Grout Cleaning

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

Cleaning and Renovating Grout

The top layer of grout is porous and can absorb grease, dirt and limescale. Spillages such as wine, lemonades or greasy substances will cause marks and patches in the joints in the floor. Grout between wall-tiles particularly in damp areas like bathrooms will become dirty and unattractive as a result of Mould, Mildew and Limescale.

Mould is one of the most unsightly problems, which usually starts off in the wettest area of the room, this could be the bottom of the shower or bath, then starts to spread and if left unchecked could cover a large area of the wall.

Another common issue we find is a problem known as Grout Haze or Grout Smearing where a thin layer of grout has been left to set on the surface of the tile. Once grout has set it is difficult to remove.

Discolouration of grout joints in bath or shower areas due to continued use of acid formulated shampoos and soaps. This causes yellow orange and pink stains to the grout over even a short period of time. Whilst Grout Joints can be cleaned, badly stained grout may need to be re-coloured.

Protecting your grout in advance with a sealer will prevent most of these issues and although relatively unknown in the UK, protection awareness is growing. Sealing forms an invisible barrier between the grout and the surface, this will then protect your investment for years to come.

We have solutions for all the problems listed above and below you will find detailed examples of work we have carried out in the past to resolve many of these issues. It should give you some idea of what’s involved and what can be achieved with the right techniques and products.

Riven Slate Tiled Floor Renovation Boston

Replacing a Failed Sealer on a Riven Slate Tiled Flooring in Boston

1 Comment / Boston Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Slate Tile Cleaning /

The pictures below are of a Riven Slate Tiled floor in the Kitchen and adjacent Dinning area at a property in Boston. The customer was very unhappy with the state of the Slate flooring and was at the point of taking the tiles up as they couldn’t keep it clean.

I paid a visit to the property so that I could understand all the issues and work out a quote for restoring its appearance. Whilst there I was able to confirm that the existing sealer had worn away so much and was now letting dirt into the stone. The Slate also looked dull and permanently dirty.

Riven Slate Tiled Floor Before Cleaning Boston

The solution would be to remove the old sealer, deep clean the floor and then apply a fresh sealer that would give the desired finish. The new sealer will prevent dirt from becoming ingrained in the stone, keeping it on the surface where it can be easily cleaned away.

Happy with the plan and quote the work was booked in.

Removing a Failed Sealer from Multi-Coloured Riven Slate Tiling

To remove what was left of the old sealer a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean was applied to the tile and grout and then left to soak in for ten minutes. We find this gives the product time to break down the old sealer and soils and makes the cleaning easier.

The floor was then scrubbed with a Black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine working it into every part of the floor several times. The grout was also scrubbed by hand with a stiff brush and more Pro-Clean. The floor was then rinsed with water and extracted with an industrial wet vacuum.

With the soiling removed from the floor, the Slate and Grout was inspected and then the process repeated as needed until I was satisfied all the old sealer and dirt had been removed.

Once the cleaning was done I setup a Turbo Dryer so speed up drying times and left the floor to dry off overnight.

Sealing Multicoloured Riven Slate Floor Tiles

The following day I used a damp meter to test the slate and confirm it was dry before applying the sealer. The results indicated the Turbo Dryer had done its work and the floor was ready for sealing.

The sealer chosen for this floor was Tile Doctor Seal and Go, it works well on Slate and results in a very attractive deep shine. The area was a busy kitchen dining space so I applied enough sealer to ensure it was fully sealed making use of the Turbo Dryer to speed up the drying time. The sealer didn’t let us down and added a durable finish that brightened the whole area brought out the natural tones in the slate.

Riven Slate Tiled Floor During Sealing Boston Riven Slate Tiled Floor Sealer Drying Boston

My customer was delighted with the results and before leaving I took time to discuss floor maintenance. I explained that with the fresh sealer in place it should only need a quick mop to keep the tiles clean. I also explained that its important to use a PH neutral cleaner when cleaning a sealed floor as anything overly strong will strip the sealer from the floor.

Riven Slate Tiled Floor After Renovation Boston

 

Professional Riven Slate Tiled Floor Restoration in Lincolnshire

Replacing a Failed Sealer on a Riven Slate Tiled Flooring in Boston Read More »

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 »

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