Neutral Tile Cleaner Archives - Somerset Tile Doctor

Terracotta Kitchen Floor Tile and Grout Revived in Minehead

This client from Minehead got in touch regarding the Terracotta tiles on their kitchen floor. I was told that the floor hadn’t been professionally cleaned and sealed for over ten years and since that time the grout had discoloured and the tiles had become permanently dirty and difficult to clean.

Terracotta Floor Before Cleaning Sealing Minehead

I had a good idea of what the floor would need but to ensure there were no surprises I arranged an appointment to visit the property and survey the floor. This would also enable me to work out a detailed price for deep cleaning the terracotta tiles and grout and then sealing it. It was clear that the previous sealer had worn off some time ago and now dirt was making its way into the pores of the terracotta and grout leaving it looking permanently dirty. This is quite common with terracotta; being made from clay it is very porous and does need a lot of sealer to prevent that from happening.

Happy with my quote I was given the go ahead to renovate the floor and a date was agreed for the work to start which typically takes two days, one to clean and one to seal.

Cleaning a Terracotta Tiled Kitchen

To clean the floor, I started with an application of neat Tile Doctor Remove & Go. This was left to soak in for ten minutes and then scrubbed into the floor using a coarse Silicone Carbide brush fitted to a rotary machine. These brushes are very effective on tile and stone and do a good job of bringing the ingrained dirt to the surface.

The brush does a good job of cleaning the grout but for the best result I find it necessary to follow up with a stiff grout brush. Once the whole floor had been treated in this manner it was rinsed with water and the soiling extracted using a wet vacuum.

The floor was then treated to an acid wash using Tile Doctor Acid Gel which was then scrubbed into the floor using a black pad. This process further cleans the tiles, dissolves any efflorescent salts and neutralises the pH level of the floor after the use of Tile Doctor Remove and Go which is a strong alkaline. The floor was then rinsed again with water and dried with the wet vacuum.

Sealing a Terracotta Tiled Kitchen

The next step would be to seal the floor however with Terracotta being so porous I decided to leave the floor for two days to allow it to fully dry out. After checking the floor was dry with a moisture meter work began to seal the floor using Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra.

Terracotta Floor After Cleaning Sealing Minehead

Sealing the floor prevents dirt from becoming ingrained in tiles, keeping it on the surface where it can be easily cleaned away and Seal and Go Extra adds a nice subtle sheen to the tile improving its appearance and enhancing its colour and features. Six coats were needed to ensure it was fully sealed and provide long lasting protection.

You can see from the photographs on this page how well the floor came out. My client was delighted with the results and said we had transformed their kitchen.

For aftercare cleaning I recommended using Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a sealer safe tile and grout cleaner that won’t impact the sealer increasing its longevity.

Professional Restoration of a Terracotta Tiled Kitchen in Somerset

Terracotta Kitchen Floor Tile and Grout Revived in Minehead 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 »

Old Sandstone Kitchen Floor Rescued in Dunster

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Minehead Tile Cleaning, Sandstone Tile Cleaning / Lucas Beavon

A homeowner from Dunster was in touch earlier this year regarding the Sandstone floor in the kitchen of the property they had just purchased. The property used to be a former Magistrates Courthouse and had been converted and having just moved in, they wanted something done to improve the appearance of the stone floor.

Sandstone Floor Before Cleaning Dunster

You can see from the photograph on this page that years of use had drained the colour out of the tiles leaving it looking dirty and featureless. They thought perhaps that the floor was beyond saving and needed to be fully replaced but wanted my advice first.

I attended the property to conduct a survey and performed a test clean on an inconspicuous area of flooring. I wanted to see which products would work best and give the clients and idea of what could be achieved. The test went well, and they were impressed. I took some measurements and provided a detailed breakdown of the costs. This was gladly accepted, and we scheduled the dates.

Cleaning and Restoring a Sandstone Tiled Kitchen

Upon my arrival, all the furniture had been removed so I was able to begin straightaway with the raking out of loose grout and replacing with new to ensure the floor was structurally sound before proceeding with the cleaning.

Once the grout had dried, a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean was mopped onto the floor and left to soak in to the stone and grout. This gives the product time to breakdown the dirt in the stone. After about fifteen minutes the floor was scrubbed using a coarse silicon carbide brush fitted to a rotary machine. These pads work nicely on stone and get into the crevices of the stone and grout lines bringing the dirt to the surface and giving the floor a deep clean. The now dirty cleaning solution was then rinsed with water and extracted with a wet vacuum.

Sandstone Floor During Cleaning Dunster

Next step was to check the floor over and spot clean any stubborn areas that needed further attention.

Next a dilution of Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up was applied to the floor and scrubbed in using a poly brush. This product is acidic as works to neutralise the floor following the use of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a strong alkaline, it also further cleans the stone to remove any mineral deposits left from grout or alkaline salts which can be a problem with old floors. Once the floor had been scrubbed the solution was then extracted as before using the wet vacuum. The floor was left to dry overnight.

Sealing a Sandstone Tiled Kitchen

The next day the floor was checked for moisture with a damp meter to ensure it was dry and ready for sealing. All was well so the first of two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow was applied to the floor. This product was chosen as it contains a colour enhancer that helps to bring out the natural colours in the stone, also it’s fully breathable which is an important consideration when choosing a sealer for an old floor that won’t had a damp proof membrane.

Sandstone Floor After Cleaning Dunster

The floor was transformed by the clean and seal and looked much cleaner and brighter. I’m please to say the client was delighted with the results and said we had transformed their kitchen. That was great to hear as they won’t be looking to replace the floor anytime soon and it felt like we had rescued the floor and given it a new lease of life.

For aftercare cleaning I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner, which is a gentle, yet effective tile cleaning product especially formulated for use on sealed floors.

Professional Restoration of a Sandstone Tiled Kitchen in Somerset

Old Sandstone Kitchen Floor Rescued in Dunster Read More »

Black Slate Tiled Conservatory Floor Renovation Clifton Bristol

Black Slate Tiled Conservatory Floor Renovated in Clifton

1 Comment / Bristol Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Slate Tile Cleaning / Lucas Beavon

The photos below are of a Black Slate floor that was installed in the Conservatory and Kitchen of a property in Clifton Bristol. Overall, the floor was not in a bad condition, however the grout had become loose, and was missing in areas. It had been several years since the floor had been sealed, and therefore our customer felt it would be best to tackle the grout, clean the floor and reseal it all together.

Black Slate Tiled Conservatory Floor Before Cleaning Clifton Bristol

I attended the property to conduct a survey and chose a small inconspicuous area to perform a test clean. I like to do a test clean as it determines which products have the most impact and shows the customer the result that can be achieved. I took measurements and worked out a detailed breakdown of the costs including grout replacement and grout colouring where required. This was gladly accepted, and we scheduled the dates.

Deep Cleaning a Natural Black Slate Tiled Conservatory Floor

Upon my arrival, all the furniture had been removed and the floor was clear so I was able to make a start on the loose grouting. This must be done carefully to avoid damaging the Slate tiles. With the grouting removed and cleared away I prepared the new grout which and applied it to the areas where it was required.

Once the grout has set attention moved to cleaning the floor with a strong solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. This was applied to the surface and left to soak in so it could get to work breaking down the dirt and old sealer. After about ten minutes the solution was scrubbed into the floor using a black pad fitted to a rotary buffer. The grout was then scrubbed using more Pro-Clean and a grout brush, then once done the soiling was extracted using a wet vac.

Black Slate Tiled Conservatory Floor During Cleaning Clifton Bristol

The customer wanted some shine to her floor, so I had suggested honing the stone with burnishing pads to add a deep polish. To do this three burnishing pads were run over the floor starting with a coarse 400-grit, then 800-grit and finishing with a 1500-grit. The pads are applied using the buffing machine using only water for lubrication. After each pad the floor is rinsed and the soiling extracted with the wet vacuum as before.

Once done the floor was inspected and after reviewing the grout lines it was decided that grout colouring would be needed to achieve a consistent appearance.

The floor was allowed to dry off overnight and word resumed the next day starting with sealing the Slate. To achieve the best result for the Slate two Tile Doctor sealers namely X-Tra Seal and Colour Grow were mixed together and applied to the floor. This combination wors well on Black Slate and really enhances the deep dark colouring in the stone. Two coats were applied left to soak into the stone and then the excess polished off by hand.

Once the sealer had dried, I set about applying the Grout Colourant using a Tile Doctor colourant in light grey. The colourant is basically painted onto the grout with a small brush and any excess wiped off the tile. This grout colourant gives the grout a uniform appearance and adds an impenetrable barrier over the grout sealing it in and keeping it safe from further staining.

Black Slate Tiled Conservatory Floor After Renovation Clifton Bristol

The customer was delighted with the results and said we had transformed their kitchen.

For aftercare cleaning I recommend the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a gentle but effective cleaner that won’t harm the sealer. Many of the floor cleaning products you find in supermarkets etc are not for use on sealed stone, they contain strong chemicals such as bleach etc which will strip off the sealer prematurely so best avoided.

Professional Renovation of Black Slate Tiled Conservatory Floor in Bristol

Black Slate Tiled Conservatory Floor Renovated in Clifton Read More »