Maidstone Tile Cleaning Archives - North Kent Tile Doctor

Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovation Leeds Village

Large Travertine Floor Cleaned and Polished in Leeds Village

I was contacted about a Georgian property in the Kent village of Leeds , to see if I could do anything to improve a Travertine tiled floor. The use of Travertine was extensive and had been installed throughout the ground floor including the kitchen, dining room, utility and bathroom WC. Travertine is probably my favourite stone, but it is acid sensitive and attracts dirt easily, due to its ‘holey’ composition.

Travertine Tiled Floor Before Cleaning Leeds Village

Initially we discussed the floor over the phone where I got to know about the issues they were experiencing, and I detailed the renovation process I normally use to restore it including the products and timelines. Naturally they wanted to me to provide a quote for the work however its tricky to do that accurately without seeing the floor, so I arranged a date to pop over.

Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning Leeds Village

Travertine Tiled Floor Before Cleaning Leeds Village

Upon arriving I could see the tiles and the wide grout joints had extensive, ingrained dirt indicating the previous sealer had long since worn away. This is a common issue with stone floors, and to re-assure myself and the client it could be resolved I cleaned a small area in the utility room with pleasing results!

Travertine Tiled Utility Floor Test Clean Leeds Village

This test clean helped me to understand which products and methods would work best on the floor and later that day I emailed over a detailed quote for the renovation. Happy with the quote I received a reply the same day asking when I could start.

Deep Cleaning Travertine Tiled Flooring

My colleague and I arrived on the agreed date and work started with adding protection to all areas that required it. We use a lot of water during the cleaning process and some materials such as MDF can become damaged with water ingress, so it makes sense to do this.

To get the floor clean, a coarse Carbide Brush fitted to a rotary machine was run over the Travertine tiles to scrub in a strong solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. This process generates a lot of slurry as the dirt was washed out of the stone and grout which is extracted with a wet vacuum as we progressed.

Next it was on hands and knees with more Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and handheld brushes run over stubborn areas and along the grout lines to take them from 80% up to 100%.

Happy with the results, the next step was to renovate the stone using a series of diamond encrusted burnishing pads. Using only water for lubrication this process starts with the application of a coarse 400-grit burnishing pad attached to the floor buffer. This produces a lot of slurry which again was removed with a wet vacuum.

This left the Travertine clean, but the pores of the stone had been opened giving the floor a matt finish and more absorbent than it was originally. To further refine the appearance of the stone the next two burnishing pads were applied which are 800 and 1500-grit. These pads polish the stone and close the pores, restoring the natural sheen in the process. After each pad was applied the slurry was rinsed off the floor with water and extracted with the wet vacuum. Once complete the floor was left to dry off fully overnight.

Sealing a Travertine Tiled Utility, Kitchen, and WC

I arrived the next day and took several moisture readings from the floor to check that it had dried off sufficiently overnight. The results were good, so work moved onto sealing the Travertine with two coats of Tile Doctor Ultra Seal which is a natural look impregnating sealer. It works by soaking into the stone, occupying the pores and thereby preventing dirt from becoming ingrained there. This ensures dirt remains on the surface where it is easily cleaned away.

Travertine Tiled Floor During Sealing Leeds Village

The final step in the floor’s renovation was to apply the last of the diamond polishing pads which is a very fine 3000-grit. This pad further improves the polished appearance of the stone resulting in a satisfying sheen.

Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor After Cleaning Sealing Leeds Village

Travertine Tiled Utility Floor After Cleaning Sealing Leeds Village

The work made a massive difference to the floor, and I received an email the next day from one of the owners who was really pleased with the transformation:

”Floors look brilliant. Very pleased.”

Travertine Tiled Floor After Cleaning Sealing Leeds Village

For the care and maintenance of polished sealed floors I recommend the use of Tile Doctor’s Stone Soap which is a gentle but effective cleaning product that won’t impact the sealer and contains a patina enhancer. When it comes to sealed floors my mantra is:

“If you look after the sealer, the sealer will look after the floor!”

Professional Renovation and Polishing of a Travertine Tiled Floor in Kent

Large Travertine Floor Cleaned and Polished in Leeds Village Read More »

Pitted Travertine Floor Renovation Maidstone

Multiple Travertine Tiled Floors Renovated in Maidstone

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Maidstone Tile Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning / Graham Davis

I was recently asked to survey a large Travertine tile installation at a 300-year-old thatched cottage in Maidstone. The Travertine floor was installed throughout the downstairs including the kitchen, dining room and utility room.

Travertine Floor Before Cleaning Maidstone

The stone floor had not been sealed in years and the previous sealer had now worn off with use leading to accumulated ground-in dirt. They were also concerned about numerous cracks that had appeared in the tiles, presumably from the underfloor heating.

Travertine is a type of limestone that is acid sensitive and is naturally ‘holey’ or pitted. These pits are usually filled by the manufacturer but this can come loose and more holes can develop over time especially if you use an acidic bleach-based cleaning product.

Travertine Floor Before Cleaning Maidstone

I performed a survey and worked out a renovation plan and quote. Happy with the quote we agreed a date for the work to start.

Filling and Cleaning Travertine Floors in Maidstone

The first job was to clean the cracks and holes in the Travertine before they could be repaired with a filler. This was done with a rotary floor machine fitted with a carbide brush in conjunction with water and Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is an effect alkaline tile and grout cleaner. The work was performed in stages and the resultant dirty water was removed with a wet vacuum as we worked.

The floor was then inspected and the grout lines, cracks and larger holes were individually scrubbed by hand with a stronger Pro-Clean solution. Interestingly the grout lines cleaned up well to reveal they were a Jasmine colour that wasn’t evident before.

A heat gun was then used to dry the cracks and holes before applying a specialist stone resin sold for exactly this purpose. Once dry it was then sanded down so the filler was flush with the surface of the Travertine.

Next, a set of diamond burnishing pads were applied to the stone floor with using water for lubrication. There are four pads in the set with grits from 400 to 3000, each diamond pad is fitted to the buffer in turn. The pads are slowly passed over each Travertine tiles, first lengthways and then widthways ensuring a good and consistent cut. The resultant slurry is then extracted as before with the wet vacuum. Each successive pad had a finer grit of diamond which closes the pores of the stone and starts to put the natural sheen back.

A final mop and then we left for the day to allow the tiles to dry out to be sealed the next day.

h2>Sealing Travertine Tiled Floors in Maidstone

Returning the next day the first task was to check the moisture readings of the floor using a damp meter. The readings were good and it confirmed the floor was dry and ready for sealing. This check is really important as applying a sealer to a damp floor would impact its ability to cure and result in it looking patchy.

Happy with the readings from the moisture meter the floor was sealed with two coats of Tile Doctor’s Ultra Seal a natural look, impregnator. The sealer soaks into the pores of the stone protecting it from within and without altering the natural appearance of the honed stone.

Travertine Floor After Renovation Maidstone

A final polish with a fine 3000-grit diamond pad left the floors with an attractive reflective sheen and a happy customer!

Travertine Floor After Renovation Maidstone

Before leaving I took time to discuss aftercare cleaning which for a polished stone floor like this, I recommend the use of Tile Doctor Stone Soap which is a gentle cleaning product that won’t impact the sealer and will maintain the patina.

Travertine Floor After Renovation Maidstone

Professional Renovation of Travertine Tiled Flooring in Kent

Multiple Travertine Tiled Floors Renovated in Maidstone Read More »

Sandstone Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovated in Maidstone

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Maidstone Tile Cleaning, Sandstone Tile Cleaning / Graham Davis

A couple from Maidstone contacted Tile Doctor earlier this year regarding their Sandstone tiled floors which needed rejuvenating. After a brief exchange of emails, we arranged a date for a site visit so I could survey the floors and come up with a renovation plan.

They had two tiled floors that required attention, totalling around 30m2. There were two rooms that required attention, that larger of which was covered by a carpet and the other was a utility room. Tests in the Utility Room proved that the stone and grout would clean up well and demonstrated that the varied natural colours in the stone would result in a lovely finish.

Sandstone Floor Tiles Before Cleaning Maidstone

Based on the tests I put together a renovation plan and quote which was readily accepted, and a date agreed for the work to commence. My only proviso was that the carpet needed to be taken up prior to my arrival.

Sandstone Floor Tiles Before Cleaning Maidstone

Cleaning a Sandstone Tiled Floor

Upon arrival for the start of the work, it was clear that the carpet had been protecting the floor and keeping the Sandstone in good condition. However, there were some stubborn adhesive marks where the carpet gripper had been stuck to the tile that would need dealing with. I had anticipated this and was able to soften the glue with an application of Tile Doctor Remove and Go so it could be removed with a stiff brush.

Given the uneven, riven nature of the stone and the wide grout lines, I opted to use a Silicon Carbide Brush to clean the floor. The pad is applied with a rotary floor buffer in conjunction with plenty of water and Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a strong alkaline tile and grout cleaning agent.

The process pulled the dirt out of the Sandstone turning the water black and this was the removed using a wet vacuum as I went along. The floor was then inspected, and it was onto my hands and knees to clean the grout, stubborn marks and any areas that the buffer had been unable to get to.

Last step of the cleaning process was to give the floor and acid rinse using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up to further clean the floor and neutralise its pH level after the alkaline cleaner. Another rinse with water, extraction with the wet vacuum and the cleaning was complete.

Both floors were then left to allow them to dry out overnight so they would be ready for sealing the next day which is when the magic happens.

Sealing Sandstone Floor Tiles

The next day, I returned and although the floors looked dry, I tested several areas with my moisture meter to be sure. Its not a good idea to apply a sealer to a damp floor as it can affect the result.

Sandstone Floor Tiles During Sealing Maidstone

To seal this floor, I used Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal which is an oil-based impregnator sealer that contains a colour intensifier. It’s a hard-wearing sealer that’s perfect for enhancing the natural colours within the stone. Only one coat of sealer was needed which was applied by rubbing into the stone with a cloth, it dries very quickly however it can take up to twelve hours to fully cure.

Sandstone Floor Tiles After Cleaning Sealing Maidstone

Being an impregnator, X-Tra Seal soaks into stone occupying the pores and preventing dirt from residing there. This ensures dirt remains on the surface where its easily cleaned away.

Sandstone Floor Tiles After Cleaning Sealing Maidstone

As I progressed, I was pleased to see that my expectations on the outcome were being met! One tile, when sealed, even showed evidence of a prehistoric, fossilised plant that wasn’t obvious before.

Sandstone Floor Tiles After Cleaning Sealing with Fossil

With the floor cleaned and sealed, all that remained was to advise the couple on aftercare cleaning for which I left them with a bottle of Tile Doctor Neutral pH Tile Cleaner.

Sandstone Floor Tiles After Cleaning Sealing Maidstone

Professional Restoration of a Sandstone Tiled Floor in Kent

Sandstone Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovated in Maidstone Read More »

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North Kent Tile Doctor

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