Work by Category Archives - South Yorkshire Tile Doctor

Red Black Quarry Tiled Floor Renovation Peak District Sheffield

1870’s Quarry Tiled Floor Restored in the Peak District near Sheffield

I was contacted by a young couple who had just bought a charming old house with a Quarry Tiled floor nestled on a hill side in the Peak District close to Sheffield. The Peak District is a national park at the southern end of the Pennines surrounded by the cities of Manchester, Derby, Stoke and Sheffield. It’s hugely popular with tourists and attracts millions of visitors every year.

The building dated to the 1700’s, in 1870 a big renovation took place on the house and it is thought this floor was laid then, before 1870 the hallway where the tiled floor is was actually a gap between two buildings but when the buildings were renovated in 1870 the two houses were converted into one.

Red Black Quarry Tiles Before Cleaning Peak District Sheffield

After peeling back, a smelly old red carpet our customers discovered the original hallway tiled floor, but as they started taking the carpet up they realised it was very badly damaged. A few decades ago the house was converted into a Bed & Breakfast and extra bathrooms were put in, a lot of the tiles had been ripped up to run a soil pipe the length of the house.

The new owners were desperate to have the floor put back to its original state, on our first inspection we asked them if we couldn’t fix the floor what would they do, they simply replied ‘We have no plan B’.

We did some moisture readings, inspected the tiles, looked closely at the damage, and came up with a plan to save the floor. Some reclaimed tiles were sourced from the local reclamation yard, they were almost a perfect match.

Restoring a Quarry Tiled Floor

On the first day we cleaned the undamaged areas, this way we could see exactly how much damage there was and see how many tiles we had to replace. We used a combination of the strong alkaline stripper and degreaser Pro-Clean to remove any dirt, grime, and old floor coatings. This is worked into the floor using a black scrubbing pad and then the soiling rinsed off with water and extracted with a wet vacuum.

The floor was then given an acid rinse using Tile Doctor Acid Gel to help fight any salt issues, old floors in old properties aren’t protected from damp by a Damp Proof Membrane so any moisture coming up through the floor can leave salt deposits on the tiles which over time which can damage the clay. This is a much bigger problem with floors that have been covered up for a long time like this one.

The next two days were spent repairing the areas of missing tiles, we had to dig out the concrete and install new sub floors to lay the reclaimed tiles on. Most of the damage was down to a soil pipe that had been dug through the floor and two areas where the central heating system had been installed and pipes laid.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled Floor

Once I was happy with the floor it was left to dry out for a few days to ensure it was dry before sealing, this is important as clay tiles can take a long time to dry and the floor needed to be bone dry to achieve the best results when sealing.

When I eventually returned six coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go Extra were applied to the floor giving the tiles a lovely satin finish which will protect the floor for years to come.

Red Black Quarry Tiles After Renovation Peak District Sheffield

The young couple were totally over the moon with the floor and for aftercare I recommended Tile Doctor Neutral Clean which is a gentle but effective tile cleaning product that is fine for use of sealed surfaces.

Professional Restoration of Old Clay Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor in South Yorkshire

1870’s Quarry Tiled Floor Restored in the Peak District near Sheffield Read More »

Victorian Tiled Hallway Before After Restoration Sheffield

Restoration of an Original Victorian Tiled Hallway in Sheffield

During renovations at this beautiful house in Sheffield they discovered an original Victorian tiled floor underneath the hallway carpet. Incredibly they also uncovered access to a cellar, neither of which they knew idea existed and both were a massive bonus!

Victorian Tiled Hallway Before Restoration Sheffield

Once the floor had been fully uncovered it was in a pretty good condition, some repairs were needed but nothing too dramatic. There was damage around the radiators where the heating engineers have just chiselled through the tiles. Plus, the tiles were stained by adhesive where the carpet grippers had been glued to the tiles.

Victorian Tiled Hallway During Restoration Gripper Removal Sheffield

I discussed with the client the work needed to carry out a full restoration and gave them a quote. They were happy to accept and asked us to proceed as soon as possible.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Damaged Tiles Before Restoration Sheffield

Victorian Tiled Hallway Before Restoration Showing Gripper Rod Sheffield

Cleaning and Repairing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

Work started with the removal of the carpet grippers and scraping up as much of the glue as possible, it took some shifting, but it did come up. Any remaining glue was softened up with the application of neat Tile Doctor Remove and Go and then carefully scraped off. Tile Doctor Remove and Go is a multi-purpose stripper that is ideal for removing adhesives and other stubborn coatings such as sealers.

Victorian Tiled Hallway During Cleaning Sheffield

The repairs were done next which involved colour matching replacement tiles and cutting them to the right size. A fast-setting adhesive was used to fix them in place and once the floor had dried it was time to move onto the cleaning.

More Tile Doctor Remove and Go was applied, left to soak for ten minutes, and then worked in with a weighted 42kg buffer machine fitted with a very coarse diamond burnishing pad. This combination not only removed the old sealer but did a good job of removing ingrained dirt as well. The floor was rinsed with water and the soil extracted using a wet vacuum.

Once done the process was repeated using Tile Doctor Acid Gel, this removes stubborn staining and being an acidic product will counter any efflorescence which is a common problem with these old floors. Old floors like this one don’t have a damp proof membrane installed to prevent moisture underneath the tiles rising through the floor and depositing salt as it evaporates at the surface.

A wet vacuum was used to extract the soiling generated during the cleaning process and every tile was rubbed with microfibre cloths to remove the last of the residue.

Victorian Tiled Hallway During Remove Go Glue Removal Sheffield

A nice feature seen on a lot of Victorian floors is an upside tile left by the tiler on purpose, the picture shows the one on this floor. They believed it brought good luck.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Upside Down Tile Sheffield

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

The floor was left to dry off overnight and I returned the following morning to continue with the final phase of the restoration. Before starting though, the first job was to check the floor was dry using a moisture meter. Once satisfied six coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra we applied leaving the floor with a beautiful sheen finish.

Victorian Tiled Hallway After Restoration Sheffield

The client was very pleased with the newly restored floor, and for ongoing cleaning I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner. This product has a neutral Ph which is ideal for sealed surfaces; stronger bleach-based cleaners are simply too strong for use on sealed tiles and will erode the sealer prematurely.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Damaged Tiles After Restoration Sheffield

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in South Yorkshire

Restoration of an Original Victorian Tiled Hallway in Sheffield Read More »

Victorian Floor Repair Restoration Sheffield

Repairing and Restoring a Salt-Stained Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor in Sheffield

1 Comment / Sheffield Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning / Matthew Lovett

The owner of this tired and unloved Victorian Tiled Hallway in Sheffield was unhappy with its appearance and decided it was time to have it restored and looked at its best again. As well as renovating the appearance of the floor there was also a damaged area that needed pulling out and re-tiling to match.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Before Restoration in Sheffield

The property and tiling dated back to the 1890’s and hadn’t been maintained in a long time; it is typical of a lot of property in the area which sprung up in the 1890s. At the time the city of Sheffield was devoted to work with chimneys dominating the skyline and population approaching 400,000 and rising rapidly. It pulled in workers from all around and was a time of great change as medieval street layouts were widened to accommodate trams and other vehicles

I visited the property to survey the floor and provide an accurate quote for doing the work. I could see there was an old sealer present on the tiles however this was now worn thin in places and was well overdue for replacement. Also, because it wasn’t a breathable sealer it was trapping moisture in the tiles which resulted in efflorescent white staining.

Efflorescence is often a problem on these old floors which don’t have a damp proof membrane to prevent moisture rising through the floor. It’s best to allow the floor to breath so moisture can evaporate at the surface, if it becomes trapped it can pool and reach out to the walls resulting in rising damp.

I worked out a plan to strip off what was left of the old sealer, clean the tiles, deal with the efflorescent staining, repair the broken tiles and finally seal the floor with a breathable sealer. My quote was accepted and a date agreed for the work to being.

Repairing a Victorian Tiled Floor

The first job was to repair the areas of damage using replica tiles that I had managed to source the week before. There are several companies you can go to for replicas and these were chosen for their matching colour.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor During Repair Restoration in Sheffield

The loose and cracked tiles were carefully removed and cleared away, then the replicas were cut to fit the empty gap and once I was happy, they were laid in place with a flexible adhesive which would allow for some movement.

Deep Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

To strip off what was left of the old sealer the tiles were sprayed with a dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go, this is a strong treatment that breaks down floor coatings. After ten minutes a rotary machine fitted with a very coarse 200-grit diamond pad was run over the floor to work the remove and go into the floor.

The slurry generated was then removed with a wet vacuum and the tiles inspected and any stubborn areas which were then retreated.

Next step was to counter the efflorescent salt problem by applying Tile Doctor Acid Gel which being an acid neutralises the alkaline salts and removes other problems such as grout smears. The gel was worked in using a 200-grit diamond pad fitted to the rotary floor buffer. Afterwards it was removed with the wet vac and the floor was wiped clean with slightly acidic water.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

The floor was left to dry off for several days, before returning to apply the new breathable sealer. Beforehand the floor was tested with a moisture meter to ensure it was fully dry.

The readings were fine so the floor was sealed with Tile Doctor Seal & Go Extra which is a full breathable sealer and gives the floor a nice satin finish. Nine coats of Seal and Go Extra were applied in total.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor After Repair Restoration in Sheffield

Once done the floor looked brand new and my client was very pleased. The new sealer also blended in repaired section of Victorian tiles with the original.

For aftercare cleaning I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner. Most of the tile cleaning products you find in supermarkets are simply too strong for the sealer and can degrade them prematurely.

Professional Repair and Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in South Yorkshire

Repairing and Restoring a Salt-Stained Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor in Sheffield Read More »

Yorkstone Tiled Floor Renovation Hoylandswaine

Yorkstone Floor Covered in Thick Varnish Renovated in Hoylandswaine

1 Comment / Barnsley Tile Cleaning, Sandstone Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Matthew Lovett

I was asked to visit a stunning old farmhouse in Hoylandswaine Barnsley to look at a Yorkstone kitchen floor which had several problems. The family who lived there were fed up with its black appearance and more importantly how dangerous it was due to a varnish covering that was applied which when wet became an ice-skating rink. The kids would regularly slip over on the very shiny floor, and it was becoming a real concern.

Yorkstone Flooring Before Varnish Removal Hoylandswaine

On my first visit to the property, I was shocked at how dark the Yorkstone floor had become in fact I thought initially it was Black Slate. Yorkstone is a variety of Sandstone that is quarried in Yorkshire and usually contains a range of pale colours visible, and at worst it can get dirty and turn grey.

After running a few cleaning tests, it was obvious the previous owners of the house had applied many coats of varnish to the floor, and it was going to be quite a job to strip it off.

Stripping Varnish off a Yorkstone Tiled Kitchen Floor

To ensure the best result I tried a range of different products and methods until I came up with a way to strip away the black dirty shiny varnish. Wood varnish isn’t something we often see applied to stone, so a combination of products including Tile Doctor Remove & Go and a heavy-duty polish stripper were applied to the floor and left to soak in.

Yorkstone Flooring During Varnish Removal Hoylandswaine

After leaving the floor for fifteen minutes to soften the varnish it was then scrubbed with a wire brush attachment fitted to a rotary buffer machine and run over each stone for a few minutes. This scraped the varnish off the surface of the stone and started to reveal the natural stone surface for the first time in years. Some areas needed treating two or three times to get rid of all the varnish.

Once I was satisfied all the varnish was gone the stone was given a deep clean using a medium strength dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. The product was applied this to the floor and left it to dwell for a few minutes before using the rotary floor machine again. This time the machine was fitted with a black scrubbing pad to clean the stone. The floor was cleared of all the slurry using a wet vacuum before being given a final rinse. The floor was left to dry off overnight.

Yorkstone Flooring During Varnish Removal Floor Drying Hoylandswaine

Sealing a Yorkstone Tiled Hallway Floor

Returning the following day, I reviewed the previous day’s work and could see there were a few bits of varnish stuck in the crevices of the stone and around the edges of the room. I managed to remove these using a wire brush fitted to an angle grinder.

Once the floor was cleaned of dust and flakes of varnish it was ready to for the final step of sealing. The client had chosen an impregnating sealer for this and wanted something that would improve the colours and keep the texture in the stone. Three coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow were applied which as its name suggests brings the colours in the Sandstone out and offers protection from within the stone leaving a lovely finish.

Yorkstone Flooring After Varnish Removal Hoylandswaine

They loved the transformation that had occurred and let the following review.

”Matt provided a professional and efficient service from start to finish. He contacted me straight after I initially emailed and made arrangements to come and look at our floor the same day. After working out what he needed to do he got a quote to me that evening. Matt did a great job removing a thick layer of varnish on our stone floor and it now looks beautiful. I would highly recommend him. Thanks so much!”

Professional Restoration of a Yorkstone Tiled Hallway in South Yorkshire

Yorkstone Floor Covered in Thick Varnish Renovated in Hoylandswaine Read More »

Sandstone Kitchen Floor Clean Seal Maltby

Sandstone Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovated in Maltby, Rotherham

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Rotherham Tile Cleaning, Sandstone Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Matthew Lovett

Details below of a Sandstone Tiled floor I recently renovated in the Kitchen of a property in Maltby near Rotherham. Sandstone is a beautiful material however the rough nature of its surface needs to be sealed to prevent dirt from becoming trapped in the stone as once that happens no amount of mopping will remove the dirt.

Unfortunately, sealers wear down with use and in this case with it being the Kitchen it had seen a lot of wear. The stone had become darker, and the grout stained. The local area is well known for its coal mining history; however, my client didn’t want that reflected in their kitchen floor, so I was asked to pay them a visit to give the floor some TLC.

Cleaning a Sandstone Tiled Kitchen Floor

I started by removing the kickboards under the kitchen units and taping up the rest of the cabinets to protect them from splashing during cleaning. This was followed by the application of a medium strength dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean using the usual method of mopping into the Sandstone tile and Grout and then leaving it to dwell and soak in for ten minutes. We do this as it gives the product time to start softening the dirt and grime making it much easier to remove.

After ten minutes I the floor was scrubbed using a rotary floor buffer fitted with a stiff brush attachment. A brush works much better than a pad on riven stone, the bristles get into all the ridges. Once I was happy with the results the dirty slurry was removed by a wet vacuum.

Sandstone Floor During Renovation Maltby Rotherham

I was then able to inspect the floor and spot treat any stubborn stains by hand scrubbing them using the same treatment as before. Once I was satisfied the stone and grout was as clean as it could be the floor was given a thorough rinse to remove any trace of cleaning product and dirt. The floor was dried as much as possible with the wet vacuum and then assisted with fans.

It wasn’t a large area, so I planned to seal the floor later that afternoon.

Sealing Sandstone Kitchen Floor Tiles

After lunch I checked the Sandstone for moisture using a damp meter. My plan had worked, and I was able to start applying the first of what would be three coats of sealer. Having discussed sealer options previously with my client we had opted to go with Tile Doctor
Ultra-Seal which is a hard-wearing impregnating sealer that doesn’t leave a finish on the stone, so you get a very natural look.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get a photograph of the finished floor this time around however I took the picture below whilst working between two sections so you should be able to see the difference.

Sandstone Floor During Renovation Maltby Rotherham Left Done Right Outstanding

After completion the sandstone looked so much lighter and cleaner, much to the delight of my client. For aftercare cleaning I recommended they use Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is designed for the regular cleaning for sealed floors like this.

Professional Restoration of a Sandstone Tiled Floor in South Yorkshire

Sandstone Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovated in Maltby, Rotherham Read More »

Mouldy Tile Wetroom Renovated in Doncaster

Revamping a Mouldy Tiled Wetroom in Doncaster

1 Comment / Ceramic Tile Cleaning, Doncaster Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing, Marble Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Matthew Lovett

This wet room in Doncaster had become so mouldy and dirty the owners didn’t know what to do with it. The Limestone and Marble Mosaics on the floor and the Ceramic wall tile and Grout throughout the bathroom had become so badly affected with mould, nothing they could buy from could resolve it.

Mouldy Tiled Wetroom Doncaster Before Cleaning

Following my site visit I was confident the room could be cleaned up (in-fact I have seen worse), I explained what we could do to restore and revamp the wet room and they were happy to go ahead with my quote.

Deep Cleaning Mouldy Textured Ceramic Wetroom Wall Tiles

First, I opened windows to maximise ventilation and then working top down I set about tackling the Ceramic wall tile and grout by spraying on a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. Spraying on the solution mixes it with air making it lighter and easier to stick to the wall where it can soak in and get to work breaking down the mould.

After about fifteen minutes it was scrubbed into the tile and specifically the grout joints where it was needed most. This action releases grime and other contamination from the grout. The room needed a series of different treatments due to the different tiles and areas of mould, so I followed that up with Tile Doctor Duo Clean. This is a bleach-based cleaner which is brilliant at tackling mould and getting the grout back to its original colour.

Mouldy Tiled Wetroom Doncaster During Cleaning

The Ceramic tile in this bathroom has a textured surface which traps dirt so to get them clean I also used Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel. Being a Gel is easily sticks to the vertical surface allowing for longer dwell times which allows the product to dissolve the dirt and make it easier to remove.

Deep Cleaning Mouldy Limestone and Marble Mosaic Wetroom Floor Tiles

With the walls looking much clear for my efforts I turned my attention to the Mosaic floor tiles. For these I went straight in with a cocktail combination of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and Duo Clean cleaners which I knew from cleaning the wall tiles would have the right impact.

I was also able to use a buffing machine fitted with a poly brush attachment and running at medium speed to do most of the scrubbing. The grout lines were green with mould, and I was able to get this process to return the Mosaics and grout lines back to their original state.

The slurry was removed with a wet vacuum and rinsed thoroughly with water. It took many hours and repeated scrubbing to get the room looking like it should. I was then able to finally leave for the day and allow the wet room to dry out overnight.

Sealing Wet Room Floor and Wall Tiles

I returned the following morning and started by removing all the old silicone from the corners of the room, much of it had become stained and difficult to get clean so replacement was the best option. The waste was removed and replaced with a new bead of mould resistant silicone colour matched to suit the tiles.

The Mosaics has fully dried by this point, so I was then able to apply a sealer to floor to seal in the Marble and Limestone floor Mosaics and grout. I used a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow for this, it’s a breathable impregnating sealer that’s suitable for wet rooms. For the wall tile and grout, I used an aerosol sealer which will help protect the walls from getting mouldy and dirty again.

Mouldy Tiled Wetroom Doncaster After Cleaning

Once I had finished, I educated the owners on how to keep up the cleaning of the room supplying them with a complimentary bottle of Tile Doctor Aqua-Pro shower tile Cleaner. This is much better than any supermarket cleaner as it is pH neutral and will ensure that the newly applied sealant will not be prematurely affected. Hopefully, this will ensure it never gets quite so bad in the future however improved ventilation is the real key to solving that problem. They were very satisfied with the work we carried out and as you can see from the photographs on this page, the wet room has been transformed.

Professional Renovation of a Mouldy Tiled Wetroom in South Yorkshire

Revamping a Mouldy Tiled Wetroom in Doncaster Read More »

Yorkstone Sandstone Floor Before and After Renovation Penistone

Yorkstone Floor Deep Cleaned and Sealed in Penistone

1 Comment / Barnsley Tile Cleaning, Sandstone Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Matthew Lovett

The new owners of this converted old farmhouse in Penistone were struggling with its Yorkstone paved floor which continually looked dirty. They had tried to clean it themselves but whatever they tried seemed to have no effect. They found Tile Doctor on-line as their local representative I was asked to survey the floor and recommend a solution.

Dirty Yorkstone Floor Before Cleaning in Penistone

I paid a visit to the house and whilst there conducted a small test clean to show the owners what results could be achieved. I tested a few different products and methods to see what would work best and they were overjoyed with the difference. Happy and confident the stone floor could be renovated we agreed a price and booked at date in to do all 150 square meters.

Penistone is a small market town to the west of Barnsley nestled in the foothills of the Pennines, as it turns out there used to be a Sandstone quarry here so this Yorkstone floor could well have originated from that very quarry.

Cleaning a Yorkstone Tiled Kitchen Floor

Before doing any work, the area was prepped, woodwork was protected, and furniture was moved out of the way so there would be a clear space in which to work.

To get the floor clean I started by applying a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean to the floor which was left to dwell and soak into the pores of the stone for about ten minutes. Then a rotary floor machine was fitted with various diamond pads and brushes to scrub the floor. The Pro-clean and scrubbing action released what felt like decades of dirt from the Yorkshire floor and the true beauty of the sandstone started to show through. The resulting brown slurry was then removed with a wet vacuum before a final rinse was done. The floor was large, the work had to be done in small sections scrubbing and extracting until the whole area was clean and repeating the process where necessary.

Dirty Yorkstone Floor During Cleaning in Penistone

There were a few areas with missing and loose mortar between the joints of the stone, so these were raked out and sympathetically repaired.

By the end of the first day the floor was looking so much cleaner. The next step would be to seal the stone, but it would need to dry out before I could do that.

Sealing a Yorkstone Tiled Kitchen Floor

To allow plenty of time for drying I returned a few days later to seal the floor, first checking the stone was dry with the help of a damp meter. I know from experience that applying sealer to damp stone is a bad idea as it will affect the way the sealer cures and mar the overall finish.

The readings from the damp meter were fine so I proceeded to seal the Yorkstone flagstones with several coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go. Natural stone like this is slightly porous so it’s important to prevent dirt from becoming ingrained in the stone by applying a sealer and make the floor easier to keep clean. I recommend Seal and Go for Sandstone floors as it adds a nice subtle shine and brings out the natural colours in the stone.

Dirty Yorkstone Floor After Cleaning Sealing in Penistone

The client was over the moon with the result, the floor looked superb and to ensure it stayed that way I took time to discuss aftercare cleaning. I make a point of doing this as I often find homeowners with stone floors don’t realise that most supermarket floor cleaning products are simply too strong for a sealed floor. Its always worth reading the label before buying a cleaning product as many are so strong, they can strip a protective sealer away with constant use leaving it vulnerable.

Dirty Yorkstone Floor After Cleaning in Penistone

For the regular cleaning of Sandstone type floors, we recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner. This product is pH neutral and so won’t compromise the newly applied sealer.

Professional Cleaning of a Yorkstone Tiled Hallway in South Yorkshire

Yorkstone Floor Deep Cleaned and Sealed in Penistone Read More »

Colouring Cleaning Ceramic Tiled Kitchen Floor Grout in Adwick le Street

Dirty Kitchen Grout Renovated in Adwick Le Street

1 Comment / Ceramic Tile Cleaning, Doncaster Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Matthew Lovett

The owners of this house in Adwick Le Street, which is North of Doncaster, were fed up with the appearance of the Grout in their Ceramic tiled kitchen floor. They had not been able to keep the grout clean and it was now patchy, discoloured, darker and consequently always looked dirty.

I visited the property, to survey the floor and could see the Ceramic tiles and where in good condition, but the grout lines were really letting the kitchen down. I discussed with my client the option of re-colouring the grout, which they agreed was sensible, anything to keep the impossible grout clean. The alternative of scraping out the grout and replacing would be a messy and time-consuming option which we both agreed was not the choice they wanted to go for. I gave them a price to complete the work which they were happy to go ahead with.

Grout-During-Cleaning-with-Grout-Colourant-Pre-Treater-in-Adwick-le-Street

Recolouring Grout on a Ceramic Tiled Kitchen Floor

Before any grout colouring could be done the grout first needed to be prepared, this was done using Tile Doctors Grout Colourant Pre-Treater which is an acid-based cleaner specially made for the job. This product cleans and prepares the grout for the colourant to ensure a better contact with the colourant later. It’s very simple to apply and is simply sprayed onto the grout lines, left to dwell for five minutes and then scrubbed into the grout by hand. Once done the soiled pre-treater is rinsed off with water and removed with a wet vacuum.

Once the grout lines are dry, they are ready to be coloured, unfortunately this is a manual process which take a lot of attention to detail and can be quite tedious. The best way of doing it I have found is go get down on your hands and knees with a toothbrush and gently scrub the colourant into each grout line, any colourant that seeps over onto the tiles needs to be quicky wiped away before it dries. The one upside however is observing the highly satisfying transformation of the grout as the result is instant and you can see the improvement as you go along.

Tile Doctor Natural Grey Grout Colourant

Grout During Colouring with Natural Grey Grout Colourant in Adwick le Street

There are ten grout colours of Tile Doctor Grout Colourant to choose from and in this case the owners had chosen Natural Grey. If you want to save a few points they also sell a Grout Colourant kit that contains both the colourant and the pre-treater. The grout colourant is epoxy based so it remains water and stain proof and will last for years.

I’m not sure the pictures I took do the transformation justice, but my client was over the moon with the difference it had made to the floor. The patchy grout was gone and then whole room seemed brighter.

Grout After Recolouring with Natural Grey Grout Colourant in Adwick le Street

For regular cleaning I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which will keep the floor looking good but is gentle enough to use every day and won’t compromise the colourant.

Professional Grout Cleaning and Renovation in Worcestershire

Dirty Kitchen Grout Renovated in Adwick Le Street Read More »

Victorian Hallway Floor Before After Restoration in Wheatley Hills

Victorian Hallway Floor Restoration in Wheatley Hills, Doncaster

1 Comment / Doncaster Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Matthew Lovett

Our clients from the Doncaster suburb of Wheatley Hills contacted us to see if we could rescue their Victorian floor. They were a young professional couple who had recently purchased and renovated a beautiful Victorian terraced house. They loved the Victorian hallway tiles, but they did need some attention and we were asked to renovate them.

Victorian Floor Before Restoration Wheatley Doncaster

Victorian floors often have areas of damage, usually at the bottom of staircases and in doorways due to heavy usage. This floor was no different. We decided not to replace every cracked tile but to concentrate on the worst areas which was at the bottom of the staircase.

A nice little feature of Victorian floors you often find is an upside tile left by the original tiler, it is usually a small tile tucked away at the edge. The Victorians believed that only god could create something perfect so one small imperfection was normally left and in this case one tile had been installed upside down.

Victorian Floor Before Restoration Wheatley Doncaster Upside Down Tile

Cleaning and Repairing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

Before starting, replica tiles were sourced to closely match the originals and as you will see from the final pictures its now impossible to tell the difference. Standard sizes have changed though so to achieve a perfect fit the old tiles were used as templates and new tiles cut to match the originals. In total around twenty badly damaged tiles were replaced, I could have replaced more however with an old floor like this its good to keep some character and history in the floor.

Victorian Floor During Tile Repair Wheatley Doncaster

Once the new tiles had set, work started on cleaning the floor which was done using a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and Tile Doctor Remove and Go combined. This makes a powerful formula that can clean and strips old sealers from tiles and after being left to soak in for ten minutes is scrubbed into the floor with a coarse 200-grit pad. Pads can struggle to get into the corners etc so for those tricky areas I use hand-held diamond blocks.

After rinsing the floor with water and extracting the soil with a wet vacuum I gave the floor an acid rinse with Tile Doctor Acid Gel. This removes mineral salts trapped in the tiles and cleans off old grout smears. I always recommend an acid wash for old floors like this one as they do not have a damp proof membrane installed under the floor and this can result in salts rising through the tile as moisture evaporates, a process commonly known as efflorescence.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

The floor was left to dry off overnight and I returned the following day to seal the tiles with Tile Doctor Colour Grow. Before starting, moisture readings are taken from the tiles to ensure its dry, applying a sealer to a damp floor can cloud the sealer so it’s worth checking.

Colour Grow is an impregnating sealer that soaks into the pores of the tile protecting it from within and enhancing its colours in the process. Old Victorian tiles are quite porous after being deep cleaned so in total six coats were applied before the it was fully protected and waterproof. To check enough sealer has been applied I like to conduct a water test which should result in a water droplet forming a bubble on the tile as in the picture below.

Victorian Floor After Restoration Sealer Test Wheatley Doncaster

Each coat of sealer needs to dry before applying the next, so it does take some time to fully apply the sealer.

Victorian Floor After Restoration Wheatley Doncaster

Once sealed the Victorian floor looked much lighter, had a lovely natural sheen and the vibrant colours of the tiles really shone through. Our clients were overjoyed with the finished results and pictures of the floor were soon all over Instagram!

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in South Yorkshire

Victorian Hallway Floor Restoration in Wheatley Hills, Doncaster Read More »

Sandstone Kitchen Floor Before After Renovation High Green

Modern Sandstone Floor Deep Cleaned and Sealed in High Green, Sheffield

1 Comment / Sandstone Tile Cleaning, Sheffield Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Matthew Lovett

The photos on this page are of a Sandstone Kitchen floor at a house in the High Green suburb of Sheffield. The Sandstone tiles looked grubby and needed some love and attention. Our client was getting fed up trying to keep the stone clean, particularly around the kitchen area where cleaning didn’t seem to make much. You can see how dirty it had become on the before picture below, this is stark contrast to the middle of the of the kitchen where the portable kitchen island normally sits.

Modern Sandstone Floor Before Cleaning High Green Sheffield

I went to the property to get a better look at the problem floor and carried out a small test clean to see which products and methods would have the best impact. The patch came up really clean without much difficulty, so I was confident on being able to restore its appearance.

It was clear to me the original protective sealer had worn off and dirt had become ingrained in the pores of the stone where it was proving difficult to remove. My client was very encouraged by the test clean initial result and agreed to go ahead with the quote. We arranged a suitable time to carry out the work on a day when the family would be out of the way.

Cleaning/Repairing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

I started by taping up the area to make sure the skirting and woodwork were protected from splashing. Once done a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean was sprayed onto Sandstone tile and grout. It was left to dwell for approximately ten minutes to help break down all the grime and dirt and was then worked into the stone using a rotary floor machine fitted with a stiff bristled brush.

This method totally transformed the dull sandstone, the stunning sandstone colours started to leap out and I could see the stone was well on its way to being transformed. The floor was then rinsed several times with water and the now soiled cleaning solution carefully removed with an industrial wet vacuum.

With the floor clean I inspected all the tiles and repeated the process until I was happy the floor was total clean. I should mention It’s not always this easy to clean a stone floor and quite often I find myself having to utilise all sorts of products and methods before I’m totally satisfied it’s as clean as it could possibly be.

Modern Sandstone Floor Drying After Cleaning High Green Sheffield

With the cleaning done I left the floor to dry out overnight aided with heaters and air blowers.

Sealing a Sandstone Tiled Kitchen Floor

I returned to seal the floor the next day checking first that the stone was dry with a damp meter. Leaving the blowers on overnight had helped and the readings I took from the floor confirmed it was now ready for sealing.

Modern Sandstone Floor During Sealing High Green Sheffield

Earlier I had discussed the different types of sealer available with my clients and they had chosen to have the floor sealed with Tile Doctor Seal & Go. This works really well on Sandstone, enhancing its appearance, improving colour and of course adding protection to the stone to prevent grime and dirt stuck in the pores of the stone. Several coats were applied until I could see if was fully sealed and the right level of finish had been achieved. Sealing a floor can take some time as you need to allow each coat to dry before applying the next.

Modern Sandstone Floor After Cleaning Sealing High Green Sheffield

Once done the floor looked meticulously clean and the new sealer had added a lovely subtle sheen to the stone. My client was very please with the transformation and left the following feedback.

‘Very professional approach, friendly, and offered great advice throughout the job. Very pleased with the finish Cheers Matt we will see you again’

One of the problems we find with many homeowners is that for cleaning they use strong bleach-based cleaning product on their sealed tiles, and this actually strips off the sealer leaving the stone vulnerable to ingrained dirt. As a result, Tile Doctor has developed Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner, it is pH neutral and gentle enough for everyday use without affecting the sealer.

Professional Restoration of a Sandstone Tiled Kitchen in South Yorkshire

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