Ainsdale Archives - Merseyside Tile Doctor

Badly Stained Red & Black Quarry Tiled Floor Renovation in Ainsdale

A previous customer got in touch late last year looking for help with a Quarry tiled floor he had bought at an old farmhouse in Ainsdale. Sandwiched between Southport and Formby the village is very close to the west coast which can bring its own issues.

Quarry Tiled Floor Before Restoration Ainsdale

The floor was tiled with a classic combination of red and black Quarry tiles many of which very well worn and heavily stained with signs of white efflorescence. It was well overdue a renovation so I went over to survey the floor and get a better understanding of the issues. Whilst at the property I conducted a test clean to show how the tiles would respond to cleaning and the results were very encouraging. Satisfied the floor still had bags of potential I was asked to quote for its renovation.

Later that day I sent over a detailed quote for the restoration work which included an itemised list of the products needed. The quote was accepted and a date set for the work to start which would take two days, one to clean and one to seal.

Deep Cleaning a Heavily Stained Quarry Tiled Floor

To deep clean the tiles, it was sprayed with a combination of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and Remove & Go which combines a powerful tile cleaner with a coating’s stripper. These two strong alkaline cleaners combined would cut through the dirt and staining and were left to get to work for ten minutes before being scrubbed into the tiles.

We use a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad and lubricated with more water to work the solution into the tiles. The cleaning solution turns black as the dirt is lifted out of the tiles and is extracted with a wet vacuum. This floor was then inspected and the process repeated several times until the dirt was gone.

To treat the efflorescence the floor was given an acid wash using a weak dilution of Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up which is an acidic product that dissolved the salts. Being acidic it also neutralises the ph level of the floor after the alkaline cleaners used earlier.

Sealing a 200-Year-Old Quarry Tiled Floor

The floor was then left to dry out overnight and then checked the next day for moisture using a damp meter which verified it was dry and ready to be sealed. The sealer chosen was Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal which is an oil-based impregnator that soaks into the clay tile occupying its pores, this adds structure to the tile and ensures dirt remains on the surface where it can be easily cleaned away.

Quarry Tiled Floor After Restoration Ainsdale

The new seal brought out the red and black colours in the Quarry tiles and added an attractive sheen to its appearance. The customer couldn’t believe how much the floor had changed and has now booked us in to do some work in a barn conversion on the same site.

Quarry Tiled Floor After Restoration Ainsdale

For aftercare we recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a ph neutral, sealer friendly tile and grout cleaner.

Professional Renovation of Quarry Tiled Floor in Merseyside

Limestone Hallway Floor Polishing Ainsdale

Polishing a Limestone Hallway Floor in Ainsdale

1 Comment / Formby Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing / Andrew Robb

A homeowner from Ainsdale was in touch recently regarding the Limestone floor in their hallway which needed attention. The floor had been laid six years prior and over that time its appearance had degraded significantly losing its colour and almost turning white in places.

Limestone Floor Ainsdale Before Cleaning Polishing

I visited the property to survey the floor and it was clear to me that the original sealer and polish had long since worn off. Additionally, I suspect they may have been using the wrong product to clean the floor with.

I recommended giving the floor a deep clean to remove ingrained dirt and what was left of the original sealer and then polishing the stone with burnishing pads to bring up the appearance of the stone and then finishing with the application of a protective sealer. Happy with my quote a date was set for the work to start.

Cleaning and Polishing a Limestone Tiled Floor

On arrival the first step was to give the floor a general clean with a focus on cleaning the grout lines and removing any grit from the floor. I used a 1:4 dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is an alkaline tile cleaning product that is safe to use on grout and stone. The cleaning solution was applied by sponge mop and left to soak in for fifteen minutes before being scrubbed in along the grout line using a stiff narrow brush to get them really clean. Once done the floor was then rinsed with clean water and the now soiled cleaning solution removed with a wet vacuum.

The next step was to use a set of Tile Doctor burnishing pads to polish the stone back to a deep shine. The pads which are encrusted with industrial diamonds are applied with a rotary floor buffer in sequence from coarse to extra fine. The first pad has a Coarse 400 grit which is applied with only water for lubrication, removes minor scratches, sealers, and the top surface dirt. Working in small areas, I applied the pad across the Limestone, rinsing in between and picking up the soiled solution with a wet-vac machine. I then repeated this same procedure with the Medium 800 grit pad which is the first stage polishing pad again rinsing with water after use. The next two pads are a Fine 1500 grit and Extra Fine 3,000 grit which really build up a high-quality polish on the stone.

Sealing a Polished Limestone Tiled Floor

The floor was left to dry off fully overnight and I returned the next day to seal the Limestone first checking with a damp meter that the stone was dry. The Limestone had some lovely brown colours so I had recommended we use Tile Doctor Colour Grow to seal the floor as this brings out the colour and it certainly didn’t disappoint. This sealer is an impregnating sealer that works under the surface by occupying the pores in the stone thus preventing dirt from becoming ingrained there. This ensures dirt remains on the surface where it can be easily removed with regular cleaning.

Limestone Floor Ainsdale After Cleaning Polishing

A couple of floor fans were used to help speed up the drying process and after about an hour the floor gently buffed with a White pad to bring up the shine even further. Once complete the floor looked amazing.

For the aftercare cleaning of a polished stone floor like this we recommend using Tile Doctor Stone Soap. It’s a gentle yet effective cleaner that helps maintain the patina and won’t damage the sealer ensuring it lasts a long time.

Professional Limestone Floor Polishing in Merseyside

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