Taunton Tile Cleaning Archives - Somerset Tile Doctor

Multicoloured Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovation Ilminster

Multicoloured Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovated in Ilminster

We were asked to look at a multicoloured slate tiled kitchen floor at a property in Ilminster which had been installed 22 years prior and was now proving impossible to keep clean. This is a common issue with stone floors and usually tells me that the sealer had failed resulting in dirt becoming ingrained in the pores of the tile and grout.

Multicoloured Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor Before Renovation Ilminster

I suggested resolving this with a deep clean and application of a fresh sealer; apparently some of the stone had also been flaking away so I had to wonder if they had been using a strong and unsuitable cleaning product to maintain the floor.

Having paid a visit to the property to survey the floor and take measurements I was able to reassure the owner that I would be able to restore the floors appearance and sort out the flaking stone.

A detailed quotation was sent over which was accepted and a date set.

Cleaning a Multicoloured Slate Tiled Kitchen

To remove the ingrained dirt the floor was mopped with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which was left to dwell for ten minutes. The floor was then scrubbed using black scrubbing pad attached to a Beton Ranger rotary machine. The grout lines were also scrubbed where needed using more Tile Doctor Pro-clean and a stiff hand brush.

Multicoloured Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor During Cleaning Ilminster

This process removed the flaking stone and lifted the dirt and any remaining sealer out of the stone to the surface where it was extracted with a wet vacuum. The floor was then inspected and stubborn areas spot treated as needed.

The next stage was to give the floor an acid rinse using Tile Doctor Grout-Clean Up worked into the tiles with a poly brush. Following this the floor was rinsed using water and the wet vacuum used to remove the waste and get the tiles as dry as possible.

Multicoloured Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor After Cleaning Ilminster

Sealing a Multicoloured Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor

The floor was left to dry off overnight and work resumed the next day starting with the taking of multiple moisture readings to confirm the stone was sufficiently dry. All was well so the floor was sealed using two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow combined with Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal. These two sealers work well on multicoloured Slate floors to bring out the colour, being impregnators, they work by soaking into the stone occupying the pores and thereby preventing dirt from becoming stuck there.

Multicoloured Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor After Renovation Ilminster

The new sealer gave the slate a whole new appearance and will ensure that dirt remains on the surface where it can be easily cleaned away going forward. On the subject of cleaning, I left the owner a bottle of our Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is designed for cleaning sealed tiles and won’t impact the stone or the sealer.

The owner really appreciated the work and left the following feedback:

“Lucas was efficient, friendly, knowledgeable and extremely helpful.”

Professional Restoration of a Multi Coloured Slate Tiled Flooring in Somerset

Multicoloured Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovated in Ilminster Read More »

Micro-Porous Porcelain Tiled Floor Renovation Taunton

Newly Laid Micro-Porous Porcelain Turning Brown in Taunton Somerset

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Porcelain Tile Cleaning, Taunton Tile Cleaning / Lucas Beavon

This client from Taunton had an expensive porcelain tiled floor installed in the hallway and WC, however after a month or two the tiles were literally turning brown and had become very difficult to keen clean. Unsure what the cause could be and having had little help from the supplier we were asked to come round and rectify the situation.

Micro-Porous Porcelain Tiled Floor Before Cleaning Taunton

I popped into survey the floor and quickly diagnosed that the tiles were of the micro-porous type and should have been sealed to keep the dirt out of the floor. Hallways see a lot of foot traffic and without a sealer the tiles had quickly become ingrained with dirt. I carried out a test clean by hand on a small part of the floor, and they came up a brilliant white. This small section really stood out against the rest of the floor and illustrated perfectly how much dirt had been absorbed into the tile in such a short period.

Micro-Porous Porcelain Tiled Floor Test Clean Taunton

Relieved to have found the solution I was asked to quote for cleaning and sealing the whole floor. The quote was accepted and a date set for the work to start.

Deep Cleaning a Micro-Porous Porcelain Tiled Hallway

The floor cleaning work started with a dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean left to soak in for ten minutes and then scrubbed in using a black pad. This made an impact however it quickly became apparent that more work was needed. For maximum impact I decided it had to be done by hand using more Pro-Clean and smaller six-inch black pads fitted to a hand buffer which we found gives a more thorough clean. During this process a wet vacuum was used to remove the soiling from the floor.

Once the tiles were clean attention turned to the grout lines which were scrubbed using more Pro-Clean and a stiff brush until it was as clean as possible. Once complete, the floor was looking better and given a rinse with water which was then extracted with the wet vacuum.

Next the floor was given and acid rinse using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up, this further cleans the tiles, removes grout smears and neutralises the floor after the use of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a strong alkaline. Afterwards the floor was rinsed and extracted again followed by final water rinse and dried as much as possible with the wet vacuum.

Sealing a Micro-Porus Porcelain Tiled Hallway Floor

Once the floor was dry it was sealed using a single coat of Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal which was applied using a cotton cloth. Ultra-Seal is a premium impregnating sealer that doesn’t alter the appearance of the tile, it soaks into the tile occupying the pores and thereby preventing dirt from residing there. The sealer will ensure dirt remains on the surface where it can be easily cleaned away using Neutral Tile Cleaner. It’s important to use a PH neutral cleaning product on a sealed floor as stronger products can reduce the life of the sealer.

Micro-Porous Porcelain Tiled Floor After Cleaning Taunton

Once complete the floor looked so much cleaner and whiter much to the relief of our client who left the following feedback:

Lucas was very professional, and they both worked really hard and did an amazing job on the tiles. We were so pleased at how the tiles came up. It exceeded our expectations. I would thoroughly recommend them. You will not be disappointed.

For aftercare cleaning I left the client with a complementary bottle of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner.

Professional Restoration of a Porcelain Tiled Hallway in Somerset

Newly Laid Micro-Porous Porcelain Turning Brown in Taunton Somerset Read More »

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Restoration Taunton

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Repaired and Fully Restored in Taunton

1 Comment / Taunton Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning / Lucas Beavon

A homeowner from Taunton contacted us after finding an old Victorian tiled floor underneath the carpet in the hallway. The tiles were in poor condition, with many loose and cracked tiles as well as staining from substances like cement and paint.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Before Restoration Taunton

Having discussed the floor over the phone I agreed to pop over to the property and survey the floor in detail and create a quote for its restoration. Whilst at the property I made detailed notes of the problems and worked out the quantities of products I would need to restore the floor.

The damaged tiles were discussed including obtaining matching replacements and it was agreed that we would keep all the original tiles and repair and re-secure them instead; we wouldn’t be able to make the floor look perfect using this method, but a few scars are to be expected in a floor of this age. A quote was worked out which included stripping the floor of the staining, relaying the areas of loose tile, regrouting where needed and then adding a protective sealer. This was duly accepted and dates scheduled.

Cleaning and repairing a Victorian Tiled Hallway

Upon my arrival, I first set about lifting loose tiles and cleaning out the exposed foundation. After this was complete, I mixed up the tile adhesive and began refitting all the loose tiles repairing broken tiles with more adhesive as well as possible. The whole middle section of the floor was loose and so I had to ensure this was done bit by bit, to keep the spacing tight. Removing too many at a time, can create problems when refitting.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor During Restoration Taunton

I returned the next day and began cleaning the floor using Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel which being a gel doesn’t require much water. This was allowed to dwell and then scrubbed into the floor using a 200-grit soft milling pad. This was extracted and rinsed off. Any stubborn areas were removed by hand. Tile Doctor Acid Gel was then used to further clean the floor and worked into the floor using a black pad, this was then extracted and rinsed off with water. The floor was then left to dry overnight.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway

I returned the next day and sealed using Tile Doctor X-tra Seal which is a fully breathable hard wearing sealer that’s ideal for old floors like this one that don’t have a damp proof membrane. The excess was clothed off thoroughly and then buffed using a white pad to give the floor a subtle sheen. The sealer will ensure dirt remains on the surface where it can easily be cleaned away.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor After Restoration Taunton

Once complete the floor looked transformed and my client was delighted with the result. For aftercare cleaning I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner, this is a pH neutral cleaner which is effective yet mild enough not to impact the newly applied sealer.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in Somerset

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Repaired and Fully Restored in Taunton Read More »

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