Tile Restoration Archives - Gloucester Tile Doctor

Terracotta Kitchen Floor Renovation Dursley

Maintaining a Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor in Dursley

A homeowner in my local town of Dursley got in touch about their Terracotta tiled kitchen floor. The tiles had become dull and lost had lost their appeal, unhappy with the way it looked they booked me into to pop round and take a look.

Being so local it wasn’t long before I was able to pay them a visit and survey the floor. Whilst there I conducted a cleaning test to work out which products would work the best and they were surprised about how well it came up.

Terracotta Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning Dursley

I diagnosed that the sealer on the Terracotta had been worn away and was not allowing dirt to become ingrained in the tile. I worked out a quote for deep cleaning the tile and then re-sealing it, which they were happy with and I was booked into to do the whole floor.

Deep Cleaning a Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor

Prior to my arrival I had worked out which products I would need to renovate the floor and they ordered these directly from Tile Doctor so everything would be ready for work to start.

A lot of water is used during the cleaning process so before starting work protective tape was applied to all the kitchen units and adjacent carpets covered with dust sheets. Then to get the tiles clean a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean was applied to the tiles and left to soak in for fifteen minutes, this gives it time to break down the soils. The floor was then scrubbed with a Black pad fitted to a rotary machine, to lift the dirt out of the tiles. The grout lines were also cleaned using more Pro-Clean and a stiff brush.

The soils were then rinsed off with more water and extracted with a wet vacuum twice but I moved onto giving the floor an acid rinse. This is done with a dilution of Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up which is brushed into the floor and then extracted. This is a further step to clean the floor but it also neutralises the floor after the use of Pro-Clean which is a strong alkaline cleaner.

After another rinse the floor was dried as much as possible using the wet vacuum and then dried with air blowers prior to covering with dust sheets. The floor needed time to dry out so this will keep the floor clean before I return to apply the sealer.

Terracotta Kitchen Floor After Cleaning Dursley

Sealing a Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor

A lot of water was used during the cleaning process and Terracotta is notoriously porous so I left the floor to dry out for three days before returning. The dust sheets were removed and the floor given a sweep before starting on the application of the sealer.

Having discussed choice of sealer with the customer earlier we chosen Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra to seal the floor with, it works really well on Terracotta and adds a nice subtle sheen to the tile. As mentioned, Terracotta is very porous so it took the application of seven coats before I was satisfied the tiles were fully sealed.

Terracotta Kitchen Floor After Cleaning Sealing Dursley

My customer was delighted with the result and commented it looked like a new floor. I certainly thought so; however, my pictures were not the best this time round and don’t really do the floor justice.

For aftercare I recommended they should use Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a mild but effective cleaner that’s sealer safe and designed for cleaning sealed tile and stone.

Professional Renovation of a Terracotta Tiled Kitchen in Gloucestershire

Maintaining a Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor in Dursley Read More »

Edwardian Tiled Hallway Floor Restoration Dursley

Edwardian Hallway Floor Tile Restoration in Dursley

1 Comment / Dursley Tile Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning / Malcolm Crowther

This client from Dursley got in touch regarding their hallway floor tiling which had been badly damaged in two sections during the installation of heating pipework. With the tile and base chopped out the pipes has been laid and backfilled with concrete up to the level of the original floor so it could be covered with laminate. The property was Edwardian and now unhappy with the laminate wanted the floor restored to its original state.

Edwardian Tiled Hallway Floor Before Restoration Dursley

I’m based in Dursley so it wasn’t long before I was able to head over to the property and recommend a way forward. Having inspected the problems first hand I was able to create an accurate quote that would involve removing the backfilled concrete, bringing up the base to the right level and then replacing the missing tiles with matching. The whole floor could then be deep cleaned and sealed to ensure the new tiles matched perfectly with the existing. My quote was accepted, and a date agreed for the work to commence which would take four days.

Cleaning and Repairing an Edwardian Tiled Hallway Floor

Before starting the work, I had managed to source replacements, sizing can be a problem with these older imperial sized tiles however they are usually not too difficult to find.

The first day started with the removal of concrete from the damaged area, this proved difficult as there were water pipes just under the surface and naturally, I didn’t want to disturb these. So with just the use of hand tools I moved slowly and carefully to remove the concrete. Before leaving I brought up the level of the exposed subfloor using self-levelling cement which covered the exposed pipework and formed a level flat base on which I could fix the replacement tiles

Day two was spent tiling, followed by grouting. It wasn’t a large area but there were some intricate cuts to manage and a black and white chequered border to replace. Needless to say, this took up most of the day.

Edwardian Tiled Hallway Floor During Restoration Dursley

I left the floor to settle a couple of days then returned to deep clean the hallway using Tile Doctor Acid Gel worked in with a 200-grit pad fitted to a buffing machine. This was then rinsed off with minimal water and extracted with a wet vacuum. The floor was inspected and any stubborn areas re-treated. After a quick final rinse and extract the floor was left to dry off fully.

You do have to be careful with these old floors which don’t have a damp proof membrane though as using too much water can take a long time to dry out, hence the use of a gel cleaning product and minimal water.

Sealing an Edwardian Tiled Hallway Floor

Once cleaned I left the floor to dry out for 2 days before returning. I know from experience its not a good idea to apply sealer to a damp floor as the results can be patchy so its always a good idea to allow plenty of time for this.

To seal the floor, I used multiple coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra which has a modern acrylic formula that will allow the floor to breathe and ensure any moisture can pass through the tile and evaporate at the surface. The sealer will protect the tiles from dirt becoming ingrained in its pores and enhance their appearance; the new sealer also makes it easier for the new and old tiles to blend better.

Edwardian Tiled Hallway Floor After Restoration Dursley

My client was very pleased with the transformation and so happy that the floor had been restored to its original condition. Before leaving I took time to discuss aftercare and for this floor I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner, it’s a mild but effective cleaner that is ideal for maintaining sealed tiles.

Professional Restoration of an Edwardian Tiled Hallway in Gloucestershire

Edwardian Hallway Floor Tile Restoration in Dursley Read More »

Plaster Stained Victorian Hallway Floor Tile Renovation Stonehouse

Plaster Stained Victorian Tiled Hallway Renovated in Stonehouse

1 Comment / Stroud Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning / Malcolm Crowther

This client from the town of Stonehouse near Stroud contacted us about their Victorian tiled hallway following a recommendation by a neighbour. She wanted to get the floor renovated and had been struggling to find someone to complete the work. They had tried to clean the floor themselves but had little success and decided it was time to call in the experts.

Plaster Stained Victorian Hallway Floor Tiles Before Cleaning Stonehouse

The whole house was being renovated and unfortunately the contractor working on the hallway had not taken care to cover up the floor and it has subsequently become covered in all sorts of mess including a lot of plaster. I explained that it would not be an issue and was confident we could remove the plaster and renovate the floor back to health.

Happy with my quote we scheduled a date for our return which was following conclusion of the remaining renovation works.

Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

Before starting the renovation of her floor, the first job was to cover the walls and skirting with masking film to protect the newly plastered walls from splashing during cleaning. Next and with a focus on removing the plaster a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go was sprayed onto the tiles and left it to dwell for 10 minutes. Then using a Black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary buffing machine the solution was scrubbed into to remove as much of the plaster and old coatings etc as possible. Once done the resultant slurry was vacuumed away using a wet extraction vacuum.

The next step was to treat the floor to an Acid Wash using Tile Doctor Acid Gel which was left for 5 minutes and then worked in with a coarse 100-grit pad. This treatment has a lot of benefits for tiled floors and is great for removing old grout smears and other contaminates such as salt staining. The floor was then wet vacuumed again and the process repeated with a finer 200-grit pad.

After another wet vacuum to extract the slurry, the floor was rinsed with water and extracted again. The floor was then left for two days to allow it to fully dry off.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

On our return the floor was tested with the damp meter to check it was dry. The moisture readings were good, so I was happy to go ahead with the sealing process.

I had discussed a desired finish with the customer earlier and as a result Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra was chosen. This is a modern product that provides high stain resistance and is perfect for a hallway. It has a low sheen finish so does not make the floor too shiny, but allows the lovely colour of the tiles to shine through. Two coats of sealer were applied leaving each one to dry before the next was applied.

Plaster Stained Victorian Hallway Floor Tiles After Renovation Stonehouse

My client was amazed how well it came up and delighted that the contractors had not ruined her floor! For aftercare cleaning I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner to maintain the floor going forward, this is an effective yet gentle tile cleaning product that won’t damage the sealer.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in Gloucestershire

Plaster Stained Victorian Tiled Hallway Renovated in Stonehouse Read More »

Quarry Tiled Floor Before After Vinyl Removal Filton

Restoring Quarry Tiles Hidden Under Vinyl Flooring in Filton

1 Comment / Filton Tile Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Work History / Malcolm Crowther

This client who lives in Filton had been informed by the previous owner of his property that there was a Quarry tiled floor in the Kitchen but it had been covered up with stone effect Vinyl flooring. Keen to have it removed and have the original Quarry tiles brought back to life we were contacted to see if it could be done.

I visited the property to survey the floor and work out a plan for the restoration. The lino was heavily stuck in place with about 5mm of adhesive so I could see this was going to be no easy restoration. It would be necessary to remove, the floor, adhesive compound and cement beneath it.

Lino Covered Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor Before Restoration in Filton

I discussed the project with the client the project, explaining it was difficult to ascertain how long it would take but anticipated it would be around three days. The process would involve stripping off the Vinyl tiles, removing the adhesive, deep cleaning the Quarry tiles and the apply a sealer to protect them. The client agreed my quote and we arranged a convenient date to return to make a start.

Stripping Stone Effect Vinyl from a Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor

After removing the kickboards from underneath, the kitchen units, and taping up the surrounding areas to protect them, I set about restoring the floor. I used a variety of different methods to remove the adhesive compound and cement but mainly hand tools and hard labour! After three long days we had managed to remove the Vinyl and one once all adhesive was removed it was starting to look like a Quarry tiled floor. It was actually quite rewarding to see the Quarry tiles emerge as we progressed.

Lino Covered Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor During Restoration in Filton

Once the Quarry tiled floor was fully exposed, I applied Tile Doctor Acid Gel which was worked in using a large buffing machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad. The soil was rinsed off with water and the waste extracted with a wet vacuum. I repeated this procedure until I was satisfied the floor was as clear of old adhesives and residue and as clean as possible. Actually, we had uncovered a really nice-looking floor, which considering the covering was generally in good condition. The floor was left for a few days to ensure it was totally dry, ready for the sealing process.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor

We used a lot of water during the cleaning process, so I left the floor to try out for two days before returning to apply the sealer. I had chosen to use Tile Doctor Colour Grow for the sealer; it leaves a matt finish whilst intensifying the natural colours in the tile. It works by occupying the pores in the tile thus preventing dirt from becoming trapped resulting in durable protection. It also allows the surface to breathe which is important on a floor of this age. We applied 2 coats to the tiles allowing each to dry before applying the next, the lovely colours of the floor were now enhanced.

Lino Covered Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor After Restoration in Filton

Our client was amazed at the results and so happy they were finally rid of the old lino which was passed its best. For aftercare I recommended they should use Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is designed for cleaning sealed tile and stone.

Professional Restoration of a Quarry Tiled Kitchen in Gloucestershire

Restoring Quarry Tiles Hidden Under Vinyl Flooring in Filton Read More »