Ultra-Seal Archives - North Lincolnshire Tile Doctor

Sandstone Staircase Cleaning Gainsborough

Sandstone Flooring and Staircase Renovated at a Gainsborough Mansion

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 »

Limestone Floor Renovation Doddington Hall Lincoln

Limestone Floor Renovated at Historic Doddington Hall, Lincoln

I was asked to carry out a deep clean and seal on this Limestone floor at a property which is part of the Doddington Hall Estate outside of Lincoln. Doddington Hall dates to the Elizabethan era and I was informed that the limestone tiles were originally from Lincoln Cathedral, so they had a lot of history. The hall is used commercially to host weddings and other events to the floors at the property do get a lot of use.

Limestone Floor Before Cleaning Doddington Hall Lincoln

Unfortunately, years of use had taken its toll on the Limestone tiles, and they had not been professionally cleaned for some time. With this much history the owner didn’t want to take any risks with the renovation and so Tile Doctor was asked to do the work. We have a good reputation however it felt it was a great testimonial to be asked to renovate such a historical floor. Naturally this does come with a certain amount of pressure to make sure this job was high class.

Before quoting, I paid a visit to the property to survey the floor and run some cleaning tests to work out the best approach. A price was given for the work, and I was given the go ahead to get started.

Cleaning a Limestone Tiled Floor

From the testing I conducted earlier I had worked out that the previous sealer had failed and dirt had accumulated in the stone, so work started with the application of a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is our go to Tile and Grout cleaner. The solution was sprayed onto the tile and grout and then left to soak in for at least ten minutes so it can get to work breaking down the dirt and what was left of the old sealer. At this point I also took time to work the Tile Doctor Pro-Clean into the grout using a stiff brush to get it as clean as possible.

The cleaning solution was then worked into the stone using a coarse 100-grit pad fitted to a weighted rotary machine to achieve maximum contact. I started with this pad in order to cut the surface back and remove scratches. The floor was then rinsed with water and the soil extracted with an industrial wet vacuum.

I then followed up with a 200-grit pad lubricated with water making sure to go over each tile three to four times to leave a honed finish. After another round of rinsing and extracting the floor was looking so much cleaner. The whole floor was then checked, and any issues spot treated.

Limestone Floor During Cleaning Doddington Hall Lincoln

It was a large floor, so it took the whole of the first day to get it clean, then once done I left it to dry out fully overnight.

Sealing a Limestone Tiled Floor

When I returned the floor was lovely and dry, so I was able to seal the Limestone tiles with a breathable impregnating sealer. I chose Tile Doctor Ultra Seal for the job as this doesn’t darken the stone and leaves it looking natural all features that matched their requirements, also the product works by soaking into the pores of the stone protecting it from within so will last for many years to come.

Limestone Floor After Cleaning Sealing Doddington Hall Lincoln

I chose a breathable sealer as properties of this age don’t have a damp proof membrane installed and so its important to use a sealer that will let any moisture in the subfloor rise through the stone and evaporate at the surface.

Once finished the Limestone floor looked transformed by the work and I’m happy to say it met the expectations of the owner who was extremely happy with the results. For aftercare cleaning I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner; this would ensue the newly applied sealer stayed put, most floor cleaning products you find in supermarkets are simply too strong for use on sealed stone and will erode the sealer.

Professional Restoration of a Limestone Tiled Floor in Lincolnshire

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Travertine Shower Tile Cleaning Market Rasen

Travertine Shower Tile Cleaning in Market Rasen

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Market Rasen Tile Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning / William

These Travertine wall tiles were laid in a brick pattern in a large shower cubicle in a house in Market Rasen. As you can see from the photographs, the tiles hadn’t been cleaned for a couple of years and had become discoloured with mould, especially along the grout line and silicone sealant.

Travertine Wall Tiles Before Cleaning Market Rasen

There was also staining from the dyes you get in shampoos and shower gels. Mould is a common problem in wet areas and it usually down to insufficient ventilation. The owner wanted to sell her house and was keen to get the shower looking like new again.

Cleaning Travertine Shower Tiles in Market Rasen

I cleaned the Travertine wall tiles using Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel which is a strong alkaline tile and grout cleaning product. Being in a gel form it works well on vertical surfaces where a long dwell time is required to break down dirt, grime.

I left the Oxy-Gel to dwell and soak into the grout and tile for around ten minutes before scrubbing with a stiff handheld brush applying water as I went to help lubricate and rinse the area. Scrubbing works the gel into the tile and grout loosening the dirt along the way and allowing it be washed away.

Sealing the Travertine Shower Tile and Grout

The wall was wiped down and allowed to dry for before applying the sealer. There are several products you can use for sealing Travertine and in this case, I used Tile Doctor Ultra Seal which provides stain protection without changing the appearance of the tile.

Travertine Wall Tiles After Cleaning Market Rasen

The last step was to remove and replace the silicone seal between the Travertine tile and the shower tray, there was some mould build up on the original silicone which once it gets a hold into the silicone it cannot be removed and so it’s always best to replace. At the end I had one happy customer and I think you will agree I achieved the aim of making it look like new again.

Once done I advised my client that the new sealer should make the future cleaning much easier going forward and protect the tile and grout from further issues. For best results however I recommend rinsing down the shower tile with cold water after having a shower and cleaning with a gentle but effective cleaning product such as Tile Doctor Aqua-Pro. Strong bleach based cleaning products will strip the sealer away so best avoided.

Market Rasen Travertine Shower Tile Refresh

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