Work History Archives - Norfolk Tile Doctor

Terracotta Tiled Conservatory Floor Renovation Ashmanhaugh Wroxham

Modern Terracotta Tiled Floor Cleaned and Sealed in Ashmanhaugh

Earlier this year I received a message from a homeowner in the small village of Ashmanhaugh near Wroxham about their Terracotta tiled floor. The floor had been installed twelve years prior in a large conservatory sunroom extension and was now in need of a clean and seal.

I went over to survey the floor and could see the Terracotta tiles were modern 30cm tiles. They had been sealed with a topical acrylic sealer after installation, but the finish was now very dull, patchy and worn. It was clear to me that the sealer had worn off on most parts of the floor leaving it porous and exceptionally difficult to mop.

Terracotta Tiled Floor Before Cleaning Ashmanhaugh

The grout lines were particularly discoloured mainly due to the use of various wet-look cleaning products used over the years. This type of maintenance product often just serves to glue dirty water into the grout.

I worked out a quote to deep clean the Terracotta tile and Grout and then apply a new sealer that would give the desired finish. My client was happy with the quote and being frustrated with the floor was keen to have it restored to its former self as soon as possible.

Cleaning a Terracotta Tiled Conservatory Sunroom Floor

I returned to the property on the scheduled date and started by cleaning the grout with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove & Go. This was sprayed along the grout line and left to soak in for ten minutes. The product was then scrubbed in with a narrow wire-bristle brush to get the grout as clean as possible.

Terracotta Tiled Floor During Cleaning Ashmanhaugh

The whole floor was then cleaned using a Klindex Rocky rotary machine fitted with a Nylon brush attachment to work in a strong 3 to 1 dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. This process lifts the dirt and contaminants out of the tile turning the solution black. The floor was then rinsed with more water and the resultant slurry vacuumed away with a high-power industrial wet vacuum.

Next step was to give the floor an Acid Wash using a 10:1 dilution of Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up. Doing this has several benefits which include further cleaning the floor including removing grout haze, neutralising the PH level of the floor after the use of alkaline cleaning products and lastly it improves adhesion with the new sealer. This was brushed into the floor, rinsed off with water and then extracted with the wet vacuum.

Terracotta Tiled Floor During Acid Washing Ashmanhaugh

The floor was then dried thoroughly with the wet vacuum before being left to dry off overnight, this is particularly important as Terracotta being made of clay is very porous and tends to hold the moisture. The floor needs to be dry before sealing as it can cloud the sealer and result in a patchy finish.

Sealing a Terracotta Tiled Conservatory Sunroom Floor

Work the next day started by confirming the Terracotta was dry and ready to take a sealer. I use a damp meter for this and was able to confirm the moisture readings were acceptable.

Tile Doctor has many different sealers available and in this case Seal & Go was chosen based on the flooring material and desired finish. Seal and Go is a modern sealer containing acrylic polymers and provides a hard-wearing low sheen satin finish that will subtly enhances the natural colour in the Terracotta without the floor being too glossy. Five coats were applied with a 300-gsm split-filament microfibre cloth, each coat was allowed to dry before applying the next.

Terracotta Tiled Floor During Sealing Ashmanhaugh

My client was delighted with the mid-sheen finish and please that the floor would be so much easier to keep clean going forward. On the subject of cleaning, I also recommended our Neutral Tile Cleaner which will keep the floor looking in great condition and will ensure the longevity of the newly applied sealer. It is a pH neutral cleaner so is mild enough to use daily if required.

Terracotta Tiled Floor After Cleaning Sealing Ashmanhaugh

Professional Restoration of a Terracotta Tiled Conservatory Sunroom in Norfolk

Modern Terracotta Tiled Floor Cleaned and Sealed in Ashmanhaugh Read More »

Stripping, Cleaning and Sealing a Riven Indian Sandstone Floor in Ingham

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Sandstone Tile Cleaning, Wroxham Tile Cleaning / Nick White

Here we have a heavily riven Indian Sandstone slab floor in the kitchen of a large property in Ingham on the Norfolk Broads. It was a lovely location to work being only a mile from the market town of Stalham and about 2 miles from the Norfolk coast.

The Sandstone floor was laid by the client’s late husband whose took great pride in it. Unfortunately, the riven nature of the Sandstone had trapped a lot of dirt and particularly along the sand and cement pointing. The floor had been sealed previously with a colour enhancing impregnator however it hadn’t been properly cleaned before sealing, so dirt and contaminants were trapped under the matt finish. As a result, no end of mopping could ever get the floor clean.

Sandstone Floor Before Cleaning Ingham

To rectify the problem, we recommended removing the sealer, deep cleaning the Sandstone and then re-seal. The challenge was to ensure all the old sealer was stripped away completely along with the soiling both on the surface and ingrained in the stone. I provided them with a quote for the works which they were happy to go ahead with.

Stripping and Deep Cleaning an Indian Sandstone Tiled Kitchen Floor

We returned to the property a few weeks later to start the cleaning. Working in sections this began with the application of Tile Doctor Remove & Go initially sprayed along the grout lines and left to soak in for ten minutes. The whole floor was then sprayed with more Remove and Go and the stone and pointing scrubbed with a heavy 17″ Klindex Rotary machine. The machine was fitted with an extra 10kg weight to increase traction and a 120-grit silicone carbide brush.

Sandstone Floor During Cleaning Ingham

Once done the floor was then rinsed and the slurry was then extracted with a high powered 3-stage wet vacuum. The floor was then checked and the process repeated in a few stubborn areas.

When I was happy the floor was clean it was given an acid rinse using a dilution of Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up which was scrubbed into the stone and rinsed off and then extracted as before. This process further cleans up the stone, removing old grout smears and also neutralised the PH level of the floor after the use of Remove and Go which is an alkaline cleaner.

The floor was then left to dry off overnight so it would be ready for sealing the next day.

Sealing an Indian Sandstone Tiled Kitchen

The sandstone floor was sealed using five coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go applied by hand with split-filament microfibre cloths. We selected this sealer because it provides durable stain protection and results in an attractive low sheen finish. This sealer is perfect for sandstone which is very porous in its nature and did well to bring out the natural features and colours in the stone.

My client was amazed that we had managed to renovate the floor to a higher standard than it had ever been – she said her husband would have been absolutely delighted.

Sandstone Floor After Cleaning Sealing Ingham

For aftercare I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a gentle yet effective cleaner that won’t impact the sealer. Strong bleach-based cleaners need to be avoided as they will strip the sealer off the stone prematurely.

Professional Restoration of an Indian Sandstone Kitchen in Norfolk

Stripping, Cleaning and Sealing a Riven Indian Sandstone Floor in Ingham Read More »

Diamond Pattern Victorian Tiled Floor Restoration Melton Constable

Builders Clean of an Original Victorian Tiled Kitchen Floor at Grade II Manor House in Melton Constable

1 Comment / Cromer Tile Cleaning, Fakenham Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning / Nick White

A client in the town of Melton Constable contacted us about the Victorian tiled kitchen floor following a recommendation from one of our past clients. They had only recently purchased the property which was a Grade II listed manor house and were keen to restore as many original features as possible. The Kitchen floor was tiled with Red and Black tiles laid in a diamond pattern and was in a very worn state.

Diamond Pattern Victorian Tiled Floor Melton Constable Before Cleaning

The entire property was undergoing significant renovation and unfortunately the building contractors working in the property had ignored the delicate nature of the kitchen floor. Without any robust protection sheeting the tiles had become heavily coated with various types of construction contaminants particularly plaster and paint.

Diamond Pattern Victorian Tiled Floor Melton Constable Before Cleaning

In an attempt to clean the floor one of the building contractors had tried to renovate the tiles using a lightweight hired buffing machine but had made virtually no improvement. Disappointed with the lack of improvement it was decided it was time to call in a specialist.

On my visit to the property, I was able to reassure the client that this would not be a problem and I was confident that restorative cleaning processes would remove all the contaminants and transform the floor to its former condition.

I produced a quotation for the renovation which would be done over two days, the first to deep-clean and the second to apply the appropriately approved sealing product. The client was happy with our costings so a pair of dates were scheduled for our return which was to happen the following month once the construction work in the kitchen had been completed.

Deep Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Floor in Melton Constable

Before starting the renovation of the floor, our first job was to protect the newly plastered walls and skirting boards with masking film to prevent potential damage from the strong cleaning products and processes required for this type of renovation.

Next, concentrating on removal of the paint splatters, a generous quantity of Tile Doctor Remove & Go was sprayed onto the tiles and left to dwell for fifteen minutes so that it could get to work breaking down the oil and water-based paint products. Then, using a black nylon stripping pad fitted to our heavy Klindex rotary machine, the product was scrubbed into the surface to remove as many of the building contaminants as possible. This process would also take care of any remaining sealer. Once done, the resulting slurry was extracted using our 3-stage high performance wet vacuum machine.

Diamond Pattern Victorian Tiled Floor Melton Constable During Cleaning

The next step was to treat the floor with a concentrated acidic scrub using Tile Doctor Acid Gel which was applied and left for five minutes before working in with a fairly coarse 200 grit diamond pad. This treatment has a lot of benefits for porous tiled floors and is very efficient at removing old cement, grout smears and other contaminants such as efflorescence salt deposits. Being acidic it also neutralises the pH of the tiles following the earlier use of high-alkaline Remove and Go stripper. The floor surface was then wet vacuumed again and the process repeated with a finer 400-grit diamond pad.

Diamond Pattern Victorian Tiled Floor Melton Constable During Cleaning

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Floor in Melton Constable

The floor was then left to dry out completely overnight and the next morning it was tested extensively with a digital damp meter. This is to test that the moisture introduced during the cleaning processes had evaporated and the tiles were now ready for sealing. The moisture readings were acceptable so we were happy to proceed to the next step of sealing the floor.

Prior to producing our quotation for the renovation, we had discussed sealer options with the client and because there was a requirement in the Grade II listing for the use of a breathable sealing product, Tile Doctor Seal & Go Extra was the preferred choice. This is a fully breathable exterior-grade product which provides excellent stain resistance and is perfect for high traffic areas such as food preparation areas and hallways. It improves the intensity of the colour in the tiles and has a low sheen finish so does not make the floor look overly shiny once fully cured. Five coats were applied allowing each one to dry completely before applying the next.

Diamond Pattern Victorian Tiled Floor Melton Constable After Renovation

On completion of our work, the client was extremely impressed with the overall finish we had achieved and was greatly relieved that the building contractor had not permanently damaged it through his inexperience.

Diamond Pattern Victorian Tiled Floor Melton Constable After Renovation

For aftercare maintenance, I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner which is a highly effective yet gentle tile cleaning product that won’t impact the sealer.

Professional Victorian Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovation in Norfolk

Builders Clean of an Original Victorian Tiled Kitchen Floor at Grade II Manor House in Melton Constable Read More »

Reclaimed Pamment Floor Renovation Gissing

Renovating Heavily Soiled Reclaimed Pamment Tiled Flooring in Gissing

1 Comment / Attleborough Tile Cleaning, Terracotta Tile Cleaning / Nick White

I was contacted by clients with a Pamment Tiled Flooring who were living in Gissing, a small village in the centre of South Norfolk which has a long history dating back to Saxon times. The Pamments were reclaimed suffering from heavy soiling and in need of considerable expert attention. All the old protective coatings had pretty much worn completely off the surface of the tiles which had then allowed many years of dirt to become ingrained in the pores of the clay, making it almost impossible to clean for the homeowner using ordinary methods.

Reclaimed Pamment Floor Before Cleaning Gissing

Pamment tiles were very popular in older Norfolk homes; they are made from locally sourced clay and, like terracotta, are extremely porous and therefore need to be thoroughly sealed against fluids and general soiling. When correctly cleaned and sealed, they are quite versatile and can be used for internal floors as well as external areas such as patios and pathways.

Cleaning a Pamment tiled floor

To remove all traces of the old sealers and clean the tiles I decided to apply Tile Doctor Remove & Go, which was diluted with water to form a medium strength solution. I applied a generous coat of this solution to the floor, leaving it to soak into the pores of the tiles for approximately ten minutes. The solution was then worked into the Pamments using a Black nylon scrubbing pad fitted to a 17″ rotary machine. Remove & Go is a powerful and versatile cleaner which is safe to use on natural stone floors, kiln-fired tiles and all types of grout.

Reclaimed Pamment Floor During Cleaning Gissing

I rinsed the solution off the floor with clean water once it had worked its magic and extracted the resulting dirty residue with a wet-vacuum machine. In order to tackle some particularly stubborn stains, I repeated this process until I was satisfied that the floor had been cleaned to the highest standard possible.

Reclaimed Pamment Floor During Cleaning Gissing

The whole area was then given an acid wash using a dilution of Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up. This further cleans the tiles to remove old grout stains and neutralises the pH level of the floor following the use of alkaline cleaning products, lastly it also ensures optimal adhesion of the new sealer.

The floor was then left to dry overnight before returning the next day to complete the seal. I left a dehumidifier running overnight to assist the drying process and ensure that the floor would be completely dry on the following day. It’s imperative that a tiled floor is completely dry before sealing as any excess moisture left in the floor can potentially adversely affect the overall performance of the sealer as it evaporates.

Sealing a Pamment tiled floor

To seal and protect the Pamment tiles I applied a total of five coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go, which provided a robust, durable surface seal along with an aesthetically pleasing, mid-sheen finish (as you can see from the photos). Seal & Go is the go-to sealer for internal, unsealed porous surfaces such as Terracotta, Sandstone or Slate.

Reclaimed Pamment Floor During Sealing Gissing

The clients had left us to work our magic over the two days, returning at the end of the sealing day and were absolutely staggered at the results we had achieved with a floor they had thought beyond help.

Reclaimed Pamment Floor After Renovation Gissing

For aftercare cleaning I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner, it’s a gentle yet effective product that won’t upset the sealer which can be the problem with many of the stronger products you find in supermarkets.

Deep Cleaning and Restoration of Reclaimed Pamment Tiles in Norfolk

Renovating Heavily Soiled Reclaimed Pamment Tiled Flooring in Gissing Read More »

Stained Victorian Hallway Floor Renovation Attleborough

Renovation of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in Attleborough following Building Work

1 Comment / Attleborough Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning / Nick White

A client in the town of Attleborough, Norfolk contacted us about her Victorian tiled hallway following a recommendation from a neighbour. She wanted to get the floor renovated and had been struggling to find someone with the appropriate knowledge and experience to complete the work. She had tried to clean the floor herself but had little success and decided it was time to call in the experts.

Stained Victorian Hallway Floor Tiles Before Cleaning Attleborough

The whole house was being renovated and unfortunately the contractors working in the property had not taken care to cover up the hallway floor and it has subsequently become covered in all sorts of mess including a lot of plaster and paint. I explained that this would not be an issue and we were confident that we could remove all the contaminants and restore the floor to its former glory.

I created a quote for doing the renovation which would take two days, one to clean and one to seal. Happy with my quotation, we scheduled a date for our return which was to follow the conclusion of all remaining building works.

Deep Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Floor in Attleborough

Before starting the renovation of her floor, our first job was to cover the walls and skirting with masking film to protect the newly plastered walls from splashes during cleaning. Next, with a focus on removing the paint splatters, a generous quantity of Tile Doctor Remove & Go was sprayed onto the tiles and left to dwell for ten minutes so it could get to work breaking down the dirt and softening the paint. Then using a black scrubbing pad fitted to our Klindex rotary buffing machine, the solution was scrubbed into the surface to remove as much of the contaminants and old now-ineffective coatings as possible. Once done, the resulting slurry was extracted away using an industrial wet vacuum.

The next step was to treat the floor to an acid scrub using Tile Doctor Acid Gel which was applied and left for five minutes before working in with a coarse 100-grit diamond pad. This treatment has a lot of benefits for tiled floors and is great for removing old cement, grout smears and other contaminants such as efflorescence salt deposits. Being acidic it also neutralises the pH of the floor following the use of Remove and Go earlier which is a strong alkaline. The floor was then wet vacuumed again and the process repeated with a finer 200-grit pad.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Floor in Attleborough

The floor was left to dry out overnight and then on our return it was tested with a damp meter to ensure it had dried and was now ready for sealing. The moisture readings were good, so we were happy to go ahead and apply the sealer.

We had discussed finish options with the customer earlier and as a result Tile Doctor Seal & Go Extra was chosen. This is a fully breathable exterior grade product which provides high stain resistance and is perfect for high traffic areas such as hallways. It improves the colours in the tiles and has a low sheen finish so does not make the floor look too shiny. Five coats of sealer were applied leaving each one to dry before the next was applied.

Stained Victorian Hallway Floor Tiles After Cleaning Attleborough

My client was amazed how well her floor had come up and was delighted that the building contractors had not permanently ruined it! For aftercare cleaning I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner which is a highly effective yet gentle tile cleaning product that doesn’t damage acrylic finishes.

Professional Victorian Hallway Floor Renovation in Norfolk

Renovation of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in Attleborough following Building Work Read More »

Terracotta Tiled Floor Renovation Ostrich Inn South Creake Fakenham

Terracotta Pamment Floor Deep Cleaned and Sealed at South Creake Fakenham

1 Comment / Fakenham Tile Cleaning, Terracotta Tile Cleaning / Nick White

This Norfolk Pamment tiled floor at the Ostrich Inn, South Creake near Fakenham is a good example of a floor badly contaminated as the result of extensive renovation works. Terracotta pamment clay is a very porous material and will easily absorb fluids and dirt if left unsealed and therefore unprotected.

Terracotta Tiled Floor Before Cleaning Ostrich Inn South Creake Fakenham

The solution is a topical or surface-finish sealer that will prevent dirt from becoming ingrained in the pores of the tile. The sealer does wear off over time however and once that happens, the tiles become very difficult to keep clean. The same thing happens with the sand and cement pointing lines so it’s very important to maintain the sealer on both the tile and pointing especially in a kitchen environment where spills and therefore staining is more likely to occur.

I visited the property to survey the pamment floor and I could see the whole area, including the pointing, needed a complete strip and deep-clean followed by the application of a fresh combination sealer/acrylic finish. Due to its size and the logistics of furniture moving I could see the work would need to be done in two halves. I explained the process and conducted a small demonstration so they could see the results. Happy to proceed with my renovation plan we scheduled a date for the work to be done a few weeks later.

Stripping & Deep Cleaning a Terracotta Pamment Floor Near Fakenham

Cleaning started by spraying the Pamments with a strong 3:1 dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean mixed with a little Tile Doctor HBU Remover to increase its cleaning power. After spraying the mixture onto the tiles and pointing it was left to soak in for around ten minutes, more solution being added periodically to prevent it drying out.

The floor was then scrubbed using a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad. This process took some time and in all, five litres of Pro-Clean was consumed in the cleaning process. This was really needed to remove the many years of dirt and building work contaminants which had built up on the floor. A wet vacuum was then used to remove the chemicals and resulting slurry.

Pro-Clean is a strong alkaline product so to rebalance the pH level of the floor it was then given a thorough rinse with a solution of Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up. I like to do this as I don’t want anything affecting the curing of the new sealer later.

Sealing a Terracotta Pamment Floor near Fakenham

The floor was left to dry out overnight and a digital moisture meter was used the following morning to check it was dry. The results were fine and so I proceeded to apply the first of what would be five coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go which is a water-based acrylic sealer that adds a subtle sheen finish.

Terracotta Tiled Floor After Renovation Ostrich Inn South Creake Fakenham

As it was a fairly large floor area it took five litres of the sealer to treat the whole floor and in total, we spent four days at the property. Satisfyingly, the clients were absolutely staggered and delighted with the results we had achieved with a floor they thought was beyond rescue.

For maintenance cleaning I recommended Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner which is a pH neutral tile cleaning product which can be used daily if required. It’s a highly effective cleaning product with a pleasant fragrance and it won’t strip the tiles of the newly applied sealer like most strong household cleaners do. It’s also very concentrated so a small amount goes a long way and a small bottle should last a fair while.

Renovating Terracotta Pamment Floor Tiles in Norfolk

Terracotta Pamment Floor Deep Cleaned and Sealed at South Creake Fakenham Read More »

Slate Shower Cubicle Renovation Attleborough

Removing Grout Haze from a Black Slate Shower Cubicle in Attleborough

1 Comment / Attleborough Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Slate Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Nick White

This customer from Attleborough had a new shower installed with the walls clad in beautiful Black Slate tiles. Unfortunately, the installation of the tiles didn’t go according to plan and the Slate became stained with white crusty patches. The staining was completely resistant to any type of cleaning or limescale removal product leaving what was meant to be a very opulent shower cubicle looking very un-inviting.

Despite numerous consultations with the contractor, they were unable to resolve the problem or offer any solution that would renovate the stone and make it look as originally intended. Desperate for a solution she searched the internet, discovered Tile Doctor and I was asked to take a look and see what could be done. Attleborough is only about ten miles from my base in Norwich so its wasn’t long before I was able to pop round.

Slate Shower Cubicle Before Renovation Attleborough

After inspecting the installation, I ascertained that the problem here was two-fold. The primary problem was the installer and left a thin coating of grout on the surface of the Slate tiles. This is a common problem known in the trade as “grout haze” or “grout smears” and is usually removed afterwards by giving the tiles a good wipe down with a sponge. Clearly this wasn’t done sufficiently on this occasion. The second problem was the grout haze had provided the perfect moisture trap for the typical Norfolk hard water. Over a relatively short space of time, this trapped water had left hard limescale deposits which became firmly attached to the grout haze which, in turn, was firmly attached to the tile surfaces.

I mentioned earlier that my client had found that no amount of chemical cleaning could shift it. However, Tile Doctor products are designed for professional use and are far more powerful than those available in supermarkets and DIY stores. I also had available professional stripping and repolishing pads that can re-surface the stone so between the two I was confident of getting a good result and dramatically improving the condition of the shower cubicle walls.

Removing White Stains from a Black Slate Tiled Bathroom

The first job was to apply a liberal coat of Tile Doctor Acid Gel, which owing to its thick consistency, is the perfect choice for dissolving calcium-based contaminants on vertical surfaces. This coat was allowed to dwell on the tiles and in the grout lines for around thirty minutes with periodic agitation using a firm bristled grout and scrubbing brush. The solution was then rinsed off with clean water.

The process removed a considerable amount of the limescale but there was still a fair amount visible on the tiles particularly around the tap fittings. A further coat of Acid Gel was applied and again allowed to dwell for another thirty minutes before scrubbing vigorously using a black stripping pad fitted to a handheld Rotex random orbit polisher. After rinsing once again we found that all the limescale deposits and grout haze had been removed successfully.

The whole area was then dried off using a hot air gun and at this point the Slate had become pale and dry-looking after all the aggressive cleaning. Black slate is a type of oil stone which can often have its oil content stripped out by both chemical and physical cleaning.

Sealing Black Slate Bathroom Tiles

I had anticipated this issue however and the solution was to replace the lost oil in the stone using Tile Doctor Stone Oil which is a resin-based pre-polish sealer. It’s formulated to restore the slate’s attractive deep Black colour, improve the surface texture and seal against water absorption. I allowed the oil to soak in for a few minutes and then wiped off all excess product remaining on the surface before leaving it alone to cure for a couple of hours.

Once the oil had cured, the water resistance was then further enhanced by the application of a coat of Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal which is a penetrating sealer designed for both interior and exterior applications. Finally, once the topcoat of Ultra-seal had dried, with some assistance from an industrial fan, the surface was buffed to a rich sheen using the Rotex polisher and a white nylon pad.

Slate Shower Cubicle After Renovation Attleborough

The client was very impressed by the finished result and hadn’t realised that her slate tiles actually had some flame-like pattern variation in their surface which had always been hidden before by the grout haze and limescale deposits.

For the aftercare of shower tiles, especially stone I recommend regularly spraying on a product called Tile Doctor Aqua-Pro which is a mild cleaner designed for use where the tiling has been sealed. A lot of tile cleaning products you find are simply too strong for use on sealed surfaces and can erode the sealer over time.

Professional Slate Tile Restoration in a South London Wet Bathroom

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Limestone Kitchen Floor Tiles Before and After Renovation Brockdish

Pale Limestone Floor Tile Installation Issues Resolved in Brockdish

1 Comment / Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing, Norwich Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Nick White

If you have a pale stone floor such as this Limestone floor at a property in Brockdish you will find this article very interesting. Let me start by saying it’s always recommended that natural stone tiles such as Travertine or Limestone should be sealed after laying but before grouting. This is particularly important if the stone is very pale in colour as the water from the grouting compound can soak into the edges of the porous tiles leading to dark staining around the edges of each tile – this is referred to as “picture-framing” which is virtually impossible to correct as the staining is present throughout the whole depth of the tile.

Limestone Floor Before Renovation Brockdish

Also, without the protection of a sealer smears of grout left on the surface of the stone after grout can be extremely difficult to remove. This problem is often called “grout haze” or “grout smears” which you will find is slightly rough to the touch and because of this attracts dirt easily giving the pale floor a very unappealing dirty appearance which is impossible to wash away with generally available cleaning chemicals.

In this case, and to avoid the problem with picture-framing, our client had decided to apply a penetrating sealer all-round the edges of each of the tiles using a paint brush to ensure a thorough soaking. Unfortunately, he left the main body of the tiles unprotected and although he was able to wipe away grout from around the edges of the tiles it left a fine, slightly opaque film of grout in the middle which set and became firmly bonded to the tile surface.

Initially, all seemed to be fine but shortly afterwards our client noticed that the floor appeared to be developing lighter patches around the tile edges and the grout lines were becoming noticeably dirty; in reality, what was actually happening was that the middle area of the tile contaminated by grout haze were becoming dirtier by the day, whilst the sealed outer edges were responding well to cleaning. Additionally, because the grout itself had not been sealed the dirt from cleaning was becoming stained with the dirt that had been washed into the recesses during cleaning

Ordinarily, the way to correct a grout haze issue is to apply an acidic solution to the haze which dissolves the calcium-based grout material and makes it simple to rinse away; this is fine on ceramic tiles but can cause all sorts of surface etching issues and problems if the tile material is also a calcium-based stone like travertine or limestone. It was at this point that our client decided to get some help from a stone flooring renovation specialist such as ourselves.

Removing Grout Haze and Dirt from Pale Limestone Tiles

Having contacted us through the Tile Doctor website and after a brief exchange of emails, it was obvious to me what the problem was, and being aware of the issues surrounding Limestone I was soon able to propose an effective solution.

Our first job was to apply a strong solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is an alkaline cleaning product designed for use on tile, stone, and grout. I used a strong dilution and applied it by hand to all the grout lines where it was allowed to dwell and soak in before being briefly agitated using a long-handled grout brush. Pro Clean is an extremely effective degreasing cleaner and, at higher concentrations, can also be used to strip acrylic floor finishes. It was the ideal product for sorting out the grout issues and in this instance made quick work of lifting the soiling pout of the grout lines.

Rather than rinsing the Pro-Clean away, we left it in contact with the floor and proceeded to cut the surface using a Tile Doctor 400 grit diamond burnishing pad fitted to our 17″ Klindex rotary machine. These coarse diamond pads applied in conjunction with the Pro-Clean removed all the grout haze and soiling. The resulting slurry was then power rinsed and extracted away using a Ninja 400psi machine, leaving the grout clean and the once picture-framed tile surface with an even and consistent colour.

After the application of the coarse pad, it was time to restore the appearance of the stone and bring up the polish, first with an 800-grit diamond burnishing pad followed by a 1500-grit, power rinsing and extracting between the stages. This left the floor completely clean with the beginnings of a pleasing overall sheen. We then left the floor to dry out thoroughly overnight with assistance from our large capacity dehumidifier.

Sealing a Pale Limestone Tiled Floor

On our return the following day, we were pleased to find that the Limestone had dried up extremely well which we confirmed by taking moisture content readings with our damp meter just to make certain that it was ready to have a sealer applied.

Before sealing, the surface sheen was improved further by spray burnishing the stone using the Klindex rotary fitted with a Tile Doctor 3000-grit burnishing pad. Lubricated by a fine mist of plain water from a trigger bottle this process raised the sheen level to a more noticeable shine and brought out areas of visually pleasing coloured veins within the structure of the stone which had been completely invisible up to now.

Having completed the burnishing, we applied a liberal coat of Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal which is a penetrating sealer approved for use in food preparation areas which provides excellent fluid resistance yet is almost invisible. Having allowed the limestone to soak up as much of the sealer as it could, the excess product was removed, and the floor left to cure for an hour.

Limestone Floor After Renovation Brockdish

We then finished the process by spray buffing the floor with a white nylon buffing pad to remove any smears left by the sealing process and to polish the floor to a rich shine. Once vacuumed thoroughly, we conducted a series of fluid resistance tests to ensure that the whole floor had been sealed properly against liquid spills and our work was done leaving behind a very pleased, impressed, and grateful client.

For aftercare cleaning of a polished stone like this floor I recommend the use Tile Doctor Stone Soap which gently cleans the floor whilst helping to maintain the patina.

Pale Limestone Kitchen Floor Professionally Cleaned in Norfolk

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Travertine Kitchen Floor Face Lift Burgh Castle Great Yarmouth

Giving a Travertine Kitchen Floor a Face Lift in Burgh Castle

1 Comment / Great Yarmouth Tile Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Nick White

Located in Burgh Castle West of Great Yarmouth, this Travertine stone floor was a classic example of an incomplete installation. By incomplete I mean the tiler had done a fine job of laying and grouting the tiles but had left it at that and not sealed the stone. Natural stone like Travertine is porous and needs a sealer to stop dirt becoming ingrained in its pores, a sealer will also improve its appearance.

Without a sealer this floor now looked very dull, pale, rather damaged with pitting and heavily soiled with ingrained dirt. Pitting in stone like this is a natural feature of Travertine however it can be exacerbated with the use of acid cleaning products. This was a floor in urgent need of a face lift, and I was confident it could be transformed into a very beautiful floor.

I think it is true to say that most tilers will skilfully lay a floor for you but usually don’t have the knowledge, experience or equipment to finish the surface properly and when it comes to sealing many will recommend a product and suggest you take care of it yourself. Naturally if your find yourself in that position don’t insist the tiler does it, better to give us a call and have it done properly.

Travertine Kitchen Floor Before Face Lift Burgh Castle

Filling Pitted Travertine Tiles

Our first job was to backfill the larger pits in the stone which as I mentioned are a natural feature of travertine material, but they can trap dirt and so its best if they are plugged with a suitably rigid filler. Also, if left alone the larger holes can quickly become larger as their edges crumble and break up leading to the entire tile becoming unstable. Replacing a tile in a floor like this is possible however its an extremely awkward job to do and it can be difficult to find an exact match for replacement.

Filling was done using a two-part, neutral cream-coloured polyester compound which gels in about fifteen minutes after addition of the catalyst. After this initial period, the excess product is trimmed off level with the surface of the tile before it sets harder than the stone itself in around sixty minutes. The fully cured compound can then be cut and machined as though it were part of the stone structure.

Cleaning and Removing Scratches from a Travertine Floor Tiles

Our second job was to remove deep scratches caused by the unprotected feet of workmen’s ladders. This was done using Tile Doctor 50-grit and 100-grit diamond hand burnishing pads with a little water as a cutting medium. Shallower scratching present across the rest of the floor was removed using a Tile Doctor 200-grit soft milling pad driven by our Klindex 17″ rotary machine.

This abrasive action produces a fine slurry which was then rinsed with water and extracted using our 400psi Ninja machine in preparation for the next stage of the refinishing process. These machines were an expensive investment for our business however they are very robust and effective producing a good result that saves time.

Next task was to restore the polished appearance of the Travertine which was done using the application of a set of Tile Doctor burnishing pads. The process starts by applying a coarse 400-grit diamond pad, again fitted to the Klindex rotary machine. This cleans the tile and improves the matt finish left by the milling pad; again, the slurry was rinse-extracted before moving on to the next pad in the set. Next came the finer diamond polishing stages of 800 grit and 1500 grit, slurry being removed as before between the grades. By this time, all the scratches had been removed and the Travertine floor had visually pleasing even sheen across the whole surface. The last pad in the set is applied dry with a little water sprayed onto the tile so we left the area to dry out thoroughly overnight with the assistance of our large capacity dehumidifier.

Sealing a Travertine Kitchen Floor in Burgh Castle

Returning the following morning, we found that the floor had dried out perfectly and was ready to be vacuumed and spray burnished with the last pad in the set which is a 3000-grit very fine pad applied using a small amount of water sprayed from a trigger bottle resulting in a deep, rich shine across the floor surface.

Last step in the face lift was to seal the floor with a generous coat of Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal, a premium grade penetrating sealer recommended for use in Kitchens and food preparation areas. Having left the floor to soak up as much of the Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal as it could, the excess product was removed and the whole area allowed to dry completely with the assistance of our industrial air moving fan. Finally, the floor was spray buffed to a deep shine using a white maintenance pad.

Travertine Kitchen Floor After Face Lift Burgh Castle

The client was extremely pleased with our results and was amazed at the variation of colours within the stone which had never been visible previously.

Professional Restoration of a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor in Norfolk

Giving a Travertine Kitchen Floor a Face Lift in Burgh Castle Read More »

Marble Bathroom Countertop Renovation Swardeston Norfolk

Renovating a Marble Handbasin Countertop in Swardeston

1 Comment / Marble Tile Cleaning, Norwich Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Nick White

My client in the village of Swardeston (just south of Norwich) had attempted to remove limescale deposits from a Marble bathroom countertop using a supermarket Limescale remover and ended up making the whole problem worse.

The water in Norfolk is exceptionally hard and can quickly leave a thick build-up of limescale in kettles and bathroom fittings. This isn’t a problem to keep on top of using an acidic cleaner like Viakal or Limelite however these products are acidic and not recommended for use on or near an acid-sensitive natural stone such as Marble or Limestone. In-fact the surface of Marble and Limestone is instantly etched when they come into contact with these products thereby ruining the appearance of the stone.

Marble Vanity Unit Worktop Before Renovation Swardeston

This is exactly what had happened to our client in Swardeston and, over time, the surface of her marble vanity unit became severely etched leaving the stone completely dull, pitted, and unattractive. She had assumed the dullness was due to limescale build-up so just kept applying the product which of course exacerbated the problem to the point where the replacement of the large and very expensive twin-basin Marble countertop seemed to be the only option.

Removing Limescale and Acid Etching from a Marble Countertop

Looking for a solution we were asked to visit the property and whilst there immediately realised what had happened to the stone.

Fortunately, we were able to offer a much cheaper option involving the application of a series of diamond burnishing pads that could cut back the surface of the Marble and repolish it back to its original appearance. We are able to do this due to our investment in a Rotex hand-held random orbit polisher which is ideal for working on relatively small areas or confined spaces.

First, using only water as a cutting medium, we removed the surface of the stone with a 90mm 400-grit diamond pad fitted to the Rotex machine. This cut the surface back, removing all the pitting and light scratching, leaving the stone perfectly smooth and ready for the repolishing process. The slurry produced by this process was thoroughly and carefully rinsed away and the next stage of repolishing begun.

Marble Vanity Unit Worktop During Renovation Swardeston

Polishing was done using the Rotex again, but this time fitted with an 800-grit diamond pad which cuts the stone more finely and start sto improve the dull surface left by the coarse 400-grit pad. Again, the slurry produced was rinsed away and a 1500-grit diamond pad was applied to the stone surface, cutting even more finely and beginning to restore the shine back to the marble top.

Once the slurry from this stage had been rinsed and extracted, we dried the work area using a heat gun before finishing the burnishing operation using the Rotex with a very fine 3000-grit diamond pad. For this last stage, a small amount of water is misted over the surface of the stone surface from a trigger bottle. This produced the shine we were after and really brought the stone’s natural colours and features back to life.

Sealing a Marble Countertop

In order to provide the Marble countertop with good fluid resistance two coats of Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal were applied to the stone. This is a premium grade penetrating sealer which soaks into the pores of the stone to seal it without leaving any kind of synthetic finish behind. This allows the natural beauty of the polished stone to shine through whilst protecting it from staining. A quick spray buff with a white maintenance pad to remove any smears from the sealing process and we were done.

Marble Vanity Unit Worktop After Renovation Swardeston

My client was staggered at the result we had achieved and was so relieved that replacement of the sizeable and very expensive Marble top had been avoided. For aftercare I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Stone Patina Spray which is spray-and-buff cleaner that is designed to enhance the natural beauty and lustre of polished stone as it cleans.

Stone Countertop Professional Renovated in Norfolk

Renovating a Marble Handbasin Countertop in Swardeston Read More »

Limestone Floor Before and After Restoration Silfield

Revitalizing Limestone Floor Tile & Grouting in Silfield

1 Comment / Attleborough Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Nick White

Earlier this year I was invited over to a property in the village of Silfield near Wymondham in Norfolk to inspect a Limestone tiled floor. Now I don’t usually quote my clients, but this is how the owner of the property had described the floor in the enquiry I received from Tile Doctor.

“Grout Black, where tiles have divots, dirt is encased,
plus no shine to floor, sealant non-existent.”

The problems listed were quite comprehensive and having had chance to survey the floor we found them to be quite accurate and really could not disagree with her comments! The Limestone tiles had been laid throughout the Kitchen diner and it was clear the sealer had worn off completely allowing dirt to become ingrained in the Limestone tiles and especially the grout which had turned black.

Limestone Flooring Before Renovation in Silfield

I understood from the owner that the grout lines should have been a pale cream colour rather than the black it was now, additionally the natural pitting in the Limestone was full of the same black contaminants. I ran a quick water test on the tiles to see if there was a seal present and it confirmed that if there had ever been one it was now completely compromised. The lack of sealer had allowed all liquid spills and dirt to soak straight into the tile making it dirty and exceedingly difficult to clean.

A large birthday celebration party had been planned and our client was desperate for the floor to be brought back to life beforehand. Although I couldn’t start immediately due to other commitments, it was able to return in time to get the floor clean for the party.

Deep Cleaning Limestone Tile and Grout

Our first job was to tackle the severe soiling trapped in the pits and grout lines. To do this a very strong dilution (2:1 ratio) of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean was applied to the floor and left to soak into the tile and grout for about 10 minutes. Then is was scrubbed into the tiles with help from a rotary buffer fitted with a soft/medium long-bristled nylon brush. The resulting slurry was then power rinsed with 60-degree hot water and extracted with our 400psi machine which jetted out all the black, oily contaminants from the grout and pits.

The floor was speed dried with the assistance of a large air mover. Once dry to the touch our attention was turned to filling the now exposed pitts in the Limestone tiles and two cracks with an appropriately coloured fast cure epoxy compound. Having allowed the filler time to reach full hardness, we ground down the excess material with 100 and 200 grit hand burnishing blocks in preparation for the next stage.

We find the best way to renovate the appearance of stone is to use a process called burnishing which hones the stone and beings up the polish. For this you need a set of 17-inch diamond encrusted burnishing pads. The pads fit the rotary buffer and are applied to the floor in sequence from 400, 800 and then 1500 grit using water to lubricate the process. The waster turns into a slurry as you work, and this is then rinsed off the floor with water after each pad and extracted using a wet vacuum. The floor was then left to dry thoroughly overnight with the assistance of our large capacity dehumidifier.

Sealing a Limestone Tiled Kitchen Diner Floor

Returning the following day, we thoroughly vacuumed the floor to remove any remaining powder and grit left from the previous day’s wet work before spray burnishing the surface with a Tile Doctor 3000-grit diamond pad. This last pad really beings up the polished appearance of the Limestone and gave the tiles a deep and rich shine.

This last pad is applied without water and so leaves the floor dry and ready to for a new sealer to be applied. Our sealer of choice was Tile Doctor Ultra Seal, it’s a premium penetrating sealer that soaks into the pores of the stone protecting it from within. Ultra-Seal doesn’t alter the natural appearance of the stone giving it undetectable protection from staining. Having allowed the sealed floor to dry with the assistance of our air mover, the whole area was buffed using a white buffing pad and a small amount of finely sprayed water to remove any light smearing before vacuuming once again to finish.

Limestone Flooring After Renovation in Silfield

My client was delighted with the result and left the following feedback for us:

“Totally renewed two flooring areas in our house to what looks like a recently laid floor. I have already had so many compliments without even telling people it had been professionally cleaned! Nick and Sue are always very easy to have about, inconspicuous and hard working. Absolutely delighted with the outcome and would recommend without hesitation. Thank you so much!”

For aftercare cleaning I recommended Tile Doctor Stone Soap, its designed for cleaning polished stone floors and will help build-up the patina. It’s a neutral pH product so won’t prematurely erode the sealer like many tile cleaning products you find in supermarkets which are really sold for cleaning glazed ceramic tiles not sealed natural stone.

Professional Restoration of a Limestone Tiled Kitchen Diner in Norfolk

Revitalizing Limestone Floor Tile & Grouting in Silfield Read More »

Yellow Clay Tiled Floor Before After Restoration Tacolneston

Renovating a Yellow Clay Tiled Floor in Tacolneston Village

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Norwich Tile Cleaning, Terracotta Tile Cleaning, Work History / Nick White

We were contacted by a client who had bought an extensive grade 2 listed property in the village of Tacolneston which they had been renovating gradually. One of the last items on the list was the Yellow clay tiled floor which was laid throughout the large Kitchen and Dining Room and had been sadly neglected over the years.

Although I was unsure of their history these tiles were very similar to Terracotta so I was confident they would respond well to cleaning. The main issue for the client however was that the dark Grey grout lines which were deeply recessed from the surface of the tile and made walking across the floor in bare feet extremely uncomfortable.

Yellow Clay Floor Tiles Before Cleaning Tacolneston

Our original plan was to deep-clean the floor, then key-into the grout with a diamond blade multitool along the grout lines, back fill with additional grout and then seal the floor with a with an acrylic finish sealer that wouldn’t leave the floor too shiny. Things didn’t quite turn out to be quite that straightforward, however.

Cleaning and Re-Grouting a Yellow Clay Tiled Floor

The initial deep-clean was done using Tile Doctor Pro-Clean diluted to a strong 2:1 ratio with hot water and then scrubbed into the floor with a rotary machine fitted firstly with a black nylon stripping pad to clean the tile surface followed by a medium grade nylon brush to get down into the recessed grout lines. The resulting slurry was then power rinsed and extracted away with a Ninja machine.

The surface of the clay tiles had cleaned very well but it quickly became obvious that the grout wasn’t grey at all but was the colour of a typical sand and cement pointing mix; the dark colour was actually a thick layer of grease and dirt which had become trapped in the grout line recess, probably due to many years of ineffective mopping. The pointing mix was clearly very old and had become soft and broken up in most areas across the whole floor.

With this in mind our next job was to remove as much of the loose, powdery pointing as possible with a diamond-bladed multitool. In the end we found that all the pointing had to be taken out completely in order to successfully repoint the floor and provide a consistent appearance. This took some time to do and once removed the and all the remnants vacuumed up, we proceeded to repoint the floor with a flexible and water-resistant limestone-coloured grout which had been chosen by the client.

Yellow Clay Floor Tiles During Grouting Tacolneston

Yellow Clay Floor Tiles During Grout Haze Removal Tacolneston

The following day, we returned to remove the grout haze left on the surface of the tiles during repointing and to prepare the floor for sealing by treating the floor to an acidic wash with a solution of Tile Doctor Acid Gel.

Sealing a Yellow Clay Tiled Floor

We left the new grouting to cure fully and returned two days later to apply a sealer which will protect the floor going forward and provide the desired finish. Before doing this the floor was visually inspected and the moisture content of the tiles and grout measured with a damp meter to ensure it had dried. The readings were low and although the building was very old it meant we would still be able to use a combination sealer with acrylic finish as we had originally hoped.

Yellow Clay Floor Tiles After Cleaning Tacolneston

As the client didn’t want the resulting appearance to be too “shiny”, we chose to use Tile Doctor Seal & Go which would give an excellent fluid resistant seal to both tile and grout with a mid-sheen finish. This was applied by hand in five coats which resulted in a very pleasing soft look across the whole floor.

Yellow Clay Floor Tiles Cleaned Grouted Sealed Tacolneston

The client was extremely pleased with what we had achieved and left the following testimonial:
“We could not be happier with the result! From embarrassing black grout and years of footfall damage, Nick and Sally have transformed our kitchen and dining room terracotta tiles into a thing of beauty! Many thanks for all your hard work and extra hours put in, I will be recommending your services to everyone :)”

Professional Restoration of a Yellow Clay Tiled Floor in Norfolk

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Quarry Tiled Floor Before After Grout Haze Removed Watton

Resolving Quarry Tile Installation Issues in Watton

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Watton Tile Cleaning, Work History / Nick White

Our client in Watton had a new Quarry tiled floor laid at her home and all went well until the tiler came to seal the finished floor after grouting. Needless to say, she didn’t get the finish she was expecting and told us that the tiler had admitted that he had no clue how to address the problem and had told her to contact a specialist to do the work and was happy to cover the cost.

Quarry Tiled Hallway Floor Before Renovation in Watton

I shouldn’t complain as its Tile Doctor who gets called in to resolve these issues, but there does seem to be a training gap with many tilers having no clear idea how to properly finish a new floor tile installation.

The problem was immediately obvious from the photos she sent over; grout had not been completely polished off the Quarry tile surface leaving a dull haze over the floor. The floor had then been sealed and this had only served to emphasize the slightly grey, dusty and lacklustre appearance of the floor.

Removing Grout Haze from a Quarry Tiled Floor in Watton

To remove the grout haze, it would be necessary to remove the sealer first, so I spent the first part of my visit breaking it down with a powerful 2:1 dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. The solution was left to soak into the floor for about ten minutes before being scrubbed in using our Klindex rotary machine fitted with a black stripping pad. The resulting slurry was power rinsed and extracted away with our 400psi Ninja machine.

Having done this, we could see that the grout haze was still present in many areas and was becoming very pale and patchy as the tile surface dried out. With the sealer now removed I turned my attention to the removing the grout. This was rectified by applying Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up and then rinse extracting as before. This left the floor spotlessly clean and would be ready for sealing the next day after being left to dry off overnight with the aid of our industrial dehumidifier.

Sealing Quarry Tiles in Watton

We returned to Watton on the following day to meet our client and explain the various sealing options available, from no-finish penetrating sealers to high gloss acrylics. After much discussion, we realised that the client had originally expected the finished floor to have a noticeably shinier appearance than the matt finish colour enhancer that the tiler had used but without the glare of a high shine product.

After weighing up the client’s requirement the obvious choice was to use Tile Doctor Seal & Go which is a water-based sealer with a mid-sheen finish which makes daily maintenance much easier and more effective. We applied this sealer in five thin coats by hand using microfibre cloths, allowing 30 minutes drying time between each coat.

Quarry Tiled Hallway Floor After Renovation in Watton

The client was absolutely delighted with the result we achieved and said that it was exactly the way she had expected the floor to look when they originally chose the tiles.

Finishing a Quarry Tiled Hallway after Installation in Norfolk

Resolving Quarry Tile Installation Issues in Watton Read More »

Limestone Tiled Floor Renovation Hindolveston

Finishing a Large Mottled Brown Limestone Tiled Floor in Hindolveston

1 Comment / Fakenham Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing, Work History / Nick White

Now here’s a problem we regularly come across with natural stone floors such as this Mottled Brown Limestone floor installed at a house in Hindolveston; it should have a deep rich shine but without regular maintenance the polish wears off and it becomes dull and uninviting.

Hindolveston is a small village near the North Norfolk coast east of Fakenham. There are several large old houses in the area, and we had been invited by the owner of one of them to advise on the renovation of their recently laid and hugely expensive Brown Limestone floor. Measuring approximately 110 square metres the Limestone tiles had been installed throughout the lounge, dining area and spacious kitchen which featured an enormous AGA range.

Limestone Tiled Floor Before Renovation in Hindolveston

The floor tiles themselves had been very well laid but had an odd milky film across the surface which completely masked the beautiful deep brown mottled nature of the stone. A builder had put down some protective coverings during renovations which became damp and had left a distinct pattern in the film when they were removed. After carrying out appropriate testing to determine what this was, we found that the grout haze had not been completely removed before the floor was sealed and allowed to cure across the whole surface. This combination resulted in the milky film which was impervious to all the cleaning and stripping chemicals the builder had tried.

Removing Grout Haze and Cleaning a Brown Limestone Floor

Our solution to the problem was to burnish and re-polish the stone with a 4-piece set of Tile Doctor Burnishing Pads which with the addition of a coarser grade 200-grit pad when we found the thick film to be extremely tenacious.

The pads were applied with a 17″ rotary floor machine in sequence from 400-grit to 1500-grit. No chemicals are needed for this only water to lubricate, rinsing and extracting after each pad. We make use of a Ninja high-pressure cleaning machine to rinse and extra the soil released from the floor; it runs at 400psi so its very effective.

The pads struggle to reach into the internal corners so the last step of the cleaning process was to treat them by hand using Tile Doctor burnishing blocks. The whole floor was then left to dry off thoroughly overnight with assistance from our large capacity dehumidifier.

Sealing Brown Limestone Floor Tiling

On our return, we checked across the whole floor with a moisture meter to ensure that there was no significant moisture left in the tiles which would adversely affect the performance of the sealer before it had time to cure fully.

Satisfied that this was the case, we vacuumed the floor to remove any dust and grit before spray burnishing the surface with the last of the four burnishing pads which is a very fine 3000-grit diamond pad. Again, this is applied using the rotary floor machine and run over the Limestone floor to produce a deep shine, much to the delight of the client.

Finally, the tiles were sealed using Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal which is a no-sheen penetrating sealer which provides excellent fluid resistance without altering the appearance of the stone itself. One last vacuuming and the job was done!

Limestone Tiled Floor After Renovation in Hindolveston

A very relieved and happy client who then promptly booked us in to renovate the limestone and encaustic tiled floors in all her bathrooms.

Large Mottled Brown Limestone Floor Professionally Renovated in Norfolk

Finishing a Large Mottled Brown Limestone Tiled Floor in Hindolveston Read More »

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Before After Restoration Kings Lynn

Carpet Covered Victorian Hallway Tiles Restored in Kings Lynn

1 Comment / King’s Lynn Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Work History / Nick White

As is often the case in years past and for whatever reason many homeowners covered their decorative Victorian hallway tiles in a variety of products from carpet to laminate flooring. These days the trend has reversed and quite rightly many homeowners now realise the value a tiled floor can bring to a property and look to us to have it restored.

Our client had purchased a property in Norfolk seaport of Kings Lynn and, on lifting the dirty old carpet and decaying underlay in the hallway, discovered a beautiful tiled entrance hall. It was obvious that a previous owner had decided to lay carpet over the tiles as an easy way of hiding the result of careless renovation and decorating which had resulted in a thick coating of plaster, paint, carpet tape glue and various other contaminants which had become firmly stuck to the surface. There were also two small rectangular black and brown tiles missing behind the front door which had been damaged during the removal of some old lead pipes.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Before Cleaning Kings Lynn

This was clearly a job which would need somewhat more than a scrubbing brush and a bottle of Flash!

Cleaning a Victorian tiled floor

Our first job was to remove as much of the solid contaminants as possible by hand with floor scrapers and a steamer which softened the more stubborn lumps. We then applied Tile Doctor Remove & Go which is a powerful alkaline stripper to the whole area, left it to dwell on the surface for twenty minutes and then scrubbed it in using a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad. The resulting slurry was then power rinsed and extracted away using our Ninja machine which is a high-power industrial vacuum. Any remaining patches where the carpet tape had been stuck down were spot treated using Tile Doctor Nanotech HBU which made short work of the hardened glue.

The result was a clean floor, but the surface still felt slightly rough and pitted, a problem which we resolved using the rotary machine fitted with a 200-grit diamond burnishing pad followed by a 400-grit pad with a little 400 grit honing powder which left the surface smooth, silky and ready for the application of a sealer.

Finally, we acid washed the whole area using Tile Doctor Acid Gel, a slow release product which would neutralise any remaining chemicals, improve new sealer adhesion and inhibit the future production of any efflorescence salts. We had used a fair amount of water during the cleaning process, so we left the floor to dry off thoroughly overnight with assistance from our commercial dehumidifier.

Sealing a Victorian tiled floor

On our return the following day, we discussed the sealer options with the client and recommended using microporous Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer that seeps into the pores of the stone protecting it from within. It will provide an excellent fluid resistant seal whilst enhancing the natural colours in the stone, additionally it’s fully breathable thereby enabling any moisture trapped under the floor to rise through the floor and evaporate. This is important on old floors like this where no damp-proof membrane was installed. The sealer was applied with a paint pad in tow coats and allowed to dry for an hour before buffing the floor with a hog’s hair pad to give a rich natural-look sheen finish.

Victorian Tiled Hallway After Cleaning Kings Lynn

The Victorian tiles responded well to the treatments which were completed in two consecutive days. My client was extremely pleased with the results and left the following comment:

“My floor was in poor condition after being buried under carpet as well as many, many years of paint and muck. I enjoyed the time they spent at my home and wouldn’t hesitate to use (or recommend) the Tile Doctor service in the future.”

Professional Victorian Hallway Floor Restoration in Norfolk

Carpet Covered Victorian Hallway Tiles Restored in Kings Lynn Read More »

Quarry Tiled Floor Before and After Renovation Geldeston

Deep Cleaning Quarry Tiles at a Converted Pub in Geldeston

1 Comment / Great Yarmouth Tile Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Work History / Nick White

Tucked away on a back street in Geldeston about a mile away from Gillingham, Norfolk is the newly-restored former Garden House pub which has been converted into a two-bedroom private residence by the new owners. Everything had been renovated to the highest possible standard using local craftsmen and top-quality materials. The last piece of this jigsaw was the renovation of the quarry tile flooring which was laid in a brick pattern and runs from the kitchen through the dining room and into the main entrance hall.

As is often the case during major building works, the floor had been inadequately protected and consequently it had become completely coated in a combination of builder’s dust, plaster, paint and mud from the garden. As it’s such a large area it really needed some attention to get back its lustre.

Quarry Tiled Floor Geldeston Before Cleaning

Renovating a Quarry Tiled Floor in Geldeston

In order to prevent further scratching to the tile surface during the cleaning process our first job was to vacuum the whole area to pick up all the larger bits of debris and grit. Next, the floor was deep-cleaned using a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad and a strong solution (1:3 ratio) of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, our high pH combination stripper and cleaner which made short work of the top layer of dust and grime.

Having power rinsed and vacuumed away the resulting slurry, we found that there were a large number of ground-in plaster spots and patches still remaining, which gave the floor an unsatisfactory white spotted appearance. These were removed using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up applied with a 6-inch black scrubbing pad fitted to our hand held DeWalt buffing machine, one of the most useful bits of kit in our tool bag! Great for attacking stubborn areas individually. The whole area was then allowed to dry with assistance from two industrial air movers.

Sealing Quarry Tiled Floor in Geldeston

Returning a few days later, I checked the moisture levels in the floor which were satisfactory, so we were ready to move on to the finishing stage. My original intention had been to seal the grout lines alone with Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal, our no-sheen solvent based penetrating sealer, assuming that the tile surface was in a reasonably good condition. Unfortunately, owing to the age of the floor along with the abuse it had suffered during the building works, I found that the floor had a tired, pale look to it when completely dry. I decided, therefore, to seal and refinish it with four coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go which both deepened and emphasized the colours within each individual tile and gave a pleasing mid-sheen to the whole area.

Quarry Tiled Floor Geldeston After Cleaning

On completion of the job, our client said three words we love to hear… “It looks GREAT!”
It is lovely to have another satisfied client and great to add the finishing touches to their renovation.

Professional Restoration of a Quarry Tiled Kitchen in Norfolk

Deep Cleaning Quarry Tiles at a Converted Pub in Geldeston Read More »

Restoring a Heavily Soiled Unfilled Travertine Floor in Attleborough

1 Comment / Attleborough Tile Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning, Work History / Nick White

Our client got in touch from Attleborough a market town between Norwich and Thetford to ask for our help restoring her kitchen and dining area floor. If you live in the countryside and have children and pets, unfilled Travertine is probably not the best choice for your kitchen/diner flooring, which is the conclusion our client discovered for herself.

The floor was only around three years old, but the entire area had become heavily scratched and soiled. Most of the dirt was occupying the unfilled pits in the stone which are an inconvenient feature of this natural material. No amount of daily vacuuming, mopping or rinsing will ever shift this kind of contamination which is why she called us in desperation.

Travertine Floor in Attleborough Before Cleaning

During our site visit, apart from the obvious heavy soiling, we also noticed a very prominent and ugly settlement crack which had appeared along the French doors leading to a four mm difference between the surface levels either side of the crack itself.

Travertine Floor in Attleborough Threshold Crack

Cleaning and Repairing a Travertine Tiled Kitchen and Dining Room

Our first job was to deep-clean the soiling from the floor using our heavy 17″ rotary machine fitted with a medium-soft brush and a 1:5 mix of Tile Doctor Pro Clean, diluted with very hot water. This combination made quick work of the surface dirt, along with the soiling in the grout lines. The resulting slurry was left to dwell on the floor for ten minutes to soften the residue sitting at the bottom of the pits before being power rinsed and vacuumed away using our 400psi hot water extraction machine. The machine was fitted with a specialist hard flooring wand which blasted the softened dirt out of the pits and immediately sucked all the contaminants up. This avoids anything spraying up the adjoining walls.

Having removed all the dirt, we then cut and polished the area again with the rotary machine but this time using Tile Doctor Diamond Burnishing Pads from 400-grit through to 1500-grit, rinse extracting between each stage to remove the resulting slurry. Internal corners were finished with hand-held diamond blocks. We then left the whole area to dry thoroughly overnight with assistance from our large capacity dehumidifier.

Travertine Floor in Attleborough Rotary Cleaning

Sealing Travertine Flooring in Attleborough

On our return the following day, we repaired the unsightly crack along the threshold by grinding the high lip down to the same lower level using a diamond blade fitted to our Bosch multitool. Followed by polishing with our Festool Rotex 90 Handtool. The crack, being rather wide, was then filled with a two-part epoxy stone repair compound and levelled with the Rotex after curing.

Travertine Floor in Attleborough Crack Repaired

After this, the floor was vacuumed thoroughly followed with the application of the a very fine 3000-grit diamond burnishing pad which is applied to the floor with a little water spayed onto the tile. This fourth and final burnishing pad really builds up the shine on the floor.

Travertine Floor in Attleborough Deep Cleaned

Our client really loved the new lighter look of her cleaned Travertine floor, so we chose to use Tile Doctor Ultra Seal to seal the floor and protect it from staining. Ultra-Seal is a matt impregnating sealer that soaks into the pores of the stone protecting it from within and without affecting the colour of the substrate. The sealer was liberally applied and allowed to be absorbed by the stone for a few minutes before the excess was removed. After an hour, the surface was re-burnished with the 3000-grit diamond pad and then vacuumed to remove any fine dust generated during the burnishing.

Our client was really happy with the improvement and left the following comment when we’d finished…

“Our travertine floor had suffered over the winter and I wasn’t totally convinced that anything would save it. However, it has been completely transformed and we are delighted with the results. Nick was professional and thorough – could not recommend more!”

Travertine Floor in Attleborough Cleaned and Sealed

Cleaning and Repair of Travertine Kitchen and Dining Room Floor in Norfolk

Restoring a Heavily Soiled Unfilled Travertine Floor in Attleborough Read More »

Flood Damaged Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor Rescued in Docking

1 Comment / Hunstanton Tile Cleaning, Terracotta Tile Cleaning, Work History / Nick White

Luckily for this client in the village of Docking in Norfolk, the water pipe under her kitchen sink burst the day before she left for a four-week holiday in the USA, so at least she was able to turn the water off at the mains and minimise the damage before leaving for the airport… every cloud, as they say!

On her return she found that the Terracotta tiled flooring had dried out perfectly but unfortunately, the acrylic sealer had suffered badly as the evaporating moisture came up through it and the entire surface of the floor had developed a milky-white bloom. Our client thought that complete replacement of the whole floor, which ran from a large kitchen diner through to a long utility room with separate storage cupboards and a WC would be the only option. Fortunately, before investigating that expensive option she gave Tile Doctor a call in the hope that the floor could be saved.

Large Terracotta Tiled Floor Before Cleaning Docking

Deep Cleaning Water Damaged Terracotta Floor Tiles

In order to remove the damaged acrylic sealer, we applied a strong dilution (1:2) of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean mixed with a little Tile Doctor Remove and Go. This was scrubbed in along with a small amount of honing powder using our 17″ rotary machine fitted with a medium nylon brush before being power rinsed and extracted to remove all the chemicals and resulting slurry.

The grout lines, corners and edges where the original sealer had been applied more thickly were then further cleaned by hand with Tile Doctor Nanotech HBU Remover, HBU stands for Heavy Build-Up and this is a useful product for tackling stubborn areas.

The floor was then finished off with very fine honing powder applied with water and a black scrubbing pad before being rinsed and extracted again. Finally, the whole floor was acid washed with Tile Doctor Acid Gel to neutralise all remaining cleaning agents and counter act any efflorescence salts which may appear in the future before being left to dry thoroughly overnight with the assistance of our dehumidifier.

Sealing Terracotta Floor Tiles in Docking

On our return the following day, the floor was thoroughly damp tested and found to have dried extremely well enabling us to start applying the new sealer straight away. The client had specified a muted shine surface for her floor, so we chose to use Tile Doctor Seal and Go.

Terracotta is made from clay which is quite a porous material so seven coats were needed to completely seal the floor. This would provide optimum fluid resistance along with the mid-sheen finish she had requested.

Here’s what the client had to say when we’d finished:

I am delighted with the work carried out. The terracotta tile floor of my kitchen was in a terrible state following a flood and it has been restored to an excellent condition. A very professional and personal service which I am happy to recommend.

Large Terracotta Tiled Floor After Cleaning Docking

Renovating Terracotta Floor Tiles in Norfolk

Flood Damaged Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor Rescued in Docking Read More »

Renovating a Water Damaged Riven Chinese Slate Floor in Shipdham

1 Comment / Dereham Tile Cleaning, Slate Tile Cleaning, Work History / Nick White

Slow leaking underfloor pipes are guaranteed to wreck the look of an expensive tiled floor and this is exactly what had happened at our client’s house in the village of Shipdham. The problem occurred in the Kitchen and due to the slow nature of the leak it was some time before the problem was diagnosed and repaired. This resulted in a huge damp problem affecting the riven Chinese Slate tiled floor, damaging the sealer and resulting in white efflorescence salts being regularly deposited across the whole area.

The old kitchen units had been removed and the floor partially excavated to access and repair the leaking pipework, after which a new section of slate tiles had been re-laid. The new and the old sections were noticeable, and part of my job would be to clean the old tiles to a standard where they would blend in with the new.

Riven Chinese Slate Floor Before Cleaning Shipdham

Cleaning a Riven Chinese Slate Floor in Shipdham

The first job was to deep-clean the floor using a strong solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean mixed with a small quantity of Tile Doctor Remove and Go, which would help to dissolve the damaged sealer. This poured onto the floor and left to soak in for ten minutes before being scrubbed into the slate with our rotary machine fitted with a brush attachment. This brush scrubs right into the uneven surface of the tiles and makes light work of what can be quite a physical job. This process releases a lot dirt and old sealer from the tile which is effectively removed using another machine that gives the floor a power rinse at the same time.

The grout lines and parts of the riven surface which were still soiled were cleaned by hand using angle head brushes and Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel, which is a concentrated version of Pro-Clean in gel form which makes it a lot easier to contain in a small area. Having satisfied ourselves that the floor was finally clean, we left it to dry thoroughly overnight with assistance from our dehumidifier.

Sealing Riven Chinese Slate Tiles in a Shipdham Kitchen

On our return the following day, we damp tested the floor and found that the moisture content was a little higher than we would have liked and this would certainly cause a problem with the standard Tile Doctor acrylic sealer which is water based. In our experience water-based sealers are often only successfully applied if the conditions are ideal and the moisture content of the stone is very low. We chose, therefore, to use a slightly different product in the form of Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra which is microporous and has a higher acrylic solids content than the standard product, making it ideal in situations where dampness in the tile is an issue but the client wants a sheen finish to make daily maintenance easier.

Six coats of Seal and Go Extra were applied in total, the result had the sheen finish the client wanted and the sealer enhanced the different colours in the slate in the process. The sealer will provide excellent on-going protection and being a fully breathable sealer, it will not be impacted by any damp issues as the floor dries out completely over time.

Riven Chinese Slate Floor After Cleaning Shipdham

With the work completed it the whole floor looked great and it was difficult to spot the repair, our client was certainly happy with the result and made the following comment:

Fantastic service and outstanding results. Our slate floor looks amazing. Very happy
Clair R, Shipdham

Deep Cleaning and Sealing an Old Slate Tiled Floor in Norfolk

Renovating a Water Damaged Riven Chinese Slate Floor in Shipdham Read More »

Dirty Terracotta Floor Tiles Cleaned and Sealed in Hales

1 Comment / Norwich Tile Cleaning, Terracotta Tile Cleaning, Work History / Nick White

How the Terracotta floor tiles at this property in the Village of Hales, Norfolk became quite so comprehensively dirty in so short a time, we will never know. We were contacted by the new owner, a lady who had become so distressed by the state of the floor in the house she had recently bought that she was seriously considering ripping up the entire area of tiling and replacing it. Remarkable particularly because the property had been restored only a couple of years ago, the kitchen and hallway being laid with new terracotta tiles.

The entire surface was deeply ingrained with soiling and the pointing lines were filthy, despite there being evidence of some kind of topical sealer having been applied at the time of installation. It quickly became obvious during testing that the sealer had been applied very sparingly and had mostly worn away, leaving a badly compromised fluid and soiling resistance with a dull and dirty finish which refused to clean up when mopped.

Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning Hales

Deep Cleaning Terracotta Floor Tile in Hales

The tiles turned out to be made of a fairly soft terracotta which meant that we were able to deep-clean them extremely effectively using a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean (one part Pro-Clean to two parts water). A strong dilution was required to remove what remained of the old sealer in the less used areas and strip the surface back to the bare tile.

The Pro-Clean was left to soak into the floor for about ten minutes before being worked in using our heavy rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad. The resulting slurry being power rinsed and vacuumed away with our 400psi Ninja machine. All the dirt and virtually all of the old sealer was removed at this stage; the remaining patches around the edges of the area being finished by hand with a 200-grit hand-held burnishing block. The pointing lines were then cleaned by hand with neat Pro-Clean and an angled grout brush.

Finally, the deep-seated oil stains in front of the cooker were brought out using Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel which was left to dwell on the marks for an hour before being agitated with a diamond burnishing pad and rinsed away with the Ninja machine. The floor was then left to dry thoroughly overnight with assistance from our dehumidifier.

Sealing Terracotta Floor Tile in Hales

Owing to the softness and consequently high porosity of the substrate, we realised that it could take up to ten coats or more of our chosen sealer in order to achieve the level of shine our client had requested so that the daily mopping would be effective.

Our usual solution to enable us to complete the work in one day would be to apply a coat of penetrating Tile Doctor Colour Grow sealer to the tiles first, followed by up to five coats of topical sealer which would provide the finish, but because our client loved the new lighter colour of the cleaned tiles, Colour Grow was not an option as it is designed to enrich and thereby slightly darken the colour.

The solution therefore was to apply a single coat of Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal which, like Colour Grow, is a solvent-based penetrating sealer but doesn’t alter the colour of the material. This was followed by five coats of Seal & Go to further improve the fluid resistance and provide the mid-sheen finish required.

Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor After Cleaning Hales

At the end of the job we had a very happy client whose actual words were: “thank you so much for restoring my faith in my floor!”

Renovating Terracotta Floor Tiles in Norfolk

Dirty Terracotta Floor Tiles Cleaned and Sealed in Hales Read More »

Renovating Reclaimed Slate Floor Tiles in Wreningham

1 Comment / Norwich Tile Cleaning, Slate Tile Cleaning, Work History / Nick White

When the old Rowntree Mackintosh sweet factory at Chapelfield in Norwich was closed down and eventually demolished, our client acquired a quantity of the beautiful green/black slate flooring tiles which had formed part of the reception area of the plant. They had laid these tiles edge to edge with no grouting in their large kitchen/dining room extension at their home in the village of Wreningham and the result was perhaps one of the most impressive examples of high-quality slate flooring we have ever seen in any location.

The Slate floor tiles had been protected against oil and fluid spillages with the application of a penetrating sealer after installation at the property but, over the ensuing years, there had been some inevitable degradation of the sealer and the entire area was now in need of a thorough deep-clean and reseal in order to remove the coating of general grime, bring out the strikingly deep colour and restore the stain resistance.

Cleaning a Slate tiled floor

As there was no topical finish to remove, we proceeded to deep-clean the surface of the tiles using Tile Doctor Pro Clean at a less powerful mix ratio of 1-part water to 5-parts cleaner. This solution was applied to the tiles and left to soak in for ten minutes before being worked in using a black scrubbing pad fitted to our rotary machine.

The resulting muddy slurry was then power rinsed off the floor with water and then extracted with our Ninja machine which has a very powerful vacuum. The high pH product was so effective, no further cleaning was necessary.

The whole area was then dried thoroughly using two large industrial fans which dramatically reduced the drying time, enabling us to move onto sealing later that afternoon. We don’t normally recommend cleaning and sealing in the same day as the floor has to be dry before sealing however in this case we were able to progress through the cleaning process much quicker than anticipated.

Slate Tiled Floor in Wreningham During Sealing

Sealing a Slate Tiled Floor

Before sealing the floor was spot tested in different places using a moisture meter. All was well, so a single coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow was applied to the Slate tiles. Colour Grow is a penetrating sealer that seeps into the pores of the stone protecting it from with and as its name suggests also intensified the natural black/green colours of the slate in the process.

Once the first coat was dried I followed up with three coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go, which further enriched the colour and provided a pleasing mid-sheen finish to the floor surface.

The whole process really put the life back in the stone floor and the tiles which were once dull now look vibrant and colourful.

Deep Cleaning and Sealing an Old Slate Tiled Floor in Norfolk

Renovating Reclaimed Slate Floor Tiles in Wreningham Read More »

Restoring a Carpet Covered Sandstone Hallway in Carbrooke

1 Comment / Sandstone Tile Cleaning, Watton Tile Cleaning, Work History / Nick White

This was perhaps the most challenging restoration we have been presented with to date.
The work involved removing carpet and underlay from a long Yorkstone tiled hallway at a beautiful old Grange in Carbrooke on the outskirts of Watton and restoring the flagstones to their original glory. These pavers are a type of Sandstone, a carboniferous sedimentary rock consisting of quartz, mica, feldspar, clay and iron oxides quarried in Yorkshire and having a rich sandy colour with a slightly sparkling surface.

On lifting the carpet, we found, to our dismay, that the rubber-backed underlay had been firmly stuck down to the surface of the stone with what appeared to be a thick layer of yellowing impact adhesive which covered the entire area right up to the thresholds and skirting boards.

Yorkstone Hallway Restoration Carbrooke Carpet Removed Revealing Underlay

Yorkstone Hallway Restoration Carbrooke Underlay Peeled Back Revealing Glue

Stripping Carpet Adhesive off a Sandstone tiled floor

Our first task was to remove as much of the underlay by hand using sharp-bladed scrapers and a heck of a lot of elbow grease. Having done this, the next step was to cover the remaining adhesive layer with a specialist water-based stripper which was applied by brush and allowed to react for an hour. The result was an incredibly sticky substance with the consistency of chewing gum which we had to painstakingly remove inch by inch with paint scrapers. This process had to be repeated twice as even the specialist stripper couldn’t cope with the sheer volume of goo in a single application. The floor was then left overnight to dry out and settle down.

Yorkstone Hallway Restoration Carbrooke Applying Stripper

Yorkstone Hallway Restoration Carbrooke Scraping Away Softened Glue

The following day, we deep-cleaned the whole area using very strong mix of Tile Doctor Pro Clean and Remove & Go, scrubbed in with a rotary machine fitted with a black stripping pad. Four pads were used up in this process as they quickly became clogged with the thick slurry which was then power rinsed and vacuumed away from the floor. Any remaining patches of the glue were further softened using Tile Doctor Nanotech HBU Remover and carefully picked off by hand with the bladed scrapers.

Yorkstone Hallway Restoration Carbrooke Deep Cleaning

Yorkstone Hallway Restoration Carbrooke Stone Surface After Deep Cleaning

Finally, the slabs were finished using a brush fitted to the rotary machine with 320 grit honing powder to achieve a smooth, silky and very clean surface before being power rinsed with plenty of clean water. Again, the floor was left to dry thoroughly overnight with the assistance of our large capacity dehumidifier and thermostatic hot air blower.

Sealing a Sandstone tiled floor

Returning the following day, we found that the dehumidifier and heater had done their job and the sandstone was ready for sealing, the moisture content having been brought down to an average of 10% overall as shown by our damp meter testing.

The client had requested a light shine on the floor so that it would be easy to maintain on a daily basis. We chose, therefore, to use Tile Doctor Seal & Go, a combination sealer with a mid-sheen topical finish, which we applied using paint pads and microfibre cloths in five thin coats, resulting in an excellent fluid resistant seal with a lustrous shine.

Yorkstone Hallway Restoration Carbrooke Applying Sealer To Edges

Yorkstone Hallway Restoration Carbrooke Finished Floor

This was a tough job but a highly satisfying result, further emphasised when the client’s antique furnishings were placed in situ.

Deep Cleaning and Restoration of a Sandstone Hallway in Norfolk

Restoring a Carpet Covered Sandstone Hallway in Carbrooke Read More »

Restoring Neglected Victorian Hallway Tiles in Norwich

1 Comment / Norwich Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Work History / Nick White

There are thousands of Victorian tiled hallways in and around Norwich and I often get called to work on them, however this was a particularly abused and neglected example I thought you might find interesting. The surface had clearly been both painted red at some point (possibly with an old lead-based paint) and then completely covered with rubber-backed underlay and carpeted, a thick layer of double-sided carpet tape remaining firmly stuck in patches around all the edges of the floor area.

Victorian Hallway Floor Tiles Before Cleaning Norwich

Cleaning a Victorian tiled floor

Firstly, we cleaned the whole area using a strong solution (1:3) of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, which is a high alkaline stripper and cleaner, agitated with a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine. All products and slurry were then power rinsed and vacuumed away to reveal the improved floor.

There were still a significant number of glue patches and paint spots around the edges of the floor, so these were tackled using Tile Doctor Remove & Go, which softened them enough to enable us to remove them with a sharp-bladed scraper.

Unfortunately, the decaying rubber underlay had left a pattern on the tile surface which was most obvious at the doorway into the terracotta tiled kitchen. We almost completely removed this using Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel which being in gel form allows it work on the problem area longer. It was painted on a brush and kept moist for two hours under a layer of cling film which drew out virtually all the contaminant from the tile.

The next concern was that an original Victorian floor of this age would almost certainly have no damp proof membrane and an area near the front door which showed evidence of efflorescence salts was treated with Tile Doctor Acid Gel in order to remove the white deposits and further inhibit the production of more in the future.

The whole area was then lightly buffed using the rotary machine and a 1500 grit diamond pad with water in order to remove any remaining fine paint spots and restore a silky feel to the surface of the tiles before leaving the floor to dry overnight with assistance from our dehumidifier.

Sealing a Victorian tiled floor

When we returned the following morning, our damp meter showed us that the moisture content in the substrate was probably going to be too high to allow us to use an acrylic sealer to provide the sheen which the client had requested; so we decided to spray-buff the floor using a 3000 grit diamond pad on the rotary machine followed by the application of Tile Doctor Colour Grow, a colour enhancing penetrating sealer which sits just below the surface of the tile and leaves no visible finish. Finally, the whole floor was spray buffed to a low sheen with a white maintenance pad on the rotary machine and any resulting dust vacuumed away.

Victorian Hallway Floor Tiles After Cleaning Norwich

The Victorian tiles now look fantastic and have become a great asset to the property as original features like these are very sought after.

Deep Cleaning and Restoration of Old Victorian Tiles in Norfolk

Restoring Neglected Victorian Hallway Tiles in Norwich Read More »

Restoring an 18th Century Norfolk Pamment Tiled Floor in Wymondham

1 Comment / Attleborough Tile Cleaning, Terracotta Tile Cleaning, Work History / Nick White

The client’s requirement for this particular job was to clean and restore a very old and porous Pamment tiled floor in the dining room of an old house in the Norfolk Market town of Wymondham. My client impressed upon me the need to restore the floor without removing any of its considerable character and to provide a high degree of fluid and stain resistance which I was confident would not be an issue having worked on similar floors before.

Pamment Dining Room Floor Tiles Before Cleaning Wymondham

The floor originally dated from the late 18th century and had clearly suffered many years of abuse and neglect; there was evidence that at one time, the entire area had been covered by linoleum which appeared to have been stuck down with a type of hide glue, leaving large patches of the adhesive firmly stuck to the surface of the tiles.

Pamment tiles are very popular in Suffolk and Norfolk homes and I often come across them; they are made from clay and, like Terracotta, are porous and therefore need to be sealed to prevent ingrained dirt. Pamments are quite versatile however and can be used for internal floors and external surfaces like patios.

Cleaning a Pamment tiled floor

The first stage of the renovation was to apply a strong dilution (1:2) of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean to the whole area which was scrubbed in with a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad. The resulting slurry was power-rinsed and vacuumed away using our Ninja machine which makes light work of these tasks.

Tile Doctor Remove & Go was then applied to the remaining patches of paint and glue and allowed to remain in contact for thirty minutes before being scrubbed again with the black pad and rinsed with clean water. A few particularly stubborn glue patches were finally dispatched by steaming after the application of Tile Doctor Nanotech HBU Remover. The cleaning being complete, the odd bits of missing pointing were replaced using a grey-coloured fast-cure compound and the whole area was left to dry thoroughly overnight with the assistance of our large capacity dehumidifier.

Sealing a Pamment tiled floor

Returning the following day, the floor was tested for moisture content using a damp meter to ensure that the chosen sealer’s performance wouldn’t be adversely affected by the presence of too much water in the substrate, particularly bearing in mind that there certainly wouldn’t be a damp proof membrane present in a floor of this age.

The dehumidifier has done its job and I was able to start the sealing process with a single coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer that works by occupying the pores in the tile so dirt cannot. Colour Grow is also a moisture-tolerant, breathable sealer that has the additional benefit of enhancing the colours within this kiln-fired tile without affecting the look and feel of the surface.

Our clients had said that they would prefer a slight shine to the flooring if possible, so a further three coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go were then applied to the whole area which provided maximum fluid resistance with a mid-sheen finish which would make daily cleaning much easier and more effective.

Pamment Dining Room Floor Tiles After Cleaning Wymondham

The client was really pleased with the transformation and left the following comment.
“Almost unbelievable; the results are far beyond what we hoped might be possible with our badly neglected dining room floor. Many, many thanks.”

Deep Cleaning and Restoration of Old Pamment Tiles in Norfolk

Restoring an 18th Century Norfolk Pamment Tiled Floor in Wymondham Read More »

Terracotta Tiled Church Floor Renovated in Eaton Village

1 Comment / Norwich Tile Cleaning, Terracotta Tile Cleaning, Work History / Nick White

St Andrews church serves a large congregation in Eaton Village which is located just outside the city of Norwich on the south side. A sizeable extension was built onto the old church in the 1980s to accommodate the ever-increasing number of people wanting to attend and it was in this part of the building where a problem had developed with the Terracotta tiled flooring.

The tiles chosen by the architect were made from a surprisingly soft terracotta clay which had been sealed with an oil-based product (probably Osmo Polyx Oil or similar) but the coating generally had worn away badly, particularly along the main foot traffic lane up the aisle to the altar. The overall appearance was extremely tired and dull with wide lanes of ground-in dirt.

The clients asked us to clean the floor and replace the thin oil finish with something more durable and easy to maintain.

Terracotta Floor Tiles Before Renovation St Andrews Church Eaton Norfolk

Deep Cleaning Terracotta Church Tiles

Our first job was to remove the now very patchy finish and deep-clean the entire surface of the floor. This was achieved using a strong solution of Tile Doctor Pro Clean mixed with a generous quantity of Tile Doctor Remove & Go. The combined solution was left to soak into the Terracotta tile and grout for about twenty minutes before being agitated with a green scrubbing pad fitted to our rotary machine. The tile was so soft I felt that a black pad would probably have been too harsh and may have damaged some of the religious symbols which had been moulded into a number of individual tiles.

The resulting clay, dirt and sealer slurry was then power rinsed and vacuumed away with our Ninja machine. These machines force hot water under high pressure onto the floor and then extracts the resulting soiled water away with suction. It was an expensive investment for the company, but it certainly makes work like this much easier.

Any remaining soiling in the grout lines was removed by hand using Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel which is a more powerful but manageable gel form of Pro Clean. Also, there were a few really stubborn areas in the corners where the oil finish had pooled and hardened during application. To deal with these and completely remove the shiny patches it was necessary to use a 100-grit hand-held diamond block.

After a final rinse to remove any trace of cleaning product the whole floor was left to dry off overnight, assisted by two industrial fans and a commercial dehumidifier.

Sealing Terracotta Church Tiles in Eaton village

On returning to the church after the previous day’s cleaning, we spot tested the tiles across the whole floor area and found that the fans and dehumidifier had done their job and the substrate was easily dry enough to accept a sealer. We knew that a damp proof membrane had been laid under the floor at the point of installation, so moisture ingress wasn’t going to be a problem. What was an issue however was the high porosity of the clay tile now that it had been stripped of ingrained dirt and the old sealer.

I usually apply Tile Doctor Seal and Go to Terracotta tiles as it leaves the floor with an attractive subtle sheen, however we realised that the floor would probably soak up around a dozen coats or more if applied directly. With this in mind we decided to start with the application of two base coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow. Colour Grow is a penetrating sealer that would occupy the pores of the Terracotta tile, protecting it from within whilst enhancing the natural colour of the clay at the same time. This was then followed by six coats of Seal and Go which enabled us to achieve the desired level of durability and sheen.

Terracotta Floor Tiles After Renovation St Andrews Church Eaton Norfolk

When we had finished the work, this is what the client had to say:

“After careful consideration of several contractors, it was decided that Nicholas White provided the most sympathetic solution to our flooring needs and at a competitive price. The work was completed as promised with minimum fuss. At all times Nicholas and his staff worked in a professional manner and were totally respectful of their sensitive surroundings.

We were very satisfied with the final work and would have no hesitation in recommending this contractor to other potential clients. J Holmes, Warden St Andrews Eaton.”

Terracotta Church Floor Renovation in Norfolk

Terracotta Tiled Church Floor Renovated in Eaton Village Read More »

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