Crosby Tile Cleaning Archives - Merseyside Tile Doctor

Cleaning and Restoring the Polish on a Marble Tiled Floor in Thornton

A client in the Merseyside village of Thornton asked me to come over to see what could be done about their Marble tiled floor which ran from the hallway into the kitchen and dining room. Over the years the Marble had lost its polished appearance which is not uncommon with polished stone as the shine does wear down with use.

Marble Floor Tiles Before Cleaning Thornton

It’s worth mentioning at this point that Tile Doctor offer a maintenance plan for owners of these types of floors whereby we pop in once a year for a few hours to bring up the polish on the floor and top up the sealer. Before I could offer that option though the floor needed to be stripped back, burnished and re-sealed.

Cleaning a Marble Polished Tiled Kitchen and Hallway Floor in Thornton

To start I gave the floor a wash with Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which was left to soak into the tile and grout for ten minutes before scrubbing it in with a black pad fitted to a rotary floor machine. Then a little water was added to the floor and the grout lines scrubbed by hand using a stiff brush. The dirt was then removed with a wet vacuum.

Marble Hallway Tiles During Cleaning Thornton

The next job was to add extra weight to the floor machine to improve contact with the Marble tiles during the next process of burnishing which involves the application of a set of diamond pads of increasingly finer grits. The first burnishing pad used was a 400-grit which removes light scratches and old sealers; water is used for lubrication and the pad is run over each of the tiles four times making sure to cover the full tile. Once done the floor is then rinsed off with water and the soiling generated is extracted with a wet vacuum.

This process is then repeated with a finer 800-grit pad and then a 1500-grit pad which further brings up the polish on the tile. The floor was rinsed and dried by wet vacuum and then left to dry off completely overnight.

Sealing Marble Polished Tiled Kitchen and Hallway Floor

The next day I applied the last Tile Doctor Burnishing Pad which is a very fine 3000-grit pad, this time applied with only a spray of water which is a process we refer to as a spray burnish. This last pad builds on the polished appearance of the marble really bringing up the shine.

The final step was to seal the Marble floor using several coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer that protects the tiles and improves colour. Once dry the floor was given a buff with a White buffing pad leaving a deep shine to the floor.

Marble Floor Tiles After Burnishing Thornton

Once complete the floor looked fantastic, the grout was much cleaner and the Marble had a deep shine you could see your reflection in. The client was delighted with the outcome and I’ve made a note to get in touch with them next year about a maintenance visit. In the meantime, I’ve recommended they clean the floor with Tile Doctor Stone Soap which is ideal for maintaining the patina on polished stone floors.

Professional Restoration of a Polished Marble Tiled Hallway and Kitchen in Merseyside

Cleaning and Restoring the Polish on a Marble Tiled Floor in Thornton Read More »

Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovated Formby

Cleaning a Large Terracotta Tiled Floor in Formby

1 Comment / Crosby Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Terracotta Tile Cleaning / Andrew Robb

We were asked to quote for the cleaning of a large Terracotta tiled floor in at a property in Formby which consisted of a Kitchen/Diner and Conservatory. The client reported that the floor was grubby and had lost its shine so I organised a visit to the property to survey the floor and work out a solution for them.

Terracotta Tiled Floor Before Renovation Formby

I always prefer to arrange a site visit so I can assess the work required and come up with a more accurate quote should the client decide to go ahead. I’ve seen floors in worse condition and the photos below on this page don’t highlight the problems that much, but it was clear to me that dirt was penetrating the pores of the tile making difficult to keep clean.

I carried out a test clean on a small area of tiling which came up very well. The client was suitably impressed and was happy to go ahead with the quote which would take two days, one to clean and one to apply a fresh protective sealer.

Cleaning Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Diner and Conservatory Floor

On day one the first job was to spray the floor with Tile Doctor Wax Away which is designed to remove the wax and old polish that was previously in place. This was left to dwell and soak into the tile and grout for twenty minutes and was then scrubbed in with a weighted floor buffer fitted a black pad and lubricated with water.

The grout lines were hand scrubbed with a wire brush and the resulting slurry was then removed with a wet vacuum. Once done the floor was inspected and any further areas were spot treated as required.

When I was satisfied the Terracotta tile and grout were as clean as they could be I gave the floor a final rinse with water to remove any trace of cleaning products and dried the floor as much as possible using the wet vacuum. The floor was then left to dry off overnight.

Sealing a Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Diner and Conservatory Floor

The following morning, moisture readings were taken from the floor to make sure it was dry enough for sealing. The readings were satisfactory so we began the process of applying the sealer.

For this floor Tile Doctor Seal and Go was applied using a paint pad leaving each coat to dry before applying the next. Seal and Go is a water-based sealer that results in a pleasant low sheen finish that’s ideal for Terracotta floors, it took seven coats of sealer to fully seal the floor.

Terracotta Tiled Floor After Renovation Formby

The clean floor and new subtle shine went down well with our client who was over the moon with the appearance. Before leaving we discussed how to maintain the floor for which we recommend the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner. This product is pH neutral and will not damage the newly applied seal unlike some of the stronger regular household cleaners on the market. Kitchens and Conservatory floors tend to get a lot of use so it’s worth having the right cleaning regime in place to keep it in great condition.

Professional Renovation of a Large Terracotta Floor in Merseyside

Cleaning a Large Terracotta Tiled Floor in Formby Read More »

Wood Effect Ceramic Tile Planks Grout Haze Renovation Birkdale

Removing Grout Haze from Wood Effect Ceramic Planks in Birkdale

1 Comment / Ceramic Tile Cleaning, Crosby Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Andrew Robb

We were contacted by a property owner in Birkdale near Southport who recently had a large kitchen extension built with wood effect Ceramic tiles on the floor. Unfortunately, the builder struggled to remove all the grout from the tiles, and this left the floor in a bit of a state. Grout haze or grout smears as it is often called can be a huge problem when laying tiles, it needs to be polished off quickly after installation and even more so if your using a modern quick drying grout.

Wood Effect Ceramic Planks Birkdale Kitchen Floor Before Grout Haze Removal

This is quite a common problem, and we are often asked to resolve tile installation problems of one variety or another. Sometimes we can use an acid-based product such as Tile Doctor Acid Gel or Grout Clean-up which can break down the grout so it can be rinsed away and extracted. Modern polymer grouts which offer improved flexibility and adhesion are trickier and will require a different approach. I wouldn’t recommend the use of acidic products on natural stone however as it can etch the stone thereby causing more problems than it solves, fortunately these tiles were Ceramic.

I conducted a quick test with Grout Clean-up, and it responded well, so I could see removing the grout haze wasn’t going to be problem in this case.

Removing Grout Haze from Wood Effect Ceramic Tiles

I diluted one part Grout Clean-up with two parts water and mopped into onto the floor and left to dwell for a couple of minutes. The solution was then scrubbed into the tile using a buffing machine fitted with a black pad to loosen the grout haze adding more water as needed. The buffing machine was run over the floor once more and the liquids removed using a wet vacuum.

Wood Effect Ceramic Planks Birkdale Kitchen Floor During Grout Haze Removal

The ceramic tiles were then speed dried using floor fans so I could review the result and repeat the process where required. Once I was happy all the grout haze had been removed, I gave the floor dry buff with a white pad to remove any water marks and improve the final appearance.

Wood Effect Ceramic Planks Birkdale Kitchen Floor After Grout Haze Removal

The photographs really show the transformation once the grout was removed. Certainly my client was over the moon with the difference and the builder much relieved, I’m sure.

Professional Clean of a Wood Effect Ceramic Tiled Hallway in West Merseyside

Removing Grout Haze from Wood Effect Ceramic Planks in Birkdale Read More »

Restoring a Cement Covered Tiled Floor in Formby

1 Comment / Crosby Tile Cleaning, Formby Tile Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Andrew Robb

We were contacted by a client from Formby asking for advice on how to remove a thick layer of floor leveller from her Quarry tiled floor. I suspect at some point in the past a previous owner had decided to cover the tiles with lino and a cement-based levelling compound was applied to level the floor first. My client had tried to remove it herself but found it very hard going and after realising she had quite a project on her hands decided to call us instead and see if we could help with the restoration.

Quarry Tiled Floor During Self-Levelling Compound Removal Formby

I worked out a quote for the client which would include removing the self-levelling compound, cleaning up the tiles and then sealing them to improve its appearance and protect it going forward. The quote was accepted, and a date agreed for the restoration to be completed which would take two days.

Cleaning and restoring a Stone Tile Kitchen Floor

We have a variety of tools that we can use for removing cement but in this case, I decided to use an air operated pin gun. The head of the gun has long pins of different length which are fired at the floor gently chipping away at the floor compound, this made short work of breaking up the cement so it could be swept away. A lot easier than the method the client had previously tried.

With the floor clear of cement, it was given an acid wash with Tile Doctor Acid Gel scrubbed in with a buffing machine fitted with a black pad. The acidic formula cleans up the stone of old cement including fine particles of dust. Afterwards the gel was rinsed off the floor with water and extracted with a wet vacuum.

Sealing a Stone Tiled Kitchen Floor

We let the floor dry out overnight and returned the next morning to apply the sealer. For the best results, the stone needs to be dry so before sealing I always take several moisture readings with a damp meter to make sure. The results were good so the first of what would be three coats of sealer were applied to the floor. I used Tile Doctor Colour Grow for sealing, it is an impregnating sealer that works by occupying the pores in the store thereby protecting it from within, it also brings out the colour in the stone.

Once done the floor looked great, the old self-levelling compound was gone and the rich colours in the tile had been restored. In fact is was only when finished did we realise these were in fact Baked Clay Quarry Tiles, minerals are added during manufacturing to give then colour, although 95% clay they are very tough like stone. The client was over the moon with the outcome, the floor had been restored to its’ former glory.

Quarry Tiled Floor After Self-Levelling Compound Removal Formby

For aftercare I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner to keep the floor in good condition. It is pH neutral so will ensure the newly applied sealer is not compromised and the floor will continue to look good for a long while to come.

Professional Restoration of a Tiled Floor in Merseyside

Restoring a Cement Covered Tiled Floor in Formby Read More »

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Leave a Comment / Bebington Tile Cleaning, Birkenhead Tile Cleaning, Bootle Tile Cleaning, Ceramic Tile Cleaning, Crosby Tile Cleaning, Encaustic Cement Tile Cleaning, Fireplace Cleaning, Flagstone Tile Cleaning, Formby Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Heswall Tile Cleaning, Kirkby Tile Cleaning, Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing, Liverpool Tile Cleaning, Maghull Tile Cleaning, Marble Tile Cleaning, Porcelain Tile Cleaning, Prescot Tile Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Sandstone Tile Cleaning, Slate Tile Cleaning, St Helens Tile Cleaning, Terracotta Tile Cleaning, Terrazzo Floor Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Vinyl Tile Cleaning, Wallasey Tile Cleaning / Andrew Robb

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