Stafford Tile Cleaning Archives - Staffordshire Tile Doctor

White Staining Removed from Slate Wet Room in Stafford

This client from Stafford needed some help with the Slate tiles in their bathroom wet room which as you can see from the photos had suffered with lot of white staining. The staining was either Limescale or efflorescent salts which are salts deposits on the tile which appear as the stone became wet and then dries out.

Slate Wet Room Tiles Before Cleaning Stafford

The staining had built up over time and was all over the wet floor and wall areas. I quoted for cleaning the tiles, removing all the staining in the process, and then sealing to prevent this happening in the future. Happy with my plan and quote I got the go ahead and we agreed a date for the work to start.

Slate Wet Room Tiles Before Cleaning Stafford

Cleaning a Slate Tiled Bathroom Wet Room

The first job was to clean the wall and floor tile and grout with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. This was decanted into a spray bottle and sprayed onto the Slate tile and Grout where it was left to soak in for five to ten minutes before being scrubbed in using a stiff brush and small black scrubbing pads.

The soiling was then vacuumed away with a wet and dry vacuum. For stubborn staining Tile Doctor also sell a product called Oxy-Gel which is a gel-based version of Pro-Clean that really sticks well to wall tiles allowing for longer dwell times.

The next step was to tackle the White staining so I repeated the cleaning process with Tile Doctor Acid Gel. Like Oxy-Gel this is a gel-based product that sticks well to wall tiles. This product however is acid based and so can dissolve the salt staining allowing it to be removed with the wet vacuum as before.

Last step was to inspect the bathroom for any further staining and repeat the relevant process until I was satisfied. I then rinsed all the tiles with cold water to remove any trace of product and then left the bathroom to dry out overnight.

Sealing a Slate Tiled Bathroom Wet Room

The next day I applied Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal to the Slate which is an oil-based sealing product that is rated for internal and external use. This sealer restores oil into the stone improving its general appearance and improving the colour in the stone.

X-Tra Seal is a breathable impregnating sealer that works by soaking into the pores of the stone preventing dirt from residing there and thereby leaving it on the surface where it can be rinsed away. It creates a strong water repellency over the tile so will ensure water simply drains off and doesn’t collect. If you apply the second coat as we did, it gives the tiles a nice sheen, allowing the colour of the tiles to shine through.

Slate Wet Room Tiles After Cleaning Stafford

The lighting in the wet room wasn’t great so I don’t think the photos on this page have done the job any justice however it was certainly a massive improvement, my customer certainly thought so and left the flowing glowing feedback:

Great communication start to finish. Attention to detail and pride in workmanship. Really happy with the result. Our slate wet room tiles look like new!

Slate Wet Room Tiles After Cleaning Stafford

For after care cleaning I recommended the regular use of Tile Doctor Aqua-Pro, which is pH neutral and is designed for the daily cleaning of sealed bathroom tiles. This will keep the wet room looking as good as it is now.

Professional Renovation of a Slate Tiled Wet Room in Staffordshire

White Staining Removed from Slate Wet Room in Stafford Read More »

Quarry Tiled Dining Room Restored Stafford

Restorative Cleaning and Sealing of a Quarry Tiled Floor in Stafford

1 Comment / Quarry Tile Cleaning, Stafford Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Trevor Preece

It had been some years since this Quarry tiled floor at a house in the market town of Stafford had been professionally cleaned and was now long overdue some TLC. The previous sealer had worn down allowing dirt to accumulate in the pores of the tile leaving it looking dull and dirty and difficult to keep clean. There were also a couple of loose tiles that needed re-setting.

Quarry Tile Floor Before Cleaning Stafford

Before quoting I visited the property to inspect the floor and carry out a test clean on part of the floor. The test came out well which impressed my clients and gave me an accurate plan for cleaning the rest of the Quarry tiled floor. I quoted for two days work plus materials which was agreed, and we scheduled a date for the work to be done.

Cleaning and Repairing a Quarry Tiled Dining Room Floor

The first day I spent deep cleaning the Quarry tile and grout using a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean worked in with a rotary machine with black scrubbing pad attached. The soil generated was extracted with a wet vacuum and the floor rinsed and extracted again.

At this point I like to inspect the floor looking for any stubborn marks or areas that need repeat cleaning. Once identified I repeat the earlier cleaning process and if that doesn’t work, I resort to using neat Pro-Clean scrubbed in by hand with a lot of elbow grease until I’m satisfied that the tile and grout is as clean as possible.

As mentioned before there were a couple of loose tiles that needed refitting and so before leaving, I spent time pulling those out, cleaning them up, preparing the base, relaying them with fresh adhesive and then grouting with matching grout. The floor was then left overnight to fully dry out and for the newly replaced tiles to set.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled Dining Room Floor

I returned the following day and first used a damp meter to check that the floor was suitably dry. I know from experience that for best results the floor needs to be dry before applying the sealer, to apply a sealer to a damp floor can result in a patchy appearance. In this case the readings were fine otherwise I would of arranged to come back on a different day or applied a bit of gentle heat from a heat gun until dry.

I had discussed finishes with my client before starting work and it was clear their preference was for the Quarry tiles to have a nice shine, as it would have had originally so I selected to use Tile Doctor Seal and Go. This product is a specially formulated water-based blend of acrylic polymers that provides a stain resistant seal and being water based it doesn’t give off an unpleasant odour as it dries. Four coats of Seal and Go were applied allowing each coat to dry out before applying the next one. The result was the tiles were left with a lovely subtle shine as requested.

Quarry Tile Floor After Cleaning Sealing Stafford

The client was very happy with the newly restored floor and for aftercare cleaning I recommended Tile Doctor Neutral Tile cleaner, this is pH balanced product that that isn’t overly strong and won’t prematurely degrade the newly applied sealer like most of the household cleaners you find in supermarkets.

Professional Restoration of a Quarry Tiled Hallway in Staffordshire

Restorative Cleaning and Sealing of a Quarry Tiled Floor in Stafford Read More »

Laminate Covered Victorian Tiled Hallway Restoration in Stafford

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Stafford Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Work History / Trevor Preece

The photographs below are of a Victorian Tiled Hallway I recently restored in Stafford. This lovely floor was discovered underneath laminate flooring I can only assume because a previous owner of the house couldn’t work out how to restore it as it was in a terrible state and decided to cover it up.

Fortunately thanks to the power of the internet the current owner discovered Tile Doctor on-line and called us in to have a look with the aim of restoring the floor as a period feature.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Before Restoration Stafford

Restoring a Victorian Tiled Hallway

Laminate is laid as a floating floor so unlike vinyl or carpet coverings that I usually deal with the laminate had if anything protected what was essential a very dirty Victorian tiled floor that was stained with adhesive and paint splashes.

With the laminate flooring already removed by the owner my preparation consisted of adding protection to the wooden paintwork. Once done I started to tackle the dirt by applying a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and leaving it to soak into the tile and grout for about fifteen minutes. Then with a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad and running at slow speed I set about scrubbing the floor to get as much ingrained dirt out of pores of the Victorian floor tiles as possible. Once that was done I rinsed off the now soiled cleaning solution with water and then extracted it with a wet vacuum.

This action made a huge difference to the tile and grout, but the paint and adhesive stains were more difficult to remove so these areas were treated with Tile Doctor Remove and Go assisted with a steamer to help draw the staining out.

With the tile ad grout now clean of dirt and stains I gave the floor a rinse with water to remove any trace of cleaning products and then extracted as much moisture from as possible using the wet vacuum. I then left for the day allowing the floor to dry off fully overnight.

Sealing Victorian floor Tiles

The next day I confirmed the floor had dried off and then proceeded to apply five coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go Extra which is a fully breathable sealer that adds a lovely shine to the tiles. I used a fully breathable sealer as these old houses were built before the invention of the damp proof course and I wanted to ensure that any moisture could rise through the floor and evaporate unhindered.

Victorian Tiled Hallway After Restoration Stafford

The final photograph shows the huge transformation I achieved with the floor and as you can imagine my customer was very happy with the result.

Victorian tiled hallway floor Restored in Stafford

Laminate Covered Victorian Tiled Hallway Restoration in Stafford Read More »

Grout Cleaning and Grout Colouring of a Dull Shower Cubicle in Stafford

1 Comment / Ceramic Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Stafford Tile Cleaning, Work History / Trevor Preece

The photographs below were taken at a private residence in the town of Stafford, the owner of the house was unhappy with the state of the grout lines in their ceramic tiled shower which had, over time, had become grey and stained. As you cans see from the photograph, the whole area in general was very tired looking. I recommended a grout clean, colouring and seal to get the shower back to looking its best. My client was happy with me to proceed and I promptly began the work.

Grout Colouring Ceramic shower tiled cubicle in stafford before

Grout Colouring including Prep

My first task was to clean the grout using a grout colouring pre-treater which cleans and prepares the grout joints to make a better bond with the colourant. The tiles were then given a rinse and dried before I stripped out the old sealant strip between the tiles and shower tray.

My next task was to carefully apply a white Grout Colourant along the grout lines using an applicator brush. The colourant is basically painted onto the grout and any excess is wiped off the adjacent tile before it dries. The colourant, which is available in a range of shades, is an epoxy based product that both recolours and seals the grout lines to provide protection against dirt and stains.

To finish off the job I applied fresh sealant between the shower tray and bottom row of tiles in a matching white. The whole shower took on a much fresher appearance after I finished and looked transformed.

Grout Colouring Ceramic shower tiled cubicle in stafford after

My client contacted me two weeks after I completed the job to happily inform me that my work had actually solved a leakage problem that have been affecting the shower cubicle. With the addition of a robust clean, colouring and seal, my client was very pleased with the results.

Refreshing a Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle in Staffordshire

Grout Cleaning and Grout Colouring of a Dull Shower Cubicle in Stafford Read More »

Victorian Tiled Hallway floor cleaning in Weeping Cross

1 Comment / Stafford Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Work History / Trevor Preece

This classic Victorian tiled floor was installed in the hallway of a house in the town of Weeping Cross, Staffordshire. The floor was in pretty good condition but had become dull and was in need of a deep clean to put some life back in the tiles, there was also evidence an old adhesive around the edges indicating it had been covered by carpet at some point.

Cleaning Victorian Floor Tiles

The first job was to remove the glue which I did with a small black scrubbing pad and a mixture of Tile Doctor Remove & Go combined with NanoTech UltraClean and a scraper.

The Remove and Go NanoTech worked well on the stubborn adhesive so I went onto clean the rest of the floor using the same product combination but this time worked in using a rotary machine fitted on slow speed with a black scrubbing pad pad. The resulting soiled solution was vacuumed up using a wet pick up machine and the floor left to dry overnight.

Sealing Victorian floor Tiles

The next morning I mopped the floor with a damp mop and then when it was dry applied four coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go which is a recommended protective sealer for Victorian tiles and leaves a nice shine on the floor. As you can see it looks fantastic and when the owners came home they were thrilled with the results and left the comment below on the Tile Doctor feedback system.

“Trevor has done a great job with our tiled floor, we are so pleased with the results! We would definitely recommend him!
Mark Broomhall, Stafford”

Victorian hallway floor tiles cleaned in Staffordshire

Victorian Tiled Hallway floor cleaning in Weeping Cross Read More »

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