Pro-Clean Archives - South Lincolnshire Tile Doctor

Dull Limestone Floor and Wall Tiles Polished and Sealed in Grantham

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

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

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 »

Minton Hollins Victorian Floor Restoration Spalding

Restoration of an Original Minton Hollins Victorian Floor in Spalding

1 Comment / Spalding Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning / Phil

The pictures below come from a Victorian property in Spalding which had a hallway tiled in original Minton Hollins tiles. This is a famous tile manufacturer based in Staffordshire in the 1800’s and are very sought after. You often hear of homeowners claiming to have a Minton tiled floor but its very difficult to prove unless you can check underneath the tile to see the manufacturers mark.

Minton Hollins Victorian Floor Before Cleaning Spalding

The floor was in a bad state of repair and on inspection I could see there were many loose and cracked tiles and some areas where bad repairs had been carried out. After reviewing the whole floor, I created a quote for resolving all the tiling issues, deep cleaning and then sealing with a matt breathable sealer.

Minton Hollins Victorian Floor Before Restoration Spalding

During the inspection I noticed there were five or six tiles that had been laid upside down to reveal the Minton Hollins & Co mark confirming the provenance of the floor. It may sound unusual but it not that uncommon to find tiles laid upside down on old floors like this and it certainly adds character.

Minton Hollins Victorian Floor After Restoration Showing Manufacturers Mark

Happy with the quote and keen to have the floor restored we set a date for the work to start which would take several days due to the tiling work that was required.

Deep Cleaning a Large Victorian Hallway

Before starting with the cleaning, the first task was to sort out all the tiling issues. Loose and broken tiles had to be carefully removed in order not to disturb adjacent tiles and then the replacements were cut to size and fitted to match the original pattern.

Minton Hollins Victorian Floor During Restoration Spalding

My customer had managed to source the replacement tiles which isn’t as difficult as you might think as they are still very popular today and there are several manufacturers still producing them.

Then on day two the floor was deep cleaned using a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean to breakdown and release the dirt in the tiles. I let the Pro-Clean soak in for about ten minutes before scrubbing it in with coarse 100 and 200-grit diamond pads to remove ingrained dirt and any surface patination on the tiles. Once done the soiling was rinsed off with water and then extracted with a wet vacuum.

Minton Hollins Victorian Floor During Cleaning Spalding

The floor was then given an acid wash using Tile Doctor Acid Gel to neutralise the PH level of the floor after the use of Pro-Clean which is a strong alkaline cleaning product. This also helps counter any efflorescence salt issues that may be present in the floor and generally brightens up the tiles further by removing any surface grout. The whole floor was then scrubbed and rinsed with water and then left to dry off.

Sealing Victorian Tiles

A lot of water is used during the cleaning process and I needed the floor to dry out completely before the final step of applying the sealer so I left a couple of air movers in place to speed things up.

Minton Hollins Victorian Floor After Restoration Spalding

I returned a few days later to seal the tiles with Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is a fully breathable impregnating sealer that won’t scratch or peel and will enhance the colour in the tile. Breathable sealers allow moisture in the subfloor to rise thought the tile and evaporate at the surface. This is an important consideration for an old floor like this one as it won’t have a damp proof membrane installed and you don’t want damp building up under the floor where it can reach out to the walls.

The work was transformational and the results really speak for themselves. Certainly, my customer was delighted with their new period floor which is a great feature to have in the property and as mentioned before very sought after.

Minton Hollins Victorian Floor After Restoration Spalding

For aftercare cleaning of this floor, I recommend using a pH neutral tile cleaning products such as Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner; reason being that other products can simply too strong and contain bleach which can damage the sealer.

Professional Renovation of a Large Victorian Tiled Floor in Lincolnshire

Restoration of an Original Minton Hollins Victorian Floor in Spalding Read More »

Victorian Tiled Floor Restoration Boston

Multiple Victorian Tiled Floors Restored in Boston

1 Comment / Boston Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning / Phil

I recently worked on several Victorian Tiled floors at a property in the Lincolnshire market town of Boston. With a few exceptions the tiles were generally in good condition and just needed a deep clean and fresh seal. The exceptions were a several areas of loose tiles that needed to be refitted before the cleaning process could begin.

Victorian Hallway Floor Before Restoration Boston

Lose tiles are a quote common with tiled floor of this age and something I am more than happy to deal with. Another issue was that some of the floors had been covered in carpet and there were still some remnants of underlay stuck to the tiles when I arrived.

Victorian Tiled Floor Before Restoration Boston

Old floors like this were not built with a damp-proof membrane under the floor to stop moisture rising up from the subfloor, as a result the tiles should be left to breathe and not covered up or this can result in a build-up of damp and the appearance of efflorescence. I had to consider this when planning the restoration and I made sure to point out to the owner that it would be necessary to use a fully breathable sealer.

Restoring Victorian Floor Tiles in Boston

On the first day I set about lifting the loose tiles, cleaning up the base and then re-securing the original Victorian tiles with fresh adhesive and grout. It’s always interesting when lifting old tiles as some manufacturers such as Minton marked their products underneath. After making the repairs I left the floor to set fully overnight.

Victorian Hallway Floor During Restoration Boston

I came back on day and setup my equipment ready for deep cleaning the tiles. Working in sections I applied a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is our go to Tile and Grout Cleaner. This is sprayed into the tiles and then left to soak in for at least ten minutes before being worked in with a 200-grit and then 400-grit diamond pad fitted to a weighted buffer machine.

The pads are run over each part of the floor which generates a lot of soiling and then the soiling is removed using an industrial wet vacuum. Once complete each section is reviewed and any stubborn areas retreated to the same process or spot cleaned by hand as necessary until I was happy the floor was clean.

Once the initial clean was done I treated the floor to an acid rinse with an application of Tile Doctor Acid Gel. This step further cleans up the tiles, removes grout smears and will also dissolve any efflorescent salts lurking in the tiles. After a final rinse and extraction, the cleaning process was completed and the floor was left to dry out overnight.

Sealing Victorian Floor Tiles in Boston

On the third day the floor was first tested with a damp meter to ensure it had dried before starting to apply the sealer. This is an important check as applying a sealer to a damp floor can result in a patchy appearance.

I had discussed the different types of sealer with the owner when I came to survey the floor and it was clear they preferred a matt rather than glossy appearance; also given we needed to use a fully breathable sealer I decided to go with Tile Doctor Colour Grow which would also improve the colours in the tiles.

Several coats were applied, allowing time between each coat to dry. Fortunately, I had a couple of floors to work on so as one was drying, I was able to apply sealer to the other.

Victorian Tiled Floor After Restoration Boston

The floors were transformed by the work and the new sealer should keep them looking that way for many years to come. Before leaving I took time to discuss on-going maintenance cleaning with the owner and recommended they use a pH neutral tile cleaning products such as Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner. I always mention this as other products are simply too strong and contain bleach which can damage the sealer reducing its life.

Victorian Hallway Floor After Restoration Boston

Professional Restoration of a Multiple Victorian Tiled Floors in Lincolnshire

Multiple Victorian Tiled Floors Restored in Boston Read More »

Victorian Tiled Floor Before After Renovation Horncastle Manor

Restoring an Impressive Victorian Manor House Hallway Floor in Horncastle

1 Comment / Skegness Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning / Phil

The owner of a large Manor house near Horncastle invited us round to survey their large Victorian tiled hall. The tiles were thought to be around 150 years old and in good condition considering their age. Unfortunately, they were last sealed with Varnish which is the last thing you should seal a floor with, not only is it easily scratched but it can become a skating rink when wet.

My client requested a deep clean to remove the varnish and then sealing with a more appropriate product that would bring out the best in the tile. Being the entrance and main hall, it was important to renovate the floor so it looked its best and give the best impression to visitors.

Victorian Tiled Floor Before Cleaning Horncastle Manor

On inspection I could see the floor would need some repairs and a deep clean with diamond pads to remove the old sealers/varnish and deep clean the tiles. It was also important to use a breathable sealer on an older property where no damp proof membrane is present. Our quote was accepted and time arranged to complete the work.

Victorian Tiled Floor Before Removing Varnish Horncastle Manor

Deep Cleaning a Large Victorian Hallway

On the first two days I set about deep cleaning the tiles using Tile Doctor Pro-Clean Tile and Grout Cleaner and Tile Doctor Remove and Go which is a stripper/coatings remover. These products were applied to the floor, left to soak in for ten minutes and then worked in with a 200-grit and then 400-grit diamond pads fitted to a weighted buffer machine.

The pads are run over each part of the floor which generates a lot of soiling and then the soiling is removed using a wet vacuum. This process was completed three times to make sure the tiles were clean; the old sealer and varnish was gone and the vibrant colours had come back to life. After a final rinse and extraction, the floor was reviewed and any stubborn areas and edges were spot cleaned by hand as needed.

Victorian Tiled Floor After Cleaning Horncastle Manor

We spent a total of 2 days cleaning the whole floor and rinse extracting after each clean. Repairs were carried out to the grout and a few tiles replaced. The last step was to give the floor an acid rinse with Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up to help counter any efflorescent salts and further clean up the tiles. After a final rinse and extraction, the cleaning process was completed and the floor was left to dry out overnight with several dryers in place to help speed up drying.

Sealing Victorian Tiles

On the third day the floor was first tested with a damp meter to ensure it had dried before starting to apply the sealer. Fortunately, being August, the weather was excellent and as hoped the moisture readings were fine.

The best sealer option for is a product called Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating colour enhance sealer that leaves a matt finish, it’s also fully breathable so will allow for moisture to rise through the tile and evaporate. Four coats of sealer were applied in all allowing time between each coat to dry. As you can see from the photographs it was a large floor so by the time I had applied a coat I was able to go back to the beginning and start the next.

Victorian Tiled Floor After Sealing Horncastle Manor

The results were worth all the hard work and the customer had a stunning feature floor with a lost lasting impregnating sealer. Its worth mentioning that to help a sealer last as long as possible we recommend using a pH neutral tile cleaning products such as Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner; reason being that other products can simply too strong and contain bleach which can damage the sealer.

Victorian Tiled Floor After Renovation Horncastle Manor

Professional Renovation of a Large Victorian Tiled Floor in Lincolnshire

Restoring an Impressive Victorian Manor House Hallway Floor in Horncastle Read More »

Riven Sandstone Tiled Floor Renovated in Boston Lincolnshire

Dirty Riven Sandstone Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovated in Boston

1 Comment / Boston Tile Cleaning, Sandstone Tile Cleaning / Phil

We were asked to restore a large 70m2 riven Sandstone floor in the historic market town of Boston where the customer had been sealing with an impregnator sealer but the stone just kept absorbing the daily dirt despite repeated cleaning. The Sandstone was now very dull with ingrained dirt and mopping just seemed to make it worse. Unhappy with the appearance they decided to call us in to resolve the issues and add a resilient finish with a slight sheen.

Sandstone Floor Before Renovation Boston

Something clearly was not right so after discussing the issue on the phone I arranged to visit the property and survey their problematic stone floor. I concluded that the sealer the client was using was not effective at sealing the floor properly and had let dirt get into the stone. This could be because the floor had not been cleaned well enough prior to sealing, insufficient sealer had been applied or perhaps the sealer wasn’t suited to Sandstone. Either way to resolve the problem the solution would be to deep clean the Sandstone stripping off the old sealer in the process and then use something more suitable for Sandstone such as Tile Doctor Seal & Go which would also give the subtle shine appearance they were after.

I worked out a quote to renovate the floor, which was accepted and a date agreed to do the work which would take two days, one to deep clean the stone and the second to seal.

Deep Cleaning a Riven Sandstone Tiled Kitchen Floor

The first day started preparing the area which in this case was simply a case of removing the kickboards from under the kitchen units. Next, I created a strong cleaning, sealer stripper solution by combining Tile Doctor Pro-Clean with Remove and Go and then working in sections sprayed it on to the Sandstone and left it to soak in for ten minutes.

Sandstone Floor During Renovation Boston

The solution was then scrubbed into the stone using a brush pad fitted to a rotary buffer machine with added weight to improve contact. Using a brush pad is an important factor when cleaning riven stone as a normal flat pad would struggle getting into the grooves of the stone and works well on the grout lines as well.

The scrubbing action generated a lot of slurry which was extracted using a high pressure Rotovac system which is a great time saver. The Rotovac works by applying hot water under high pressure onto the floor to further force out ingrained dirt and muck from the stone whilst simultaneously extracting the soil back to a tank on our van.

Sandstone Floor During Renovation Boston

The results were amazing leaving the stone both clean and free of the old ineffectual sealer. After this the floor was inspected and stubborn stains were spot treated and the floor given a final rinse. Now satisfied the Sandstone was clean I left a couple of air movers in place to assist with drying overnight.

Sandstone Floor After Renovation Boston

Sealing a Riven Sandstone Tiled Kitchen Floor

The following day the moisture levels in the floor were checked with a damp meter, its important the stone is dry before sealing otherwise the results can be patchy. Fortunately, the air movers had done an excellent job and I was able to start applying the sealer.

Sandstone Floor After Renovation Boston

Seal and Go is a water-based sealer (so no smell as it dries) that works by protecting the stone with an impermeable layer. It takes multiple coats to fully protect the stone but does give the Sandstone a lovely appearance and will protect the floor from everyday wear and tear as well as making it easy to clean.

The customer was over the moon and said it was better than when they first had it installed and mentioned they would definitely recommend our services going forward.

Professional Sandstone Floor Renovation Service in Boston

Dirty Riven Sandstone Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovated in Boston Read More »