Pro-Clean Archives - South Essex Tile Doctor

Silver Travertine Floor Renovation Shenfield

Renovating a Silver Travertine Kitchen Floor in Shenfield Brentwood

The tiles in the pictures below are Silver Travertine located in the Kitchen of a client in Shenfield which is an affluent suburb of Brentwood. Silver Travertine rich blend of Silver and Grey and displays lots of character when maintained. In this case the floor hadn’t been cleaned and sealed in some years and the previous sealer had now worn down leaving it vulnerable to ingrained dirt and resulting in a dull appearance.

Unhappy with how the floor now looked I was asked to quote for renovating it. The owner was struggling to keep it clean and wanted it cleaning and re-sealing, additionally the grout was stained in places and needed attention.

Silver Travertine Floor Before Cleaning Shenfield

I called in to survey the floor and was able to see for myself the problems they were facing. I worked out a plan for renovating the stone and grout and discussed what sort of finish they wanted for the floor which would affect the choice of sealer.

The renovation plan led to the creation of a quote which was accepted and a date scheduled for the work to start.

Cleaning a Silver Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor

On arrival I applied a 1:3 dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which was left to dwell for thirty minutes so it could soak into the pores and break down the dirt, grease, and any remaining sealer. The floor was then scrubbed with a rotary buffing machine fitted with a coarse 400-grit burnishing pad to get the stone clean and free of sealer.

The grout was then hand scrubbed to get it clean as possible; the pads do clean the grout but can struggle to reach into the recesses of the grout line, so I always find following up by hand gets the best result. The slurry was then vacuumed off the floor using a wet vacuum and then rinsed with water and vacuumed again.

Next step was to apply the next burnishing pad in the series which is a medium 800-grit. This is the first step in the polishing process which improves the appearance of the Travertine and adds a pleasing shine to the tile. The pad is run over each tile several times using only water to help lubricate. Once done the floor is rinsed and extracted with the wet vacuum as before. This polishing process was then repeated using a fine 1500-grit.

After another rinse and extraction to the floor was left to dry off overnight with a turbo dryer left in place for several hours to speed things up.

Sealing a Silver Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor

Returning the next day, I completed the polishing of the Travertine using a very fine 3000-grit burnishing pad which is run over the floor dry using a little water sprayed onto each tile as you progress. This left the Travertine with a lovely subtle shine; it also leaves the floor dry and ready for sealing.

To get the best from Silver Travertine we had chosen to seal the floor using Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer that contains a colour enhancing formula. Two coats were applied leaving around thirty minutes drying time between each coat. Tile Doctor Colour Grow is an impregnating sealer that enhances and improves the colour and texture of natural travertine whilst providing durable protection.

Silver Travertine Floor After Grout Cleaning Shenfield

My client was very happy with the improvement in the appearance of the floor, and I think you will agree the Travertine and Grout looks so much cleaner and inviting.

Silver Travertine Floor After Renovation Shenfield

Before leaving I took time to discuss aftercare and recommended the client to use Tile Doctor Stone Soap as a maintenance cleaner.

Professional Restoration of a Silver Travertine Tiled Kitchen in Essex

Renovating a Silver Travertine Kitchen Floor in Shenfield Brentwood Read More »

Marble Mosaic Tiled Sauna Room Floor Renovation Epping

Revamping a Marble Mosaic Tiled Sauna Room Floor in Epping

1 Comment / Chigwell Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Marble Tile Cleaning / Matthew Tyler

The pictures below are of a large Marble mosaic tiled Sauna room at a property in Epping. I was asked for advice regarding the mosaic tiles on the floor which had whitened and lost all their character since it was installed approximately four years ago.

Having inspected the tiles and discussed their cleaning regime it became clear that strong cleaning products had been used to clean the floor tiles and this had stripped off the sealer prematurely. The sealer which was still present on the seating added colour and depth to the Marble and there was now a stark contrast between them.

Marble Mosaic Tiled Sauna Room Before Cleaning Epping

To restore the appearance of the tiles I came up with a renovation plan that included deep cleaning and then burnishing to restore their honed appearance before re-sealing. Happy with the plan I worked out a quote which was accepted and a date set for the work to start.

Renovating Marble Mosaic Sauna Room Floor Tiles

Being a wet room and with little prep to do I was able to get to work straightaway cleaning the tiles using a 1:4 dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. This is a strong alkaline tile and grout cleaning product that’s safe to use on stone. For best results the solution was left to soak into the Marble for about ten minutes before being scrubbed in. This gives it time to breakdown the dirt and other contaminates first.

Next, I started burnishing the mosaics with the Pro-Clean worked in with a 6-inch 400-grit burnishing pad fitted to a hand-held buffer. The area was relatively small so I felt 6-inch pads would allow for a more detailed approach and cope better with the shape of the floor, corners and grout. The pad is slowly run over the mosaics several times turning the cleaning solution black in the process. The soiling was then rinsed off and the extracted with a wet vacuum.

The burnishing was then repeated with the 800 and 1500-grit pads, this time using only water to lubricate the process. These finer burnishing pads start building the polish on the mosaics and restore the honed appearance of the Marble. After each pad the soiling is rinsed off with more water and extracted with the wet vacuum.

The wet vacuum was then used to get the floor as dry as possible and then left to dry off naturally for a few hours.

Sealing Sauna Room Marble Mosaic Floor Tiles

Once dry the Marble mosaics were buffed with an even finer 3000-grit pad to achieve a semi shine before sealing, this is the last pad in the burnishing process and is applied to the tiles dry with only a little water sprayed onto the tile. This is a technique we call “Spray Burnish” and has the advantage of leaving the tiles dry.

The final step of the renovation was to seal the floor with two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is a hard-wearing impregnator that works by soaking into the pores of the stone thereby preventing dirt from residing there. The sealer will ensure dirt and water remains on the surface where it can be easily removed.

Colour grow as its name suggests contains a colour enhancer which I felt would best match the sealer that was used on the seating. The choice worked well and once complete you really couldn’t tell the difference.

Marble Mosaic Tiled Sauna Room After Renovation Epping

Before leaving I took time to discuss aftercare cleaning which was so important to ensure the mosaic tiles didn’t degrade like they had done previously. For this floor I recommended they use Stone Soap which is a gentle but effective floor cleaner that contains an enhancer designed to maintain the patina on polished stone.

Professional Renovation of a Marble Mosaic Tiled Sauna in South Essex

Revamping a Marble Mosaic Tiled Sauna Room Floor in Epping Read More »

Limestone Kitchen Floor Renovation South Ockendon

Dirty Limestone Kitchen Floor Cleaned, Polished and Sealed in South Ockendon

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing, Ockendon Tile Cleaning / Matthew Tyler

Pictures below of another Limestone floor that I recently renovated, this time in the open plan kitchen and dining area of a home in South Ockendon. Originally installed over ten years ago it had never been sealed and over time dirt had worked its way into the stone leaving it looking dull and flat.

Limestone Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning South Ockendon

Stone floors need to be sealed if you want them to look their best, sealing ensures the dirt remains on the surface where it can be easily cleaned away. Sealers can also enhance the appearance of the stone and improve colour; the only downside is they do wear off with use but a good sealer can last three years or more if maintained correctly.

I went over to the property to survey and measure the floor to be able to give them an accurate quote for deep cleaning, polishing and then sealing the stone. I could see it would be a straight-forward job with little complications so I worked out a quote based around two days work and products needed to bring the Limestone back to life.

Cleaning and Polishing a Limestone Tiled Floor

The cleaning process was a repeat of a similar job I recently completed in Leigh-on-Sea and involved cleaning out all the dirt trapped in the pores of the stone by working in a 1:4 dilution of Pro-Clean using a coarse 200-grit pad. These coarse pads are fitted to a buffing machine and run over each tile several times to open up the pores of the stone allowing the dirt to be flushed out, they also remove minor scratches, sealers, and ingrained dirt.

Limestone Kitchen Floor During Cleaning South Ockendon

The floor was then rinsed and soiling extracted with a wet vacuum before applying the next coarse pad which was a 400-grit. This process was then repeated with a medium 800-grit and fine 1500-grit pad which close the pores and refine the appearance of the Limestone.

Next step was to scrub the grout lines using more Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. I find this is best done by hand as the pads struggle to reach into the recesses of the grout line. Once done the floor was rinsed and extracted several times to neutralise the floor and remove any trace of product.

The floor was then left to dry off and I returned a few days later to give the floor plenty of time to dry.

Sealing Limestone Floor Tiles

On my return I started with the application of an extra fine 3000-grit burning pad, this is applied dry to the floor using only a little water sprayed onto the tile a process we call a Spray Burnish. It leaves the floor nice and dry and is the last step in the polishing process leaving the stone with a nice subtle sheen.

As mentioned earlier sealers protect the floor and some will improve colour and for Limestone, I find Tile Doctor Colour Grow works well. The product contains a colour enhancing formula that really brings out the best in Limestone. Its also an impregnator which works by occupying the pores in the stone thus preventing dirt from becoming ingrained there. Only two coats of Colour Grow were needed to fully seal the stone.

Limestone Kitchen Floor After Cleaning Polishing South Ockendon

The Limestone floor responded well to the process transforming the space from dull and un-inspiring to one that was very appealing and inviting. The stone and grout looked so much lighter and cleaner with a subtle polish that made the owners very happy.

For the aftercare cleaning of a polished stone floor like this we recommend using Tile Doctor Stone Soap. It’s a gentle yet effective cleaner that helps maintain the patina and won’t damage the sealer ensuring it lasts a long time.

Professional Limestone Floor Cleaning and Polishing in Essex

Dirty Limestone Kitchen Floor Cleaned, Polished and Sealed in South Ockendon Read More »

Limestone Hallway Floor After Renovation Leigh-on-Sea

Renovating a 12-Year Old Limestone Hallway Floor in Leigh-on-Sea

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing, Southend-on-Sea Tile Cleaning / Matthew Tyler

The Limestone floor in the picture below was actually installed by the homeowner in the hallway of their property in Leigh-on-Sea twelve years ago. They had managed to do a good job maintaining it however overtime dirt had accumulated in the pores of the stone and they realised it was time to have it professionally cleaned.

Limestone Hallway Floor Before Cleaning Leigh-on-Sea

I visited the property to survey the floor and provided them with a quote to deep clean the Limestone tile and grout, hone the stone to bring up the polish and then seal to protect it going forward. Happy with the quote we set a date for my return.

Cleaning and Polishing a Limestone Tiled Floor

On arrival the first task was to clean out all the dirt trapped in the pores of the stone. To do this I ran a coarse 200-grit pad over the floor assisted with a dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. The coarse pads are fitted to a buffing machine and run over each tile several times to remove minor scratches, sealers, and ingrained dirt.

The floor was then rinsed and soiling extracted with a wet vacuum before applying the next coarse pad which was a 400-grit. This process was then repeated with a medium 800-grit and fine 1500-grit pad which are the first stages in bringing up the polish on the Limestone.

The floor was then left to dry off overnight.

Sealing a Polished Limestone Tiled Floor

The next day I gave the tiles a spray burnish using an extra fine 3000-grit burning pad, this is applied dry to the floor using only a little water sprayed onto the tile. It leaves the floor nice and dry and is the last step in the polishing process.

To get the best out of the colour in the Limestone I recommended sealing it with Tile Doctor Colour Grow, which as its name implies contains a colour enhancing formula. Its also an impregnator which works by occupying the pores in the stone thus preventing dirt from becoming ingrained there. Two coats were applied and this ensures dirt remains on the surface where it can be easily removed with regular cleaning.

Limestone Hallway Floor After Cleaning Sealing Leigh-on-Sea

Once done the Limestone tile and grout looked so much lighter and cleaner making the owners very happy. For the aftercare cleaning of a polished stone floor like this we recommend using Tile Doctor Stone Soap. It’s a gentle yet effective cleaner that helps maintain the patina and won’t damage the sealer ensuring it lasts a long time.

Professional Limestone Floor Polishing in Essex

Renovating a 12-Year Old Limestone Hallway Floor in Leigh-on-Sea Read More »

Sticky Linseed Oil Removed from a Terracotta Kitchen Floor in Brentwood

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

This is a Terracotta tiled floor at a property in Brentwood that had been recently installed. Unfortunately, the tilers decided to seal the terracotta with a linseed-based sealer that hadn’t gone off and was still tacky to the touch causing it to trap dirt. I suspect they simply put too much down; however, I was surprised they used linseed as this is a very old-fashioned method of sealing terracotta when modern sealers offer far better performance.

Terracotta Floor Before Cleaning Brentwood

The solution I offered was to strip the linseed off the floor, give the tiles a good clean and then re-seal with a modern based sealer designed for the job. Happy with my quote and relieved the problem could be resolved, we agreed a date to complete the work.

Cleaning a Terracotta Tiled Kitchen

To strip off the Linseed Oil I applied a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go which is a powerful alkaline coatings remover. It was left to work breaking down the linseed for about ten minutes and then scrubbed in using a rotary machine fitted with a black 17″ pad. The soiling was then rinsed away with water extracted using a wet vacuum. This process had to be repeated several times before the floor was clear and I used several pads in the process.

The grout was then hand scrubbed using Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, these were small terracotta tiles so there was a lot of grouting to cover. Afterwards the soiling was rinsed off and extracted as before using the wet vacuum.

The last step in the cleaning process was to give the floor an acid rinse using a dilution of Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up. It was scrubbed in with a deck brush to remove excess grout smears and neutralise the pH level of the floor following the use of alkaline cleaners. Once done it was rinsed away and extracted as before.

Terracotta Floor During Cleaning Brentwood

Sealing a Terracotta Tiled Kitchen

I left the floor to dry out for a couple of days, before returning to apply a new sealer which for this floor we had chosen Tile Doctor Colour Grow. This is an impregnating sealer that soaks into the pores of the tile preventing dirt from becoming lodged there and thereby protecting it from within. Colour Grow as its name suggests includes a colour enhancing formula that improves the lovely orange/red colours so ideal for Terracotta.

Made from clay, Terracotta is a porous material and so does need quite a few coats before its fully sealed. For this floor I needed to apply give coats of Colour Grow, allowing for each coat to dry before applying the next. This is a low sheen sealer which will give the floor a much more hardwearing surface and it really brought out the natural colours in the Terracotta.

Terracotta Floor After Renovation Brentwood

My client was very happy with the difference and left the following 5-star review.

“Matthew was a pleasure to work with and did a fantastic job on a tricky terracotta renovation.”

For aftercare I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner, which is a pH neutral tile cleaner, it’s a gentle yet effective product that won’t impact the sealer.

Terracotta Floor After Renovation Brentwood

Professional Restoration of a Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor in Essex

Sticky Linseed Oil Removed from a Terracotta Kitchen Floor in Brentwood Read More »

Travertine Kitchen Floor Renovation Gidea Park Romford

Dirty Travertine Kitchen Floor Tiles Renovated in Gidea Park Romford

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Romford Tile Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning / Matthew Tyler

These photographs are of a Travertine kitchen floor at a property in Gidea Park near Romford. The floor was approximately 20m2 and had been laid 20 years ago. Although it had been sealed the client had been cleaning the floor with the wrong products and that had stripped the sealer off the floor. As a result, dirt had become ingrained into the pores of the stone making it look very dirty.

Travertine Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning Gidea Park Romford

My client was so unhappy with its appearance they were seriously considering taking the Travertine tiles up and replacing it with something more manageable, as they could never get it to look clean. You can imagine their relief after I visited and advised them that the floor could indeed be recovered.

After surveying the stone floor, I worked out a plan for its renovation and provided them with a quote which they were happy to go ahead with.

Cleaning a Travertine Tiled Kitchen

I started the cleaning with the grout lines which had darkened with accumulated dirt. To do this I applied a 4:1 dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean along the grout lines and left it to soak in for ten minutes. The grout lines where then scrubbed by hand until their original colour returned. Although harder work, I find this method works better than using pads with a machine as the pads can struggle to reach into the recesses of the grout lines.

To get the ingrained dirt out of the stone and restore the beautiful appearance of the Travertine I used a set of Tile Doctor Burnishing pads. These are applied with a rotary buffing machine starting with the coarse 400-grit pad and worked into the stone with more Tile Doctor Pro-Clean.

Travertine Kitchen Floor During Cleaning Gidea Park Romford

After rinsing and extracting I then moved onto the 800 and 1500-grit pads, using only water this time for lubrication and rinsing and extracting after each pad. The last 3000-grit pad was applied with a little water sprayed onto the tiles to bring up a polish on the stone.

Sealing a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor

The floor was left to dry overnight, and I returned the next day to seal it using two coats of Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal sealer to give it a nice sheen. This will give the floor hardwearing protection by ensuring dirt remains on the surface where it is much easier to remove with regular cleaning.

Travertine Kitchen Floor After Renovation Gidea Park Romford

My client was very happy with her new floor and relieved that the new sealer would make it much easier to keep clean going forward. She also left a 5-star review and commented:

“GOOD JOB….PLEASED”

On the topic of cleaning, I recommended Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a pH neutral cleaner. It will not strip the sealer like the previous products she had been using and should ensure the floor is kept in this condition for many years to come. Obviously, we are on hand in the future if she has any further problems.

Source: Travertine Kitchen Tile Cleaning and Renovation Service in Gidea Park South Essex

Dirty Travertine Kitchen Floor Tiles Renovated in Gidea Park Romford Read More »