer is an impregnator that works by soaking into the tile, occupying the pores and ensuring dirt remains on the surface where it is easily cleaned away. It will provide long term protection moving forward and it improves the appearance of the floor without the tiles becoming too shiny.

Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor After Cleaning Sealing Danbury Chelmsford

I think you will agree from the photographs that the floor was completely transformed, and I’m pleased to say the owner was really happy and shocked to see it so different from before.

For aftercare cleaning I recommended Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner, this is a pH neutral product which will ensure the newly applied sealer retains its integrity. Many household cleaning products are simply too strong and will strip away the sealer with use.

Professional Restoration of a Terracotta Tiled Kitchen in South Essex

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