Deep Cleaning Tiles Archives - Norfolk Tile Doctor

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

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

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

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