Remove and Go Archives - North Lincolnshire Tile Doctor

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Restoration Mablethorpe

Neglected Victorian Tiled Hallway Rebuilt at Mablethorpe Air B&B

Last year I was asked to restore a Victorian tiled floor in the hallway of a property in Mablethorpe which was let out to Holidaymakers. Mablethorpe has a beautiful long sandy beach and is very popular seaside resort, however being so close to the coast does leave it exposed.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Before Restoration Mablethorpe

Like many old floors it had certainly seen a lot of wear and as well as a deep clean and seal I identified numerous tiles that would need replacing. None of this was an issue and as part of my quote for restoring the floor I agreed to source the tiles from a specialist supplier.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Before Restoration Mablethorpe

Happy with my quote a date was set for the end of the main season for my return to do the work.

Repairing a Damaged Victorian Tiled Hallway in Mablethorpe

Work started with the repair work and I set about carefully removing the broken and loose tiles, I say carefully as its quite easy to disturb adjacent tiles when doing this and I didn’t want to make the job any bigger. Unfortunately, I discovered that the base beneath the tiles had crumbled in several areas so there was nothing for it but to remove large sections of tiling so it could be rebuilt.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor During Restoration Mablethorpe

As many of the original tiles were cleaned up for re-use as possible and once the base had been repaired, I was able to start reconstructing the tile floor to march the original pattern. This is careful work and involves cutting and shaping a lot of replacement tiles to match the original pattern and dry fitting them until I the design had been reproduced.

Once I was happy with the pattern the tiles were stuck into place and grouted. It was meticulous work and took several days to complete.

Deep Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Hallway in Mablethorpe

The floor was left to set before returning to do a deep clean with Tile Doctor Remove and Go scrubbed into the tiles with a black pad fitted to a rotary machine. The floor was then rinsed with water and the slurry extracted with a wet vacuum. This product as its name suggests is a coatings remover and tile cleaner that does a good job of removing old sealers and dirt.

Next the floor was given an acid wash using Tile Doctor Acid Gel which was pasted onto the tiles and then brushed in. This product also cleans the floor and being acidic this product neutralises the floor following the use of Remove and Go which is a strong alkaline. It also dissolves any salts that may be lying dormant in the floor which is a common problem with floors of this age that don’t have a damp-proof membrane.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor During Restoration Mablethorpe

After this the floor was rinsed and wet vacuumed to remove as much moisture as possible. Once done the floor was left to dry out for a couple of days.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway

The last step in the restoration was to apply a protective sealer to the tiles which would improve the finish and add protection. Sealers work by keeping dirt on the surface where they can easily be cleaned away and for this floor, we had chosen Tile Doctor Colour Grow.

Colour Grow is a hard-wearing impregnator that soaks into the pores of the tile protecting it from within and as its name suggests improves the colours in the tiles in the process. This product is also fully breathable which is an ideal feature when choosing a sealer for old floors like this one.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor After Restoration Mablethorpe

Once complete the floor was structurally sound and should last another 100 years. It also looked much cleaner and brighter and most importantly my client was very happy with the result.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor After Restoration Mablethorpe

For aftercare I recommended Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which un-like many of the stronger products you find in supermarkets won’t impact the sealer and reduce its life.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in Lincolnshire

Neglected Victorian Tiled Hallway Rebuilt at Mablethorpe Air B&B Read More »

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor Restoration Goulceby Louth

Lino Covered Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor Restoration in Goulceby near Louth

I was asked to look at this Quarry tiled floor at a property in the village of Goulceby near Louth for a client who was renovating their kitchen. Previously it had been covered with lino and they lifted that to reveal the tiles underneath. Realising this floor was original to the property they decided to see if it could be restored and hence contacted Tile Doctor.

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning Goulceby Louth

I went over to survey the Quarry tiles and could see there was quite a lot of cement screed staining on the tiles, a lot of which was quite thick. The installers of the linoleum will have done this to provide a completely level base. Although difficult I knew it could be removed and provided the client with a quote for restoring the floor. This was accepted, and a date scheduled for the work to commence.

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning Goulceby Louth

Cleaning a Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor

From experience I know the quickest way to remove old screed is to soften it with a steamer and then scrape it off carefully with a large scraper. It is not quick, and the work is quite laborious, but it is effective, in fact removing the screed took the best part of two days.

With the bulk of the screed removed I gave the floor an acid wash using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up, this product breaks down mineral based contaminates such as the remnants of the cement screed and old grout smears. Being acidic it will also neutralise alkaline salts that may have built up in the tiles. Old floors like this are designed to breathe and the previous coverings would have prevented that. This can lead to moisture being trapped under the floor where it can potentially reach out to the walls and cause rising damp. The Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up was scrubbed in with a mechanical buffer and then the soiling was rinsed off and extracted with a wet vacuum.

I then gave the floor a deep clean using Tile Doctor Remove and Go to get rid of any old sealants and dirt trapped in the tiles itself. I used the previous method of scrubbing with the buffer followed by rinsing and extracting. Last step on day two was to spot treat any remaining problem areas by hand until I was satisfied the floor was as clean as it possible.

I used a lot of water during those two days so despite removing as much of it as possible with the wet vacuum I was concerned it may take a long time to dry out completely, so I left a couple of dehumidifiers in place for a further two days before I returned to apply the sealer.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor

On my return I checked the moisture levels of the tiles with a damp meter, taking readings from different parts of the floor to confirm it was dry. All was well so I set about applying the first of two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow. This is a breathable colour enhancing impregnating sealer that works by soaking into clay tiles, occupying the pores and ensuring dirt remains on the surface where it is easily cleaned away.

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor After Restoration Goulceby Louth

Once complete the Quarry tiled floor was transformed and as you can imagine my client was very happy with the result. They commented that they really didn’t think a tiled floor in this condition could be restored but figured it would be worth giving it a go.

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor After Restoration Goulceby Louth

Before leaving I took time to discuss aftercare, and recommended they use a sealer safe Tile Cleaning product such as Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner.

Professional Restoration of a Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor Lincolnshire

Lino Covered Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor Restoration in Goulceby near Louth Read More »

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Restoration Lincoln

Restoration of a Carpet Covered Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor in Lincoln

1 Comment / Lincoln Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning / William

This client contacted me because they were renovating their house in Lincoln and wanted to know it was possible to restore the Victorian tiled floor they found underneath the carpet. They had seen previous work of mine on-line and so confident I could help they decided to get in touch to see what could be done.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Before Renovation Lincoln

I went over to survey the floor and could immediately see it needed a lot of work. The floor was covered in all sorts of contamination, carpet adhesive, paint, plaster, cement, years of dirt and there were several areas of crumbled tiles that would need replacing.

I measured up and worked out a restoration plan along with the materials I would need to get the job done. Later that day I emailed over a quote to the owner, and they gave me go ahead to get the work done.

Deep Cleaning and Repairing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor in Lincoln

I started work by deep cleaning the floor tiles with Tile Doctor Remove and Go, this as its name suggests is a coatings remover that can deal with quite a lot of problems. A strong dilution was made and sprayed onto one section of floor at a time where it was left to soak in for roughly twenty minutes. The tiles were then scrubbed to soften the contaminates and I used a steamer and a scraper to get off as much of the glue as possible. Once done the soiling was rinsed off with water and extracted with a wet vacuum.

The initial treatment did well to remove the glue etc, but I could see more work was needed to really deep clean the years of dirt out of the Victorian tiles. For this I applied another Tile Doctor product called Nanotech HBU Remover, HBU stands for Heavy Build-Up. This was applied and extracted in the same way as before.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor During Renovation Lincoln

Next step was to carry out the repairs that were required which were mainly around the door thresholds. I’m not sure what it is with thresholds, but I guess this is generally where two floors meet, and the floor can experience some movement. To ensure a perfect match the owner had agreed for tiles to be removed from under the stairs so they could be re-used for the repairs. The space under the stairs was due to be boxed in as part of the renovations so you would never know.

With that done I moved onto the next step of giving the floor an acid rinse using Tile Doctor Acid Gel. This cleans up the tiles further by removing grout smears, dissolving efflorescent salts in the floor and the acidic nature of the product also neutralises the pH level of the floor after the use of strong alkaline cleaning products earlier. The floor was rinsed again afterwards, and then dried as much as possible with the wet vacuum before leaving it to dry off overnight.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor in Lincoln

I left the floor to dry out for several days before returning to seal the tiles. Applying a sealer to damp tiles can result in a patchy appearance to on my return I checked the moisture levels first with a damp meter to ensure they were dry enough. The readings were fine, so I was able to apply a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is a breathable colour enhancing sealer. This is a super durable product which will give great protection to the floor, especially when it is in a high traffic area such as a hallway.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor After Restoration Lincoln

Once the work was completed the floor looked so much better and I’m happy to report that both the husband and wife were amazed at the transformation. Before leaving I took time to discuss aftercare and recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner to maintain the floor. This is a pH neutral product which will is mild enough to use every day and won’t harm the sealer. It’s supplied as a concentrate so you only need a small amount of cleaning fluid to clean the floor and so a one litre bottle will last some time.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in Lincolnshire

Restoration of a Carpet Covered Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor in Lincoln Read More »

Flood Damaged Victorian Hallway Renovated at Cleethorpes Guest House

1 Comment / Grimsby Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning / William

I was asked to look at renovating a Victorian tiled hallway floor for a guesthouse owner in Cleethorpes. There had been a flood at the property and the tiles had developed a White blooming which is usually a sign of Efflorescence. Also, a wooden floor in an adjoining corridor had been damaged and had to be lifted and in doing so the discovered that the Victorian floor actually continued along the corridor, which was a nice surprise.

Victorian Floor Before Renovation Cleethorpes

Another issue was the old mat well by the front door where the tiles around the edge were coming away. I could have repaired that with salvaged tiles, but the client wanted a cheaper option, so I suggested making several repairs with the tiles we had available and rebuilding the matt well with a new piece of matting. This was the option she was happy with.

Victorian Floor Before Renovation Cleethorpes

Cleaning and Repairing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

I first carried out a deep clean to Victorian tiles in the adjoining corridor to remove the glue that had been used to secure the wooden floor, it was also covered in paint splashed from decorating, however, my method should take care of both these problems.

I used a combination of Tile Doctor Remove and Go mixed with Tile Doctor Pro-Clean to create a strong coatings remover/tile cleaning solution and left it to soak on the tiles for ten to twenty minutes. This gave it time to break down and soften the paint and glue, it was then removed using a hand scraper with some assistance from a steamer. The mess generated from the process was then rinsed off and extracted with a wet vacuum.

To counter the efflorescence and further clean up both the corridor tiles and the main hallway I treated the tiles to an acid rinse using Tile Doctor Acid Gel. This is left for another ten minutes before being worked into the floors and then rinsed off and extracted as before. Being an acid, it will neutralise the alkaline efflorescent salts in the floor, it also cleans the tiles to remove old cement and grout.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

The next day the corridor floor was dry enough to seal with Tile Doctor Colour Grow and between coats I carried on with the cleaning the rest of the hallway which needed more attention.

The problem I had with the hallway was that the white blooming wasn’t just efflorescence, it turns out it still had traces of an old topical sealer on the tiles and that would need to be stripped off. I used more Tile Doctor Remove and Go for this, working in a strong dilution until all the sealer had gone. Again, this was rinsed off with water and extracted with a wet vacuum.

Once this was all done, I reset all the tiles around the mat well. Finally, I laid some self-levelling compound within the well to get it to the required height.

Victorian Floor During Renovation Cleethorpes

On the third day I made up a wooden frame for the mat well and secured it down before cutting a piece of matting to fit in snuggly. I then finished off sealing the hallway floor using Tile Doctor Colour Grow to get a consistent look between the corridor and main hallway. While I was waiting for everything to dry, I even gave the front entrance tiles a complimentary clean.

Victorian Floor After Renovation Cleethorpes

The floor was completely transformed by the work, and I’m pleased to say my client was over the moon with what had been carried out. For aftercare cleaning I recommended Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is safe to use on sealed floors and will help keep the floor looking beautiful for many years to come.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in North Lincolnshire

Flood Damaged Victorian Hallway Renovated at Cleethorpes Guest House Read More »

Sandstone Staircase Cleaning Gainsborough

Sandstone Flooring and Staircase Renovated at a Gainsborough Mansion

1 Comment / Gainsborough Tile Cleaning, Sandstone Tile Cleaning / William

Earlier this year I completed a job at an old mansion south of Gainsborough which had a unique Sandstone staircase and flooring. The home had been in the family for generations and my client was in the process of having it renovated. My involvement related to the Sandstone hallway and staircase which needed deep cleaning and sealing.

Sandstone Floor Tiles Before Cleaning Gainsborough

I visited the property first to survey the stone and it was clear it hadn’t been cleaned in decades so there was quite a bit to do. As an added problem there were old strips of adhesive on the steps that had been used to secure a stair carpet and the adhesive had absorbed into the stone staining it.

Sandstone Staircase Before Cleaning Gainsborough

Deep Cleaning a Sandstone Hallway and Staircase

My first task was to deep clean everything and my choice of product for this was Tile Doctor Remove and Go. This is a strong alkaline cleaner and coatings remover that’s designed for stripping off sealers and other contaminates such as adhesives; in this case however I suspect any sealer may have been work off years ago. I worked in sections and used a strong dilution decanted into a sprayer and applied to the stone; it was then left to soak in for a good ten to fifteen minutes before being scrubbed in.

For the sandstone floor tiles I used a 17-inch black scrubbing pad fitted to a weighted rotary floor buffer, the extra weight increases surface traction on the stone; I use the machine with a plastic skirt around the pad to minimise splashing. Once done the soiled solution was rinsed away with water and extracted with a wet vacuum. This process was very effective, and you can clearly see the difference in the photographs between the dirty and clean floor.

Sandstone Floor Tiles During Cleaning Gainsborough

The large buffer machine wasn’t a practical choice for scrubbing the stone staircase so to tackle that, I used back 6-inch scrubbing pads fitted to a hand buffer. It is a slower process but combined with more Tile Doctor Remove and Go it got the job done.

After rising and extracting I inspected the staircase and it was clear that the marks from the adhesive strips would need more attention to completely remove the staining. I turned to another Tile Doctor product for this called Nanotech HBU Remover, HBU stands for Heavy Build-up and it is a real problem solver for issues like this. Again, the product was left to soak in for ten minutes and then scrubbed in using a similar process as before using the handheld machine. I had to do this a few times until we were happy with the results. I then used coarse 200 and 400 grit diamond burnishing pads to even out the surface.

Sandstone Staircase During Cleaning Gainsborough

Sealing a Sandstone Tiled Hallway and Staircase Floor

After a final rinse and extraction, the floor was left to dry out completely for a few days; a lot of water is used in the cleaning process and the stone needs to be dry before applying the sealer.

On my return I took moisture readings with a damp meter to confirm the floor had dried and then started applying the sealer which for this floor I used Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal. This is an impregnating sealer that soaks into the pores of the stone adding protecting it from within, it leaves the stone with a natural finish and is almost undetectable. This product is also fully breathable which is an important point when dealing with old floors that don’t have the benefit of a damp proof membrane.

Sandstone Floor Tiles After Cleaning Gainsborough

The client was amazed by the transformation and said she had never seen the stone so much lighter and clean. For aftercare I recommended Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a gentle but effective cleaning product that is safe to use on sealed stone.

Sandstone Staircase After Cleaning Gainsborough

Professional Restoration of a a Sandstone Tiled Hallway and Staircase in North Lincolnshire

Sandstone Flooring and Staircase Renovated at a Gainsborough Mansion Read More »

Victorian Hallway Floor Tile Restoration Lincoln

Victorian Tiled Hallway Restored in Lincoln

1 Comment / Lincoln Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning / William

I was asked to restore this Victorian tiled hallway floor at a property in Lincoln which as you can see was in quite a state. I don’t have the full history of the floor but essentially there were two large sections of missing tiles including under and in front of the stairs. these areas had been back filled with cement to level the floor so it could be covered with lino.

Victorian Tiled Floor Before Restoration Lincoln

I’ve seen plenty of Victorian floors in my career, but I’ve never seen anything quite like it before. I discussed a price for the work which they were happy to accept and booked in a date to start.

Victorian Tiled Floor Before Restoration Lincoln

Cleaning and Repairing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

The first job was to carefully remove all the cement from in front of the staircase and cut back the cement around the back of the staircase along the hall. The owner planned to create an understairs cupboard so there was no need to remove all of it as the cement floor would eventually be hidden.

With the ugly cement removed, the floor sections were brought level ready for tiling with a self-levelling compound. I had managed to source replacement tiles ready for the restoration, so then the next task was to use these to tile the floor following the existing pattern. Once they had set, I then grouted the floor.

Victorian Tiled Floor During Restoration Lincoln

The next step was to deep clean the old and new sections of tiling for which I used Tile Doctor Remove and Go. This was left to dwell and soak in for fifteen minutes before being scrubbed in with a Black pad. The residue generated was then rinsed off and then extracted with a wet vacuum. The tiles were then inspected, and stubborn paint splashes were spot treated with more product until I was happy the floor looked clean.

The next step was to give the floor an acid rinse with Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up, this counters potential efflorescence and neutralises the pH level of the floor after using Tile Doctor Remove and Go which is alkaline. Efflorescence is a common problem with these old floors which don’t have a damp proof membrane and have been covered with rubber underlay or lino which prevents moisture rising through the floor. The floor was then rinsed and extracted again and left to dry out for a couple of days.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

On my return I checked the moisture level of the tiles with a damp meter to make sure the floor was dry before starting. All was well so I sealed the floor with four coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which enhanced the colours in the tile and produced a lovely matt finish. Colour Grow is a breathable sealer which will allow for any moisture to rise through the tile and evaporate at the surface, this is an important feature for old floors that don’t have the benefit of a damp proof membrane.

Victorian Tiled Floor After Restoration Lincoln

The floor looked so much better after the work was complete and my client was amazed at the transformation that had taken place. For aftercare I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a gentle but effective tile cleaning product that won’t harm the sealer.

Victorian Tiled Floor After Restoration Lincoln

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in North Lincolnshire

Victorian Tiled Hallway Restored in Lincoln Read More »

Cleaning and Sealing Slate Floors in Wragby

Replacing a Blown and Sticky Sealer on Slate Floors in Wragby

1 Comment / Lincoln Tile Cleaning, Market Rasen Tile Cleaning, Slate Tile Cleaning / William

This client from Wragby contacted me because their Slate tiled shower room floor was covered in limescale and despite trying numerous products they couldn’t get rid of it. Also, for some reason the slate kitchen floor was always sticky, and they wanted this resolving as well. If you haven’t been, Wragby is just East of Lincoln on route to the Lincolnshire Wolds which is an area of outstanding natural beauty.

Slate Shower Floor Wragby Before Renovation

I went over to the property to survey the tiles and produce a quote for rectifying the problems. I discovered that the Kitchen floor had been over sealed with a solvent based topical seal and that had turned tacky, and in the shower room it wasn’t limescale that was the issue, in fact it was a moisture problem that had bloomed the seal. The tiles needed to be completely dry before applying a sealer or it can cause problems, also because the dining room followed from the kitchen it would need to be stripped as well of sealer and resealed otherwise the two floors would look different in colour.

Slate Kitchen Floor Wragby Before Renovation

Slate Dining Room Floor Wragby Before Cleaning

I quoted for stripping and cleaning all three floors, and then re-sealing. The quote was accepted, and the job was booked in for a few weeks later.

Cleaning a Slate Tiled Kitchen, Dining and Shower Room Floor

To remove the sealer, I used a combination of Tile Doctor Remove and Go mixed with Tile Doctor Pro Clean. This was applied to the floor in the usual way, allowing it to soak in for ten minutes before being scrubbed in with a Black pad. This action removes the old sealer and further cleaned the floor.

The soiling was then rinsed away with water and extracted with a wet vacuum. A couple of the areas were more stubborn that others, so the process was repeated until I was satisfied the sealer was gone and the Slate was as clean.

Slate Dining Room Floor Wragby After Cleaning

I setup a couple of air blowers in place to assist with drying and then left the floor to dry out fully overnight.

Sealing a Slate Tiled Kitchen, Dining and Shower Room Floor

Returning the following day, I used a damp meter to take moisture readings and ensure the stone was dry before applying the new sealer, as mentioned earlier it is not a good idea to seal a wet floor.

My client wanted a shine on the floor so for the Kitchen and Dining room I used a topical water-based sealer called Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra. For the shower floor I explained that due to the moisture it would have to be sealed with a fully breathable impregnating sealer however it would leave a matt finish, they didn’t want a repeat of before so happy to accept my recommendation the shower room floor was sealed with Tile Doctor Colour Grow.

Slate Dining Room Floor Wragby After Sealing

Slate Kitchen Floor Wragby After Renovation

The whole process took 3 days, and all the floors were transformed by the work, certainly my clients were extremely happy with the result. For the aftercare cleaning of Slate floors, I recommend the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which an effective tile and grout cleaner but gentle enough not to effect the sealer.

Slate Shower Floor Wragby Before Renovation

Professional Restoration of a Slate Tiled Kitchen, Dining and Shower Room in North Lincolnshire

Replacing a Blown and Sticky Sealer on Slate Floors in Wragby Read More »

Victorian Hallway Floor Restoration Scunthorpe

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Repaired and Restored in Scunthorpe

1 Comment / Scunthorpe Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning / William

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

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Repaired and Restored in Scunthorpe Read More »

Victorian Hallway Floor Repair and Renovation Gainsborough

Renovation of a Beautiful Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor in Gainsborough

1 Comment / Gainsborough Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning / William

The photographs below were taken during the renovation of a Victorian tiled hallway floor at a property near Gainsborough. The floor was in good condition except for several areas of missing tiles which had been back filled with cement.

Victorian Hallway Floor Before Renovation Gainsborough

There were also two doorway sections where the owner wanted additional tiles adding to match the original. Fortunately, there was a large entrance matting covering more tiles, so I was able to take what I wanted from there to carry out the repairs.

Victorian Hallway Floor Before Renovation Gainsborough

Repairing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

Work commenced with the tiling work carefully removing the tiling from under the entrance matting and then cleaning them up. The matting was then dropped into the floor so it was level with the tiles.

The sections that had been replaced with concrete were then carefully scraped out and then prepped to take the tiles level with the existing floor. I dry fitted the tiles first cutting some of them as required to match the existing pattern.

Victorian Hallway Floor During Renovation Gainsborough

Once I was happy with the pattern, they were then secured in place with a rapid setting adhesive and then grouted. There were a couple of areas that needed this attention and the two door thresholds so this work took up the whole of day one.

Repairing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

The next day the adhesive and grout had set and I was able to turn my attention to getting the floor clean and removing any remaining sealer. To do this I applied a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go and left it to soak in for twenty minutes. The dwell time gives the product time to work into the tile and break down the old sealants and dirt. The floor was then scrubbed using a black pad fitted to a rotary machine and you could see the dirt lifting out of the tiles.

I worked in sections and used a wet vacuum to extract the dirt that had been released from the tiles. Once done I inspected the floor and spot treated any areas that needed more work.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

The next day the moisture levels of the tiles were checked with a damp meter to ensure they were dry enough to be sealed. The readings were fine, so I was able to apply a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is a breathable colour enhancing sealer. This is a super durable product which will give great protection to the floor, especially when it is in a high traffic area such as a hallway.

Victorian Hallway Floor After Repair and Renovation Gainsborough

My client was very happy with the result and hadn’t really expected it to come out as well as it did. Before leaving I took time to discuss aftercare and recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner to maintain the floor. This is a pH neutral product which will is mild enough to use every day and won’t harm the sealer. It’s supplied as a concentrate so you only need a small amount of cleaning fluid to clean the floor and so a one litre bottle will last some time.

Professional Renovation of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in Lincolnshire

Renovation of a Beautiful Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor in Gainsborough Read More »

Multicoloured Slate Floor After Cleaning Caistor Lincolnshire

Beauty Restored to a Dull Multi Coloured Slate Floor in Caistor

1 Comment / Brigg Tile Cleaning, Grimsby Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Immingham Tile Cleaning, Market Rasen Tile Cleaning, Slate Tile Cleaning / William

I was contacted by a couple from the Lincolnshire market town of Caistor who had a beautiful multi-coloured Slate floor installed in their Kitchen, Hallway and WC. They had moved into the property a few years ago and during that time they had noticed how the appearance of the slate and grout had slowly degraded, they had tried to deep clean it themselves but gave up and decided to get some help.

Multicoloured Slate Floor Before Cleaning Caistor

I arranged a time to go over to the property, survey the tiles and provide a quote for doing the work. I could see the sealer was wearing off and nothing was in place to stop dirt from becoming trapped in the pores of the slate. I provided a quote for stripping the old sealer off the whole floor, deep cleaning the stone to remove the dirt and then once clean and dry applying a fresh sealer. The quote was accepted, and a date arranged to do the work.

Cleaning a Multi-Coloured Slate Tiled Floor

The job was very straight forward, and the type of job Tile Doctor carries out on a regular basis. On the first day I started by applying a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go and let it soak into the tiles for ten minutes. Then using a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary floor buffer the solution was worked into the stone to strip off what remained of the remaining sealer and pull the dirt out of the stone. At this point I also ran a stiff brush along the grout lines to get them as clean as possible.

The floor was then rinsed, and the soiled solution was removed using a wet vacuum.
At this point the floor was inspected and the process repeated on a couple of stubborn areas. The area was quite large, so we worked around methodically and once done the floor was thoroughly rinsed and dried again with the wet vacuum.

Sealing a Multi Coloured Slate Tiled Floor

After rinsing I left the floor to dry out over a few days and returned a couple of days later to seal with 2 coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow. I selected this sealer as it a colour intensifier so will bring out the best in the colours of the multi coloured slate. It has a matt finish so it is not too shiny, but is very hardwearing, giving great protection to these high traffic areas.

Multicoloured Slate Floor After Cleaning Caistor

The household is a busy one, so keeping the floor in good condition will ensure maintenance is easier. With this in mind, I also recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner, this is pH neutral and is mild enough to use daily. A small amount of the product goes a long way, so the bottle will last, and it has a lovely fresh smell.

My client was over the moon with the results and wished she had had it done sooner.

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Painted Victorian Hallway Floor Tile Restoration Louth

Tile Paint Removed from Victorian Hallway Tiles in Louth

1 Comment / Louth Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning / William

These photos taken at a property in Louth area great example of how well old Victorian tiles respond to restoration. A previous owner of the property had decided they didn’t like the classic look of the tiled floor and decided to modernise the look by painting over the whole floor with white tile paint.

Roll on twenty years and the paint had started to wear away and the whole floor was looking rather miserable. The current property owners (and quite sensibly on my opinion) had realised the value and original period floor can add to a property and rather than cover the whole thing up decided to get in touch with Tile Doctor about the possibility of having it restored.

Painted Victorian Hallway Floor Tiled Louth Before Paint Removal

I went over to Louth to survey the tiles and run some tests to see what would shift the paint and whether the tiles underneath could be saved. Fortunately, the results were encouraging and gave them a price for restoring the whole floor back to its original state. This included removing the paint, deep cleaning the tiles and then sealing to protect it.

Removing Paint from a Victorian Tiled Floor

To remove the layer of paint from the surface of the tiles, I needed to use a solvent remover product specifically designed to remove paints, this was applied liberally to the affected area and left to dwell.

Once the stripper had removed top layer coat of paint I was left with a grey undercoat. To lift this out of the tiles and grout I used Tile Doctor Remove & Go in combination with a steamer. The heat of the steamer helped to strip away the excess paint, making removal a much easier process. Remove & Go is a multi-purpose coatings remover designed to remove all sorts of products including sealers, paint, and adhesives, all of which seemed to be present on these tiles.

Painted Victorian Hallway Floor Tiled Louth During Paint Removal

The process was quite time consuming but it had the added bonus of lifting out dirt trapped in the pores of the Victorian tiles leaving them clean. To finish the floor was rinsed with water and the soiling removed with an industrial wet vacuum.

Painted Victorian Hallway Floor Tiled Louth After Paint Removal

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Floor

After leaving the area to dry for a full five days, I returned to the property to seal the tiles which would improve their appearance further and will protect them from dirt becoming ingrained in the pores.

My choice of sealer was Tile Doctor Seal & Go, which is a water-based blend of acrylic polymers designed to provide both a stain resistant surface seal and a long-lasting low-sheen finish. It is suitable for use on most kinds of unsealed, porous surfaces, including Slate, Quarry and Sandstone but works equally well on Victorian tiled floors.

Once complete the floor was transformed, and the owner much relived it had been possible to remove the paint and restore the original beauty of the hallway tiles.

Painted Victorian Hallway Floor Tiled Louth After Restoration

For aftercare I recommend Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner, it’s a gentle but effective cleaner that won’t harm the seal. You have to be very careful when choosing a sealer for sealed floors as many contain bleach and are simply too strong resulting in the sealer being worn away prematurely.

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Slate Kitchen Floor Renovation Scunthorpe

Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor Stripped, Cleaned and Sealed in Scunthorpe

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Scunthorpe Tile Cleaning, Slate Tile Cleaning / William

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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