Sandstone Tile Cleaning

Welcome to my Work History archive where you will find detailed examples of the cleaning and renovation of Sandstone flooring carried out in North Kent

Cleaning and Renovating Sandstone Floors

Sandstone is often used for Kitchen and Hallway flooring, however as with any natural stone it needs to be sealed to protect it and bring out its beauty and colouring. One of the biggest problems we find with stone flooring is with the sealer becoming stripped away prematurely by the continuous use of cleaning agents not designed for this type of surface. Without its protective sealer porous stone quickly becomes ingrained with dirt making it increasingly difficult to clean effectively.

Our method for renovating Sandstone typically involves stripping the floor of any existing sealer/coatings, deep cleaning to extract the dirt and then applying a fresh sealer for which I recommend Tile Doctor Colour Grow as it enhances the natural colours in the stone. If the floor is particularly bad, it’s best to resurface it with coarse milling pads which can remove a thin layer from the surface of the stone.

Below you will find detailed examples of work we have carried out in the past, it should give you some idea of what’s involved and what can be achieved with the right techniques and products.

York Sandstone Floor Restoration Sevenoaks Weald

Old York Stone Floor Resurfaced and Restored in Sevenoaks Weald

1 Comment / Flagstone Tile Cleaning, Sandstone Tile Cleaning, Sevenoaks Tile Cleaning /

I was asked to give my opinion on restoring a York Sandstone floor at an old house in Sevenoaks Weald. The flagstones were in a bad state, heavily pitted with dirt ground into the stone from hundreds of years of use. The Sandstone flooring spanned across the ground floor, from the porch, a narrow passageway, to a raised dining room and kitchen.

York Sandstone Floor Before Restoration Sevenoaks Weald

I called round to discuss the floor and what could be done to restore its appearance. During the conversation the owner expressed a preference to having the very rough riven nature of the floor reduced and wanted to know the options. Rough stone traps dirt easily and is more difficult to keep clean so I could sympathise with the situation.

I explained that the best course of action would be to mill the stone. Milling is a process championed by Tile Doctor which utilises very coarse diamond pads to remove a thin layer of stone from the surface and then finer grit pads to refine the appearance of the new surface making it smooth and easy to maintain in the process.

York Sandstone Floor Before Restoration Sevenoaks Weald York Sandstone Floor Before Restoration Sevenoaks Weald

I measured up the combined floor space and put together a quotation that included all the products and labour needed to transform the floor, a process which should take three days.

With the quotation accepted and the products ordered and delivered, I arrived on the agreed date to begin work and started by securing a loose flagstone with a rapid set adhesive.

Cleaning a York Sandstone Tiled Ground Floor

The milling started with the application of very coarse 50-grit diamond Flexi-Pads fitted to a heavy-duty floor buffer with added weight to ensure maximum traction with the stone. Using only water for lubrication these pads do the bulk of the work and remove a fine and often contaminated layer from the surface of the stone to reveal new stone underneath.

York Sandstone Floor During Milling Sevenoaks Weald

This is the slowest part of the job with each flagstone requiring five to ten minutes of milling before moving onto the next. A lot of water was used in this process which mixes with the cut stone to form a slurry which is then vacuumed away. It took a full day to cover all the floors, and I got through three of the 50-grit pads in the process.

On my return the following day, I could see the floor had dried and the slabs now looked quite pale and ‘washed out’, which was to be expected at this early stage.

The process from here ran significantly quicker. A finer 100-grit flexi pad was applied next, followed by 200-grit flexi pad, a 200-grit soft diamond pad and finally a 400-grit soft diamond pad. Less and less slurry was produced as I worked through each of the finer grit pads. Again, using water for lubrication and removing the slurry with a wet vacuum as work progressed.

The floor was then mopped through twice to remove any residual dried slurry and then left to settle and fully dry out.

Sealing a York Sandstone Flagstone Floor

Two days later, I returned to inspect the floor. Lovely pastel greens, browns and grey colours were now evident in the flagstone along with the natural patterns and veins which gave the floor so much more character than it had before. Most of our sealers come with a colour intensifier. However, I strongly felt that the floor looked amazing as it was which was readily agreed by the owner. So, Tile Doctor’s Ultra Seal was opted for. This is a natural look, impregnating sealer which protects the floor without changing its appearance.

York Sandstone Floor After Restoration Sevenoaks Weald

Three coats of Tile Doctor Ultra Seal were applied to complete the job, and the floor was ready for foot traffic two hours later. I’m not sure the photographs do the floor justice but hopefully you can see that it has become much cleaner, lighter and the process has revealed so much more character in the stone. Additionally with the stone being smoother than before along with the new sealer it will be much easier to keep clean going forward.

York Sandstone Floor After Restoration Sevenoaks Weald York Sandstone Floor After Restoration Sevenoaks Weald

The sealer ensures dirt remains on the surface where it is easily cleaned away. It’s important therefore to use a maintenance cleaning product that won’t damage it. With this in mind I left a complimentary bottle of Tile Doctor’s Neutral pH Cleaner with the owner.

York Sandstone Floor After Restoration Sevenoaks Weald

 

Professional Restoration of a York Sandstone Floor in North Kent

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Sandstone Floor Renovation Maidstone

Sandstone Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovated in Maidstone

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

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

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Large Sandstone Patio Renovated Sevenoaks

Large Sandstone Patio Deep Cleaned in Sevenoaks

1 Comment / Sandstone Tile Cleaning, Sevenoaks Tile Cleaning /

I was called to look at a Sandstone patio that had been laid some years before at a property in Sevenoaks and was now in need of renovation. The patio was designed to mirror the White Porcelain tiles in the adjacent kitchen and dining room giving the effect of continuation from house to back garden. As you can see from the photograph this was no longer be the case!

Large Sandstone Patio Before Deep Cleaning Sevenoaks

The UK weather had taken its toll since installation and the patio needed some love and attention to get it back to its original state. The area was quite large and was an ideal spot for entertaining, so they were keen to get the renovation done. I visited site and gave them a quotation for the deep clean work which they were happy to accept. We agreed a date for the work to commence but it would be dependent on the weather.

Cleaning a Sandstone Tiled Patio Floor

Fortunately, the weather gods have been kind to us and I was able to start the work on the agreed date. To loosen off the excessive black and white spot fungi I began by giving the patio a jet wash. Then a liberal dose of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean was applied which was left to soak in for ten minutes and break down the soiling. This is a concentrated, multi-purpose high-alkaline cleaner, stripper and degreaser that can be diluted at varying strengths depending on need. It is effective on mildew, algae and other damp festering growths in areas that have been neglected or subjected to heavy use.

After ten minutes the solution was scrubbed into the patio with a rotary floor scrubber fitted with a black scrubbing pad. This action lifted the dirt, and the slurry was vacuumed off. The next process in removing the remaining stubborn marks and blemishes was to use Tile Doctor Patio & Brick Driveway Cleaner. This is a very strong product which was applied neat and left for two hours to allow time to break down the deep-seated staining. When sufficient time had been allowed for the product to work, the area was rinsed off thoroughly using the pressure washer again. The patio looked a lot cleaner already, there were just a few rust marks to deal with.

Removing Rust Stains from a Sandstone Tiled Patio

Now that the patio was clean, I applied Tile Doctor Rust Away to remove rust marks left by the garden furniture over the winter. This turned the stains into a purple residue as the chemicals started reacting with the rust. The residue was rinsed off as before and the whole patio given one final rinse with water before leaving it to dry in the sun.

Large Sandstone Patio After Deep Cleaning Sevenoaks

I think you can agree that the results were amazing, and the patio once again was a near match to the interior flooring. My clients were over the moon with the transformation. I suggested they may wish to use the annual maintenance plan, where we could return annually to maintain the patio which would prevent it from getting this bad again. They agreed this would be a good way forward.

 

Professional Restoration of a Sandstone Tiled Patio in North Kent

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