east cheshire Archives - East Cheshire Tile Doctor

Quarry Tiled Floor Restoration Cheadle Hulme

Old Cement Covered Quarry Tiled Floor Restored in Cheadle Hulme

1 Comment / Cheadle Hulme Tile Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Kamila Logonzy

These photos are from a house in Cheadle Hulme where the owner wanted the 120-year-old quarry tiles in the dining room restored as an original feature. The tiles had been discovered when a carpet was removed and as well as being very dirty had been covered with a cement based self-levelling compound.

Old Quarry Tiled Floor Before Restoration Cheadle Hulme

It’s not unusual to find tiles covered in self-levelling compound when a carpet or lino is fitted. It’s done to smooth out the grout depressions which otherwise would eventually show through. Fortunately, it can be removed however it does require a lot of work.

Removing Cement from a 120-Year-Old Quarry Tiled Floor

To deal with the cement I treated the Quarry tiles with neat Tile Doctor Acid Gel and left it to get to work on the cement for ten to fifteen minutes. I then ran over the floor with an abrasive 200 grit milling pad fitted to a weighted rotary floor buffer. This action loosened the cement so it could be removed although in some of the stubborn areas I had to use a little extra force with the careful application of a hammer and chisel. I also used handheld abrasive diamond encrusted blocks which came in very handy near the skirting boards and corners.

Old Quarry Tiled Floor During Cleaning Cheadle Hulme

It took a lot of effort to get all the cement off the tiles, but they responded well to the treatment, and I could see the floor slowly transform in the process. A lot of water was used to provide lubrication and during rinsing for which I used a wet vacuum to extract the resultant slurry off the floor. The Acid Gel also removes old grout smears from the tile and neutralises any efflorescent salts in the floor which can be a problem with floors of this age with no damp proof membrane.

Sealing a 120-Year-Old Quarry Tiled Floor

The floor was left to dry off overnight and I came back a few days later to check the moisture levels in the floor with a damp meter. Unfortunately, the readings were still too high to apply a sealer, so I re-arranged my return. In fact, it took weeks for the moisture level to drop below 25% which was the minimum acceptable level before sealing.

The sealer I used on this floor was Tile Doctor Colour Grow. It’s a fully breathable colour enhancing impregnating sealer that will cope with any damp moisture rising through the tile and being a colour enhancer really brought out the red and black colours in the tiles.

Old Quarry Tiled Floor During Sealing Cheadle Hulme

Whilst the sealer was drying, I painted the fireplace hearth with black paint, this really tied it in with the Black Quarry tiles and neatly finished off the appearance of the room. Needles to say by the time I had finished the floor it looked great, and my client was very happy with their newly restored Quarry tiled floor, so much so they took time to leave the following feedback which is always appreciated:

“Within hours of sending in an enquiry on the tile doctor website I was contacted to say that the local rep would be in touch. Within another couple of hours, Kamila got in touch. Right from the start Kamila was accommodating to suit my needs, carrying out a trial ‘out of hours’ to suit me. Her communication was fantastic, regularly keeping me updated. She is a lovely lady who is trustworthy. I had to leave Kamila a few times and she locked up and posted the key as agreed. I am extremely pleased with the results of my refurbished quarry tiled floor, I never thought it would come up as well as it has done.”

Old Quarry Tiled Floor After Restoration Cheadle Hulme

For aftercare cleaning I recommended they use the Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner. It is pH neutral tile cleaner that will not degrade the new sealer which is important as many supermarket cleaning products are simply too strong for use on sealed tiles. (Always check the label!)

Professional Restoration of a Quarry Tiled Floor in East Cheshire

Old Cement Covered Quarry Tiled Floor Restored in Cheadle Hulme Read More »

Travertine Kitchen Floor Renovation Wilmslow

Dull Travertine Floor Cleaned, Polished and Sealed in Wilmslow

1 Comment / Grout-Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning, Wilmslow Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Kamila Logonzy

This client from Wilmslow contacted me regarding their Travertine floor tiles, requesting a deep clean and seal with particular focus on the grout which was very dirty. Sometimes it’s possible to give a quote over the phone with the pictures emailed over but in most cases I’m in the local area anyway so it’s not a problem to pop in, survey the floor and work out an accurate quote.

Travertine Floor Before Clean Polish and Seal in Wilmslow

They had explained on the phone the grout was the biggest problem and I could see it had darkened a lot. The top layer of cementous grout is will trap dirt unless sealed along with the tiles, in fact what tends to happen is the dirt from the tiles is washed into the grout lines during cleaning. The Travertine tiles had lost a lot of their character and generally looked flat and in need of a good clean and polish.

Having taken a good look at the floor I was confident I could achieve a good finish, so I carried out a quick test clean on a small part of the floor to show what was possible. They were delighted with the test result and could now see the potential of the floor. Happy with the quote which included Grout cleaning and stone polishing a date was agreed for my return.

Cleaning and Polishing a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor

To start I focused on cleaning the grout lines using a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean scrubbed into the grout recess by hand to ensure it was as clean as could be. I couldn’t guarantee the grout would come up as well as it did, especially in the kitchen where it can be exposed to deep seated staining, so I had given the client the additional option of using a Grout Colourant. Fortunately, this wasn’t needed and after rinsing off the soil I could see it had responded well to treatment.

To renovate the large Travertine floor, I used a set of Tile Doctor Diamond Encrusted Burnishing Pads. I used the same process on a marble floor I renovated previously in Prestbury. Basically, the pads are applied to the floor using a rotary buffer in sequence from coarse 400-grit through to a fine 1500-grit.

Travertine Floor During Clean Polish and Seal in Wilmslow

The pads are fitted to a rotary machine and run over the floor until each tile has been burnished using only water to help lubricate. The first pad cleans up the stone and removes old sealers, this is then followed with the finer 800-grit, 1500-grit and finally a 3000-grit pad. Apart from the 3000-grit, each pad is applied with water and the floor is rinsed and the soil extracted afterwards with a wet vacuum. By now the floors appearance was already looking so much cleaner.

Sealing a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor

The Travertine and grout need to be dry before the next stage of sealing so once I was done polishing, I left the floor to dry off overnight with assistance from a couple of floor fans.

I came back the next day to seal the floor using Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal but before starting the tiles were checked for moisture using a damp meter. The readings were fine, so I started applying the first of two coats of sealer leaving the first to dry before applying the next. Ultra-Seal is natural look impregnating sealant that protects the floor by soaking into the stone and grout occupying the pores and preventing dirt from residing there. The floor came up a treat, with a lovely sheen and really transformed the kitchen.

Travertine Floor After Clean Polish and Seal in Wilmslow

My client was equally happy with their now clean and polished Travertine floor and even commented that they thought it “looked like new floor”.

For aftercare cleaning I left them with a complimentary bottle of Tile Doctor Stone Soap which will help keep the floor clean whilst maintaining the polished patina. Maintenance is key to keeping the floor looking this good.

Professional Restoration of a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor in Cheshire

Dull Travertine Floor Cleaned, Polished and Sealed in Wilmslow Read More »

Travertine Kitchen Floor Before and After Cleaning Nantwich

Renovating a large Travertine Kitchen Floor in Nantwich

1 Comment / Grout-Cleaning, Nantwich Tile Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Kamila Logonzy

This client from Nantwich had a beautiful Travertine tiled floor installed in their very large kitchen and utility area. Realising that their tiles didn’t look as good as when they were installed, they got in touch to ask if I could clean and re-seal the tiles and grouting.

Travertine Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning Nantwich

I went over to survey the floor and could see the grout had darkened (it was originally white) and the travertine was trapping dirt in the natural pits of the stone. I conducted a test clean on the grout and Travertine which responded well, the client was impressed, and I was asked to do the whole floor. Happy with my quote for restoring the tile and grout we scheduled a date to do the work.

Nantwich is a medieval market town in Cheshire, well known for its Tudor and Georgian architecture. It has one of the highest concentrations of listed buildings in England and many of these properties have very old floors.

Deep Cleaning a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor

We scheduled in a date for the work, and I began by cleaning the floor with a strong solution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go worked into the grout and pitting with hand brushes. I then used a wire brush on the grout to get it really clean. The soiled solution was rinsed off with water and extracted with a wet vacuum.

Travertine Kitchen Floor During Grout Cleaning Nantwich

Once done the Travertine was burnished using a series of Tile Doctor burnishing pads from 400 through to 1500-grit attached to the rotary machine, rinsing with water in between to remove the soiling. The pads are encrusted with diamond and after being worked over each pad three times do an amazing job of removing ingrained dirt and bringing up the polish on the stone.

The floor needs to be dry before I can apply the sealer so once the burnishing was done, I gave it a final finish and extracted as much moisture as possible with the wet vacuum.

Sealing a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor

The Travertine was left to dry off overnight and I returned the next day to apply a sealer, first checking the floor was dry with a damp meter. The readings were acceptable, so I was able to get on with the sealing. My client had requested a natural finish, so I had recommended Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal which is almost invisible sealer that provides protection but doesn’t change the look of the stone. Only a couple of coats are required and being an impregnating sealer, it works by soaking into stone and occupying the pores so dirt can’t become ingrained there.

Once the sealer had dried the floor looked so much cleaner and I had a very happy customer who left the following feedback:

“Kamilla has totally transformed our tumbled travertine kitchen floor. It looks like new again, we are so pleased. Kamilla explained the whole process and was a pleasure to deal with. We are delighted with the end result, Kamilla worked so hard, would highly recommend.”

Travertine Kitchen Floor After Renovation Nantwich

For aftercare cleaning and maintenance, I recommended they use Tile Doctor Stone Soap which is pH neutral and mild enough to use every day. You must be careful when choosing a cleaner for sealed floors as many products are too strong and will reduce the lifespan of the sealer.

Professional Clean and Seal of Travertine Floor Tiles in East Cheshire

Renovating a large Travertine Kitchen Floor in Nantwich Read More »

Mouldy Ensuite Shower Tile Grout Before After Renovation Chelford

Removing Mould from a Ceramic Tiled Ensuite Shower Cubicle in Chelford

1 Comment / Alderley Edge Tile Cleaning, Ceramic Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Kamila Logonzy

I was asked by a Chelford homeowner (near Alderley Edge) to renovate their Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle which had an unsightly mould problem. They say pictures speak louder than words, so I’ve added some photos on this page which show how the grout and silicone sealant had become discoloured with mould over the ten years since it was installed.

Mouldy Ceramic Tiled Ensuite Shower Cubicle Before Renovation Chelford

Mould likes damp warm areas and shower cubicles make a perfect habitat for it, grout especially can be a problem due to its cementitious rough surface that mould can get a grip on. In this case the ventilation in the ensuite was inadequate and ideally there should have been an extraction vent over the cubicle itself. My advice in these situations is to leave doors and windows open after showering and to run the cold water afterwards.

Removing Mould from a Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle

To renovate the Tile and Grout I sprayed on Tile Doctor Duo-Clean which was left to soak into the grout line for ten minutes before being scrubbed in by hand. The Ceramic tiles cleaned quite easily but the grout had to be scrubbed hard and needed several applications before I was satisfied.

The whole shower needed treating in this fashion and once rinsed and dried I set about stripping out all the old silicone sealant that had also been badly affected by mould. This is done carefully using a sharp knife. I removed the debris and moved onto applying a fresh mould resistant silicone sealant.

Sealing a Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle

Last step before leaving was to spray the Ceramic tile and especially the Grout and Silicone with a can of Tile Doctor Aerosol Grout Sealer. This doesn’t last as long as other sealants in the Tile Doctor range but its quick to apply, especially on wall tiles. The sealer ensures water will run straight off the walls into the shower tray and it also makes the shower easier to clean later.

Mouldy Ceramic Tiled Ensuite Shower Cubicle After Renovation Chelford

The shower looked like a new installation by the time I had finished, and my client was delighted with the transformation. He was also thankful that I had replaced the silicone, this was something he had considered doing himself but applying it does take practice and you can get yourself into a mess.

Professional Renovation of an Ensuite Shower Cubicle in East Cheshire

Removing Mould from a Ceramic Tiled Ensuite Shower Cubicle in Chelford Read More »

Victorian Quarry Tiled Floor Before After Renovation Hale Barns

Renovating a Victorian Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor in Hale Barns

1 Comment / Altrincham Tile Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Kamila Logonzy

The pictures below are of an old Quarry Tiled Floor in the Kitchen of a property in Hale Barns that date back to the Victorian era. The clients had tried to clean the tiles themselves but struggled to achieve a satisfactory result and thus decided to call Tile Doctor to have the floor professionally restored.

Old Victorian Quarry Tiled Floor Before Cleaning Hale Barns

Close to the Trafford market town of Altrincham, Hale Barns village has a long history with many older properties with classic floors that need a lot of care and attention to keep them looking good.

I went over to survey the floor and could see that as well as the usual build-up of ingrained dirt they had also some marks from decorating and plastering which can be hard to remove.
I demonstrated the cleaning method I had planned to use on a small are of the floor which responded well to the treatment. They were happy to proceed with my quote and we booked the job in.

Deep Cleaning a Victorian Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor

My process was to give the floor a good scrub with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go which is designed to remove old sealers and other coatings. This was initially scrubbed in with a stiff brush and then I followed this with the application of a coarse 200-Grit milling pad. These pads are made from industrial diamonds and being very coarse they really cut through the dirt.

The paint and plaster was a real struggle to remove, I spent a lot of time dealing with these by hand using small hand-held burnishing blocks working through the 100, 200 and 400-grit in sequence until I got the desired result. A lot of water was added to aid the process of lubrication and rinsing, all liquids were then extracted off the floor with an industrial wet vacuum. The amount of dirt removed was remarkable, but the floor looked great.

I was planning to seal the Quarry tiles the very next day so I left three floor industrial fans in situ overnight to ensure the floor would dry out. These also came in handy the next day to help speed up drying times during the sealing process.

Old Victorian Quarry Tiled Floor During Cleaning Drying Hale Barns

Sealing a Victorian Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor

It’s not a good idea to apply sealer to a damp floor, for best results it needs to be dry. With that in mind when I returned the next day, I started by taking moisture readings from the floor with a damp meter. I am pleased to say the fans had done their job and the floor was dry so I was able to press on with sealing the floor with the application of Tile Doctor Colour Grow. This is an impregnating colour intensifying sealer which provides durable protection as well as allowing the tile to breath which is an important consideration when working in older properties. Several coats were applied and true to its name the deep orange/red colours in the Quarry tiles really stood out.

Old Victorian Quarry Tiled Floor After Renovation Hale Barns

By the time I had finished the floor looked great and my client was over the moon with their newly restored Quarry tiled floor. For aftercare cleaning I recommended they use the Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner. It is pH neutral tile cleaner that will not degrade the new sealer which is important as many supermarket cleaning products are simply too strong for use on sealed tiles. (Always check the label!)

Professional Restoration of a Quarry Tiled Kitchen in East Cheshire

Renovating a Victorian Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor in Hale Barns Read More »

Ceramic Floor Tile Grout Before After Cleaning Wilmslow

Restoring White Grout on a Ceramic Tiled Floor in Wilmslow

1 Comment / Ceramic Tile Cleaning, Grout-Cleaning, Wilmslow Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Kamila Logonzy

I was contacted by a lady in Wilmslow who had a ceramic tiled floor that had been installed around eight years ago with white grout. Any tiler will tell you that white floor grout gets dirty very quickly and most advise against it. You can seal the grout which will protect it for longer however even sealers wear down over time, especially on a busy floor. Cleaning is also an option but unless done frequently it will start to darken. This was the case with this floor and now eight years later the Ceramic Tiles which are protected by a glaze still looked good but were being let down by the grout which had indeed become black.

Ceramic Floor Tile Grout Before Cleaning Wilmslow

My customer had been cleaning the floor on a regular basis but was now unhappy with the appearance of the tiles due to the dark grout and wanted the colour restored. Grout cleaning is not an issue and I was happy to do that however it will only improve by 75-80% of how it was when new and I cannot guarantee the removal of deep-seated staining. The only way to get it 100% and looking like new was to apply our Tile Doctor White Grout Colourant which is a hard-wearing epoxy covering that adheres to the grout, restoring the colour whilst protecting it. Keeping that as an option my customer asked for the grout cleaning and sealing service that we offer. This involves deep cleaning the grout and then sealing it to prevent the dirt from becoming ingrained again. We agreed we could always look at recolouring the grout later if necessary.

Cleaning the Grout on a Ceramic Tiled Kitchen Floor

Ceramic Floor Tile Grout During Steam Cleaning Wilmslow

Ceramic Floor Tile Grout During Cleaning Wilmslow

To deep clean the grout I applied Tile Doctor Remove and Go across the floor, I left it to soak into the grout for ten to twenty minutes and then scrubbed it in with a stiff hand brush and followed up with a high pressure steam cleaner. The slurry was vacuumed off the floor using a wet/dry vacuum and the process reapplied where needed. This process really got a lot of the dirt out of the grout and returned the white colour transforming the appearance of the floor.

Sealing Grout on a Ceramic Tiled Kitchen Floor

The grout was left to dry for a few hours and then sealed using Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal which is carefully applied onto the grout line using a pipette. Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal is a natural look sealer that is almost invisible, as a result it does not darken the look of the grout. Sealing the grout in will protect it from staining and ensure it keeps its white appearance for much longer.

Ceramic Floor Tile Grout After Cleaning Wilmslow

My customer was very happy to see her white grout restored and so didn’t require the application of a Grout Colourant this time. She did say she would recommend us to friends and neighbours which is always a bonus!

Professional Restoration of the Grout on a Ceramic Tiled Kitchen Floor in East Cheshire

Restoring White Grout on a Ceramic Tiled Floor in Wilmslow Read More »

Sandstone Tiled Floor Before and After Renovation Disley

Renovating a large Sandstone Floor in Disley

1 Comment / Cheadle Hulme Tile Cleaning, Macclesfield Tile Cleaning, Sandstone Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Kamila Logonzy

This is a large 17.2 m2 Sandstone Floor installed throughout the living and kitchen areas of a property in the beautiful village of Disley close to Lyme Park which is run by the National Trust. The floor had been installed four years ago and my client was unhappy with the original sealer which hadn’t lasted very long. Without the protection of a sealer dirt had become ingrained in the pores of the stone which was now difficult to clean. Another issue was the rough nature of the Sandstone meant it was impossible to mop as it shreds the mop! As a result, the floor was mainly cleaned with a hoover which was not ideal, especially in a kitchen.

I went over to survey the floor and before quoting I ran a small test clean in the kitchen which took the floor back to its natural pale colour and really showed how dirty the floor had become. Test cleans are great as it helps me to formulate an effective cleaning plan and provide an accurate quote. My client was impressed with the result and so I was booked to come back and deep clean and then reseal the whole floor. Due to its size I estimated the floor would take two days to deep clean and a further day to apply a new sealer, so three days in total.

Large Sandstone Floor During Test Clean Disley

Deep Cleaning and Restoring a Sandstone Tiled Floor

Working in large sections I started by cleaning the floor and stripping off the old sealer with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go which is a coatings remover that is safe to use on stone. The solution was left to soak into the pores of the Sandstone for ten minutes before being worked in with a 200-grit diamond pad fitted to a rotary floor machine. This action not only removed the old sealer and cleaned the floor but the 200-grit pad being vey coarse removed a lot of the roughness from the surface of the Sandstone so it shouldn’t shred any more mops.

Large Sandstone Floor During Cleaning Disley

After rinsing the floor with water and removing the slurry with a wet vacuum I set about cleaning the grout with Tile Doctor Pro-Clean worked into the grout line with a stiff brush and assisted with steam from a professional steam cleaner with a grout attachment. Once done the floor was rinsed and extracted again to remove the soil from the grouting. There was also an area near one of the doors where the grout had become loose and needed replacing so I made up a batch of matching grout and filled this in. The floor was then left overnight to dry with assistance from a couple of air movers.

Sealing a Sandstone Tiled Floor

I returned the next day to finish the floor by applying a sealer. First, I double checked the floor was dry with the damp meter. The readings confirmed the air movers had done a good job and that the floor was within the accepted parameters, so I was ready to seal. The sealer I chose was Tile Doctor Seal and Go which being water based doesn’t leave a smell as it dries, it really works well on Sandstone and adds a nice subtle sheen to the stone.

Once finished the floor looked much cleaner, lighter in colour overall more inviting, you could even see the fossils in some of the tiles.

Large Sandstone Floor After Cleaning Showing Fosils Disley

The surface was also smoother so the customer should find cleaning with a mop much easier in future. On that subject its worth pointing out that owners of sealed floors should always use a neutral pH tile cleaner on their floors as most supermarket products are simply too strong and will prematurely strip the sealer off a tile if used repeatedly. Tile Doctor sell a product called Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner which is ideal for cleaning sealed Sandstone floors like this one.

My client was really happy with the results and sent me a message later saying: “the floor looks amazing!”

Large Sandstone Floor After Cleaning Disley

Professional Renovation of Sandstone Tiled Kitchen and Living Room in Cheshire

Renovating a large Sandstone Floor in Disley Read More »

Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor Before and After Polishing Wilmslow

Polishing a Dull Travertine Kitchen Floor in Wilmslow

1 Comment / Grout-Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning, Wilmslow Tile Cleaning, Work History / Kamila Logonzy

This is a Travertine tiled floor installed at a property in the popular Cheshire town of Wilmslow around 16 years prior. It had previously been maintained by a Tile Doctor colleague about three years ago and the owner was hoping the floor could be given a simple maintenance clean and seal. This is a service we provide as part of an annual maintenance plan, unfortunately after surveying the floor it was clear they had left it far too long, the floor had lost its shine and it would now need to be resurfaced with a set of diamond burnishing pads and then resealed.

Travertine Floor Before Polishing Wilmslow

Naturally burnishing the floor costs more than a simple seal and polish but if you are going to opt for the quicker maintenance plan route it does need to be done at least annually and possibly more frequently if it’s a floor in frequent use such as a kitchen. We agreed a price for the work, and I arranged a time with them to return and renovate the floor.

Cleaning/Renovating a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor

To restore the polished appearance of the Travertine I used a set of four burnishing pads which are applied to the floor with a rotary machine. You start with a coarse 400-grit pad using water to lubricate and running it over each tile at least three times. This first pad cleans up the stone and removes old sealers. This is then followed with the finer 800-grit, 1500-grit and finally a 3000-grit pad. Except for the 3000-grit, each pad is applied with water and the floor is rinsed and the soil extracted afterwards with the wet vacuum.

The Grout lines were also deep cleaned with a scrubbing brush and Tile Doctor Pro-Clean tile and grout cleaner. The product really gets to into deep seated dirt and grease which tends to accumulate in the grout. After a final rinse and extraction, the floor was then left to dry off overnight.

Sealing a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor

I returned on the second day and started by checking the floor was dry by taking several moisture readings with a damp meter. The readings were good, so I proceeded to seal the floor using a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow. Colour Grow is an ideal sealer for Travertine as it seeps into the pores of the stone enhancing the natural brown colours in the process. It also offers great protection going forward.

Whilst I was there I had noticed that one of the doors had scratched the floor, fortunately the polishing process had got the scratches out of the stone but to prevent future scratching I helped them remove the door so a carpenter could shave off a few mm’s from the bottom.

Travertine Floor After Polishing Wilmslow

My customer left the following feedback:

“Second time had Travertine floor restored, cleaned & sealed, the first time was 3 years ago. Great job done then by Simon Bywater. This time Kamila did a really professional job on the kitchen limestone floor. A bit more expensive this time, but a good job was done. Have left instructions for her to contact me in 12 months time for annual maintenance on the same floor, hopefully to prevent restoration being required! Highly recommend the service.”

The floor looked great and they should now be able to maintain it in between the maintenance visits, with day to day cleaning using Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner.

Professional Restoration of a Travertine Tiled Kitchen in East Cheshire

Polishing a Dull Travertine Kitchen Floor in Wilmslow Read More »

Porcelain Tiled Floor Before After Grout Colouring Nether Alderley

Changing Grey Grout to Cream at Nether Alderley New Build

1 Comment / Alderley Edge Tile Cleaning, Porcelain Tile Cleaning, Work History / Kamila Logonzy

We were contacted by a national builder of luxury homes to see if we could help sort out a grout problem with an expensive Porcelain tiled floor. Whilst most the work we do relates to the cleaning and sealing of tile and stone we also get asked to consult on related issues. On this occasion it turns out their tiler had done a great job tiling the floor with 240m2 of large format porcelain tiles, but the grout used was the wrong colour.

The property affected was in Nether Alderley which is a very desirable part of East Cheshire about a mile south of Alderley Edge. An appointment was arranged with the property developer to inspect the problem and advise on a solution.

Porcelain Tile Before Grout Colouring Grey to Ivory in Nether Alderley

On the day of the visit I was advised that they didn’t want to remove and relay the floor as the cost would be prohibitive and the inconvenience to the homeowner excessive. The developer suggested removing the grout and replacing with the right colour however I advised to do so would take a long time also there was a high risk of chipping the tiles.

The remedy I suggested was to recolour the grout lines with a Tile Doctor Grout Colourant. I have used this method successfully before and I could guarantee there would be no dust and minimal inconvenience to the family, it was an obvious solution. The original grout was grey which really stood out against the cream tile however being quite dark it was clear at least two coats of Ivory grout colourant would be needed.

The builder was happy to go ahead with this solution and we arranged a time to come back. The floor was a very large area so the work would take some time to complete.

Recolouring the Grout on a Porcelain Tiled Floor

Working in sections the first job was to wash and scrub the grout lines with Tile Doctor Grout Colourant Pre- Treatment Cleaner which lightly etches and cleans the grout lines to ensure an improved bond with the new colourant.

Porcelain Tile During Grout Colouring Grey to Ivory in Nether Alderley

The grout was then dried off with some gentle assistance with a heat gun to speed up the process. Once dry the next task was to apply the first coat of Ivory colourant. The colourant is applied by dipping a small brush into the colourant then scrubbing it into the grout lines. Any residue left on the tiles is easily wiped off with a baby wipe to leave a nice crisp line. If you’re doing this yourself then it’s worth noting that Tile Doctor sell a Grout Colourant Kit that includes the pre-treater, colourant and the brush.

Porcelain Tile After Grout Colouring Grey to Ivory in Nether Alderley

It took two days to complete the work saving the house builder thousands of pounds, there was no mess and the family were only slightly inconvenienced. The builder was that impressed we did six more homes on that estate and I understand he has since used the same process with another Tile Doctor in Yorkshire.

Another advantage of the grout colourant is that it forms an impervious layer over the grout, effectively sealing it in and making it much easier to keep clean going forward.

Professional Recolour of Grout on a Porcelain Tiled Floor in East Cheshire

Changing Grey Grout to Cream at Nether Alderley New Build Read More »

Farmhouse Victorian Tiled Floor Before After Restoration Jodrell Bank

Victorian Tiled Hallway Restoration at Jodrell Bank Farmhouse

1 Comment / Holmes Chapel Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Work History / Kamila Logonzy

We received an enquiry from a client who had just brought a farmhouse with a Victorian Tiled floor close to Jodrell Bank near the village of Goostrey. Jodrell Bank is a few miles north of Homes Chapel and famous around the world for the nearby Jodrell Bank Observatory which is an astrophysics centre and part of the University of Manchester.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Before Restoration Jodrell Bank

On restoring the farmhouse, the client discovered a Victorian tiled floor hidden under their hall carpet and wondered if it was worth saving. I rang the client up to arrange a day to do a test clean and talk through the process of restoring the floor. Turns out the floor was looking washed out and there were a few tiles that would need replacing. I went over to survey the floor and complete a test clean which worked out well. Certainly, the client was happy with the result and could now see the floors potential, so a date was arranged to start work.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Before Restoration Jodrell Bank Zoom

Cleaning/Repairing a Farmhouse Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

The first job was to cut out the damaged tiles and replace them, this was done using spare tiles I had been saving over the years for replacements and they were fixed using rapid set tile adhesive which meant I was able to start cleaning the floor after two hours.

To get the years of ingrained dirt out of the tiles I used Tile Doctor Acid Gel which is a blend of phosphoric and hydrochloric acids in a gel form, so it stays on top of the tiles and does not run off. This was left to dwell for a good ten minutes before scrubbing the floor using a weighted floor buffer fitted with a 200-grit resurfacing pad. A little water was used to lubricate the resurfacing pad and dilute the acid gel which helps stop efflorescence which is often a problem with floors of this age. The solution soon turned into a dark slurry which was then removed using a vet vacuum.

The next step was to repeat the process using more water and a 400-grit burnishing pad which refines the surface after the application of the coarser 200-grit pad. After more rinsing and extracting the floor was wiped using a microfibre cloth and then left to dry out overnight so it would be ready for sealing the next day.

Sealing a Farmhouse Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

The next morning, I took a couple of moisture readings with a damp meter to make sure the floor was dry and ready to seal. The results were good so three coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra were applied using a clean microfibre cloth rubbing in circles to blend the polymers together to leave a semi sheen to the floor. I chose Seal and Go Extra due to the fact that it’s a breathable sealer that will cope with any moisture rising through the floor, this is an important consideration with old floors as they don’t have a damp-proof membrane installed under the floor.

Victorian Tiled Hallway After Restoration Jodrell Bank Zoom

The client was very satisfied with the restoration, it looked better than they had expected and of course a lot nicer than the previous hall carpet! I recommended they should use Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner to maintain the floor which is pH neutral and will ensure the longevity of the seal we had applied.

Victorian Tiled Hallway After Restoration Jodrell Bank

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in East Cheshire

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