tile cleaning

Shower Cubicle Before After Renovation Chapel-en-le-Frith

Shower Cubicle Cleaning Chapel-en-le-Frith

This client lives in Chapel-en-le-Frith which is a small town dubbed the ‘Capital of the Peak’ with parts of the parish lying in the Peak District National Park. They were trying to sell the house, but the shower cubicle was looking very bad and all the potential purchasers were being put off. They wanted to restore a new and fresh look, without spending a fortune, so they could finally sell it and move to their new property. With this in mind they had given me a call to come and take a look and see what could be done.

As you can see from the photos the grout was very badly discoloured in places, so I agreed with the client that the best course of action would be to clean the grout as much as possible and then recolour it with a white Grout Colourant followed by stripping off the old silicone and replacing with new. We discussed the cost and a timescale and booked the job in.

Shower Cubicle Before Cleaning Chapel-en-le-Frith

Shower Cubicle Tile Cleaning

The Tile Doctor Grout Colourant Kit comes with everything you need to change the colour of your grout including a Pre-Treat cleaner which is a slightly acidic product that cleans and etches your grout at the same time. This means you can get a better bond with the colourant when it is applied afterwards and ensures the best finish.

I set about cleaning the grout with the pre-treat cleaner which is sprayed on to the tile and then scrubbed in with an abrasive pad. This was then rinsed off with water and re-applied where necessary, some areas were worse than others and needed more work, so I persevered until I was happy the grout was as clean as it could be.

Applying White Grout Colourant

The job could be completed in one day, so the next job was to remove the silicone sealant between the tiles and the shower tray, the sealant was black with mould and dirt and generally in very bad condition.

Once the grout had dried I was able to start the application of the grout colourant using a small brush, wiping any excess off the tiles as I went. A steady hand is required for this job along with a little patience! Two coats of colourant were required to achieve the right finish.

Finally, the last step to complete was to put back a new white silicone sealant using a high-quality mould resistant product. There are many on the market, but the cheaper brands are not usually mould resistant and tend to turn black very quickly. Applying the sealant ensures the shower is waterproof and no water can get behind the tiles.

Shower Cubicle After Cleaning Chapel-en-le-Frith

The shower cubicle had a new look and my client was really surprised about the end result. They now felt more confident that potential purchasers wouldn’t be put off by a grubby looking bathroom. Thankfully it had not cost them too much to make it look a whole lot more appealing.

Shower Cubicle After Cleaning Chapel-en-le-Frith

 

Professional Clean and Re Grout of a Shower Cubicle in Derbyshire

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Yorkstone Floor Before and After Cleaning and Sealing in Deepcar Sheffield

Yorkstone Tiles Rejuvenated in Deepcar near Sheffield

This customer living at a property in Deepcar near Sheffield, experienced problems keeping their twenty year old Yorkstone floor clean and I was asked to take a look and see what could be done to resolve the situation.

After inspection I could see that the sealer had worn off and now dirt had become lodged in the pores of the stone, leaving the floor looked grey and dull to the extent even the customer couldn’t remember that their stone floor had some colour once! Due to all the problems the customer had with experienced with the floor, they had reached the point where they were thinking of ripping the floor up entirely.

Yorkstone floor before cleaning and sealing in Deepcar Sheffield
Luckily they had found Tile Doctor and I was more than happy to see what I could do to resolve the problem. Yorkstone is similar to Sandstone which I was very familiar with, so I assured them the floor could be rejuvenated and conducted a test clean on a patch of the floor. Seeing the result, the customer was happy to go ahead with the work.

Yorkstone floor before cleaning and sealing in Deepcar Sheffield

Cleaning a Dull and Dirty Yorkstone Tiled Floor

To clean the floor and strip away old sealers, I used a strong dilution of our alkaline cleaner known as Tile Doctor Pro Clean, working it into the stone with a black scrubbing pad fitted to my rotary machine. I followed by removing the dirty and chemical-infused water from the floor with a wet vax machine.

Although this combination worked really well, I still found some light traffic areas where some of the old sealer remained. In order to restore a floor properly you have to strip the floor right back and remove all the old treatments from the floor otherwise the final result can look patchy and you may find the new sealer isn’t compatible with the existing.

To these problem areas I applied Tile Doctor’s Remove & Go, which is a dedicated
stripper and coatings remover, applied with a long dwell-time it can remove sealers, draw out ingrained stains and eliminate heavy grease build-up. I left the Remove & Go to soak into the stone for about ten to fifteen minutes before scrubbing it in with the black scrubbing pad, following again by removing the resulting slurry from the floor with a wet wax machine and rinsing the area with water. After the floor was successfully cleaned I carefully rinsed it again to get any trace of cleaning product off the floor and then dried it as much as possible with the wet vacuum.

Sealing a Yorkstone Tiled Floor

I returned to the property the next day, starting by making sure that the floor was completely dry for sealing. Unfortunately, there were some areas that were still very damp. I worked on these damp areas with my heat gun, but couldn’t get them dry enough, so after consulting with the customer, I decided to leave it to dry for another day with heating on maximum and doors/windows opened.

Upon my return these problem areas were less severe, and I managed to get them dry by applying my heat gun for an hour. When the floor was ready to be sealed I applied six coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go Sealer, which is a water based sealer (no smell) that provides durable protection and a high quality satin finish.

Yorkstone floor after cleaning and sealing in Deepcar Sheffield
The customer was really happy with the work carried out and left the following feedback:

“Tony has done a fantastic job on our kitchen floor, which I was considering ripping up due to the state of it – but now it looks like new! Tony was punctual and very hard working – excellent customer service. Have already recommended him to a colleague.”

Yorkstone floor after cleaning and sealing in Deepcar Sheffield
 

Professional Stone Tiled Floor Restoration in Deepcar

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Victorian Floor Before and After Renovation in Littleover

Victorian Tiled Floor Renovation in Littleover

From The 1860s Victorian tiled floors started to appear in public buildings and by the 1890s they had become an essential feature in the most ordinary Victorian terraced houses. Although these floors fell out of fashion during the 1960s and ’70s, when many of them were covered over, they are now being rediscovered by their present owners and this is exactly what happened to my customer in the village of Littleover.

Victorian floor before renovation in Littleover
The customer had attempted to clean the floor by themselves but they couldn’t archive the result wanted, fortunately they discovered the Derbyshire Tile Doctor and after their call I went over and did a test for cleaning to make sure I can archive the needed results. They were happy with what they saw, so they booked me in to complete the work.

Victorian floor before renovation in Littleover

Cleaning a Victorian Floor Tiles

For cleaning the hallway I used a strong dilution of Tile Doctors Pro Clean which is strong multi-purpose high-alkaline cleaner. I left the Pro Clean to dwell for 10 minutes and then worked it in the tiles by using a strong black scrubbing pad fitted to my rotary machine. After scrubbing I rinsed the floor several times with clean water to remove any trace of cleaning product from the floor.

After successfully cleaning the hall I moved on to the porch which still had some old topical sealer on less walked areas. On these areas I had to use Tile Doctors own very effective stripper Remove and Go. Remove and Go has a long dwell time to remove any given sealer or wax so I left it to soak in for fifteen minutes followed by scrubbing it in with black pad fitted to rotary machine. The next step was to wash off the residue with water which was then removed using a wet vacuum.

Victorian floor before renovation in Littleover Victorian porch floor before renovation in Littleover

Following this the tiles were given a rinse with Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up which is an acid based product that can remove grout smears and mineral deposits. Last step before sealing was to give the floor a thorough wash down with clean water to remove any cleaning product left on the tiles and then I left the floor to dry overnight.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Floor

Next day when I returned I used my damp tester to make sure that the floor is completely dry. Luckily for me floor was all dry and I started sealing. For sealing I used Tile Doctors Colour Grow Sealer which is colour enhancing breathable sealer. I applied 2 coats of the sealer and after every coat I polished off the excess with clean cotton cloths.

Victorian floor during sealing in Littleover
The result was really good and my customer was very happy with the work and said that now the floor looks transformed.

Victorian floor after renovation in Littleover
 

Professional Victorian Tiled Floor Restoration in Derbyshire

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Terracotta Floor Before and After Cleaning and Sealing in Matlock

Restoring the Look of Badly Stained Terracotta Kitchen Tiles in Matlock

Having an effective sealer in place is essential for ensuring the long term condition of tiled floors in fact a lack of sealer can make cleaning the tiles exceptionally difficult as the sealer prevents dirt becoming ingrained in the tile.

Terracotta Floor Before Cleaning and Sealing in Matlock
This property owner, living in the former spa town of Matlock in Derbyshire, was experiencing problems with their Terracotta tiled kitchen floor since they had applied some kind of wax to act as a sealer, and this had worn off within a few weeks. After this happened the tiles were not sealed again, making cleaning a big problem. Terracotta is a highly porous stone and thus easily soaks in spillages and stains, and allows dirt to become very easily trapped.

Terracotta Floor Before Cleaning and Sealing in Matlock
In this situation, the property owner resolved to contact me about some professional maintenance. I suggested that the tiles would need a deep clean followed by the application of a fresh, high quality sealer. The work was agreed on and I made my way down to the property the following week.

Cleaning a Dirty Terracotta Tiled Floor

When I arrived at the property and saw the tiles first hand it became clear that a professional clean had been in need for a long time: greasy looking stains were particularly prevalent and covered large areas of the kitchen floor.

To remove I mixed a strong solution of Tile Doctor Pro Clean, which is a multi-purpose, high-alkaline cleaner, stripper and degreaser, and, working in small areas, applied it to the floor. Working in small sections was important because the stone is very porous and quickly soaked in any product laid down. I scrubbed the cleaner into the stone using a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad, with the dirt and stains coming away nicely. Pro Clean is highly versatile and can be used for similar cleaning purposes on most types of natural stone floor.

After cleaning each section, I quickly removed the excess dirty water and chemicals with my wet vax machine. Once the whole floor had been cleaned I rinsed it several times with fresh water just to make sure all cleaning chemicals were gone. I then left the floor to dry completely for 36 hours.

Sealing a Terracotta Tiled Floor

When I returned to the property, I conducted several damp tests to check for any areas of the floor that needed further drying. As is almost always the case, there were a few areas that remained slightly damp, and I set about speeding the drying process along using my heat gun. In fact, it actually took me more than three hours to get the floor completely dry, but this was worth the effort as even the slightest excess moisture can damage the performance of the sealer.

Once the floor was finally dried I began sealing the floor with one coat of Tile a Doctor Colour Grow sealer. Colour Grow is an impregnating sealer that penetrates deep into the pores of the stone, thus acting as a shield against ingrained dirt, and also raises the colour of the tiles to provide an aesthetically appealing appearance. sealer. After sealing with Colour Grow, I left the floor to dry for couple of hours and then applied six coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go, which is a topical sealer that builds up durable protection on the surface of the tiles.

Terracotta Floor After Cleaning and Sealing in Matlock
The combination of through cleaning and the application of not one, but two high quality sealers really did wonders for the appearance of these Terracotta tiles. Looking at the final results you wouldn’t have believed they had been without a proper clean and seal for so long! Needless to say the customer was exceptionally pleased and will surely be able to keep her floor looking great for a long time to come.

Professional Deep Cleaning of Stained Terracotta Kitchen Floor in Derbyshire

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Travertine Floor After Burnishing in Ashbourne

Dull Travertine Kitchen Floor Burnished and Polished in Ashbourne

This customer had some real difficulty in getting their fantastic Travertine tiled kitchen area looking as good as it should. The cleaning methods they had previously employed were unable to prevent the tiles from appearing dull, and the customer was also unable to deal with the displeasing marks and small cracks damaging the stone.

Travertine Floor Before Burnishing in Ashbourne
Keen to get the floor back to looking its best, the customer called me down to their property, which overlooks the beautiful countryside area of Ashbourne, to see what could be done to restore the tiles.

Travertine Floor Before Burnishing in Ashbourne

Burnishing a Dull Travertine Tiled Floor

Upon my arrival at the property, I assessed the situation and resolved that the best way to restore the polish and general appearance of the floor was to use a process known as burnishing. The burnishing process, which involves the application of four diamond encrusted polishing pads of varying grit, works to grind away ingrained dirt while smoothing and polishing rough surfaces. Most commonly we use burnishing to restore the shine to Limestone and Marble tiles, but it can be used on most types of natural stone floor where a deep polish is required.

To start the process, I applied the Coarse 400 grit burnishing pad to the floor using a small amount of water as lubrication in order to break down and remove any old sealer from the stone. Once this had been done across the entirety of the floor, I removed any soiled water with a wet-vac machine; this removal of soiled residue was repeated after each use of a burnishing pad.

Next, I moved on to the Medium 800 grit pad which is less coarse than the 400 grit, but still rough enough still to break down layers of ingrained dirt. I followed this up with the application of a Fine 1500 grit pad, which started to smooth down the rough areas of the surface to prepare the floor for a final polish with an even finer burnishing pad later on. Before moving straight on to the final of the four pads, I took the time to carefully fill in the all of the small cracks and holes in the stone, before leaving the floor to dry until the next day.

Sealing a Travertine Tiled Floor

The next morning, I returned to the property to finish off the floor restoration. As soon as I arrived I used a damp tester to make sure the floor was completely dry. Noticing a number of small damp spots, I opted to use my heat gun to speed up the drying process.

Once the floor was completely dry, I used the Very Fine 3000 burnishing pad – the last of the four – without any lubricant to finally achieve a high quality polished finish. For polished floors it is recommended to use an impregnating sealer that penetrates into the pores of the stone rather than sitting on the surface of the floor, as this ensures the quality of the polish isn’t damaged.

As such I opted to use Tile Doctor Colour Grow to seal the tiles. This is a colour intensifying sealer that provides durable surface protection and allows the surface to breathe whilst enhancing the natural colours in the stone. It’s important that any sealer that doesn’t penetrate into the stone is removed by polishing it off with a cloth.

Travertine Floor After Burnishing in Ashbourne
After completing the seal, I went over the floor for a final time with the 3000 grit diamond burnishing pad to leave a smooth and shiny polished finish. Needless to say that the customer was very happy with result as they had never before been able to get the floor looking this good!

Professional Polishing of a Dull Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor in Derbyshire

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Victorian Floor Dated 1929 After Cleaning and Sealing

Fantastic 1920’s Victorian Tiled Floor Unearthed and Restored in Derby

Victorian tiled floors are timeless – despite first coming into popular use in UK houses during the 19th century, they’ve remained stylish in the eyes of many homeowners and interior designers. This fantastic black and white patterned example at a property in Derby dates back to 1929. However, the owners only recently discovered the floor, it having being hidden under carpet for many years.

Discovering a tiled floor beneath carpet like this is, in my experience, a relatively common occurrence, yet it can be difficult to restore the tiles back to their original condition without professional assistance. In this instance – as is the case with most examples – the tiles were marked with numerous glue stains from where the carpet had been originally installed. Initially, the customer had tried to clean the tiles themselves but, despite successfully removing most of the glue stains, they couldn’t achieve the full restoration they were hoping for.

Victorian Floor Dated 1929 Before Cleaning and Sealing
This is where I stepped in – to provide the floor with the deep clean and fresh seal it desperately needed.

Victorian Floor Dated 1929 Before Cleaning and Sealing

Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Floor

While the customer had succeeded in providing the tiles with a basic clean, I needed to take it one step further. To do this, I firstly mixed a strongly diluted solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and water, before applying this to floor and scrubbing it directly into the tiles using a black scrubbing pad fitted to my buffing machine.

Pro-Clean is multi-purpose high-alkaline cleaner, stripper and degreaser. This did the job to remove ingrained dirt in large areas of the floor, but in some places a stronger product was required. To tackle these stubborn areas, I used Tile Doctor NanoTech HBU, which was applied to the floor in combination with my steam cleaner. NanoTech HBU is a heavy soil build-up remover designed to reaches areas within the stone that other cleaners are unable to. It utilises nano-sized particles to penetrate below tough stains, dissolve them, and lift them out.

After a thorough clean with this product the floor looked ready to be sealed. Nonetheless, before moving on to the sealing process, I carefully rinsed the entire floor three times with fresh water to rid the floor of any excess chemicals left over from the cleaning. I then removed the water with my wet vax machine.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Floor

I left the floor to dry for five days as there was a slight dampness issue in one corner. When I returned to the property, I made sure the floor was completely dry by conducting several damp tests. The corner with the damp issue was just a bit damp still, so I opted to use my heat gun to solve the problem, and not long after the floor was ready for sealing. Removing all excess moisture before sealing is essential as it can cloud the sealer and damage its ability to protect the tiles.

For sealing, I used four coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go Extra sealer. This is a special acrylic-based formula which allows moisture vapour transmission making it fully breathable and ideal for situations where no damp proof membrane has been installed and where mineral salt deposits (efflorescence) are more likely to occur which is not uncommon with these old floors. As well as enhancing the appearance of the floor the sealer will provide a layer of protection to the surface of the tiles and prevent dirt and stains from becoming ingrained in the pores.

Victorian Floor Dated 1929 After Cleaning and Sealing
The results of the restoration were fantastic – in fact, if you had seen the restored the floor for the first time, you might have thought it was only recently installed! As you can see from the Before and After photos, the floor was completely transformed, from a dull, dirty and worn condition to looking almost brand new.

The customer was very happy with the work and no doubt will be much looking forward to showing off her new floor!

Professional Victorian Tiled Floor Restoration in Derbyshire

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