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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 »

Limestone Floor Tile and Grout Renovation Underriver

Limestone Floor with Dirty Grout Renovated in Underriver, Sevenoaks

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing, Sevenoaks Tile Cleaning / Graham Davis

I was asked to survey a Limestone floor at a property in Underriver which is a very rural locality close to Sevenoaks in Kent. The Limestone tiles had been laid throughout the lower ground floor and it was clear to me that the protective sealer had worn off completely allowing dirt to become ingrained in the stone and especially the grout which had turned black.

Limestone Floor Tile and Grout Before Cleaning in Underriver Sevenoaks

I understood from the owner that the grout lines should have been a pale cream colour rather than the black it was now. We discussed the process of restoring the floor including the grout, and I gave them a quote for the work which they were happy to accept.

Cleaning a Limestone Tiled Ground Floor

Our first job was to tackle the severe soiling in the grout lines. To do this a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean was applied to the floor and left to soak into the stone and especially the grout for about 20 minutes. This was scrubbed in with help from a rotary buffer machine fitted with a soft/medium long-bristled nylon brush.

Limestone Floor Tile and Grout During Cleaning in Underriver Sevenoaks

The resulting slurry was then rinsed with clean water and vacuumed up. I repeated the process in a couple of areas that were particularly heavily soiled. I then spot checked the grout lines and completed the clean with a wire brush and more Tile Doctor Pro-Clean.

With the grout issue resolved I turned my attention to the Limestone tiles for which I used a set of Diamond burnishing pads. Work started with a coarse 400-grit 17” diamond pad fitted to a rotary buffing machine. Then 800 and 1500 grit pads in sequence using water to lubricate the process. The resulting slurry was rinsed off the floor with water after each pad and the soil extracted using a wet vacuum. The floor was then left to dry thoroughly overnight.

Sealing a Limestone Tiled Ground Floor

Returning the next day, the floor was thoroughly vacuumed removed to remove any remaining powder and grit left over from burnishing. This was then followed by applying the last pad in the set which is very fine 3000-grit diamond polishing pad. This last pad really brings up the polished appearance of the limestone, only a little water is used during this action, it’s a process we call a spray burnish. Once done the floor was clean, dry, and ready for a new sealer to be applied.

I had discussed the appearance of different sealers with the customer previously and for this installation we went with Tile Doctor Ultra Seal. It’s a premium penetrating sealer that soaks into the pores of the stone protecting it from within, additionally Ultra-Seal doesn’t alter the natural appearance of the stone giving it undetectable protection from staining.
The whole area was then buffed using a white buffing pad.

Limestone Floor Tile and Grout During Sealing in Underriver Sevenoaks

The customer was delighted with the result and will use Tile Doctor going forward to keep the floor protected. We offer an annual maintenance plan for just this, we can return each year and ensure that the floor is kept in tip top shape.

Limestone Floor Tile and Grout After Cleaning in Underriver Sevenoaks

For day-to-day cleaning, I recommended using Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner, it’s a mild pH neutral cleaning product that and will keep the floor maintained and won’t impact the sealer which can be a problem with stronger products.

Professional Maintenance of a Limestone Flooring in North Kent

Limestone Floor with Dirty Grout Renovated in Underriver, Sevenoaks Read More »

Large Sandstone Patio Renovated Sevenoaks

Large Sandstone Patio Deep Cleaned in Sevenoaks

1 Comment / Sandstone Tile Cleaning, Sevenoaks Tile Cleaning / Graham Davis

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

Large Sandstone Patio Deep Cleaned in Sevenoaks 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 »