Kitchen Floor Cleaning Archives - South Essex Tile Doctor

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovation Woodham Walter

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor Deep Cleaned and Satin Sealed in Woodham Walter

The photos are of a large Quarry tiled Kitchen floor at a property in Woodham Walter which is a small village between Danbury and Maldon. The floor had been installed 20 years ago by the current owners and although in reasonable condition they felt it was time to have them renovated as the tiles had lost their sheen and now looked flat and unattractive.

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning Woodham Walter Maldon

I went over to survey the floor and quote for deep cleaning and then re-sealing. The photographs don’t really show it, but it was clear to me that the sealer had worn off and it was the sealer that had brought the depth and colour to the quarry tiles.

We discussed the process which would take two days and decided on a sealer that would best match their expectations. They were happy with my quote and the work was booked in.

Cleaning a Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor

On arrival I set about prepping the floor for cleaning which for this floor primarily meant removing the kick boards from underneath the kitchen units.

Working in sections I set about cleaning the quarry tiles using Tile Doctor Remove and Go. This as the name of the product suggests is a coatings remover that cleans the floor and removes any sealer left on the tiles. Although it had been some time since it was last sealed its important that all the previous sealer is removed before applying a new sealer. This ensures you don’t end up with different levels of sealer and some areas appearing darker than others.

The Remove and Go was left to soak in for ten minutes before being worked in with a rotary buffing machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad. The grout was also scrubbed into the grout lines by hand using more solution and a stiff brush. This action lifts the dirt out of the floor and turns the cleaning solution and old sealer into a slurry, this is then rinsed off with water and extracted with a wet vacuum.

Next, I treated the tiles to an acid rinse using a 1:5 dilution of Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up. This further cleans the tiles and will neutralise the pH level of the floor following the use of Tile Doctor Remove and Go earlier which is a strong alkaline. The acidic nature of the product microscopically etches the tiles to ensure a stronger bond with the sealer.

The Grout Clean-up was brushed into the floor and then rinsed off with more water before being extracted with the wet vacuum. After another rinse with water the wet vacuum was then utilised to get the floor as dry as possible before leaving it to dry off fully overnight.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled Kitchen and Dining Room

The next day the moisture level of the Quarry tiles was checked using a damp meter to ensure the floor was dry enough for sealing. This is always worth doing as applying sealer to a damp floor can result in a patch appearance.

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor During Sealing Woodham Walter Maldon

The moisture readings were fine and so work started on sealing the tiles using Tile Doctor Seal & Go which works really well on Quarry tiles and results in a warm satin sheen finish. This product is also water based so you don’t get that solvent smell being given off as it dries.

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor After Cleaning Sealing Woodham Walter Maldon

Sealers work by keeping the dirt on the surface of the tile where it can be easily cleaned away and on the subject of aftercare cleaning I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner. It’s important to use a neutral tile cleaner on sealed floors like this as stronger bleach-based products will wear the sealer off prematurely.

Professional Restoration of a Quarry Tiled Kitchen and Dining Room in Essex

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor Deep Cleaned and Satin Sealed in Woodham Walter Read More »

New Sealer adds Life to a Dull Multi Coloured Slate Floor in Stock

This multi-coloured Slate kitchen floor had been laid fifteen years prior and although in very good condition the owner was unhappy with the finish. Basically, it looked dull, un-inviting and the owner wanted some life putting back in the stone.

It was clear to me that the sealer that had provided previously provided the sheen finish had simply worn off with use. Without a sealer in place dirt was now becoming ingrained into the pores of the slate making the problem worse.

Multicoloured Slate Floor Before Cleaning Stock Essex

I visited the property to survey the tiles and provide a quote for renovating the floor. The work would take two days and would include removing what remained of the old sealer, deep cleaning the Slate and then re-sealing the tiles with a sheen finish sealer. The quote was accepted, and a date arranged to do the work.

Cleaning a Multi-Coloured Slate Tiled Floor

I started by applying a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go and let it soak into the stone for ten minutes. This product is a coatings remover and cleaner that is safe to use on all type of stone or tile. Then using a 200-grit milling pad fitted to a rotary floor buffer the solution was worked into the stone to strip off what remained of the remaining sealer and pull the dirt out of the stone. The floor was then rinsed, and the soiled solution was removed using a wet vacuum.

Next, I treated the floor to an acid wash using another Tile Doctor product called Grout Clean-up. This is great for removing grout smears left over from tiling and neutralises the pH level of the floor after the use of Remove and Go which is alkaline. After scrubbing in the solution with a deck brush the floor was then rinsed and extracted again with the wet vacuum.

Sealing a Multi Coloured Slate Tiled Floor

I left the floor to dry out overnight and returned the next days later to apply the sealer. Before doing so I checked the moisture level of the tiles with a damp meter to ensure they had dried sufficiently. This is always worth doing as applying sealer to a floor that is still damp can lead to an inconsistent finish.

All was well with the readings so I started applying the first coat of sealer which for this floor we used Tile Doctor Seal & Go. This product will protect the stone from ingrained dirt and adds a lovely subtle shine to the floor which matched the customers’ requirements exactly. After about forty minutes of drying time, I applied a second cost and as expected this resulted in a healthy sheen.

Multicoloured Slate Floor After Cleaning Stock Essex

My client was very happy with the result and left 5-star feedback along with the following comment.

Very Professional

For the aftercare cleaning of sealed slate floors, I recommend the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a gentle but effective product that won’t upset the sealer like many of the bleach based products you find in supermarkets.

Kitchen Floor Cleaning