Grout Cleaning Archives - Cambridge Tile Doctor

Slate Floor Cleaning and Sealing Burwell

Restorative Cleaning and Sealing of a Slate Flooring in Burwell

A client from the village of Burwell near Cambridge had recently moved into a property with a Slate tiled floor and was unhappy with its condition as it never looked clean. After discussing the problem over the phone, it was clear to me that the sealed has worn off and dirt was now lodged deeply in the pores of the stone making it difficult to clean.

Slate Floor Before Cleaning Burwell

The tiles were installed throughout much of the ground floor so there were several areas including the kitchen and living room that needed attention. Apart from the ingrained dirt the Slate floor was in good shape and just needed a deep clean and fresh sealer applied to renovate it.

Slate Floor Before Cleaning Burwell

I created a quote for a restorative clean and seal which was accepted, and a date agreed for the work to begin which should take two days, one to clean and then one to seal.

Deep Cleaning the Slate Tiled Floor

The first step to restore the stone was to remove what was left of the existing sealer. This is necessary to achieve a consistent finish as the wear on a sealer is always uneven due as the busiest areas wearing down first. To do this I sprayed each area of flooring with a dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go which is a coatings remover that is ideal for removing sealers, it’s also a powerful cleaning agent.

The Remove and Go was left to soak into the Slate tile for ten minutes before being worked in with a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad. The grout lines were also scrubbed at this point, this needs to be done manually with a stiff grout brush as the pads struggle to reach into the recesses of the grout lines. The resultant slurry was then rinsed away and extracted with a wet vacuum.

Last step before finishing for the day was to give the floor an acid wash using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up. This cleans up the tiles by removing old grout smears that happen during installation and further cleans the stone.

After a final rinse and extraction with the wet vacuum the floor was left overnight to dry off.

Sealing Slate Floor Tiles

The next day I returned to apply a protective sealer checking first that the stone was dry using a moisture meter. We don’t recommend applying a sealer to a damp floor as this can lead to a patchy result.

Once satisfied the Slate was dry, multiple coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go were applied. This is a water-based sealer (so no smell) that adds good stain protection and adds a nice subtle sheen to the tile which really enhanced the colours in the slate.

Slate Floor After Cleaning Sealing Burwell

The Slate floor was completely transformed by the work and my client was so impressed with the result they asked me to return and work my magic on their Travertine tiled bathroom.

Slate Floor After Cleaning Sealing Burwell

For aftercare cleaning of sealed Slate floors, I recommend the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a mild but effective tile cleaner. You need to be careful when choosing a cleaning product for sealed floors as many products are simply to strong and will erode the sealer prematurely.

Professional Renovation of a Slate Tiled floor in Cambridgeshire

Restorative Cleaning and Sealing of a Slate Flooring in Burwell Read More »

Limestone Floor Renovation Lode Cambridge

Heavily Soiled Limestone Floor Renovated in Lode Cambridge

1 Comment / Cambridge Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing / Tom Conlon

I was contacted by a homeowner from the village of Lode near Cambridge about their beautiful Limestone floor that ran through most of the ground floor but mostly evident in the Kitchen.

The floor had not been deep cleaned and sealed for some years, and now with the sealer failing dirt was becoming lodged in the pores of the stone making it difficult to keep clean. What was once an attractive Limestone floor was now looking very grubby and un-appealing. The owner unhappy with its appearance asked if I could pop over and provide a price for renovating the floor.

Limestone Floor Before Cleaning Lode Cambridge

I went over to survey the tiles and provide a quote as requested. It was immediately clear to me that as suspected the sealer had definitely worn off and dirt was now building up in the pores of the stone where it’s difficult to shift. Whilst there I conducted a test clean of the floor so they could see the difference we could achieve and it was quite a contrast.

Happy with the potential transformation I was booked to do the work and replace some grout that was missing in places.

Cleaning and Burnishing Limestone Tiles

Before beginning the restoration, I took the necessary precaution of covering the walls and kitchen units to protect them from exposure to cleaning products or mess.

Once that was done, I started the cleaning by applying Tile Doctor Remove and Go, which is a high-performance stripping and cleaning agent, to break down what was left of the sealer. This product can also be used to clean the stone itself, as well as the grout lines. I applied a strong dilution to the Limestone and grout lines and then let it soak in for ten minutes before scrubbing it in with a black pad fitted to a rotary buffer machine. Once done the soiling was rinsed away with water and removed with our high-pressure van mounted extraction system.

After completing the initial cleaning process, I moved on to restoring the polish to the tiles which we do with a set of diamond encrusted Burnishing Pads. Each pad has a different level of grit to grind away the dirt from the stone and build up the polished appearance. The process effectively resurfaces the stone leaving it looking new and fresh.

The process starts with the application of a coarse 400-grit pad, fitted to a rotary machine, to grind away any excess muck and sealant lubricated with a little water. The resultant slurry is rinsed away and I followed up with the application of the Medium 800 grit pad to start the restoration of the polish again with a small amount of water, followed by the Fine 1500 grit pad for the second polish.

Before finishing for the day, I regrouted those areas that needed attention and then left the floor to dry off overnight.

Sealing Limestone Tiles

The next day I started with the application of the last burnishing pad which is a very fine 3000-grit pad to achieve the most refined and highest quality polish possible. The process of burnishing is a gradual but highly effective means of achieving this kind of finish. This last pad is applied dry with only a little water sprayed onto the surface and leaves the floor dry.

The last step was to seal the floor and after discussing this with the owner previously it was clear they wanted the Limestone to keep its light appearance and so to seal the floor we used Tile Doctor Ultra Seal. This is a premium impregnating sealer that works by occupying the pores in the tile thereby preventing dirt from becoming lodged there.

Limestone Floor After Renovation Lode Cambridge

I completed the job just in time for Christmas 2022 and as you can see from the photos the Limestone was transformed. Needless to say, the client was extremely happy with the result and pleased the floor would be in good shape in time for the festivities.

For the regular cleaning of polished stone like this floor I recommend the use of Tile Doctor Stone Soap which is a gentle yet effective tile cleaner that helps maintain the patina.

Limestone Floor After Renovation Lode Cambridge

Professional Polishing of a Dull Limestone Tiled Floor in Cambridgeshire

Heavily Soiled Limestone Floor Renovated in Lode Cambridge Read More »

Slate Tiled Floor Cubicle Renovation West Wickham

Multi Coloured Slate floor in desperate need of a deep clean West Wickham

1 Comment / Cambridge Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Slate Tile Cleaning / Tom Conlon

Having previously completed the restoration of a stone floor for this client in the village of West Wickham near Cambridge I was asked to return to look at the Multi-Coloured Slate tiles in the Kitchen of a rental property. The Slate floor had been laid throughout the Kitchen/Diner through to the Hallway and Utility room.

Multi-coloured Slate Tiled Floor Before Cleaning West Wickham

Over the years the sealer had worn down and dirt had become engrained in the pores of the Slate and had discoloured the grout. They were now in need of a deep clean and the tenant was pleased to be having the work done. It is always a delight to have an existing client have you back as there is no better testament of how happy they have been your work.

I visited the property to measure the area and carried out a few patch tests to check the best process and from that I was able to provide an accurate quote for the work. Happy with the quote I got the go ahead and a mutually convenient time to do the work was agreed with the tenant. It was a large area so the work would be a little disruptive.

Deep Cleaning a Multi Coloured Slate Tiled Floor

To start I applied a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go, left it to soak in for ten minutes and then scrubbed the floor with a black scrubbing pad fitted to rotary machine. This action brought a lot of the ingrained dirt to the surface where I was able to remove it using our van mounted cleaning system that applies pressurised water to the floor whilst simultaneously extracting the soiled water to a tank in the van via a vacuum. This keeps the mess to a real minimum and improves drying times.

The tiles and especially the grout was very dirty and it was necessary to repeat this process a few times, hand scrubbing where necessary until I was satisfied the Slate and Grout was as clean as possible. It was a large area so I had to work in sections until all the floors were complete and once done it was left to dry off overnight.

Sealing a Multi Coloured Slate Tiled Floor

Returning the following morning work started by taking several moisture readings from each area with a damp meter to ensure the tiles were dry and ready for sealing. The readings were fine so the first of several coats of Tile Doctor Ultra Seal was applied. This sealer is almost invisible and so doesn’t affect the look of the stone leaving it with a completely natural finish.

Multi-coloured Slate Tiled Floor After Cleaning West Wickham

The client and tenant were very happy with the end result and have ordered some Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner for the regular cleaning of the stone. Using our cleaner which is pH neutral will ensure the newly applied sealer is not compromised and will keep the floor in tip top condition particularly in the heavy traffic areas.

Professional Clean and Seal of a Multi-Coloured Slate Floor in Cambridgeshire

Multi Coloured Slate floor in desperate need of a deep clean West Wickham Read More »

Travertine Shower Tile Renovation Molesworth Huntingdon

Travertine Tiled Shower Refresh in Molesworth Cambridge

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Huntingdon Tile Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning / Tom Conlon

I was contacted by a building contractor with a request to resolve an issue for a client in Molesworth (near Huntingdon) who had discoloured travertine tile and grout in their Travertine tiled shower cubicle. I offer a bathroom tile refresh service which includes cleaning up the tile and grout and replacing grubby silicone sealant and the firm was keen to try it out.

Travertine Shower Before Refresh Molesworth Huntingdon

On arrival I could see the tiles had become heavily soiled around the bottom of shower with the usual problems including discolouration from the dyes in shampoos, soap scum and mould build up. I gave the contractor a price for the work, and he was happy to go ahead. As this was a small job, I was able to get started straight away.

Deep Cleaning a Travertine Tiled Shower

I began by spraying the tile and grout with Tile Doctor Duo Clean which is an effective double action cleaning product which cleans up grout and can remove mould and blackspot from grout and silicone. Then the Travertine was burnished with a set of six-inch burnishing pads fitted to a hand buffer. The pads come in different grades and are applied in sequence to the tiles starting with coarse and finishing with very fine. Water is applied to help lubricate the burnishing process and I rinsed off the soiling in-between each pad. Normally I would use a wet vacuum at this point to remove the soiling but working in a contained shower cubicle makes this easier as you can simply rinse the soiling away.

Sealing a Travertine Tiled Shower

Once the area had dried, I was able to apply Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal to the Travertine to protect it and make further staining easy to remove in the future. Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal which is an almost invisible product that doesn’t change the natural appearance of the stone and works by penetrating the stone, occupying the pores in the stone, and thereby protecting it from within. Ultra-Seal is also excellent for sealing the grout too and will make the water run off the wall and straight into the shower tray.

After sealing the old silicone sealant around the edges of the shower was stripped out and then replaced with a new mould resistant product. Once done the shower looked like a new installation.

Travertine Shower After Refresh Molesworth Huntingdon

The client was thrilled with their refreshed bathroom and later I received the following message from them:

“Just to say thank you so much for your amazing results today on our shower room. We are totally thrilled”

I also got a 5 star review from the building contractor.

” “Our customer was very happy with the end result.”

For regular aftercare cleaning I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Aqua Pro which will help to keep the shower tile and grout in good condition. This is a pH neutral cleaner which is mild enough to use after every shower and won’t impact the sealer which can be the problem with stronger products you find in supermarkets.

Professional Restoration of a Travertine Tiled Shower in Huntingdon

Travertine Tiled Shower Refresh in Molesworth Cambridge Read More »

Pale Porcelain Tiled Kitchen Floor Before After Grout Haze Removal Winwick

Cleaning up Grout Haze on a new Porcelain Patio in Winwick

1 Comment / Cambridge Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Porcelain Tile Cleaning / Tom Conlon

I was called out to clean a Porcelain tiled floor at a newly built property in Winwick near Huntingdon. The tiles were heavily marked with grout and dirt and were impossible to get clean. To make things worse the tiles were pale, almost white, in colour which made the staining more obvious. It was clear to me that the builder had not managed to polish off all the grout after tiling and this had now set hard on the surface.

Pale Porcelain Tiled Kitchen Floor Before Grout Haze Removal in Winwick Huntingdon

This is a very common problem known as Grout Haze and fortunately there is a solution, in that it can be removed by giving the tiles a rinse with an acidic tile cleaner called Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up. To prove the point, I carried out a quick demonstration so the new owners could appreciate the difference.

I always like to test porcelain tiles for a reaction to acid prior to commencing work as acidic cleaners can have a negative effect on some types of polished porcelain however this one had a textured feel to it so there was no issue.

Removing Grout Haze from Pale Porcelain Kitchen Tiles

The test went well so having got the go head I began by first cleaning the tiles with a medium dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, this was left for about ten minutes before being worked into the tile with a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine. I also used a stiff brush along the grout lines to make sure the grout was as clean as the tile.

This process generates a lot of soiling which was then extracted using a truck mount machine. By Truck Mount I’m referring to a powerful cleaning machine that’s fitted into my van, it blasts the floor with hot water and then immediately extracts it using an equally powerful vacuum to grey tank in the vehicle, it’s incredibly effective and leaves very little water on the floor afterwards.

The next step was to tackle the grout haze and this is done as before by Acid Washing the floor using a dilution of Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up and scrubbing into the tile as before. Again, the resultant soils were extracted as before using the truck mount.

Sealing Pale Porcelain Kitchen Tiles and Grout

The floor was then speed dried using Dripods which are small horizontal fans designed to blow air downwards and ideal for drying carpets and hard floors. Once dry, a coat of Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal was applied, left to dry and any excess buffed away with a White pad.

Pale Porcelain Tiled Kitchen Floor After Grout Haze Removal in Winwick Huntingdon

The work was completed in one day and completely transformed the floor much to the delight of my customer who left the following message in a subsequent email:

“Thank you very much indeed, we are delighted with the floor.””

I’m pleased to say I have since returned to the neighbourhood and completed another identical grout removal job at a neighbour’s property who had the same issue with builder.

Professional Renovation of a Porcelain Tiled Floor in Cambridgeshire

Cleaning up Grout Haze on a new Porcelain Patio in Winwick Read More »

Limestone Floor Polished in Fordham Cambridge

Honing Limestone Flooring Before House Sale in Fordham Village

1 Comment / Cambridge Tile Cleaning, Ely Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing / Tom Conlon

A client from Fordham on the outskirts of Cambridge called us in to renovate their polished Limestone flooring that ran throughout the ground floor. Years of general wear had made the stone lose it lustre and the client wanted it looking its best as they were looking to sell the property.

Large Limestone Floor Before Polishing Fordham

WC Limestone Floor Before Polishing Fordham

Polished stone flooring does look incredible and gives any property a premium feel, however it does require regular maintenance if it’s to look its best. In fact, Tile Doctor offers a Maintenance Plan for floors like this one where we pop back once or twice a year to re-polish the stone with a high grit pad and top-up the sealer.

Without maintenance of this nature the polish will slowly wear down and eventually the sealer will fail allowing dirt to becoming ingrained in the stone and making it difficult to keep clean. The solution is to strip what’s left of the old sealer off the stone, bring up the polish using a set of diamond burnishing pads (Honing) and then re-seal and this is what I recommended for this Polished Limestone floor.

Kitchen Limestone Floor Before Polishing Fordham

Cleaning and Honing a Polished Limestone Tiles

Before beginning the restoration, I took the usual precaution of covering the walls and kitchen units with thin blue plastic to protect them from exposure to any cleaning products or mess.

Working in the different areas one by one my first task was to give the Limestone a deep clean using a dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go, which is a coatings remover designed to break down any old sealant remaining on the tiles. This product is scrubbed in and then extracted, as well as removing the old sealer it also does a good job of cleaning the stone and grout. To extract the soils and clean the tiles afterwards I use a high-pressure hot water cleaning and extraction machine which is built into my van and keeps any mess to a minimum.

After completing the initial cleaning process, I moved on to honing the stone which slowly restores the polished appearance. This is done using a set of Diamond encrusted burnishing pads of different grits which slowly resurface the appearance of the Limestone tile removing scratches and other imperfections.

The process starts with the application of a coarse 400-grit pad, fitted to a rotary machine and is applied only with water to help lubricate the process. The resultant slurry is then rinsed away and the process repeated with a medium 800-grit pad again with water. At this point the polish on the stone starts to build and after another rinse and extraction is followed by a fine 1500-grit pad.

Finally, a very Fine 3000 grit pad is applied dry with only a little water sprayed onto the stone. The process of burnishing is a gradual but highly effective means of achieving this kind of finish.

Sealing Limestone Tiles

After burnishing the tiles and to achieve a really hard wearing and high polish I covered the floor in Tile Doctor Shine Powder crystals and buffed them into the Limestone tiles using a White buffing pad. Then to give the floor extra protection I applied a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal, which soaks into the pores of the stone to prevent dirt from becoming ingrained there.

Large Limestone Floor After Polishing Fordham

Kitchen Limestone Floor After Polishing Fordham

Ultra-Seal was chosen because it’s an invisible sealer which won’t affect the appearance of the Limestone resulting in a very natural appearance. You won’t realise its there until you spill something on the floor and then you will notice it pooling on the tiles to form a bubble that can be easily wiped off.

It took some time, but once completed the Limestone looked great with a really deep high shine that the light bounced off.

WC Limestone Floor After Polishing Fordham

Professional Polishing of a Dull Limestone Tiled Floor in Cambridgeshire

Honing Limestone Flooring Before House Sale in Fordham Village Read More »

Cleaning up Grout Haze on a new Porcelain Patio in Ely

1 Comment / Cambridge Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Porcelain Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Tom Conlon

Earlier this summer I was called out to this job in the garden of a house in the city of Ely to inspect a freshly laid porcelain tiled patio with grout haze issues. The builder who had installed the patio hadn’t removed all the grout from the textured surface of the tile before it had dried. This was probably due to the hot weather which reduces drying times and has caught many tilers out. Multiple repeat visits by the builder trying followed who spent countless hours trying to remove the grout haze, unfortunately due to the textured surface of the tile he was unable to remove it and the patio was left looking awful.

Porcelain Patio Ely Before Grout Haze Removal

Like the builder we are increasingly finding modern grouts, which although more durable, are very difficult to remove. Fortunately belonging to the Tile Doctor network, I had already been made aware of this problem and was able to offer a solution.

I arranged to pay the property a visit to demonstrate a potential solution and quote for resolving the issues. Even though the grout haze was indeed difficult to remove it wasn’t impossible if you know how. The demonstration came out well and relieved that they had finally found a solution to the problem booked me in to get the work carried out.

Cleaning a Porcelain Tiled Patio Floor

On my return I started with the application of a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up. This product is ideal for removing grout haze or smears as they often referred to; however, being acidic we don’t recommend it for use on every surface so if your using it yourself do check the label first. I left it to soak in for ten minutes before being agitated with a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary buffer

The weather was good, so it wasn’t a problem working outside and once all the grout smears were removed, I finished off by giving the whole patio a high-pressure rinse. I use a van mounted rinse/extraction system for this that applies warm water at high pressure onto the patio to dislodge dirt and then extracts the waste into a separate tank in the vehicle. It was an expensive investment but makes light work of jobs like this.

It took around four to five cleans to complete the job, by the late afternoon the grout haze was gone, and the porcelain patio looked completely transformed. It was quite a warm day, so the patio soon dried allowing my client to use it later that day. I should mention that this variety of Porcelain tiles were not the micro porous type and therefore did not need to be sealed.

Porcelain Patio Ely After Grout Haze Removal

Relieved the problem was finally resolved and happy with the result my client left the following feedback:

Amazing service, they were able to provide us with a quote and demo before we agreed to work. We are so happy with the results we have as our patio slabs looked ruined to the eye but the Tile Doctor managed to get them looking brand new.

Professional Renovation of a Porcelain Tiled Patio in Cambridgeshire

Cleaning up Grout Haze on a new Porcelain Patio in Ely Read More »

Mosaic Swimming Pool Tiles Before After Grout Haze Removal Sandy

Removing Grout from new Mosaic Swimming Pool Tiles

1 Comment / Ceramic Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, St. Neots Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Tom Conlon

A tiling company were in touch last month with an urgent request to assist on a project that had just completed tiling a swimming pool at a house in Sandy which is just south of St Neots. The company had done a lovely job of tiling the pool with 60m2 of blue mosaic ceramic tiles however were having issues removing the grout that was smeared on the tiles.

Swimming Pool Before Grout Haze Removal Sandy Cambridgeshire

Grout has come on a long way in the last ten years and manufactures are producing some very durable products using modern ingredients such as a resin cement which has high water repellence characteristics. It was a product like this that had been used to grout the swimming pool however given the warm weather and the large tiling area involved it had dried quickly and set hard on the surface.

The tiling company was now struggling to remove the grout haze and naturally concerned the owner would not be impressed with the result quickly got in touch looking for a solution. We deal with these issues all the time so given the area involved and a photo of the pool I was able to provide a quote over email which was accepted, and I was booked in.

Removing Grout Haze from Mosaic Swimming Pool Tiles

My solution was to apply a product called Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up which pretty much does what its name suggests. It contains concentrated phosphoric acid and a cleaning agent, a formula specifically designed to remove light grout smears (grout haze) but also effective on removing mineral deposits such as efflorescence, rust staining and hard water marks.

Working in sections the Grout Clean-up was diluted with water and sprayed onto the tile. It was left for a couple of minutes to soak into the grout smears and then worked in with a black scrubbing pad. I was able to use a floor machine for this at the bottom of the pool and smaller pads fitted to a hand buffer on the wall tiling. After agitation, the area was rinsed with water and the soil removed using our vehicle mounted extraction machine which is very effective.

Swimming Pool After Grout Haze Removal Sandy Cambridgeshire

The job took about ½ a day to complete and as you can image the tiling company was quite relieved, I had managed to resolve the problem, they even left the following feedback for me:

Left a lovely job, very happy with the finish, would definitely recommend.

Professional Removal of Grout Smears from Mosaic Swimming Pool Tiling

Removing Grout from new Mosaic Swimming Pool Tiles Read More »

Dirty Terracotta Floor Before After Renovation Haslingfield

Renovating a Dirty Terracotta Kitchen Diner Floor in Haslingfield

1 Comment / Cambridge Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Terracotta Tile Cleaning, Work History / Tom Conlon

A few months ago, I was asked to look at this Terracotta tiled floor that was installed in the kitchen diner of a house in Haslingfield. The client wanted to have it deep cleaned and re sealed because regular cleaning no longer had any effect and the tiles were now looking very dirty. The village of Haslingfield is only about six miles south-west of Cambridge and only a twenty-minute drive from my base in Dry Drayton.

Terracotta Tiled Floor Before Cleaning Haslingfield

After discussing the problem floor on the phone, I arranged to visit the property, survey the floor and work out the best course of action. As you can confirm for yourself from the pictures on this page the floor was indeed looking dull and dirty and I suspected the sealer had worn down and was now allowing dirt to build-up in the pores of the tile. I carried out a test clean to show the client what the result could look like and the floor responded rather well. They were very satisfied and happy to go ahead with my quote and so we arranged a convenient time to carry out the work.

Cleaning and Restoring a Terracotta Tiled Hallway Floor

To deep clean and remove what was left of the old sealer I applied Tile Doctor Remove and Go, this is sprayed on and left to soak in for ten minutes. Then it was scrubbed in with a black pad fitted to a rotary machine. The dirt released from the tiles was then rinsed off the floor with water and extracted with a wet vacuum. This process was repeated as needed before turning my attention to the grout lines which was hand scrubbed with Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up which cleans the grout and removes any excess grout.

The floor was given a second rinse and then inspected with any stubborn stains spot treated by with a repeat of the previous process. Thankfully the initial clean had been effective and there were only a couple of areas that needed further attention.

Once the deep clean was completed, the floor was left to dry off overnight and the following morning.

Sealing a Terracotta Tiled Hallway Floor

Returning in the afternoon, I tested the floor for excess moisture with the damp meter. This confirmed the tiles were dry, so I started applying a fresh sealer. I selected to use Tile Doctor Seal and Go for this as this is a specially formulated water-based blend of acrylic polymers which provides both a stain resistant surface seal and a durable low-sheen finish which the client wanted. Five coats were applied allowing enough time for each coat to dry before applying the next.

Terracotta Tiled Floor After Sealing Haslingfield

I think you will agree from the pictures there was a remarkable transformation during this restoration. Certainly, my client was very happy with the result and has since had us back to repeat the process on another Terracotta tiled floor. They also left the following comments on the Tile Doctor feedback system which is always appreciated.

Tom did a great job bringing back depth and tone to our very dirty Terracotta kitchen tiles. Very happy with the results.

Professional Renovation of a Terracotta Tiled Floor in Cambridge

Renovating a Dirty Terracotta Kitchen Diner Floor in Haslingfield Read More »

Terracotta Effect Porcelain Tile Grout Before After Cleaning Ely

Terracotta Effect Porcelain Tile & Grout Deep Cleaned in Ely

1 Comment / Ely Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Porcelain Tile Cleaning, Work History / Tom Conlon

We were called out to this property in Ely to carry out a deep clean on kitchen tiles that had the look of terracotta but were actually porcelain. The client had been cleaning the floor with household floor cleaner which really wasn’t working, and the grout had now turned black with ingrained dirt. If you have never been then Ely is well worth a visit, it’s a small but beautiful city on the West side of Cambridgeshire with a stunning ancient Cathedral which attracts visitors from outside the area.

Porcelain Tiled Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning Ely

My client had dogs and with the kitchen tile and grout not having had a deep clean for several years it was now overdue a clean. We popped round to do a site visit to survey the floor and tested a small area with different products to see what would work best. The results looked good, and we agreed a price to carry the work and arranged a suitable time to complete the work.

Deep Cleaning Terracotta Effect Porcelain Tiles in Ely

We began by applying a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean to the floor and then worked it in with a stiff brush fitted to a rotary floor machine. The brush was run over the tiles and especially the grout lines where the recessed grout can be tricky to reach. Pro-Clean is a heavy duty alkaline cleaner that safe to use on Tile and Grout and works best when left to dwell for a short time so it can digest and breakdown the dirt.

This cleaning solution soon turned black with the dirt that was released from the tile and grout, so the next task was to extract it from the floor. For this we have a special extraction machine that applies hot water under high pressure to the floor and then extracts the soil back to a recovery tank on the van. This machine keeps the mess made to the absolute minimum whilst ensuring a thorough result.

The combination of the two processes had a remarkable effect on the tile and the grout which by now was looking much cleaner and lighter.

Grout Sealing a Porcelain Tiled Kitchen Floor in Ely

If these tiles were Terracotta then I the next step would be seal them once dry, however being made from nonporous Porcelain they won’t accept a sealer. The grout however has a porous cementitious top layer which attracts dirt so to keep the grout looking its best I set about speed drying it with air movers so it could be sealed.

Once dry I sealed the grout using a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Ultra Seal which is an impregnating sealer that will soak into the pores of the grout and protect it from within. Any excess was removed afterwards from the surface with a red buffing pad fitted to a buffing machine.

Porcelain Tiled Kitchen Floor After Cleaning Ely

As you can see from the pictures the floor looked much cleaner and fresher and with the grout now properly sealed it should no longer attract the dirt.

My Client gave us a 5 Star review with this feedback which we are always very grateful for.

“The tiles look great at present. It remains to be seen if the sealer that was applied really does make them repel stains. Tony P, Ely”

Professional Restoration of a Porcelain Tiled Kitchen Floor in Cambridgeshire

Terracotta Effect Porcelain Tile & Grout Deep Cleaned in Ely Read More »

Large Limestone Tiled Floor Before After Polishing Boxworth

Large Limestone Floor Polished to a Deep Lustre in Boxworth

1 Comment / Cambridge Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Huntingdon Tile Cleaning, Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing, Work History / Tom Conlon

I was asked to visit a house in Boxworth Cambridge to survey a large Limestone tiled kitchen, dining room, utility and hallway. The customer was not happy with the finish of the tiles and wanted it to have more lustre. Additionally, the floor had suffered some damage in the dining room where the floor had been scratched by table and chair legs.

Limestone Tiled Floor Before Cleaning Boxworth Cambridge

Boxworth is a small village of around 100 houses, this property being one of the larger ones. The village lies around eight miles to the north west of Cambridge. I examined the floor and discussed with the client the process we would use. Although not looking their best, I could see that the Limestone tiles contained a variety of natural colour shades which with the right treatment could be made to really come to life. I presented a quote which they were happy to accept.

Cleaning a Limestone Tiled Kitchen and Hallway Floor

My first job was the protect all the surrounding areas from splashing during the cleaning process. To do this I removed the kickboards from underneath some of the kitchen units, elsewhere was covered with a blue protective film.

To start the cleaning, I first applied a dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go to the floor and then worked it in using a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine. I also scrubbed the grout by hand as the pads can struggle to reach into the recessed grout line. After rinsing the floor with water, the soiled solution was then extracted off the floor using a wet vacuum.

Limestone Tiled Floor During Polishing Boxworth Cambridge

I followed up this process with the application of a set of Diamond burnishing pads starting with the coarse 400-grit pad, then medium 800-grit pad, fine 1500-grit pad and finishing with the extra fine 3000-grit pad. The pads are fitted to a rotary floor buffer and are run over each tile using water for lubrication. All the slurry produced by the cleaning pads is removed away using our truck mounted hot water extraction machine to cause minimum mess to the client.

The floor was left to dry off overnight and I would return the next day to finish the polishing process.

Sealing a Limestone Tiled Kitchen and Hallway Floor

On the following day, we checked the floor was completely dry and then using a white buffing pad ground Tile Doctor Shine Powder into the Limestone floor. The powder builds up a deep and durable polish on the tiles leaving a deep and resilient lustre.

Limestone Tiled Floor After Polishing Boxworth Cambridge

To further protect the stone and enhance the natural colours in the Limestone a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow impregnating sealer were applied followed by a light buff with a red pad. The sealant is an impregnator that seeps into the pores of the stone protecting it from within and intensifying the natural colours in the stone.

When finished the floor looked great. We had managed to remove the scratches from the dining area and the floor now had the lustre that the client had been hoping for.

The client was extremely happy with the outcome and gave the following feedback:

“Quoted very quickly, carried out the work quickly and efficiently with no fuss.”

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Limestone Tiled Floor Cleaned and Polished in Cambridge

1 Comment / Cambridge Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing, Work History / Tom Conlon

These photographs are from a Limestone tiled floor installed at a residence in Cambridge. The tiles were in good condition but the shine on the Limestone had worn off leaving them looking dull and the owner wanted them re-polishing.

Polishing Limestone Tiles in Cambridge During Cleaning

Stripping and Polishing Limestone Floor Tiles

To restore the shine on polished stone we use a set of four diamond encrusted pads however before starting we gave the floor tiles a general clean with a dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean mainly to clean-up the grout but also to remove any loose surface grit. The cleaning solution was rinsed away and removed with a wet vacuum before starting the burnishing process using a rotary scrubbing machine fitted with a coarse diamond encrusted burnishing pad and a little water. The coarse pad strips off dirt and old sealers from the tile and the resulting slurry is then removed using a wet vacuum.

The next pad after coarse is a medium grit which you apply in the same way followed by the fine pad again with a little water until the floor is polished. The final step to bring up the polish on the Limestone is to apply the last “Very Fine” pad which is fitted to the rotary machine and run over the floor tiles until they are buffed to a nice shine.

Sealing Limestone Floor Tiles

Once the floor was dry we set about sealing it using two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow Sealer which is a penetrating sealer that soaks into the pores of the stone filling them so dirt can’t penetrate below the surface. As well as offering excellent protection Colour Grow lifts the colours in the stone enhancing it’s natural beauty. Once sealing was complete and dry the Limestone tiles were given a final buff with a soft white pad.

Polishing Limestone Tiles in Cambridge After Cleaning

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Cambridge Tile Doctor

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