Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing

Welcome to my Work History archive where you will find detailed examples of the cleaning and renovation of Limestone tiles carried out in South Lincolnshire

Cleaning and Renovating Limestone tiles

Limestone is a sedimentary stone, as such it’s generally very porous and acid sensitive and can be damaged through the use of even mildly acidic soaps, shampoos and body washes. Because of this we do not recommend it for use in wet rooms, shower cubicles or near swimming pools.

Like any stone Limestone needs to be sealed to prevent dirt becoming ingrained in its pores and many varieties including Blue Lias, Blue Moleanos, Jerusalem and White Moleanos to name a few can be polished to a high shine using a series of burnishing pads.

We have found that Black Limestone has become very popular in gardens where it contrasts well against green planting and looks fantastic when wet. One issue we find however is it easily upset by the use of acidic patio cleaners that leave the stone looking dull and lifeless. If this has affected you then not to worry we do have a way of restoring the beauty of the stone back to its original condition.

Below you will find detailed examples of work we have carried out in the past, it should give you some idea of what’s involved and what can be achieved with the right techniques and products.

Limestone Floor Renovation Grantham

Dull Limestone Floor and Wall Tiles Polished and Sealed in Grantham

1 Comment / Grantham Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing /

I was contacted by a homeowner near Grantham who was having trouble keeping his Limestone floor clean. The floor was installed throughout much of the ground floor and over the years it had become dull, and the grout had become darker in main walkway areas.

They wanted a quote for renovating the whole floor, so I visited the property to survey the tiles and grout and discuss the options. I could see that the floor needed some TLC to restore it to its former shine and so I recommended honing the Limestone with a set of diamond encrusted burnishing pads to fully restore the polished appearance and then protecting it with one of our quality sealers.

Limestone Floor Before Polishing Grantham Limestone Floor Before Polishing Grantham

While we were there the client also asked if we could sort his limestone shower cubicle that needed some similar work. We agreed the price and dates over email and booked in the work for both areas.

Burnishing Limestone Floor Tiling

Upon arrival silicone mastic was run under the woodwork in the Kitchen including the kickboards and end panels to protect from water ingress during cleaning. Moving onto to cleaning the first pad in the diamond pad system which was a coarse 400-grit was fitted to a rotary buffer machine. The machine is fitted with extra weights to improve traction and the pad run over each tile several times using only water for lubrication.

Limestone Floor Before Polishing Grantham

Once each tile had been cleaned the floor was rinsed with more water and the slurry extracted with a wet vacuum. The pad was then changed to an 800-grit and the process repeated and then again with a 1500-grit pad. This higher grit pads slowly refinish the stone after the coarse bad and add polish.

The floor was then inspected and any stubborn stains in the grout treated with a manual scrub of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean.

Burnishing Limestone Wall Tiling

To restore the shower area, a hand-held polisher fitted with 6-inch pads was used. Basically, it’s the same system as the flooring but scaled down for wall tiles. Some grouting was also replaced where cracked and once done the silicone sealant between the wall tile and shower tray was stripped out and replaced with new.

I used fans in all areas to help speed up drying.

Sealing a Limestone Tiled Ground Floor and Shower Cubicle

Day two started by checking the tiles were reasonably dry and then proceed to dry polish the stone with a 3000-grit burnishing pad which brings out the best shine.

The client wanted the stone and grout to stay as light as possible so Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal was selected. This is an impregnating sealer which is virtually invisible and won’t darken the stone. The sealer was applied to both the floor and wall tiles allowing thirty minutes drying time between coats.

Limestone Floor After Renovation Grantham Limestone Floor After Renovation Grantham

The end result was very satisfying for both the flooring and shower tiles. The client was delighted and left a top review which I’ve copied below:

“I was very impressed with Phil’s quality of work, our kitchen limestone floor is as clean and bright as it must of been when first laid over 20 years ago. Phil gave regular communication throughout the process, arrived on time, and was polite and informative. Nice one tile doc.”

For aftercare cleaning of the floor tiles, I recommended Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a gentle yet effective tile cleaning product designed for use on sealed tiles. For the shower tiles I recommend Tile Doctor Aqua Pro which is a similar product but comes in a spray bottle for easy use.

Limestone Shower Tiles After Renovation Grantham

 

Professional Restoration of a Limestone Tiled Ground Floor and Shower Cubicle in South Lincolnshire

Dull Limestone Floor and Wall Tiles Polished and Sealed in Grantham Read More »

Dirty Limestone Floor Renovation Sleaford

Party-Stained Limestone Floor Renovated in Sleaford

1 Comment / Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing, Sleaford Tile Cleaning /

Recently we were called to deep clean and seal a semi polished Limestone floor at a property near the Lincolnshire market town of Sleaford. Unfortunately, a teenage party had become rather boisterous and resulted in the floor getting in quite a state during their enthusiastic celebrations.

The main culprit was alcohol from split drinks and as you can see from the pictures it had soaked into the stone and stained it and would not simply wipe or clean off. Having visited the property to survey the floor I came up with a restorative cleaning plan and provided a quote for restoring the floor back to its polished and clean look.

Dirty Limestone Floor Before Cleaning Sleaford Dirty Limestone Floor Before Cleaning Sleaford

Happy with the quote we set a date for my return.

Polishing Limestone Flooring

To clean the floor and remove stains Limestone needs to be stripped back and then polished using a set of diamond burnishing pads. The pads come is a set of four and you start with the coarse pad which fitted to a buffing machine running on slow speed, the coarse 400-grit pad which removes old sealers and opens the pores in the stone so the dirt can be flushed out. Once the pad has been run over each Limestone tile at least three times you move onto the medium 800-grit and then fine 1500-grit pads which then close the pores again and build-up the polish.

Dirty Limestone Floor During Cleaning Sleaford

The pads generate a lot of slurry which is then rinsed off with water and then extracted using a wet vacuum. The burnishing process is then finished with the application of a very fine 3000-grit pad which is applied in the same way but with only a little water sprayed into the floor.

The last step is to use handheld burnishing blocks to get the same result in those places where the pads struggle to reach such as floor edges and corners.

Once complete a floor dryers was setup and left to run overnight to ensure the floor would be nice and dry and ready for sealing the next day. The customer can still use the floor in-between; they just have to be careful not to spill anything on it before it’s sealed.

Dirty Limestone Floor After Cleaning Sleaford

Limestone Floor Tile Sealing

On our return the Limestone was checked for moisture using a damp meter. This confirmed the stone was dry and work could then start to apply the sealer to the floor.

I used a quality sealer called Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal for this which is a natural finish sealer that is virtually invisible. It’s also an impregnator which means it works by soaking into the stone, occupying the pores, and thereby preventing dirt from residing there. This ensures dirt remains on the surface where it can easily be cleaned away.

Dirty Limestone Floor After Cleaning and Sealing Sleaford

The customer was over the moon that we had not only removed the etching from the partying but also fully restored the floor to its original shine. The new sealer should ensure the floor is easily cleaned going forward using a mop and a suitable cleaning product which for this floor I recommended Tile Doctor Stone Soap.

 

Limestone Tiled Floor Professionally Polished in Sleaford

Party-Stained Limestone Floor Renovated in Sleaford Read More »

60m2 Limestone floor tiles restored in Gainsborough

60m2 Limestone floor tiles restored in Gainsborough

1 Comment / Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing, Work History /

This was a large 60m2 Limestone tiled floor installed in the entrance hall and kitchen of a residence in the town of Gainsborough. The Limestone tiles had lost their shine and cracks had appeared in a number of tiles which was due to the floor settling after it had been built, any previous sealer was failing and the tiles were getting very dirty with visible staining.

Limestone Tile Before Cleaning Gainsborough Limestone Tile Before Cleaning Gainsborough

Burnishing Limestone Tiles

To clean the floor and remove the stains Limestone needs to be stripped back to the original tile with burnishing pads removing the old sealer along the way. To do this a set of diamond encrusted burnishing pads are applied in sequence along with a little water. The pads come is a setup of four and you start with the coarse pad which fitted to a buffing machine running on slow speed, the coarse pad removes old sealers and then you move onto the medium, fine and very fine pads until the Limestone is cleaned and polished again. In-between pads we filled in the cracks that needed attention with Limestone flexible filler which does a great job of hiding the unsightly lines, the burnishing of the tile then makes the filler blend in and become invisible. Once the burnishing was finished the floor was rinsed down with clean water and then left to dry.

Limestone Tile During Cleaning Gainsborough

Limestone Tile Sealing

On the 2nd day the floor was dry and we applied the two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow sealer to the tiles, the sealer fills the pores of the stone making it water and resistant and will protect it from stains in the years to come, this particular sealer has a natural matt finish and as its name suggests add a subtle lift to the natural colours in the stone.

Limestone Tile After Burnishing Gainsborough Limestone Tile After Burnishing Gainsborough

To demonstrate the floor was sealed we carried out a small test in front of the customer where she could choose any tile on which to pour water and simply watch the water form a bead and dance across the tile surface and not mark or be absorbed into the tile in any way. Even after a few minutes it just simply wipes away with no sign of a darker area visible. This shows the seal is doing its job of sealing and protecting the Limestone. She was delighted with the result so much that she is now reconsidering putting the house up for sale and staying there for another year.

Limestone Tiled Floor resurfaced and polished in Gainsborough

60m2 Limestone floor tiles restored in Gainsborough Read More »

Dirty and Cracked Limestone floor tiles restored in Louth

Dirty and Cracked Limestone floor tiles restored in Louth

1 Comment / Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing, Work History /

This customer from Louth had a very dirtyLimestone tiled floor with some cracks evident installed throughout the kitchen, hallway and conservatory. It was dull and not looking it’s best so she had asked several companies in the local area to quote but they did not feel able to help. Fortunately she discovered Tile Doctor and gave us a call, naturally this sort of work is well within our ability so not only were we able to help restore the appearance but also repair the cracks at the same time.

Limestone Tiles in Louth Before Cleaning Limestone Tiles in Louth Before Cleaning Cracked

Burnishing Limestone Tiles

To resolve the surface cracks and remove the dirt from the floor we used a set of diamond encrusted burnishing pads which incidentally are a very environmentally friendly system which only requires water. The pads come is a setup of four and you start with the coarse pad which fitted to a buffing machine running on slow speed, the coarse pad removes old sealers and then you move onto the medium, fine and very fine pads until the Limestone is cleaned and polished again. The floor was washed down with clean water at this point to remove the soil generated by the burnishing process and left to dry overnight assisted by a turbo dryer.

Limestone Tiles in Louth Mid Cleaning Limestone Tiles in Louth After Cleaning Drying

Limestone Tile Sealing

The next day the floor had dried and we applied two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow sealer to the tiles, the sealer fills the pores of the stone making it water and resistant and will protect it from stains in the years to come, this particular sealer also lifts the natural colours in the stone.

Limestone Tiles in Louth After Sealing Limestone Tiles in Louth After Sealing Buble

The client was delighted with the results as she had nearly given up on having a nice looking floor, see feedback below which was left on our automated feedback system.

I am very pleased with the work which was completed yesterday. From my first enquiry to the completed work was excellent,
Mrs V Pedder, Tetney

Limestone Tiled Floor resurfaced and polished in Louth

Dirty and Cracked Limestone floor tiles restored in Louth Read More »

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