Colour Grow Archives - North Kent Tile Doctor

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 »