Sandstone Tile Cleaning Archives - South Yorkshire Tile Doctor

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 »

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 »

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

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

Yorkstone Flagstone Floor Before After Restoration Sheffield

Gorgeous Yorkstone Floor uncovered at Sheffield Rental Property

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

A property investor recently purchased a house in Sheffield with a Yorkstone floor. His plan was to renovate the house and then let it as student accommodation. Not such a bad plan considering Sheffield is home to two universities and 60,000 students making it a real student city. The Universities here rank in the top 100 worldwide and Sheffield Hallam University is the 11th largest in the UK.

The Yorkstone floor had been covered up for a very long time and having ripped out the kitchen units decided not only was it a lovely feature he’d like to keep but it also made financial sense to restore the floor as to replace it would have cost a lot more. Having searched the internet for a solution he came across Tile Doctor and I was asked to call in to quote for restoring the floor.

Yorkstone Floor Before Renovation Sheffield

On inspection the floor looked to be in good physical condition, it had been protected by the floor coverings but was very dirty. Additionally, I could see adhesive residue where the flooring had been laid on top of the stone. I conducted a test clean which went well so we agreed a price for the work and got the job booked in. Naturally, he was keen to fit in the work with the schedule of the new kitchen going in, fortunately we were able to work around the dates.

Cleaning and Restoring a Yorkstone Tiled Kitchen Floor

A nice empty room always makes a job easier, as we don’t need to do too much preparation to protect existing fittings. We started with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which was applied to the floor and left to dwell for ten minutes. During this time, the Pro-Clean gets to work breaking down the old floor coatings including dirt and grime. The solution was then scrubbed into the floor using a Black pad fitted to a rotary floor buffer. The Black pad does a fantastic job of scrubbing away all the old dirt and getting the stone clean. Once this was done the thick brown slurry generated was extracted using the wet vacuum and the floor was thoroughly rinsed with water. After inspecting the Yorkstone I repeated the process in a couple of the areas where there were some stubborn stains until I was happy the stone was as clean as it possible could be. After a final rinse and extraction, the floor was left overnight to dry.

Sealing a Yorkstone Tiled Kitchen Floor

Returning the following morning, I used a digital moisture meter to test if the floor was dry enough to seal. You shouldn’t apply a sealer if the floor has a high moisture reading as it will impact the sealer curing which can lead to unexpected results.

To seal the Yorkstone and add protection from ingrained dirt I selected Tile Doctor Seal & Go which leaves a beautiful satin finish that adds a protective barrier over the stone. This will ensure that the floor stands up to the heavy traffic of the new tenants moving in, additionally it’s a water-based sealer so it doesn’t give off a smell as it dries.

Yorkstone Floor After Renovation Sheffield

It was amazing to see the transformation of the Yorkstone flagstones and my client was very pleased with the work. For aftercare cleaning of these floors I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner however I find with rental properties there is no guarantee the tenants will use it.

Professional Restoration of a Yorkstone Tiled Kitchen in South Yorkshire

Gorgeous Yorkstone Floor uncovered at Sheffield Rental Property Read More »

Sandstone Kitchen Floor Before and After Cleaning Sealing Conisbrough

Sandstone floor clean and seal in Conisbrough, Doncaster

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

The owners of this stunning 400-year old property in Conisbrough had occupied it for a few years and were now having a lot of work done to the interior. They never liked the Sandstone Kitchen floor as it always looked dull and unclean, and this was made worse during the renovations. As a result, they had decided they would try and have it professionally cleaned and if not happy would look to replace it.

Sandstone Floor Before Clean and Seal Conisbrough Doncaster

Conisbrough is a town within the borough of Doncaster. It’s most famous for its’ spectacular castle, Conisbrough Castle. It was originally built in the 11th Century after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. Needless to say, the area has a lot of history including the residential property.

Even though the house was 400 years old this floor was part of a recent addition which used to be a tearoom. It was immediately obvious from our initial inspection the floor had never been sealed properly leaving it susceptible to stains, ingrained dirt and grime. We gave them a quote for the work which they were happy to accept, and we arranged a convenient date to return.

Deep Cleaning a Sandstone Tiled Kitchen Floor in Conisbrough

To ger the dirt out of the stone I decided to start with a medium strength dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. It was sprayed onto the floor and then left it to soak in for about ten minutes so it could get to work on breaking down the soiling. After the 10 minutes was up it was worked into every inch of the stone using a scrubbing brush fitted to a rotary floor machine. This product is perfect for removing built up grease and deep ingrained dirt. As the floor had no seal for protection it was pretty dirty.

Sandstone Floor During Clean and Seal Conisbrough Doncaster

This action released a dark brown soil from the stone, and this was extracted with an industrial wet vacuum and quickly rinsed the floor with water. It was a reasonably large floor, so it was cleaned in sections working our way across the room making sure the floor was 100% clean as we went. After cleaning the floor twice, it was inspected, and further work carried out to the high traffic and stubborn areas.

Sandstone Floor During Clean and Seal Conisbrough Doncaster

Sealing a Sandstone Tiled Kitchen Floor in Conisbrough

The floor was left to dry out overnight and then checked with a damp meter then next day to ensure the moisture level had returned to normal. Applying a sealer to a damp floor is not recommend and can lead to an inconsistent result so I always check first.

To seal I applied Tile Doctor Colour Grow to the floor, this in an impregnating sealer that soaks into the pores of the stone protecting it from within and enhancing the natural colours in the stone in the process. It really brings out the beautiful colours and patterns of the stone transforming its appearance.

Sandstone Floor After Clean and Seal Conisbrough Doncaster

The floor looked great and the client was very happy with the overall appearance and decided they would stick with the floor, actually Sandstone is quite nice!

I recommended to the client they should use Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner to keep the floor looking good, this is a pH neutral cleaner which will not compromise the newly applied seal and will keep it in place, preventing the problems they had previously experienced. It has a fresh smell and is suitable for regular use.

Professional Restoration of a Sandstone Tiled Kitchen in South Yorkshire

Sandstone floor clean and seal in Conisbrough, Doncaster Read More »

Sandstone Tiled Kitchen Floor Before After Renovation Mapplewell

Sandstone Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovated in Mapplewell, Barnsley

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

We were contacted by a family in the Barnsley area of South Yorkshire who were tearing their hair out trying to keep their Sandstone Tiled floor clean. The kitchen area was especially grubby and once the island had been removed during recent renovations, the dirty floor really stood out.

The house was located on the Northern tip of Barnsley in Mapplewell, close to the border of South and West Yorkshire, an area which is steeped in coal mining history. Even though all the coal mines have gone there’s still lots of evidence of its’ proud mining history in the area.

Sandstone Tiled Floor Before Renovation in Mapplewell

After inspecting the tiles, I could see their problem revolved around the fact that the Sandstone had a texture to it and the previous sealer used was an impregnating sealer, as a result the dirt had no problem sticking to the stone as you can see from the picture. At Tile Doctor we see Sandstone/flagstones used a lot as Kitchen flooring, it is a popular choice due to it being so hardwearing, however as with any natural stone it needs to be sealed to protect it and bring out its beauty and colour.

I demonstrated the cleaning process on a small part of the floor, which they were very satisfied with. The testing also enables me to understand what it would take to renovate the whole floor and provide them with an accurate price. They were happy with my proposal and keen for me to begin the work which would take two days to complete, one day to clean the floor and returning a further day to complete the sealing of the floor.

Cleaning a Sandstone Tiled Kitchen Floor

On arrival at the agreed date I set about preparing the working area by removing the kickboards and protecting other surfaces that might come into contact with the cleaning products and equipment.

My process for cleaning the floor was to spray the floor first with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go which was left to soak into the stone for ten minutes so it could breakdown old sealers and dirt. The solution was then scrubbed into the stone using a rotary floor buffer fitted with a 400-grit diamond encrusted burnishing pad. It didn’t take long for solution to turn grey with the soil that was released from the floor and the true beauty of the Sandstone started to appear. The dirty slurry was extracted with a wet vacuum and the floor given a thorough inspection. Stubborn stains were spot-treated using the same process and once I was satisfied 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 left to dry off fully overnight. It was clear to me at this stage that the floor was already showing significant improvement.

Sandstone Tiled Kitchen Floor After Cleaning in Mapplewell

Sealing a Sandstone Tiled Kitchen Floor

The next day I tested the stone for moisture using a damp meter to ensure it was dry before sealing. It confirmed that the floor had dried overnight and would be able to start applying the sealer.

It was already clear that an impregnating sealer was not the best choice for a textured stone so a topical sealer would be the best option, not only does it bring out the colours of the stone it also adds a barrier between the fine pores of the stone and dirt. Six coats of Tile Doctors Seal & Go were applied to ensure the stone was fully sealed, which took some time as you have to wait for the first coat to dry before applying the next. Seal and Go is a water based acrylic satin sealer which is perfect for this type of floor. It gives a nice natural finish but allows the natural colour and beauty of the floor to shine through.

Sandstone Tiled Floor During Sealing in Mapplewell

The sandstone now looks much lighter and cleaner, certainly my client was very happy with the transformation of the floor, especially where the island had been. In fact, we have agreed with the customer we will return every year to maintain the floor to keep it looking in perfect condition. In the meantime, they should be able to easily keep it clean using Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is designed for the regular cleaning for sealed floors like this.

Sandstone Tiled Floor After Renovation in Mapplewell

Professional Restoration of a Sandstone Tiled Floor in South Yorkshire

Sandstone Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovated in Mapplewell, Barnsley Read More »

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South Yorkshire Tile Doctor

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