Flagstone Tile Cleaning

Welcome to my Work History archive where you will find detailed examples of the cleaning and renovation of Flagstone pavers carried out in South Yorkshire

Cleaning and Renovating Flagstone Pavers

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

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

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


Flagstone Kitchen Floor Before After Cleaning Oughtibridge

400-Year-Old Flagstone Floor Restoration in Oughtibridge

Our clients owned a stunning 400-year-old cottage in the village of Oughtibridge, Sheffield with a Flagstone floor in the Kitchen. The floor was original to the building but wasn’t practical, it had 400 years of dirt and grime stuck to it and over the years had turned black.

400-Year Old Flagstones House Plaque Oughtibridge

In an attempt to get the floor clean, they had tried lots of different cleaning products but nothing you could buy from a supermarket was ever going to help when the stone is this dirty. After researching the problem further, they found Tile Doctor and so contacted us for a solution.

I went over to the property to survey the floor and carry out a test clean on small area to work out which products and methods would get the floor clean. The demonstration went well which impressed the client and agreed to our quote.

400-Year Old Flagstones Before Cleaning Oughtibridge 400-Year Old Flagstones Before Cleaning Oughtibridge

Oughtibridge stands 5 miles north of the centre of Sheffield and is surrounded by beautiful countryside, there are breath-taking views from the village looking down the valley towards Sheffield City Centre.

Cleaning a Flagstone Tiled Hallway Floor

To get the flagstones clean we started by soaking the floor in a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro Clean, this was left to work for 10 minutes before using a rotary floor machine fitted with a selection of diamond pads and brushes to scrub the floor.

400-Year Old Flagstones During Cleaning Oughtibridge

A combination of the Tile Doctor Pro Clean and the machine made short work of the 400 years worth of grime on the stone. The difference was incredible, our clients were shocked at the results we were getting. Once clean we rinsed the floor a couple of times to make sure all the slurry had been removed, this was extracted away with the wet vacuum to keep the mess to a minimum.

400-Year Old Flagstones Before Cleaning width Pro-Clean Oughtibridge 400-Year Old Flagstones During Cleaning Oughtibridge

With the floor clean the next stage was to seal the stone however it would need to be dry before we could do that. Old flagstone floors like these don’t have a damp-proof membrane installed beneath the stone so can take longer to dry out; with this in mind we left it a week before returning to make sure it had plenty of time to dry out.

Sealing a 400-Year-Old Flagstone Kitchen Floor

Returning the following week, we used the moisture meter to test the floor and ensure it was fully dried out. The weather had been warm all week so I expected it to be fine which it was.

Our clients chose Tile Doctor Seal & Go Extra to seal the floor, it gives stone a satin finish and makes sure all the pores in the stone can’t be filled with dirt again. We applied three coats leaving each one to dry between coats. This sealer is also breathable so will cope well with any moisture rising through the stone.

400-Year Old Flagstones After Cleaning Oughtibridge 400-Year Old Flagstones After Cleaning Oughtibridge

My clients were so happy to have a clean floor and left the following message on the Tile Doctor feedback system.

“Matt has transformed our 1640 sandstone floor from a dark grey colour, which was impossible to keep clean with ingrained dirt over years to an attractive looking sealed floor with beige and rose tints which can now kept clean.”

Before leaving I discussed with them the best way to maintain the floor and recommended that they use Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner. This is pH neutral tile cleaning product which won’t harm the sealer with use. It has a nice minty smell and being concentrated only a small amount it required.

 

Professional Restoration of a Flagstone Tiled Kitchen in South Yorkshire

400-Year-Old Flagstone Floor Restoration in Oughtibridge Read More »

Deep Cleaning and Sealing Yorkstone Flooring in Norton

Stained Yorkstone Floor Renovated After Leak in Norton Office

We were called in by a hygiene supplies company after one of their delivery drivers had delivered some hand wash to one of their clients in Norton, Sheffield and unfortunately during delivery one of the bottles had leaked all over this York Stone floor. It had caused some staining and removed some of the sealant, so the floor now required a complete deep clean and seal.

Office Yorkstone Floor Before Cleaning Norton Sheffield

The modern building in the Yorkshire Hills close to Sheffield is the headquarters of a Bar & Pub dispensing equipment suppliers and the York Stone runs right throughout the main reception area. As it is the first impression for visitors, it was important that the floor was cleaned and restored and obviously the company were keen to put right their drivers’ accident. After visiting the property to survey the floor we arranged to carry the work out over a weekend while the employees were out of the way and no clients would be visiting.

Cleaning a Yorkstone Office Floor in Sheffield

Firstly, we protected the skirting boards, carpets and adjoining rooms so any splashes from cleaning would not damage or stain anything. Then we set about applying Tile Doctor Pro Clean diluted 1:5 with water. This was left to soak into the stone for ten minutes to lift the grime, dirt and previous sealer out of the stone. Once it had been given time to soak in the solution was scrubbed into the stone with a 40kg weighted floor buffer fitted with a 17in black scrubbing pad running at medium speed. Immediately you could see a huge change in the appearance of the stone as the natural colours of the stone were revealed.

Office Yorkstone Floor During Cleaning Norton Sheffield

When one area had been scrubbed, we vacuumed up the resulting slurry and gave the floor a thorough rinse with fresh water. The rinsed water was also extracted with the wet vacuum before moving onto another area of floor. It took a full day to clean the whole floor and then we left it to dry off fully overnight.

Office Yorkstone Floor During Cleaning Norton Sheffield

Sealing a Yorkstone Office Floor in Sheffield

We returned the following morning, the floor was checked with the damp meter to ensure it was dry enough, it was within the correct parameters, so we were good to go ahead and apply the seal.

Office Yorkstone Floor After Cleaning Damp Test Norton Sheffield

The floor was given two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow; this is an impregnating sealer that seeps into the pores of the stone, intensifying the natural colours in the stone whilst providing the durable surface protection needed for such a high traffic area. Each coat is left to dry before applying the next.

Office Yorkstone Floor After Cleaning Norton Sheffield Office Yorkstone Floor After Sealing Norton Sheffield

Once complete the floor looked much cleaner, the colours in the stone were much more evident and any evidence of the staining was gone. The new sealer is set to keep the floor protected from ingrained dirt for some time to come. The owners of the company were over the moon, and the driver was relieved too, as you can see from the pictures the change was dramatic. In fact, the feedback I got from the customer was.

“What a transformation!!!”

Office Yorkstone Floor After Sealing Water Test Norton Sheffield

 

Professional Restoration of Yorkstone Office Floor in South Yorkshire

Stained Yorkstone Floor Renovated After Leak in Norton Office Read More »

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South Yorkshire Tile Doctor

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