Scunthorpe Tile Cleaning Archives - North Lincolnshire Tile Doctor

Victorian Hallway Floor Restoration Scunthorpe

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Repaired and Restored in Scunthorpe

This Victorian tile floor was found under a carpet in a property in Scunthorpe during redecoration. The client asked if it could be cleaned up and some minor repairs carried out so we scheduled a date for me to go over and survey the floor.

Victorian Floor Before Restoration Scunthorpe

Whilst at the property I took some measurements so I could create an accurate quote for doing the work. Sometimes I can price the work off photographs but with old floors like this I prefer to take a detailed look as you never know what you might find. Another consideration is efflorescence due to it being covered in carpet and probably rubber backed underlay, materials like this prevent the floor from breathing. Old floors like this one don’t have a damp-proof membrane it is best to let the floor dry out before doing any further work.

Cleaning and Repairing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

My quotation was accepted, and the work started by addressing the the repairs using the tiles provided. The repairs however turned out to be more than expected as I discovered lots of patches that required lifting and re-fixed in place using a rapid setting adhesive and grout; this was unexpected but had to be done.

Victorian Floor During Restoration Scunthorpe

The next day with the floor now stable, I started the cleaning process using Tile Doctor Remove and Go which is a strong alkaline product that cleans tiles and removes coatings. This is sprayed onto the floor and left to dwell for twenty minutes before being worked into the tiles using a buffer machine fitted with a Black scrubbing pad. This process breaks down old sealers and soils lifting them to the surface where they can be removed. The residue was then rinsed away using minimal water and extracted with a wet vacuum.

After rinsing I then repeated the process with Tile Doctor Acid Gel which further cleans up the tiles and dissolves any alkaline salts in the floor that might result in efflorescence later. As the name suggests this is an acidic product, it also neutralises the pH level of the floor after the use of alkaline cleaning products earlier.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

The hallway was then left to dry for a couple of days before returning to seal with Tile Doctor Colour Grow which has a matt finish. This is a hardwearing sealer which will ensure the high traffic area is protected and allows the natural colours of the Victorian tiles to shine through. The other reason this sealer was chosen though was that its fully breathable and will allow moisture to rise through the floor.

Victorian Floor After Restoration Scunthorpe

The client was over the moon with the result especially as I had kept to the quote and not charged for the additional tiling work. Before leaving I took time to discuss ongoing maintenance cleaning of the Victorian tiles and recommend the use of Neutral Tile Cleaner which won’t affect the sealer.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in Lincolnshire

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Slate Kitchen Floor Renovation Scunthorpe

Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor Stripped, Cleaned and Sealed in Scunthorpe

I was approached by the owner of a property in Scunthorpe, who wanted me to restore the appearance of the Slate tiles in their Kitchen and Hallway. They had previously another company to clean the floor but it was clear that they had little experience of cleaning sealed floors and had struggled to remove what was left of the original seal leaving the floor in a worse state.

Sealer wears in the busiest sections of a floor first, so to achieve a nice even finish its vital to strip off all the original sealer before cleaning and then re-sealing. To prove our ability to restore the floor, I conducted a demonstration on a small test area, which satisfied the owner that we were capable of the job. We scheduled a date for my return to do the work which would take two days, one to strip off the old sealer and deep clean the floor and the second to apply a fresh seal.

Slate Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning Scunthorpe

Cleaning slate Floor Tiles in Scunthorpe

To strip off the sealer and deep clean the tile and grout I used a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go which is an alkaline product safe to use on natural stone such as Slate. We primarily use this product for removing coatings such as sealers, adhesives, and paint splashes however it’s also a good tile cleaner as well.

The product is applied by diluting it into an industrial sprayer and then spraying the solution onto the floor. It’s then left to soak in for ten minutes so it can get to work breaking down the coatings etc. The solution is then scrubbed into the tile and grout using a Black pad fitted to a rotary machine which is run over each tile several times.

The pads can struggle to reach into the recesses of the grout lines so to get the grout clean Tile Doctor Pro-Clean is applied to the grout line and scrubbed in by hand with a stiff brush.

Finally, I gave the floor a through rinse with water and then extracted the soiling with a wet vacuum. The Slate tile and grout was then inspected and the process repeated where required until I was satisfied all the old sealer was gone and the floor was as clean as it could be.

Sealing Slate Floor Tiles in Scunthorpe

The next day I checked the floor was dry using a moister meter which thankfully it was and so I was able to apply the sealer which for this floor I had chosen Tile Doctor Colour Grow.

This product was chosen due its matt finish and its colour enhancing formula which brought out the deep rich tones in the dark Slate. This product is an impregnator which works by seeping into the stone, occupying the small pores and thereby preventing dirt from becoming ingrained there. Its hard wearing, ideal for use in a Kitchen and will provide maximum stain protection for many years to come.

Slate Kitchen Floor After Cleaning Sealing Scunthorpe

My customer was happy to finally have the floor looking they way it was when it was installed and relieved to have found a local company that could maintain the floor for her in the future.

For aftercare I advised the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner, part of the problem with stone floors is the use of strong cleaning products which are not designed for use on sealed floors and will cause the sealer to erode prematurely.

Professional Slate Floor Renovation in Scunthorpe Lincolnshire

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1 Comment / Brigg Tile Cleaning, Ceramic Tile Cleaning, Encaustic Cement Tile Cleaning, Fireplace Cleaning, Flagstone Tile Cleaning, Gainsborough Tile Cleaning, Grimsby Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Immingham Tile Cleaning, Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing, Lincoln Tile Cleaning, Louth Tile Cleaning, Mablethorpe Tile Cleaning, Marble Tile Cleaning, Market Rasen Tile Cleaning, Porcelain Tile Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Sandstone Tile Cleaning, Scunthorpe Tile Cleaning, Slate Tile Cleaning, Terracotta Tile Cleaning, Terrazzo Floor Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Vinyl Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / William

North Lincolnshire Tile Doctor

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