Margate Tile Cleaning Archives - North Kent Tile Doctor

Efflorescent Stained Terracotta Floor Renovation Edenbridge

Efflorescent Salt Stained Terracotta Floor Renovated in Edenbridge

This customer from Edenbridge asked me to renovate their Terracotta Kitchen floor which has been ruined by a water leak from the dishwasher. The water had caused enormous amounts of damage throughout the lower floor and had resulted in the appearance of white efflorescence as it dried out. Unfortunately, the floor had previously been sealed with some sort of lacquer which the efflorescent salts couldn’t get past resulting in a build-up under the lacquer on many of the tiles.

Terracotta Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning Edenbridge

To resolve, the lacquer needed to be stripped off, the floor cleaned and dried and then re-sealed with a breathable sealer that could cope with the efflorescence should it re-appear. I created a quote for the work which would take two days and emailed it over to the customer. They were relieved to have found someone who understood the problem and had a solution so accepted the quote and a date was agreed for the work to start.

Cleaning Dirty Terracotta Floor Tiles in Edenbridge

The first job was to remove the lacquer which I did with liberal amounts of Tile Doctor’s Remove and Go which is an alkaline coatings remover. A 50/50 dilution of product to water was applied and left to dwell for ten minutes. This was then agitated with a rotary floor buffer fitted with a silicon carbide brush and more water. The resultant slurry was then extracted with a wet vacuum.

Next was the hands and knees job of cleaning the wide grout lines that are typical feature of a Terracotta floor. I used a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean for this, again its left to soak in for ten minutes before being scrubbed in. This did the job of getting the grout clean and as I progressed the dirt was rinsed off and extracted again with the wet vacuum.

With the floor clean my attention turned to dealing with the efflorescence which was still present in the floor and would certainly re-appear as the floor dried. The solution is to counter the alkaline salts by giving the tiles an acid wash using Tile Doctor Acid Gel. The gel is applied to the floor and worked in with a black pad fitted to the rotary floor buffer. The gel is then rinsed off an extracted as before. As well as dealing with the efflorescence this product also neutralises the pH of the floor after the use of the alkaline cleaning products used earlier.

The floor was then mopped twice with just water and then dried as much as possible with the wet vacuum. The next step would be sealing so that’s all I could do on the first day so once done I left it to dry off.

Sealing a Terracotta Tiled Floor in Edenbridge

Terracotta is very porous, so instead of returning the next day to seal, as with many other stone types, I allowed an extra day. Applying sealer to a damp floor is not a good idea as the result can be patchy and inconsistent; with this in mind my first task of the day was to ensure the floor had dried sufficiently by taking several moisture readings with a damp meter.

The owner had already left for work that day but had given me a spare key, so I was able to let myself into the property. We had discussed sealing beforehand, and they had mentioned that they liked the appearance of the floor before the water leak and wanted a sealer that would give the same natural finish.

With this in mind, I sealed the Terracotta with Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal which is a modern impregnating sealer that is almost invisible and doesn’t change the appearance of the tile. Ultra-Seal is also breathable so any moisture and efflorescence still in the subfloor would be able to rise through the tile and evaporate at the surface without causing a problem.

Two liberal coats of sealer were applied to the Terracotta and Grout over a period of a few hours. I then hung around to ensure that I was satisfied with the dried finish and let myself out. The fresh sealer will protect the floor from dirt becoming ingrained in the tile keeping in on the surface where it can be easily mopped away.

Terracotta Kitchen Floor After Cleaning Edenbridge

For the regular cleaning of Terracotta tiled floors, I recommend the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is an effective tile cleaner that is gentle enough not to compromise the newly applied sealant. Many household cleaning products are simply to strong for cleaning sealed floors and contain strong chemicals such as bleach that can break down a sealer.

Terracotta Kitchen Floor After Cleaning Edenbridge

Professional Renovation of an Efflorescent Salt Stained Terracotta Kitchen Floor in Kent

Efflorescent Salt Stained Terracotta Floor Renovated in Edenbridge Read More »

Dirty Terracotta Floor Deep Cleaned and Sealed in Sandwich

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Margate Tile Cleaning, Terracotta Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Graham Davis

I was called to a property in Sandwich, which is a few miles south of Margate, to look at renovating the Terracotta flooring in the kitchen, dining room and conservatory. The house was originally three cottages and close to the end of a project to convert them into one property.

Terracotta Floor Before Cleaning Sandwich Kent

The floor hadn’t been cleaned in years and the porous nature of the Terracotta tiles meant that the floor had taken on a lot of dirt. During my visit to the property, I carried out a small cleaning test on one of the tiles to show the client what they could expect by way of results. The test went well, and I was able to work out an accurate quote for the renovation. Happy with the test clean and my quote I was booked to do the work and we arranged a convenient date of my return.

Sandwich is a beautiful historic part of Kent, it was one of the Cinque Ports and still retains many of its medieval buildings and older properties. As you may have suspected the town also gave the name to the food, we regularly tuck into courtesy of John Montagu who was the 4th Earl of Sandwich.

Cleaning Dirty Terracotta Floor Tiles in Sandwich

Working in sections I started with the application of a strong solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which was left to soak into the tiles for roughly ten minutes. This was then worked into the Terracotta using a 400-grit burnishing pad fitted to a rotary buffer machine. The process generated a lot of red slurry which was vacuumed away using an industrial wet vacuum. The tiles were exceptionally dirty and more rinsing with water, and vacuuming was needed to remove all the soiling.

Terracotta Floor During Cleaning Sandwich Kent

The pad had struggled to reach into the pits of the tiles and recessed grout so for the next step I chose to fit a nylon wire attachment to the floor buffer and run it over the tiles and the especially the grout. This did the job and cleaned out the puts and the grout lines very well. The floor immediately looked significantly better.

Using fresh water with a weak solution of Tile Doctor Grout Clean Up, a mop and bucket the floor was given an acid wash to remove any old grout smears and neutralise any alkaline salts that could lead to efflorescence issues later. Once done the floor was rinsed with more water and the solution vacuumed off the floor. The floor was then left to dry for two days so it would be ready for the next step of sealing.

Sealing Old Terracotta Floor Tiles in Sandwich

Two days later I returned on schedule ready to apply a fresh sealer. I was concerned about the amount of water used during the cleaning process, so I started by checking the moisture level of the tiles with a damp meter.

I was happy with the readings so lost no time in applying the sealer. Three coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow were applied which is an impregnating breathable sealer that soaks into the Terracotta occupying its pores and preventing dirt from residing there. This product contains a colour enhancing element that really brings out the colour in the Terracotta and being fully breathable it will be able to cope with any moisture rising through the tile which can be an issue with these old floors that don’t have a damp proof membrane.

Terracotta Floor After Cleaning Sandwich Kent

With a sealer now in place protecting the floor any dirt will remain on the surface where it can be easily mopped away. On that note I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner for regular cleaning, this will ensure that the floor can be cleaned without compromising the newly applied sealant. Household cleaners tend to contain strong chemicals which will break down the seal prematurely.

The client was very happy and left the following feedback, its short but he gets the message across.

‘Graham did an excellent job thank you’

Professional Restoration of a Terracotta Tiled Conservatory, Kitchen and Dining Room Floor in Kent

Dirty Terracotta Floor Deep Cleaned and Sealed in Sandwich Read More »

Victorian Conservatory Floor Birchington-on-Sea

Renovating a Stained Edwardian Conservatory floor in Birchington-on-Sea

1 Comment / Margate Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Graham Davis

This striking Victorian tiled Conservatory floor at a property Birchington-on-Sea was in good physical condition but had been stained with white salt deposits. Additionally, the old sealer on the Victorian tiles had worn down with use and now dirt was becoming trapped in the pores of the tile leaving it looking dull and un-inviting.

Victorian Tiled Conservatory Floor Before Cleaning Birchington-on-Sea

The salt deposit issue is often referred to as efflorescence and normally happens when the floor has no damp proof membrane to prevent moisture rising through the floor and evaporating at the surface. In this case however I suspect it was simply due to the over watering of plants, the water naturally contains salt and when the water evaporates it leaves the salt behind. The Southeast of England is known to be a Hard Water area which means it carries a high level of minerals including Calcium.

To renovate the Conservatory floor, I proposed giving it a deep clean to remove the dirt, efflorescence and what was left of the old sealer. Once clean and dry I would then apply a fresh sealer.

Removing Efflorescence from a Victorian Tiled Conservatory Floor

Upon my arrival at the house, my first task was to add protection to the skirting boards and adjacent wooden floors. I then created a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, a versatile, high alkaline cleaner, this would get deep into the tiles and shift the dirt and grime along with the old sealer.

I applied the solution to the surface and left it to soak into the tile for twenty minutes, allowing it to get to work on breaking down the old sealer, staining and ingrained dirt. I then scrubbed this into the tiles using a Tile Doctor 200-grit burnishing pad fitted to a rotary floor machine. This process was repeated in a couple of areas that had the most stubborn stains. After the clean had been completed, I rinsed the entire floor several times and extracted the resulting slurry using a wet vacuum.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Conservatory Hallway Floor

I left the floor overnight, allowing the floor enough time to dry and returned then next day to seal the floor, checking first to ensure the tiles had dried sufficiently with a damp meter.

To seal the floor, I applied several coatings of Tile Doctor Colour Grow allowing for thirty-minute drying time between each coat. I chose Colour Grow as it’s an impregnator that protects from within by occupying the pores in the tile thereby preventing dirt from becoming ingrained there. This product also contains a colour enhancing component that deepens the colour in the tile. Finally, it leaves a nice matt sheen appearance.

Victorian Tiled Conservatory Floor After Cleaning Birchington-on-Sea

As you can see from the before and after photos, the white salt stains were gone, and the tiles now have a very clean consistent appearance. The fresh seal should ensure it stays that way for some years to come.

My client was extremely pleased with my work and left the following positive feedback.

“Graham was very professional, he made a great job of our Edwardian tiles. I would recommend him.”

For aftercare cleaning I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner. This is a pH neutral cleaner, which will ensure the newly applied seal retains its integrity. Household cleaners are generally too strong for sealed surfaces and tend to break down the sealer prematurely taking the floor back to square one. Using the correct product will ensure the longevity of the new seal.

Professional Floor Renovation of an Edwardian Conservatory in North Kent

Renovating a Stained Edwardian Conservatory floor in Birchington-on-Sea Read More »

Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovated Margate Kent

Badly Maintained Travertine Kitchen Floor Renovated in Margate

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Margate Tile Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / abzdominise

These photos are of a Travertine tiled floor installed in the kitchen of a property in Margate. The floor had sadly not been maintained correctly over the years and was now looking very dirty which is quite common with travertine due to the porous nature of its surface. Any sealer that may have been present on the floor had long since worn off with wear and now dirt had heavily penetrated the pores making it difficult to keep clean and giving it a flat, lifeless appearance.

Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning Margate

The client was looking to revive the floor and was specifically unhappy with what appeared dull looking marks all over the floor and the grout lines which were heavily ingrained with dirt and had now become black.

Travertine is a natural stone material that has unique colours and features that no other stone can offer. The distinctive designs and natural patterns found within travertine make it very popular as a flooring material and if treated properly it can look beautiful. I discussed with the client what Tile Doctor could do to improve the appearance of the floor, we agreed the cost and organised a date to get started.

Cleaning a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor

Before starting the first process of cleaning I some some time protected the wooden skirting and kitchen units with decorator’s plastic sheeting to ensure they did not get damaged. The floor was then burnished using a set of Tile Doctor diamond encrusted burnishing pads of different grits.

Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor During Cleaning Margate

I started with a coarse 200-grit pad which was applied to the tiles with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean to add lubrication and extra cleaning power, then after running the pad over each tile at least three times the floor was rinsed with fresh water and the resultant slurry extracted. This process was repeated through the different pads using only water for lubrication, grits included 400-grit, 800-grit and finished on the 1500-grit.

Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor During Polishing Margate

The grout lines were then hand scrubbed using more Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a multi-purpose alkaline cleaner which is very effective in lifting dirt from tile and grout. I then rinsed the now soiled cleaning solution off the floor with water which was then extracted using the wet vacuum. Once I was satisfied with the tile and grout it was left dry off fully overnight.

Sealing a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor in Margate

On my return the next day I applied the last of the burnishing pads which is an extra fine 3000-grit pad which really brings up the polish on the stone. This pad is applied dry with only a little water sprayed onto the stone using a method we call a Spray Burnish. An additional advantage of this is it leaves the dry and ready for sealing.

I had discussed sealing with the customer previously to understand what finish they wanted after cleaning. For this floor they wanted the stone to have a natural appearance, so I recommend Tile Doctor Ultra Seal. It’s an invisible impregnating sealer that doesn’t darken the stone and therefore ticks the box to provide the desired natural look whilst adding protection. Two coats of Ultra-Seal were applied leaving each coat to dry before applying the next, when the last coat was dry the floor was buffed with a soft white buffing pad to bring up the polish further.

Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor After Polishing Margate

My client was very impressed with the result and left the following feedback on the Tile Doctor feedback system; you know you have done a good job when your client leaves feedback for you.

“Lovely guy that came out, arrived in time and kept me informed of progress of the job. Do not hesitate to use tile doctor”

Travertine Tiled Floor Professionally Cleaned in North Kent

Badly Maintained Travertine Kitchen Floor Renovated in Margate Read More »

Victorian Tiled Path Before After Renovation Cliftonville Margate

Victorian Tiles Path Restoration in Cliftonville, Margate

Margate Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Graham Davis

The picture below is of a Victorian path leading up to a house in Cliftonville which is a popular residential area in the coastal town of Margate. The seaside property was generally in good repair and had retained many of its’ original features. The pathway however had been subjected to the weather, and salty sea air so was looking a little worse for wear.

Victorian Path Before Renovation Cliftonville Margate

It always makes a pleasant change to be asked to carry out work outside and being located a short ten-minute drive away from the property it wasn’t long before I was able to go over and take a look. I inspected the path and discussed with the client the cleaning process that was needed. They were happy to go ahead with my quote and we arranged a time to return later in the month. We kept one eye on the weather as a nice dry day would be needed.

Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Pathway

Being outdoors, for a change we didn’t need to tape any surrounding areas to protect them from the clean, so we were able to get straight on with the job. The tiles had some masonry paint staining from the previous redecoration of the rendering, this was softened by spot treating with Tile Doctor Remove and Go which was left to soak in for ten minutes before being scrubbed in with a stiff brush. The paint was then carefully scraped off.

A deep clean was then carried out using a rotary floor cleaning machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad which was used to work in a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. This had an immediate effect and it wasn’t long before the dirt was being lifted out of the pores of the tile. The pathway was then rinsed, and the resulting slurry extracted with a wet vacuum.

The path was looking much improved so once I was happy all the dirt had been removed it was left to dry out. There were a few loose tiles were lifted and secured back in place using a flexible floor tile adhesive rated for external use.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Pathway

The dry weather continued so I was able to return the following day and complete the project. Before sealing I resurfaced some of the tiles using a hand buffer fitted with a 400-grit burnishing pad and a little water to give the surface a consistent finish.

The last step was to apply three coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is a fully breathable impregnating sealer that will cope with the damp external conditions. It also provides durable protection and has the added benefit of improving the colours in the tile.

Victorian Path After Renovation Cliftonville Margate

The path looked great after completion, the Victorian pattern looked lovely and the new sealer will ensure it is a lot easier to keep clean going forward. I discussed aftercare before leaving and recommended the use the Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner, its concentrated product so a one litre bottle goes a long way and won’t harm the newly applied sealer. Most supermarket tile cleaning products are not pH neutral and too strong to use on a sealed surface.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Pathway in East Kent

Victorian Tiles Path Restoration in Cliftonville, Margate Read More »

=================================

Broadstairs Tile Cleaning, Canterbury Tile Cleaning, Ceramic Tile Cleaning, Chatham Tile Cleaning, Edenbridge Tile Cleaning, Encaustic Cement Tile Cleaning, Faversham Tile Cleaning, Fireplace Cleaning, Flagstone Tile Cleaning, Gillingham Tile Cleaning, Gravesend Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Herne Bay Tile Cleaning, Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing, Maidstone Tile Cleaning, Marble Tile Cleaning, Margate Tile Cleaning, Porcelain Tile Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Rochester Tile Cleaning, Sandstone Tile Cleaning, Sevenoaks Tile Cleaning, Slate Tile Cleaning, Terracotta Tile Cleaning, Terrazzo Floor Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Vinyl Tile Cleaning, Whitstable Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Graham Davis

North Kent Tile Doctor

================================= Read More »