Neutral Tile Cleaner Archives - Norfolk Tile Doctor

Travertine Hallway Floor Renovation Earlham

Grubby Unfilled Travertine Hallway Floor Renovated in Earlham

This client from the Norwich suburb of Earlham got in touch earlier this year for help with their Travertine hallway floor. The travertine was the unfilled variety and overtime the pits which are a natural feature of travertine became magnets for dirt which the owner had struggled to remove.

Travertine Hallway Floor Before Cleaning Earlham

I’ve included a photograph above where you can see just how heavily soiled the deep pits had become, resulting in very dark and un-attractive staining. Less evident from the photograph were several light scratches hiding under the dirt that the client also wanted addressing.

Sometimes I can quote for the renovation of a floor from photographs and measurements but in this case, I felt it best to do a detailed survey of the tiles to understand the full nature of the work that would be needed and the clients’ expectations.

I quoted for deep cleaning the travertine tiles and grout lines, burnishing the stone to remove surface scratches, filling the larger pits and then finally sealing the floor to give a low-sheen finish that they wanted. Happy with the comprehensive plan and confident I was able to produce the result they wanted, the quote was agreed and a date set.

Renovating a Pitted Travertine Tiled Floor

To get the floor clean I started by focusing on the grout lines which were sprayed with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and left it to soak for ten minutes. Then using a long-handled grout brush the solution was vigorously scrubbed into the grout lines to release the dirt.

Next, attention turned to the Travertine tiles which were sprayed using the same Tile Doctor Pro-Clean solution. Again, I waited ten minutes before scrubbing in the solution but this time I used a heavy 40kg Klindex rotary machine fitted with an additional 20kg of weight and a coarse 60-grit carbide brush. All this weight ensures excellent traction with the floor and maximum contact with the pad to release all the dirt. The resultant slurry was then extracted with triple-vac Klindex wet vacuum. As you can see, I’m a fan of having the right equipment for the job as it saves time and guarantee’s the best outcome.

The floor was then inspected; any stubborn areas were treated with more Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and hand scrubbing until I was confident the Travertine tile and grout was as clean as it could be.

To further improve the floor and remove light scratches I went over each tile with a 400-grit burnishing pad worked in with honing powder and lubricated with water to produce a low-sheen finish. Once done the larger pits were filled with BAL Jasmine flexible fine-joint grout which was a good colour match to the beige travertine tiles.

Sealing Travertine Floor Tiles

The floor was allowed to dry overnight, and I returned the next day to seal with two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which has a colour enhancing formula that helps to bring out the brown tones in the Travertine. It is also a hard-wearing impregnator that works by filling the pores in the stone to ensure dirt remains on the surface where it can be easily cleaned away with a pH neutral tile cleaner like Tile Doctor Stone Soap.

Travertine Hallway Floor After Deep Cleaning and Sealing Earlham

The floor looked so much cleaner and lighter once complete, and the now filled pits will prevent the accumulation of dirt. My client was impressed and delighted with their better-than-new pristine travertine floor which will prove much easier to maintain going forward.

On the topic of maintenance cleaning, I recommended the use of another Tile Doctor product called Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a neutral Ph cleaner that’s safe to use on sealed floors.

Professional Restoration of a Travertine Tiled Hallway in Norwich

Grubby Unfilled Travertine Hallway Floor Renovated in Earlham Read More »

Victorian School House Terracotta Floor Renovation Potter Heigham

Renovating an Old Terracotta Floor at a Victorian School House in Potter Heigham

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

This converted Victorian schoolhouse in Potter Heigham on the Norfolk Broads had a lovely old Red and Black Terracotta tiled floor which had been badly maintained over the years. The owner wanted to use the original tiled floor and so I was asked to pop by and quote for its renovation.

The Terracotta floor was in what was originally the cloakroom of the school however, at some point in its long history, it had been covered with self-levelling compound and vinyl. As part of the work there were some large areas of cement infill and an old toilet waste to remove. After discussing it with the client it was decided to leave the cement in place and disguise it with paint. My preference was to remove the cement and replace with tiles however that would have been a lot of extra work and more expense.

Victorian School House Floor Before Cleaning Cement Infill Potter Heigham

Victorian School House Floor Before Cleaning Redundant Toilet Waste Potter Heigham

Having agreed the scope of the renovation I worked out a quote which was accepted and a date set for our return.

Cleaning and Repairing a Victorian Terracotta Tiled Floor

The old toilet waste was cut out using an angle grinder and then backfilled with sand and cement level to the surrounding cement base. The floor was then cleaned up and left to dry out overnight.

Victorian School House Floor Infilled Before Honing Potter Heigham

The next day the remnants of the self-levelling compound were scraped away from the tiles and then cleaned off with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove & Go. The solution was left to soak into the tiles for ten minutes before being worked in with a Klindex rotary fitted with a coarse 80-grit silicon carbide brush. 40kg of extra weight was added to the machine to increase traction with the tiles. The floor was then rinsed and extracted using an industrial wet vacuum.

Victorian-School-House-Floor-During-Honing-with-Carbide-Brush-Potter-Heigham

Victorian School House Floor Picking Up Honed Slurry Potter Heigham

Some of the self-levelling compound proved stubborn so these areas were then spot treated with a hand-held polisher fitted with a 3″ 100-grit pad. Once I was satisfied the floor was clear, the surface of the tiles were then further refined with a 200-grit diamond pad fitted to the Klindex.

The last step in the cleaning process was to give the floor an Acid Wash using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up diluted 10:1. This further cleans up the tiles, neutralises the pH level of the floor after the use of Tile Doctor Remove and Go which is a strong alkaline and counters efflorescence salts which is a common problem with older floors. After a final rinse and extraction with the wet vacuum the floor was left to dry off overnight.

The next day the sections of missing tile were painted in a matching shade of Terracotta and Black using Sandtex masonry paint. The effect worked quite well and once sealed I was confident that it would be difficult to spot.

Victorian School House Floor Red Painted-in Awaiting Black Potter Heigham

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Cloakroom

Once the paint had dried, the floor was checked with a damp meter in several places to ensure it had dried. Applying sealer to a damp floor can result in patchiness so it’s always worth checking.

The moisture readings were positive and so work to sealing the floor started with the application of Tile Doctor Seal & Go Extra. This is a modern acrylic sealer that gives a nice finish and is fully breathable (allows for moisture transmission) which is an important consideration when selecting a sealer for an old floor which doesn’t have a damp proof membrane. Terracotta is a very porous material, so it managed to absorb seven coats of sealer before I was satisfied it was fully sealed.

Victorian School House Floor After Renovation Potter Heigham

The results were transformative and given its age and amount of wear these tiles had seen in the past I think it came out very well. The most important thing is my clients were pleased and left the following feedback:

“The floor looks stunning! Nick and Sally did an amazing job restoring the Victorian tiles in our old school. They worked so hard to deal with the stubborn levelling compound and the final result is way beyond what we thought could be achieved. It was a pleasure to have them working in our house. They are very dedicated to their work and take great pride in it. Thank you!”

Before leaving I took time to discuss maintenance cleaning and recommended the use of a Neutral Tile Cleaning product to clean the floor such as Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner. Many of the floor cleaning products you find in supermarkets are too strong and simply not suitable for use on sealed tiles.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Cloakroom in Norfolk

Renovating an Old Terracotta Floor at a Victorian School House in Potter Heigham Read More »

Terracotta Tiled Conservatory Floor Renovation Ashmanhaugh Wroxham

Modern Terracotta Tiled Floor Cleaned and Sealed in Ashmanhaugh

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

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 »

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 »

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 »