Kent Archives - Page 2 of 3 - North Kent Tile Doctor

Blue Travertine Kitchen Floor Tiles Renovated in Sandwich Kent

Blue Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovated in Sandwich

This client from Sandwich had a Blue Travertine floor in their kitchen which is not as common as its ‘Yellow’ cousin but certainly more interesting to look it. It does however have the same maintenance requirements and unless the sealer is maintained will trap dirt. This happens very gradually over many years until one day you look down at the floor and think, ‘How did that happen?!’

Blue Travertine Kitchen Floor Tiles Before Cleaning Sandwich

I visited the property to conduct a free survey of the floor and assured the client that the appearance of their unique Blue Travertine floor could be restored with a deep clean, polish and fresh sealer. I explained the renovation plan and the costs involved which they were happy to accept and a date agreed for the work to start.

Cleaning a Travertine Tiled Kitchen and Utility Floor

On day 1 work started with cleaning the grout lines using Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a strong industrial strength alkaline cleaner. Its applied to the grout lines, left to soak in for a while and then scrubbed in using a stiff brush by hand. This process lifts the dirt from the grout line into the solution and then extracted from the surface using a wet vacuum.

Next, a 400-grit diamond burnishing pad was applied to the stone floor with using water for lubrication. This is the first step in the honing and polishing process that will remove the ingrained dirt and restore the polished appearance of the Travertine. This was followed by the 800 and then 1500 grit burnishing pads, slowly cleaning and re-building the polish. In between each pad the soiling was extracted with the wet vacuum.

Blue Travertine Kitchen Floor Tiles During Cleaning Sandwich

Once done, it was as far as we could do for the day and we left, allowing the tiles to dry overnight.

Sealing a Travertine Tiled Kitchen and Utility Floor

Returning the next morning work began by checking 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.

Before applying the sealer, I ran a very fine 3000-grit burnishing pad over the floor to further bring up its polished appearance. This is applied with a small amount of water sprayed onto the tile using a process know as a Spray Burnish. This really finishes off the honing process and by now the floor had a good sheen to it.

The sealer of choice was Tile Doctor’s Ultra Seal a natural look, impregnator that soaks into the pores of the tile protecting it from with and without altering the natural appearance of the honed stone. Two coats were applied and a final buff with a White pad left the kitchen floor looking like you could eat your dinner off it!

Blue Travertine Kitchen Floor Tiles After Renovation Sandwich

My client was very happy with their difference I had made to the Blue Travertine tiles which really looked like they had just been installed.

Lovely guy that came out, arrive in time and kept me informed of progress of the job.do not hesitate to use Tile Doctor.

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.

Professional Restoration of a Blue Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor in Kent

Blue Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovated in Sandwich Read More »

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovated in Canterbury Kent

Renovating a Paint-Stained Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor in Canterbury

1 Comment / Canterbury Tile Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning / Graham Davis

This Quarry tiled floor at a property in Canterbury had sustained a lot of paint staining from the owner’s friend who had decorated the kitchen and toilet. The customer was a builder and realised how much work would it be to resolve the problem, especially without the correct tools and know how. So, he contacted Tile Doctor and I arranged to perform a survey.

Structurally the Quarry tiles were sound, but the straining was quite obvious, especially near the walls and there was also a section of tiles in the middle of the floor that had been replaced and didn’t quite blend in.

Quarry Tiled Floor Before Renovation Canterbury

I provided a quote for stripping the floor of the paint stains and remaining sealer and then resealing to give the whole floor a consistent appearance. Happy with my quote we scheduled a date for my return to renovate the floor.

Removing Paint Staining from a Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor

To tackle the paint stains and strip off the old sealer I put down in stages Tile Doctor’s Remove and Go which is a multi-purpose stripper formulated with a long dwell-time to remove most sealers, epoxy grout haze, adhesives and, most importantly, paint!

After leaving it to soak in for ten to fifteen minutes the Remove and Go had softened the paint marks enough for them to be removed with a black scrubbing pad. The pad is fitted to a rotary floor buffing machine adding water along the way to help lubricate the process. Once done the soil generated was vacuumed up and then repeated using an application of diluted Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, again the black scrubbing pad was used to lift out the last of the dirt in the tiles and further clean up the grout.

This process was repeated, and some areas spot treated until I was satisfied all the paint staining had been removed. Again, the resulting slurry and rinse water was removed using a wet vacuum before the floor was left to dry completely over the course of a few days.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled Kitchen and Utility Floor

Returning three days later, I took some moisture readings with a damp meter first. The readings were fine so satisfied that the tiles were sufficiently dry, I began applying what would be four coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra. This product was chosen for its nice low sheen finish that it gives to the floor.

Quarry Tiled Floor During Sealing Canterbury

As you can see from the photos, the paint staining has gone, the replacement tiles have blended in with the original and the whole floor looks much fresher. Needless to say the customer was very happy with the renovation.

Quarry Tiled Floor After Renovation Canterbury

Before leaving I took time to discuss how to look after the floor including the importance of not using an harsh tile cleaning products on the floor which can reduce the life of the sealer. For the regular cleaning of sealed Quarry tiles, I recommend Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner.

Professional Renovation of a Quarry Tiled Kitchen and Utility in Kent

Renovating a Paint-Stained Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor in Canterbury 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 »

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 »

Slate Kitchen Floor Tile Renovation Rochester Kent

Rejuvenating a Slate Tiled Kitchen Flooring in Rochester

1 Comment / Rochester Tile Cleaning, Slate Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Graham Davis

The photographs below are of Slate tiled Kitchen floor at a property in the historic Kent city of Rochester. It had been a while since the stone had been given a deep clean and seal, so the floor was looking tired and in need of rejuvenating. The occupants were unhappy with its appearance and wanted the life putting back into what was once an attractive floor to be proud of.

Grey Slate Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning Rochester

You can see from the photo above that the Slate tiles were looking dull and washed out, some areas had water staining and in places the grout was heavily stained. Kitchen floors do experience the most wear and of course being in a kitchen they can suffer from accidental spillages etc. Thankfully, we at Tile Doctor are perfectly equipped to deal with these issues so I was confident we could resolve all the problems and dramatically improve its appearance.

Cleaning a Brazilian Slate Tiled Floor

My first course of action was to focus on cleaning the Slate and Grout, the latter of which needed some serious attention. For this a created a strong solution of our reliable high-alkaline tile and grout cleaning product, Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. The solution was applied to the floor, left for ten minutes so it could get to work and then and agitated into the tile and grout using specialised grout brushes and a professional floor buffer fitted with a 17”, circular, nylon brush. This not only cleaned the tiles but also removed any old sealant remaining on the floor. The pads do struggle to reach into the recesses of the grout lines, so I followed up scrubbing the grout by hand using a wire brush and more Pro-Clean.

The floor was rinsed with water and the resulting slurry was quickly extracted using a wet vacuum. The floor was then given an acid wash using a weak dilution of Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up. This product is made from concentrated phosphoric acid and is great for removing grout smears and salts from the tile and grout ensuring there’s nothing that can detract from the natural appearance of the stone. Giving the floor an acid rinse also ensures a better bond with the sealer.

The floor was given a final rinse and mop with plain water to neutralise the tile and grout after remove any trace of cleaning product. This was followed up with the wet vacuum ensuring the floor was as dry as it could be by the end of the first day.

Grey Slate Kitchen Floor During Cleaning Rochester

Sealing a Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor

I then left the floor to dry off overnight and returned the next day to apply a fresh sealer that will protect the stone from ingrained dirt and improve its appearance. The floor has to be dry before applying the sealer, so I checked first with a moisture meter on various parts of the floor to be sure.

Happy the floor was dry I started with the application of Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal which is a very modern product oil-based resin formula that provides strong water and stain repellency, ideal for a kitchen. X-Tra Seal has a low sheen finish and contains a colour enhancer that puts the black back into the tiles.

Grey Slate Kitchen Floor After Cleaning Rochester

Once complete the Grout was clean and the Slate was given a new lease of life with its original vigour restored. And of course, the occupants now had a Kitchen floor they could be proud of!

Professional Renovation of a Slate Tiled Floor in Kent

Rejuvenating a Slate Tiled Kitchen Flooring in Rochester Read More »

Victorian Hallway Floor Before After Restoration in Canterbury

Victorian Tiled Hallway Restoration in Canterbury Children’s Home

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

These pictures of a Victorian Tiled Hallway are from a property in Canterbury that was once a nursing home and was now being renovated to become a children’s home. The building was being gutted and extended at the same time and when the carpet was pulled up in the hallway, they were surprised to find a relatively intact Victorian tiled floor underneath.

Whilst they thought it bizarre that anyone would want to cover up such an attractive floor the carpet had protected it over the years. They realized it would make a marvellous feature at the entrance to the property, but professional restoration would be needed to do it justice. After a bit of research, they came across Tile Doctor and got in touch.

Canterbury comes under my North Kent designation, so I went to visit the property and survey the floor and quote for doing the restoration. There were a few missing and loose tiles that would need replacing and refixing also there was a lot of ingrained dirt so a deep clean and application of a new sealer would be required. I gave them a price for the work which they readily accepted, and we arranged a suitable time to carry out the work. Subject to the building schedule I had calculated the floor would take three days to restore.

Victorian Hallway Canterbury During Renovation

Repairing and Removing Adhesive from a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

On the first day I set about replacing and re-fixing the missing, broken, and loose tiles. This is delicate work as you need to extract the old tile without disturbing its neighbours and then clean up the area ready for its replacement. Being a Tile Doctor I keep a selection of stock tiles for repairs, some are reclaimed, and some are replica. Also, there are several companies still making Victorian style tiles so I can usually source what I need.

After the individual missing and broken tiles had been replaced and the adhesive had set, it was then a matter of renovating the floor as a whole. The tiles were covered in a thick layer of carpet adhesive which needed a combination of specialist tools and products to remove. First, a liberal layer of Tile Doctor Remove and Go was applied and left to dwell for thirty minutes. Next, Tile Doctor Pro-Clean was added and scrubbed in with a black pad.

This process softened the adhesive sufficiently in readiness for the next stage which involves using a set of diamond burnishing pads on a weighted buffing machine. Several applications were needed, each time with a successively finer grade of diamond pad and rinsing off the slurry in between. The tiles were first milled using a very coarse 50-grit pad, followed by 100, 200 and finally burnished with a 400-grit burnishing pads. This removed all the adhesive and dirt in the tiles, which was cleaned up using the wet vacuum.

Old Victorian floors like this do not have a damp proof membrane installed under the floor, and with a lot of water being used in the cleaning process I was concerned White efflorescence salts could appear later as the floor dried. To counter this, I gave the floor an acid wash using Tile Doctor Acid Gel to counter and dissolve the salts, it also gives the tiles another clean and will remove any old grout smears further improving the appearance of the tiles. Once done the floor was left to dry overnight.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

On my return I tested the floor was dry by taking several moisture readings around the floor with a damp meter. Applying sealer to a damp floor is never advised and can lead to clouding and an unwanted finish.

Happy that the tiles were dry, a single coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow sealer was applied. This is an impregnating sealer with a colour enhancing component to ‘lift’ the stronger colours of the floor. Colour Grow however does leave a matt appearance and as the client had asked for a shiny finish it was topped up with five coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go. This is a compatible topical sealer which added a mid to high sheen.

Victorian Hallway Canterbury After Renovation

By the end of the third day the Victorian floor looked brand new, and I received the following feedback from the client. Its rare to receive feedback from commercial customers so they were clearly overwhelmed with the transformation.

Did not think this glued covered bad old floor could look sooooo good Fabulous Fantastic job Looks Amazing Thank you

For aftercare I recommend the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner which isn’t as harsh as many of the products you find in supermarket. Stronger products can actually strip off the sealer over time leaving it vulnerable to dirt and detracting from its appearance.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in North Kent

Victorian Tiled Hallway Restoration in Canterbury Children’s Home Read More »

Limestone Tiled Pool Surround Repairing and Cleaning Canterbury

Limestone Swimming Pool Tiles Repaired and Polished in Canterbury

Canterbury Tile Cleaning, Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Graham Davis

This was meant to be a relatively straightforward clean and polish of the Limestone tiles surrounding a swimming pool at a large house on the outskirts of Canterbury. However, after visiting the property to survey the installation I discovered that a lot of the tiling around the edge of the pool was loose and water was getting in underneath.

I discussed the problem with the owner and concerned about health safety he asked me to remove the affected tiles and refit them securely. The Limestone tiles were also stained due to the chemicals in the pool however I already had a plan to burnish the stone tiles to resolve that problem. We agreed a date for the work and the owner agreed to have the pool drained in order to make the tiling work much easier.

Re-Tiling a Loose Limestone Swimming Pool Surround

I returned to the property on the agreed date and started by setting up some scaffolding and adding plastic sheeting to the pool to protect the tiling. The next step was to tackle the loose Limestone which is when I discovered that the tiles had only been secured in a few places with what could best be described as blogs of tile adhesive which left a large cavity for water to sit. This practice is often referred to in the tiling trade as “Dot and Dab” and very much frowned upon. The tiles should have been fully bonded onto a layer of adhesive that had been spread with a notched trowel to form a very secure bond and ensure water could not seep underneath.

Limestone Swimming Pool Tile Surround Dot and Dab Canterbury

TIP: If you want to check your tiling to see if it has been “Dot and Dabbed” then tap the tiles with the end of a wooden broom handle, it should sound dull throughout, if the tapping sounds hollow in certain areas then this indicates Dot and Dabbing.

The remedy was to lift all the affected limestone edging including the dabbed adhesive and then allow the affected area to dry out thoroughly. I then returned two weeks later to level off the surface with a water proof screed before re-installing the tiles. The tile adhesive and grout needed to be dry before the next stage of cleaning so once I had completed this step, I used the rest of the day to clean up and removing the plastic sheeting and scaffolding.

Limestone Swimming Pool Tile Surround Repair Canterbury

Deep Cleaning Stained Limestone Tiles

On the next day I checked my previous work was secure and then set about cleaning the floor with a set of Diamond burnishing pads. You start with the application of a coarse 400-grit pad, then move onto medium 800-grit pad, fine 1500-grit pad and finishing with the extra fine 3000-grit pad.

The pads are fitted to a rotary floor buffer and are run over each tile using water for lubrication. The floor is rinsed between the application of each pad so the fine slurry produced can be extracted using a wet vacuum. Fortunately, due to the pool being emptied I didn’t have to worry too much about contaminating the pool water.

The pads made a big difference to the stained Limestone and really brought out the best in the them. Once the pool had been refilled the whole scene looked amazing, I just wished I taken more pictures.

Limestone Swimming Pool Tile Surround After Repair and Clean Canterbury

Professional Restoration of a Limestone Flooring in Kent

Limestone Swimming Pool Tiles Repaired and Polished in Canterbury Read More »

Original Victorian Tiled Hallway Extended and Refreshed in Sevenoaks

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

This customer has recently purchased a house in Sevenoaks and was looking to extend and reconfigure the interior layout. As part of this, they had removed a wall, effectively extending the hallway which had been tiled in fantastic original Victorian tiles. Naturally, they felt the extended hallway should look the same and wanted the Victorian tiles extending into this new area with matching tiles.

Victorian floor before cleaning Sevenoaks

Also, the existing tiles had not been cleaned and sealed for some time and were now overdue a deep clean and fresh seal, this however would to work to our advantage as cleaning the existing floor and then sealing the whole floor in one go would help the new tiles blend in with the original.

Cleaning a Dirty Victorian Tiled Hallway

To clean the floor, I applied several different products. When cleaning Victorian tiles, I usually start by applying our heavy duty cleaner known as Tile Doctor Remove and Go because it is particularly effective at breaking down grime that has been built up on these tiles over many years, and as its name suggests strips away any old sealer. This is left to dwell on the tile for ten to fifteen minutes before being scrubbed in with a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary floor buffer.

Once the cleaning slurry from the Remove and Go had been vacuumed up and cleared completely from the area, I then applied a strong solution of Tile Doctor Pro Clean, a high alkaline cleaner which helps to get deep into the stone to eliminate ingrained dir and staining.

I finished the deep cleaning process by applying a solution of Tile Doctor Grout Clean Up, which is an acid-based cleaner that is good for removing grout haze and other mineral deposits such as effloresce. After diluting it with water, I used it to rinse the floor, neutralising any efflorescence and limescale. It also assisted in opening the pores in the clay based tiles to get them ready for an impregnating sealer.

Laying a Victorian Tiled Hallway

The next step was to extended the hallway using reproduction tiles which I had sourced to match the existing Victorian pattern. There were also a couple of areas where the existing tiles need replacing. Rebuilding Victorian tiled floors is quite a common request for Tile Doctor so over the years we have built up a good list of suppliers and often source tiles from ebay that we keep in stock in case someone needs them.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway

One the new tiles were laid and the grout had gone off I returned to complete the project by sealing the whole floor with a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow, a colour-enhancing impregnating sealer that leaves the floor richer in colour while retaining the natural looking matte finish requested by the customer.

Victorian floor after cleaning and rebuilding Sevenoaks

The photos show just how great the results were – the customer was very pleased with their newly extended and refreshed Victorian tiled hallway.

Professional Victorian Tiled Hallway Restoration and Extension in Sevenoaks

Original Victorian Tiled Hallway Extended and Refreshed in Sevenoaks Read More »

Slate Tiled Wet Room Treated for Grout Haze and Restored in Sevenoaks

Grout Cleaning, Sevenoaks Tile Cleaning, Slate Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Graham Davis

A builder had made a real mess of this customer’s new Slate tiled wet room. When installing any new natural stone tiles, it is always recommended to apply the sealer before grouting, since – as was the case here – the porosity of the stone can cause the grout to stick with to the stone, leaving a terrible blotchy and uneven appearance.

Slate Tiled Floor Before Restoration Sevenoaks

What’s more, once stuck to the stone, the grout is essentially impossible for the tiler to remove. In this wet room, light grey grout had been left smeared all over the Slate tiled walls, causing haze in some places.

Understandably, she was very upset with the situation and was eager to secure some professional help, courtesy of the Kent Tile Doctor. I travelled down to the property, situated in Sevenoaks, Kent, to set the problems right.

Restoring the appearance of a Slate Tiled Wet Room

To begin, I had to tape up all the chrome and metal fittings found around the bathroom to stop them coming into contact with the cleaning products. I them started the restoration by applying Tile Doctor Acid Gel, which is a PH1 blend of Phosphoric and Hydrochloric acids for the removal of grout haze.

As it comes in a gel form, this product is especially effective on vertical or sloped surfaces, where more dwell time is required. A liquid product would, of course, simply run off the tiles. So, working on small areas at a time, I allowed the gel to dwell for around five minutes, before agitating the solution with a pan scrubber, and rinsing the gel off with water. Once I had completed this process on the whole of the wet room, I allowed the tiles to dry out before repeating the process on some of the areas suffering from thicker smears of grout.

Sealing Slate Wet Room Tiles

When I was happy that I had removed all of the grout smears, I ensured that all the tiles were dry before applying Tile Doctor Stone Oil. This product is an easy-to-apply, pre-polish impregnating sealer which is ideal for low porosity stone and also suitable for more porous stone, such as Terracotta. It is also specially designed to enhance the natural colours and textures of tiles, and improve mechanical strength once cured. The oil is particularly effective when used on dark stone, like this Slate, as it really helps to deepen the colour.

I returned the next day to seal the tiles completely using one coat of Tile Doctor Ultra Seal to lock in the Stone Oil applied the previous day. Ultra Seal is a premium, no-sheen, natural-look, solvent-based penetrating sealer formulated to provide maximum stain protection. It allows moisture vapour transmission and is an excellent grout sealer.

Slate Tiled Floor After Restoration Sevenoaks

The customer was very happy with the results, which set this difficult problem right. In particular, she was worried that all of the tiles would have to be removed and the entire wet room would have to be redone. Thankfully that is no longer the case, and she can enjoy this fantastic Slate feature. All she needs to be concerned with now is ensuring the tiles are regularly maintained with professional care, including having the sealer topped up as and when necessary.

Professional Slate Tile Restoration in a Kent Wet Room

Slate Tiled Wet Room Treated for Grout Haze and Restored in Sevenoaks Read More »

Bathroom and Kitchen Tile Refresh in Greenhithe, Kent

Gravesend Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Graham Davis

This customer from Greenhithe, Kent contacted Tile Doctor to have the tiles in her bathroom refreshed; the tiles which were looking tired and poor ventilation had caused her grouting to go black. This is not uncommon in the UK due to the inclement weather and tighter building regulations designed to promote draught proofing and insulation leaving moisture trapped in the house.

Bathroom Tile and Grout Cleaning

I first started off by cleaning all the tiles down with a weak solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a multi-purpose cleaning product; there wasn’t a large amount of grime on the tiles and just general wear and tear on the floor with Limescale and water marks on the wall tiles. I then set about cleaning up the blackened grout with a steam cleaner followed by Tile Doctor Grout Colourant Pre-Treat cleaner, an acid based cleaner that etches the grout in order for it to accept the grout colourant. After cleaning and etching the grout joints they were rinsed down with plenty of water to remove any trace of chemical and then dried them out to receive the grout colourant.

Removing Grout Haze from Quarry Tiles

The grouting to the wall tiling in the bathroom was white, and the customer wanted it looking the same only fresher, so white grout colourant was applied. The grouting to the kitchen floor was originally a sand colour, but the customer wanted something more contrasting this time, so natural grey was used. Once the grout colourant was applied, it was allowed to set for 30mins before the edges were cleaned up. I finished by renewing the mastic sealant around the edges of the bath.

The job took a day and as you can see from the photographs made a huge difference to the bathroom and kitchen, needless to say the customer was really happy with the end result.

Bathroom and Kitchen Tile and Grout Refresh

Bathroom and Kitchen Tile Refresh in Greenhithe, Kent Read More »