tile sealing

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

 
 

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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

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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

 
 

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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.
 
 

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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.
 
 

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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

 
 

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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

 
 

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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

 
 

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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

 
 

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