tile cleaning Archives - Staffordshire Tile Doctor

Victorian Hallway Floor Restoration Shenstone Lichfield

Detailed Classic Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Restored in Shenstone

The pictures below are of a very detailed Victorian tiled hallway at a period property in Shenstone near Lichfield. As you can see the floor was in a really bad state, fortunately the owner wanted it restored as it was part of the history of the house.

Victorian Hallway Floor Before Restoration Shenstone Lichfield

It’s certainly an impressive floor, the pattern was very detailed and very intricate so well worth preserving as it must have taken a craftsman some time to create. Additionally, there was a section of floor under a door threshold that had been filled with concrete. The owner was unhappy with how that looked and wanted it removing and replacing with tiles to match the hallway.

I suspect there may have been some movement in the door threshold at some point in the floors long history so instead of repairing the tiles it was simply removed and back filled with concrete.

Repairing and Deep Cleaning Victorian Floor Tiles

Work started with the repair of this section by carefully digging out the cement screed and removing the rubble. A quick setting self-levelling compound was then poured in to provide a flat base on which I could tile.

You will see from the after photos below that I had managed to source some tiles that matched the colour of the original floor and so once the compound had set these were fixed into place with a rapid setting adhesive. The tiling wasn’t as intricate as the main floor but I thought it blended well.

Once the replacement tiles had set, I moved onto to deep cleaning starting with an application of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. I used a strong dilution for maximum effect spraying it onto the floor and leaving it to soak in for ten minutes before scrubbing it in with a weighed rotary floor buffer fitted with a 100-grit pad. The soil generated was then rinsed off the tiles and extracted with a wet vacuum.

I followed this up with an acid wash which involves applying an acidic cleaning product called Grout Clean-up and then scrubbing it in using the 100-grit pad and weighted floor buffer as before. This is a beneficial treatment for tiled floors as not only does it remove further contaminates and grout smears from the tiles it also deals with Efflorescence issues which can be a real problem with old floors that have no damp proof membrane. Again, the floor was rinsed with water and the soils removed with a wet vacuum.

Sealing Victorian Floor Tiles

I then left the floor to dry off overnight and came back the next day to seal the tiles, however having checked the moisture level of the floor with a damp meter I realised it was still too damp and applying a sealer now would only result in a patchy final appearance.

This work was done in December 2022 which being a wet and cold month didn’t help, in fact I had to leave the floor for a week until it was completely dry and able to take a sealer. Once dry though I applied four coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go which gave it a nice shine.

Victorian Hallway Floor After Restoration Shenstone Lichfield

As you can see from the photos on this page the old Victorian tiles responded extremely well to the treatment and needless to say my customer was very happy with the outcome. For aftercare cleaning I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Clean which is a gentle yet effective tile cleaning product that’s ideal for use on sealed floors.

Professional Victorian Tile Restoration service in Staffordshire

Detailed Classic Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Restored in Shenstone Read More »

Red Quarry Tiled Floor Deep Cleaned and Sealed in Barlaston

The Red Quarry tiled floor shown below are from the hallway of a house in the village of Barlaston that dates to the early 1900’s. Hallways get a lot of use and over the years the tiles had seen a lot of wear and were now looking patchy with various levels of staining and dirty grout.

Quarry Tiled Floor Barlaston Before Cleaning

After surveying the floor and running a few tests I was able to give the homeowner a quote for the work which would take two days, the first to clean and the second to apply a sealer that would protect the tiles from staining going forward. Happy with the quote we scheduled a date for the work to commence.

Deep Cleaning a Quarry Tiled Hallway in Barlaston

To clean up the tiles I applied a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is our go to tile and grout cleaning product. Its best to leave it on the tile and grout for ten minutes or sometimes longer to give it time to break down the dirt and coatings. The floor was then scrubbed with a rotary machine fitted with a poly brush attachment and a stiff grout brush along the grout lines.

The combination of the cleaning agent and mechanical scrubbing releases the dirt from the tile to the surface where its removed with a wet vacuum. Once the floor was clear the tiles were then inspected and the process repeated where needed.

Last step of the cleaning process was to treat the tiles to an acid wash with grout clean-up. I highly recommend this for old floors like this one which were installed before the invention of the damp proof membrane. The problem is without a DPM moisture can rise through the tiles and deposit salts on the surface of the tile as it evaporates, a process known as efflorescence. If you look closely at the photos above you can spot white staining as a result. As well as countering the alkaline salts the acid will also remove old grout smears and neutralise the use of the alkaline Pro-Clean used earlier.

After a final rinse and vacuum the Quarry tiles were left to dry off overnight.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled Hallway Floor in Barlaston

Applying sealer to a damp floor can result in a patchy appearance so on my return I first tested the floor with a damp meter to ensure it was dry. All was well so I able to move onto applying the sealer and for this floor I chose to use Tile Doctor Seal and Go.

Seal and Go works very well on Quarry Tiles improving their appearance and adding an appealing satin finish. The tiles really soaked up the sealer and I had to apply four coats before I was satisfied it was fully sealed.

Quarry Tiled Floor Barlaston After Cleaning

Once done the tiles were transformed and my client was very pleased with their new hallway floor. Before leaving I took time to discuss aftercare cleaning for which I recommend Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner which is a gentle but effective product that won’t harm the sealer.

Professional Restoration of an Old Quarry Tiled Floor in Staffordshire

Red Quarry Tiled Floor Deep Cleaned and Sealed in Barlaston Read More »

Victorian Tiled Floor Before After Refurb Stoke-on-Trent

Chequered Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Refurbished in Stoke-on-Trent

1 Comment / Stoke-on-Trent Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Work History / Trevor Preece

This is a great example of a Victorian Tiled floor refurbishment which I recently completed at a property in Stoke-on-Trent. If you look closely at the photographs below you will see the white tiles are looking grubby and paint splash staining from decorating. The owner was unhappy with how the floor now looked and wanted it refurbished.

Victorian Floor Before Cleaning Sealing Stoke-on-Trent

Black and White Victorian tiles laid in a chequered diamond pattern is a classic style and a very popular choice for hallways at the turn of the 20th century. Over the years many have been replaced or covered up with carpet and those that survived are now a sought-after period feature that adds value to your property.

Renovating Black and White Victorian Floor Tiles

I initially cleaned the floor by applying a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which was sprayed onto the floor and then left to soak in for ten minutes. Pro-Clean is our goto tile and grout cleaning product that is designed to break down dirt and remove old sealers. After ten minutes the solution was scrubbed in with a rotary machine fitted with a coarse 200-grit pad. The soil generated was rinsed off the tiles and extracted with a wet vacuum and the floor inspected.

I would see more work was needed to get the floor clean and free of staining, so I spot treated the problem areas with Tile Doctor Remove and Go which is a coatings remover. I worked in small sections leaving the product to dwell as before for 10 minutes, I then used a wallpaper steamer with handheld diamond blocks to get the ingrained dirt out of the floor. After a final rinse and extraction, the floor looked clean so, so much better than when I started.

Apply a Sealer to Black and White Victorian Floor Tiles

I then left the floor to dry off overnight and came back the second day to seal the tiles first checking the moisture levels with a damp meter. Applying sealer to a damp floor will result in the floor looking patchy when it dries so I always check first. The readings were good, so I started to apply the first of five coats of sealer which for this floor I chose Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra.

Old Victorian floors do not have a damp-proof membrane installed under the floor so its important to select a sealer that will allow moisture to rise through the tiles and evaporate on the surface, Seal and Go Extra allows for this. Choosing a non-breathable sealer can result in moisture being trapped under the floor where it can reach out to the walls leading to rising damp.

Victorian Floor After Cleaning Sealing Stoke-on-Trent

Once the floor dried it looked fantastic. In fact, my customer was so happy with the transformation she was taking pictures and sending them to her daughters as I worked; she couldn’t believe how well it was turning out.

Professional Victorian Tiled Hallway Renovation in Staffordshire

Chequered Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Refurbished in Stoke-on-Trent Read More »

Wood Effect Porcelain Lichfield Before and After Cleaning

Cleaning Wood Effect Porcelain Tiles after Building Works in Lichfield

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Lichfield Tile Cleaning, Porcelain Tile Cleaning, Work History / Trevor Preece

This article comes from a recently renovated house in the medieval cathedral city of Lichfield which is North of the new M6 Toll road. My customer had recently brought a house there and was refurbishing it from top to bottom, unfortunately however by the time the refurb was finished the new wood effect Porcelain tiled floor in the kitchen and hallway had become very dull & dirty.

Wood Effect Porcelain Lichfield Before Cleaning

Acid Washing Wood Effect Porcelain Tile

The tiled were basically dirty with plaster dust and I suspected grout smears to I decided the quickest and most effective method to clean them up would be to give the whole floor an acid wash with Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up.

Tile Doctor Grout Clean–Up is specially designed for removing excess grout as well as dealing with mineral salt problems so working in sections I applied the product to the floor and left to soak for five minutes before scrubbing into the tiles and then rinsing it off with cold water which was then removed with a wet vacuum. Some of the more stubborn areas had to be retreated and with a longer dwell time and more scrubbing but the process had the desired effect.

Once the whole floor was done I gave it a final rinse and used the wet vacuum to remove as much moisture from the floor as possible before leaving it to fully dry off overnight.

Sealing Wood Effect Porcelain Tile

There are a number of different types of Porcelain tile and most do not require a sealer however I had determined that this type was in fact the micro porous variety and would accept a sealer. If you’re having a new tiled floor laid it helps to keep some unused tiles back so you can test different sealers on them before applying the sealer to the actual floor. In this case three coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go were applied and this worked very well as you can see from the photographs below.

Wood Effect Porcelain Lichfield After Cleaning

The customer said it looked better than it did when it was first laid so was very happy.

Builders Clean for Porcelain Tiled Floor in Staffordshire

Cleaning Wood Effect Porcelain Tiles after Building Works in Lichfield Read More »

Rejuvenating a Sandstone Tiled Floor at a Barn Conversion in Rugeley

1 Comment / Cannock Tile Cleaning, Sandstone Tile Cleaning, Work History / Trevor Preece

The owners of this barn conversion in Rugeley had got to breaking point with their large Sandstone tiled kitchen and utility floor. They had tried various different cleaning methods without success to clean the floor, but it always appeared grimy, and they suspected it had not been sealed following installation.

Sandstone kitchen floor before cleaning Rugeley

This would make sense: a lack of sealer would have allowed the dirt to become ingrained in the stone, making it impossible to clean. Interestingly their next door neighbour had suffered the same problem and decided to replace the floor entirely. The property owners were seriously considering the same as a solution, that is until they as found Tile Doctor. I was called down to the property to see what could be done.

Removing Ingrained Dirt from Sandstone Tiles

To begin the cleaning process, I applied a strong, undiluted quantity of Tile Doctor Pro Clean to the floor and left it to dwell for a few minutes. This allows the high alkaline cleaner to seep into the pores of the stone to begin to break down the ingrained dirt. After the short dwelling period, I scrubbed the floor using a rotary machine with a black pad attached.

With the tiles clean, I then focused specifically on cleaning the grout lines and edges of the floor using a grout brush in combination with a steamer. Finally, I rinsed the floor with cold water, before vacuuming up the resulting cleaning slurry before leaving the tiles to dry completely overnight. The drying period is exceptionally important because excess moisture can cloud any new sealers and damage their performance.

Sealing Sandstone Tiles

I returned to the property the next day to find the clean tiles showing some signs of damp. It’s possible that the property, being a barn conversion, does not have a damp proof membrane installed beneath the floor, making these sorts of issues inevitable.

To be on the safe side, I opted to seal the Sandstone tiles with Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra, which allows full moisture vapour transmission, making it fully breathable and ideal for these situations. It also provides durable protection against ingrained dirt and stains and does a good job enhancing the look of the tiles.

The customers were very happy with the result, and left the comment below on the Tile Doctor Feedback system.

WONDERFUL, delight to have Trevor restoring my very tired flagstone kitchen floor, it is now beautiful. Many thanks Trevor a job very well done.

I’m sure they were also relieved that they won’t have to go to the expense of replacing their fantastic Sandstone tiled floor. What was Once a problem is now a real asset to the property.

Dirty Sandstone Tiled Floor Restored at a Staffordshire Barn Conversion

Rejuvenating a Sandstone Tiled Floor at a Barn Conversion in Rugeley Read More »

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor Deep Cleaned and Sealed in Tutbury

1 Comment / Burton on Trent Tile Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Work History / Trevor Preece

This Quarry tiled kitchen floor was in very good condition, with no cracked or broken tiles. However, my customer, who lives in the town of Tutbury, near Burton-on-Trent, was keen to boost the condition of the tiles further through professional maintenance, including a deep clean and a fresh seal to restore the sheen to the Quarry. NB, did you know it’s estimated that Tutbury has actually been inhabited for 3000 years, having once been the site of an Iron Age hill fort, this house of course was a lot more recent.

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Before Cleaning in Tutbury Burton on Trent

Cleaning a Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor

To clean the tiles, I chose to use our tried and trusted alkaline cleaner, Tile Doctor Pro Clean. We use Pro Clean on most types of natural stone floor, including Quarry, Slate, and Victorian. I applied Pro Clean liberally across the floor and left it to dwell for a short period, giving it time to seep into the tile to get underneath and lift out any ingrained dirt. The cleaner was then agitated using a scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine to remove the dirt and other general muck.

I then rinsed the floor with cold water and soaked up the resulting slurry with a wet-vac machine. Some areas of the floor proved to be quite stubborn to clean, so in these areas the cleaning process was repeated until satisfactory results were achieved. Finally, the floor was given another rinse and left to dry off overnight.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor

The next day I returned to the property and checked that the floor was ready to seal by running several damp tests, with the results indicating that was no excess moisture remaining on the tiles. We carry out these tests before sealing because moisture can cloud the sealer and prevent it from properly protecting the tiles.

My choice of sealer was Tile Doctor Seal & Go, a cost effective topical sealer that builds up a robust layer of protection on the surface of the floor and provides a durable sheen finish that, as you can see from the photographs, really lifts the appearance of the tiles.

It’s a fact that any sealed tiled floor will need to be regularly maintained as sealers do wear off over time, especially in the high traffic areas, and this is when the floor starts to lose its appearance as dirt becomes trapped in the pores of the stone. The life of the sealer can be extended however by ensuring you only clean the floor with a PH Neutral cleaner.

Professional Quarry Tile Floor Maintenance Staffordshire

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor Deep Cleaned and Sealed in Tutbury Read More »

Kitchen Quarry Tiles Before and After Restoration Stoke on Trent

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor Restored in Stoke-on-Trent

1 Comment / Quarry Tile Cleaning, Stoke-on-Trent Tile Cleaning, Work History / Trevor Preece

Here’s a job I recently completed in the heartland of the English pottery industry, Stoke-on-Trent. In this particular instance I was commissioned by my client to restore the appearance of the Quarry tiled floor in her kitchen which as you can see from the photo below was far from looking it’s best. Quarry tiles are typically a very hard wearing stone, but in high traffic areas like a kitchen, even this type of tile will require regular maintenance.

Kitchen Quarry Tiles Before Restoration Stoke-on-Trent

Cleaning a Quarry tiled floor

My first task, before beginning the restoration, was to remove the kickboards from around the bottom of the kitchen units, to prevent them from being damaged during the process. The next step was to acid wash the tiles using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up which was scrubbed into the tiles to remove old grout and plaster that had become stuck to the surface of the tiles at some point in the past. Once this had done its job I rinsed the entire floor with water washing away the excess soiled residue and any trace of acid.

The next step was to give the tiles a good clean using Tile Doctor Pro Clean, which is a high alkaline cleaner suitable for use on a range of natural stone floors. This was left to dwell on the tiles for ten minutes, allowing it time to seep into the stone to get underneath – and lift out – the ingrained dirt. I then agitated the solution with a scrubbing brush to remove the muck from the surface of the tiles. The floor was then given another rinse with water, and this was extracted using a wet vacuum.

Sealing a Quarry tiled floor

I left the floor to dry after cleaning for more than 24 hours, making sure that it would be ready for sealing the next day. Upon my return to the house I checked the floor was dry and then sealed the floor using four coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go, which provides a robust surface seal and a durable low-sheen finish. The product is suitable for use on internal, unsealed, porous surfaces.

Kitchen Quarry Tiles After Restoration Stoke-on-Trent

The photographs above bears witness to the massive improvement which has been made to the quarry tiles, which has not only completely transformed the look of the tiles but also the appearance of the kitchen.

Restoring a Quarry tiled kitchen floor in Staffordshire

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor Restored in Stoke-on-Trent Read More »

Dirty and Worn Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor Restored in Burton-on-Trent

1 Comment / Burton on Trent Tile Cleaning, Slate Tile Cleaning, Work History / Trevor Preece

This slate floor was installed in the kitchen of a house in the town of Burton-on-Trent in Staffordshire. As the name suggests, Burton-on-Trent sits alongside the River Trent, which runs through most of the northern Midlands. The old sealer on my client’s Slate tiled kitchen floor had completely worn off and, as a result, dirt had become ingrained in the pores of the stone which was now in need of restoration.

Slate is typically a very durable tile, having been used both residentially and commercially for hundreds of years but, in particularly high traffic areas like kitchens it’s important to maintain the sealer or dirt will get into the pores of the stone making the floor difficult to clean effectively and leading to the tile looking worse for wear. I was commissioned to get the floor back to good health and I prescribed a deep clean and re-seal.

Slate Tiled Floor Before Cleaning Burton-on-Trent

Cleaning a dirty Slate tiled floor

To start the cleaning process, I first diluted Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and water and left it to soak into the floor for a while so it could get to work lifting out the dirt from the pores of the stone. Pro-Clean is a versatile, high alkaline cleaner safe to use on natural stone which can be diluted in different strengths depending on the level of soil build-up. In this case, I opted for a reasonably strong solution due to the significant amount of ingrained dirt (as shown by the photographs).

After about ten minutes I started working in small sections to agitate the tiles with a scrubbing pad attached to a rotary machine. The pad and machine take a lot of the hard work out of the cleaning process although I usually do the grout by hand using a stiff scrubbing brush. Once I had finished the initial clean, I rinsed the entire floor with water, before repeating the process multiple times until I was satisfied that I had got the Slate tiles as clean as possible.

Sealing a Slate Tiled Floor

After completing the clean, I left the house for a few days to allow the floor enough time to dry before being sealed. As any Tile Doctor will tell you, all moisture must be removed from a tiled floor before sealing it, as it has the potential to compromise the effectiveness of the sealer.

Once I was satisfied that the floor was completely dry, I sealed the tiles using four coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go, which provides a stain resistant surface seal and a nice, low sheen finish. Seal & Go is a water based product (so no smell) and is suitable for use on a wide variety of unsealed, porous surfaces as Slate, Victorian tile, Sandstone, and textured Quarry tiles.

As you can see, the overall results were fantastic and my client was really happy with the difference I’d been able to achieve.

Restoring Slate Tiled Floor in Burton-on-Trent

Dirty and Worn Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor Restored in Burton-on-Trent Read More »

Grout Colouring Ceramic shower tiled cubicle in stafford Before and After

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 »

Slate Tiles in Burton on Trent Before and After Cleaning

Slate tiled kitchen floor refreshed in Burton on Trent

1 Comment / Burton on Trent Tile Cleaning, Slate Tile Cleaning, Work History / Trevor Preece

Pictures below of a slate tiled kitchen floor that I recently maintained at a house in Burton on Trent. The problem was the usual one that the sealer had worn down and the floor had lost its polished look leaving it dull and the owner of the house wanted it looking new again.

Cleaning black slate floor tiles

The floor was cleaned using a dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which was left to soak into the slate for ten minutes before being worked into the tile using a rotary machine fitted with a scrubbing pad. The process was repeated where there were stubborn stains and then the whole floor was washed down to remove the soiled cleaning solution and any trace of product. The floor was then dried as much as possible using a wet vacuum and left to fully dry overnight.

Slate Tiles in Burton on Trent Before Cleaning

Sealing Slate floor tiles

I left the floor overnight to dry then came back next day and used a damp test meter to verify the floor was dry and ready for sealing. Once happy I proceed to apply four coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go which as you can see from the photograph below has really brought the slate back to life.

Slate Tiles in Burton on Trent After Cleaning

The customer was delighted with the transformation of the floor.

Slate tiled Kitchen floor Cleaned and Sealed in Staffordshire

Slate tiled kitchen floor refreshed in Burton on Trent Read More »

Victorian Tiled Floor After Cleaning in Stoke-on-Trent

Renovating a Victorian Tiled Hallway floor in Stoke on Trent

1 Comment / Stoke-on-Trent Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Work History / Trevor Preece

I’ve seen a few Victorian Tiled floors in my time and I can tell you the condition of this particular floor was one of the worst I’ve seen in a while. The tiles had been covered up with carpet tiles which had been stuck down with a strong adhesive and there was still a fair amount of carpet tile backing that needed removing, grout was also missing in places and I could see a fair amount of work would need to be done to get this floor restored.

Victorian Tiled Floor Before Cleaning in Stoke-on-Trent

Cleaning Victorian Floor Tiles

The first job was to clean what I could of the floor and remove the remaining carpet tile so working in sections I applied Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and scrubbed it into the tiles carefully scraping off the tile backing as I went. There were a lot of tiles to cover so as you can imagine this was quite a painstaking process and I was literally working on one time at a time to get the job done. Once complete the floor was given a thorough rinse to remove any cleaning products and soiled cleaning solution which was then removed using a wet vacuum.

Once the floor was clean it was evident that some tiles were loose and needed resetting and others would need grouting so I set about doing this making sure to use a matching grout.

Sealing Victorian floor Tiles

I left the floor to dry overnight and came back the next day to seal the tiles. Fortunately they had dried overnight so I applied four coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go. This is an ideal sealer for Victorian tiles as it adds a classic shine to the floor and will provide good protection from stains going forward. I think you will agree the floor has been transformed and now loos amazing, certainly the customer was very happy.

Victorian hallway floor tiles restored in Staffordshire

Renovating a Victorian Tiled Hallway floor in Stoke on Trent Read More »

Grout Colouring Ceramic Floor Tiles in Tamwoth

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

This was a straight forward Grout Colouring job at a house in the market town of Tamworth, Staffordshire. The tiles had been installed with a white grout and over the years the grout had become darker as the dirt had become ingrained into the porous top layer. This is often the case with Porcelain and Ceramic tiles whose looks always outlive that of the grout.

Cleaning and Colouring Grout

The customer was keen to get the grouting looking the same as it was when first installed and so with that aim in mind a dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean was applied and scrubbed into the grout lines and then washed off with water. Pro-Clean is a strong alkaline cleaning product that does a good job cleaning up grout however it can only do so much and in this case although it made a difference there were many areas which were too stained.

The next step was to apply a grout colouring product, they come in a number of different colours and the best match to the original colour was Ivory. The Pro-Clean had already prepared the surface so no need to use a pre-treater, it was just a question of waiting for the grout to dry and then apply the colourant.

Applying grout colourant is fiddly work but you do get the pleasure of watching the floor become slowly transformed, also the colourant works as a sealant which will prevent staining and make the grout very easy to clean going forward.

As you can see the floor looks like new and the customer was very happy.

Grout Colouring Floor Grout in Staffordshire

Grout Colouring Ceramic Floor Tiles in Tamwoth Read More »

Victorian Tiles Sutton Coldfield After Restoration

Victorian Tiled Hallway Restoration in Sutton Coldfield

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

This job was a full restoration of a Victorian tiled floor that had been hidden under those thin adhesive backed lino tiles (see photo below) in the hallway of a house in Sutton Coldfield.

Victorian Tiles Sutton Coldfield Before Restoration

Restoring Victorian Floor Tiles

The first job was to remove the vinyl tiles which being stuck onto the floor left a rather nasty looking floor. I knew from experience this would be tricky to remove and so soaked the floor in Tile Doctor Remove and Go (does what it says on the tin) and left it for a while to soften the glues. Then with a rotary machines fitted with a polyscrub brush attached running at slow speed set about scrubbing the floor to get as much glue of the Victorian floor tiles as possible. This process worked quite well however once I have removed the soiled solution using a wet vacuum I could see there were still quite a a few stubborn patches remaining. The solution was to get down on my hands & knees with a nylon brush, a scraper and more Remove and Go, as you can imagine it took a long time to get the floor really clean and when finished I gave the tile a thorough wash down with water to neutralise the floor and then left it overnight to dry.

Sealing Victorian floor Tiles

The next day I confirmed the floor had dried and then proceeded to apply four coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go which is the recommended sealer for Victorian tiles, it not only protects the tile it also leaves a nice shine on the floor.

The photographs show a huge transformation and my customer was absolutely delighted with the results, and left the comment below on the Tile Doctor feedback system.

Trevor had a very tough job to do getting our Victorian tiles into shape after decades under a Marley tile floor. They were covered in layers of hard glue but Trevor worked exceptionally hard restoring them to like new. Trevor was very friendly and punctual. An excellent job done and we would definitely recommend him.
Mr. G. Stendall, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands

Victorian tiled hallway floor Restored in Sutton Coldfield

Victorian Tiled Hallway Restoration in Sutton Coldfield Read More »

Victorian Quarry Tiled floor Restored in Leek

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

These old red and black Victorian quarry tiles at a house in Leek, Staffordshire, were in a bit of a state as you can see from the photographs below.

Cleaning old Quarry Tiles

To clean the floor I applied a 50/50 mix of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and NanoTech Ultra Clean diluted with water which was left to soak into the floor and then worked into the tile using a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad running at a slow speed. Pro-Clean is a strong alkaline cleaner and NanoTech Ultra Clean adds tiny abrasive particles to the solution that can help lift out the dirt.

After cleaning it I noticed that in places it was not as clean as I would of liked it, so to improve it further it necessary to get on my hands and knees and scrub them with a stronger dilution of the Pro-Clean and NanoTech UltraClean solution and a small black pad. This did the trick and so final step was to neutralise the floor tiles ready for sealing by giving them a good wash with clean water and then left it overnight to dry. A Wet Vacuum comes in handy during this process for removing fluids from the floor

Sealing old Victorian Quarry Tiles

The next day I wiped it over with a damp mop to get any dirt or dust that might have settled overnight and then when it was dry again I applied four coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go using an air mover to help dry the floor quicker between coats.

Seal and Go adds a nice low shine to the tile and as you can see the floor looked amazing afterwards, needless to say the customer was very pleased with the transformation and left the comment below.

“I found Trevor a very professional and dedicated workman. He would not let the job finish until he had got the best result.
Miss Jackie Spencer, Leek”

Victorian Quarry Tiles transformed in Leak, Staffordshire

Victorian Quarry Tiled floor Restored in Leek Read More »

Grout Colouring Bathroom Before and After

Changing the Grout Colour of a Tiled Shower Cubicle in Birmingham

1 Comment / Ceramic Tile Cleaning, Tamworth Tile Cleaning, Work History / Trevor Preece

This Ceramic tiled shower cubicle was installed at house in Birmingham, although the Ceramic tiles were in reasonable condition the customer wanted the grout to be refreshed. Ten years ago it would have been necessary to scrape out the top layer of grout and replace however the modern grout colourant kits allow you to achieve the same effects for a lot less expense.

Cleaning Tile and Grout

The first job was to clean the grouting with a dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean worked in by hand using a scrubbing brush, we also removed the towel radiator on one wall to make sure we could get to the grout behind. Pro-Clean is a very effective tile and grout cleaner that’s good at getting grease & grime out of the grouting, this process also provides a good foundation for the grout colourant which needs a clean surface. If you’re cleaning the grout yourself you may want to consider using Tile Doctor Oxy-Pro instead as it’s a similar product that is ready to use.

Once the grout was dry Grout Colourant in a Linen colour was applied into the grout lines and the excess wiped off, I then cleaned off all the excess Grout Colourant from the tile surface and gave the tiles a good clean. As you can see it made a big difference to the bathroom and I think you will agree the choice of Linen colourant worked well and blended in well with the colour of the tiles needless to say the customer was delighted.

I should mention that the Grout Colourant range supplied by Tile Doctor also seals the grout preventing it from staining and therefore ensuring it will look good for some time to come.

Grout Colouring a Ceramic Tiled bathroom in Birmingham< /h3>

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Slate tiled floor cleaned and sealed in Burton on Trent

1 Comment / Burton on Trent Tile Cleaning, Slate Tile Cleaning, Work History / Trevor Preece

This slate tiled floor was installed in a Kitchen in Burton on Trent, Staffordshire. The owner of the house felt it was time to get it cleaned and re-sealed so gave us a call.

Cleaning black slate floor tiles

We set about cleaning the kitchen floor with a mixture of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean mixed 50/50 with Tile Doctor Nano-tech Ultraclean which was worked into the pores of the slate tile using a slow speed rotary machine fitted with a Polyscrub scrubbing brush which can reach down into grouting as well as scrubbing the floor. I then used a wet vacuum to remove the resultant soiled solution before rinsing the floor down twice with cold water, this also neutralises the floor prior to sealing.

Sealing Slate floor tiles

I left the floor overnight to dry then came back next day and used a damp test meter to verify the floor was dry and ready for sealing. Once happy I proceed to apply three coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go which as you can see from the photograph below has really brought out the natural colours in the slate. I used a water test after the third coat was dry to see if the water would form bubble on the surface thus indicating it was dry, which it did thereby indicating the floor was fully sealed.

Overall the job took two days and I’m happy report the customer was amazed with the outcome and very pleased.

Slate tiled Kitchen floor maintained in Staffordshire

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