Stockport Tile Cleaning Archives - Greater Manchester Tile Doctor

Victorian Tiled Vestibule Restoration Cheadle

Restoring a Victorian Tiled Vestibule Discovered Under Carpet in Cheadle

The owner of this property in Cheadle discovered a small Victorian tiled floor in the vestibule at the front of the house, under what they described as a “grotty grey carpet”. They couldn’t believe they had been covered over by a previous owner and were made up to find such a lovely period feature which although very dirty appeared to be complete.

Victorian Tiled Vestibule Cheadle Before Cleaning

I was asked if I could replace the loose grouting and renovate the tiles to bring back as much of their original character as possible. Happy to oblige, I visited the property to inspect the tiles and confirm the work needed to restore the floor. From this I provided the owners with a quote which they were happy to accept, and we arranged a time to complete the work.

Cleaning and Repairing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

I started the renovation of the Victorian vestibule tiles with a deep restorative clean to remove heavy soil and old sealers. Properties of this age do not usually have a damp proof membrane and I was wary that using a lot of water on the floor may exacerbate damp issues and take much longer to dry out; with that in mind I decided to use a low moisture Gel cleaning product called Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel.

The product is applied to the tiles, the after about ten minutes it’s worked in with a mechanical buffing machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad. This process brings the dirt to the surface and turns the gel black in the process. The machine just about fitted into the space however the circular pads struggle to get into the corners so for that I then reverted to a handheld scrubbing brush and more Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel. The now soiled gel was then removed using a little water and a wet vacuum system designed to keep the mess to a minimum.

There was evidence of white efflorescence salts on some of the tiles which isn’t surprising considering the age of the property and the location of the tiles. To resolve this, I gave the tiles an acid rinse and sticking with the low moisture then I applied Tile Doctor Acid Gel. This product further cleans up the tiles and being acidic dissolves the salts and neutralises the pH level of the floor after the use of Oxy-Gel earlier. I used the same system as before, working the gel in with a pad and by hand then extracting with a wet vacuum.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

After carrying out some minor grout repairs, we left the area to fully dry overnight before returning the following day to seal with Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal. This product is fully breathable and so will allow for moisture to rise through the tile and evaporate at the surface, perfect for a floor without a damp proof membrane. Once done the floor had a nice matt finish, but the delightful colours of the original tiles now really shone through and lifted the whole entrance area.

Victorian Tiled Vestibule Cheadle After Cleaning

My client was very pleased with the outcome and left the following glowing comment on the Tile Doctor feedback system.

“Absolutely amazing craftsmanship. I asked for the tiles to be preserved with their characteristics rather than ‘repaired’ and he did exactly that. They somehow look brand new while still showing their story from the day they were laid. He has cleaned them up beyond expectation and protected them for hundreds of years to come!”

For aftercare I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner, it’s a gentle yet effective floor cleaning product that’s safe to use on sealed tiles and will help to keep the area looking pristine in the future.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Vestibule in Greater Manchester

Restoring a Victorian Tiled Vestibule Discovered Under Carpet in Cheadle Read More »

Renovating Pitted Travertine Tiled Flooring in Stockport

This client was from Stockport and had a travertine tiled floor laid over twenty years ago through the kitchen and adjacent dining space. The floor had the usual issues for travertine with dirt collecting in the small pits in the stone and becoming ingrained in the pores due to the sealer wearing off. The owner was talking of ripping the whole floor up as they had given up trying to keep it clean.

Travertine Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning

I recommended deep cleaning the floor with a set of burnishing pads to remove the ingrained dirt, filling in the worst pits and then sealing the stone. My quote was a little more than they were expecting but they appreciated the fact there was a lot of work to do and that the diamond encrusted abrasive pads required are quite expensive. On balance obviously it was cheaper than replacing the floor. We also discussed the final appearance of the stone floor; they wanted the stone to look as natural as possible keeping the colour light with just a slight sheen.

Deep Cleaning a Travertine Tiled Floor

Work started on the agreed date with an application of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which was diluted 1 part cleaner to 5 parts water and sprayed onto the floor. After letting it dwell for ten minutes it was worked in and followed up with an abrasive 120-grit silicon carbide pad attached to a floor buffer fitted with added weights to increase traction. The dirt released from the floor was then rinsed off with water and extracted with a wet vacuum.

The stone was then burnished using the coarser pads from the set of burnishing pads that I mentioned earlier. I started with the 400-grit on the weighted floor buffer and worked it into each of the travertine tiles using only water for lubrication. The pads get the ingrained dirt out of the stone, bringing it to the surface where it is rinsed off with water and then extracted again with the wet vacuum. This process was then repeated with the finer 800-grit pad which is the first step in polishing the surface of the stone.

The last step on day one was to review the travertine, identifying and filling the worst of the pits with a specialist filling compound that would harden overnight.

Sealing a Travertine Tiled Floor

On arrival the next day my clients said they loved the results so far and were relieved their problem floor was finally going to be resolved.

I started day two with the application of the third burnishing pad which is 1500-grit. This was applied using the same method, running it over each tile around three times using only water for lubrication. This third pad gave the stone the natural sheen they were after. For highly polished stone I would follow this up with a fourth pad which is 3000-grit however for this floor it wasn’t necessary.

Once the floor was dry it was then sealed with Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal which in an impregnating sealer that adds almost invisible protection to achieve that natural light appearance they wanted. Impregnators work by seeping into the stone, occupying the pores so dirt can’t become ingrained there.

My clients were very happy with the result saying how I had made a real difference and how well it looked, in fact they didn’t want anyone to walk on it just in case. I recommended they used Tile Doctor Stone Soap for everyday cleaning. It’s a mild but effective cleaner that will help maintain the appearance of the stone without impacting the sealer which can be harmed by stronger cleaning products.

Travertine Kitchen Floor After Cleaning

They also left the following comment on the Tile Doctor feedback system.

Amazing job. Our floor has never looked so good. Its better now than when first laid. Kevin was very professional and careful and meticulous in his restoration work.

Professional Renovation of a Travertine Tiled Floor in Greater Manchester

Renovating Pitted Travertine Tiled Flooring in Stockport Read More »

Ceramic Bathroom Tiles Before After Restoration Levenshulme

Glazed Ceramic Mosaic Bathroom Tiles Restored in Levenshulme

1 Comment / Ceramic Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Manchester City Tile Cleaning, Stockport Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Kevin Parry

I recently visited a property in Levenshulme where the bathroom tiling and grout needed renovation. Although they resembled small square mosaic tiles, they were actually large 45cm x 60cm sheets of glazed ceramic tiles which are easier to install and require less grouting.

Over time the tiles had attracted a lot of dirt from showering and now needed a good clean, additionally mould had got a grip on the lower tiling and mastic sealant between the tile and bath.

Mouldy Shower Bath Tiling Before Cleaning Levenshulme

Levenshulme sits halfway between Manchester City centre and Stockport and was recently declared by the Times Newspaper as one of the best places to live in the North West. It’s actually only a few miles drive from my base so well within my service area.

Cleaning White Ceramic Mosaic Bathroom Tiles

Normally I would look to renovate the grout lines with a grout colourant however grout had only been used between the sheets of tiles and what appeared to be grout between the small square mosaic tiles was in fact part of the glaze. I knew the colourant would struggle to achieve a bond with a glazed surface and so my only option would be to give the tiles a good scrub with a strong cleaning product.

My solution was to spay the tiles with Tile Doctor Duo Clean which is an effective double action grout cleaner and mould remover. It’s designed for cleaning up bathroom tile and can remove mould and blackspot from grout and silicone. I worked in sections allowing the product to soak in for a good ten minutes before scrubbing it in by hand with a stiff brush. After rinsing the tiles down with water, they were inspected and the procedure re-applied if needed. I found in fact that I had to do this several times before I was happy with the tile, grout and silicone were as clean as the could be. I often find longer dwell times can help the situation.

Mouldy Shower Bath Tiling After Renovation Levenshulme

The bathroom looked new by the time I had finished, it was quite the transformation and my client was really happy with the result and left a long testimonial for me which is copied below.

I could not be happier with Kamila’s work. She is delightful, efficient, and quite frankly a genius. My tiles were horrible and my bathroom seal mouldy and disgusting. Now thanks to Kamila I feel like I ha e a new bathroom all over again. She has done the most amazing job and I am so so pleased. I cannot recommend her highly enough! She has done the most outstanding job and the results are better than I could ever have dreamed of. Thank you so much 😊 – By Sarah B, Stockport, 03 August 2020

Professional Restoration of a Ceramic Tiled Mosaic Shower Cubicle in Manchester

Glazed Ceramic Mosaic Bathroom Tiles Restored in Levenshulme Read More »

Travertine Shower Cubicle Before and After Renovation Didsbury

Grubby Tumbled Travertine Shower Cubicle Renovated in Didsbury

1 Comment / Stockport Tile Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Kevin Parry

Travertine like any natural stone is porous and needs to be sealed if you want to maintain its appearance. As a result, it is not something I would recommend for use in a shower cubicle such as this example at this property in Didsbury. The sealer had long worn off leaving the stone vulnerable to stains from soap dyes and washed in dirt. The shower cubicle was also stained with mould which had taken a hold in places.

Tumbled Travertine Shower Cubicle Before Cleaning East Didsbury

My client had tried all sorts of cleaning products and recommended solutions but had failed to get a handle on the problem and so decided to call us in. I popped along to the property to do a site visit. It is always better for us to see the job so we can present an accurate quote, rather than just from pictures. I carried out a small patch test to with several different products to see what would work best and to show the client it could be solved. They were happy with the potential result and agreed to my quote. With that agreed we arranged a mutually convenient time to return and complete the work.

Cleaning a Tumbled Travertine Tiled Shower Cubicle

My approach was to deep clean the travertine with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean sprayed onto the tile and grout and then scrubbed in by hand. This is assisted with a steamer to help lift the dirt from the pores. Tile Doctor Pro-Clean is a concentrated, multi-purpose high-alkaline cleaner, which strips and degreases. It is diluted dependent on how dirty the area is and can be applied neat to help lift the most difficult stains. The dirt and cleaning solution was then rinsed off with water and I turned my attention to renovating the appearance of the Tumbled Travertine with a series of six inch burnishing pads fitted to a hand buffer.

Tumbled Travertine Shower Cubicle During Cleaning East Didsbury

The burnishing pads are applied in series from coarse to fine starting with the 400-grit pad which deep cleans the stone and removes old sealers, coatings and any remaining contaminates. Water is used to lubricate the process and the soil generates is rinses off the Travertine before moving onto the next pads (800-grit, 1500-grit and finally 3000-grit) which refine of hone the stone back to its original appearance. This process is always easier in the shower as the water can be drained away, in other areas we would use the wet vacuum to extract the waste.

Sealing a Tumbled Travertine Tiled Shower Cubicle

Once the shower tiles were dry, I applied two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow to seal the tiles and protect them going forward. This is a colour intensifying sealer that soaks into the pores of the stone preventing dirt from becoming ingrained there and thereby providing long lasting protection. As well as an excellent stone and grout sealer, Colour Grow is fully breathable so any damp trapped behind the stone can rise through the tile and evaporate.

Once that was completed, I stripped out the old silicone sealant around the base of the shower wall and tray and then replaced it with fresh using Jasmine coloured silicone.

Tumbled Travertine Shower Cubicle After Cleaning East Didsbury

The Tumbled Travertine shower cubicle looked unrecognisable after I had finished and my client who was most impressed with the transformation left the following glowing feedback:

“Kamila was absolutely fantastic – very professional and friendly, knew exactly what to do and shower looks brand new. Would definitely recommend!”

Most supermarket tile cleaning products are unsuitable for cleaning sealed natural stone (always read the label) so for regular cleaning going forward I recommended Tile Doctor Aqua-Pro. It’s a spray on cleaner that has a neutral pH formula so its safe to use on sealed stone yet its strong enough to eliminates soap scum build-up and hard water deposits when used regularly. The fresh lemon scent leaves the shower smelling clean and fresh.

Professional Renovation of a Tumbled Travertine Shower Cubicle in Greater Manchester

Grubby Tumbled Travertine Shower Cubicle Renovated in Didsbury Read More »

Ceramic Tile Grout Before and After Renovation Levenshulme

Flaking Grout Renovation in Levenshulme Bathroom

1 Comment / Ceramic Tile Cleaning, Denton Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Stockport Tile Cleaning, Work History / Kevin Parry

We were contacted by a client from the Levenshulme area of Greater Manchester who had just purchased a property there and hated the state of the grout which despite cleaning did not improve. The owner said she could not use the bathroom in this state as it looked disgusting and unclean and was keen to have it renovated. The rest of the house was being redecorated so whilst that was going on, I was called over to have a proper look at the grout and quote for sorting it out.

Ceramic Tiled Bathroom Before Renovation Levenshulme

It didn’t take long to understand the issue, is seems the previous owner in an attempt to improve the appearance of the grout had touched it up by applying another thin layer of grout on top of the original. Now both the new and old was starting to flake off making a real mess.

Flaking Grout Levenshulme Bathroom Before Renovation

I explained to the client we would need to scrape out the new layer, clean the original and then apply a grout colourant to improve the overall appearance. I gave her a price for the work, and she was happy for me to go ahead with the job.

Cleaning a Ceramic Tiled Bathroom Grout

My first task was to scrape off the new layer of grout, so I had a stable grout line to work from. I then started cleaning the grout up using a Tile Doctor Grout Colourant Pre-Treater cleaner, this cleans up the grout and being acidic it etches the surface to provide a better base for the grout colourant to adhere to. The dirt was rinsed off and then the area was dried using a heat gun.

Once dry I used a Tile Doctor Grout Colourant in Charcoal Grey (one bottle was sufficient). This product is equally effective for interior or exterior applications including bathrooms and kitchens and it is available in ten different colours. The client had requested to darken the grout and give it a completely new modern look. The colourant is painted onto the grout with a small brush and any excess which gets onto the tile is removed with a cloth before it dries.

Ceramic Tiled Bathroom During Grout Colouring Levenshulme

The best thing about the grout colourant is it forms an easy to clean seal over the grout which ensures the grout is protected. Given Ceramic tiles are glazed and therefore don’t need sealing the new combination should ensure the tiles keep their appearance for a very long time with minimal cleaning. The silicone sealant between the bath and the wall tiles looked in good condition and had not discoloured so there was no need for this to be replaced.

Ceramic Tiled Bathroom After Renovation Levenshulme

The bathroom now looked clean and inviting and I’m pleased to report my client was very happy with the completed renovation and was finally happy to use the bathroom!

I recommended that for on-going cleaning that they use Tile Doctor Aqua-Pro, this is a pH neutral cleaner with a trigger action for easy application. It can be used in the bathroom every day. It helps to keep soap scum and limescale at bay and has a pleasant lemon smell so cleaning should not be too much of a chore.

Professional Renovation of a Ceramic Tiled Bathroom in Greater Manchester

Flaking Grout Renovation in Levenshulme Bathroom Read More »

Bathroom Floor Grout Before After Cleaning Colouring Romiley

Bathroom Floor Tile Grout Renovation in Romiley

1 Comment / Ceramic Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Romiley Tile Cleaning, Stockport Tile Cleaning, Work History / TileProf

This client in Romiley on the outskirts of Stockport was unhappy with the state of the grout in her bathroom and was looking to have it removed and replaced. This was complicated by the fact that the ceramic tiled floor had electric underfloor heating installed (UFH). Removing grout is an intensive process and there is a big risk of causing damage to the heating elements during the process.

Bathroom Floor Grout Before Restoration in Romiley

My solution to the problem was to give the grout a deep clean and then colour it. Grout colouring is by far the easiest and safest way to restore grout as it is applied to the surface of the existing grout without the need to use any invasive process to remove the grout first. There are a variety of colours available so we can get the floor restored to its original look quite easily. I discussed with the client what we needed to do, and we agreed a price for the work to be completed.

Renovating Bathroom Floor Tile Grout

The process I used was to apply Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up to the tiles and the grout and then scrub it in. This is an acidic product that cleans up grout and removes any mineral deposits and hard water marks on the tiles. Being an acidic product, it also etches the surface of the grout providing a better bond for the colourant to adhere to. The floor was then rinsed with water, and a steamer used to get as much of the staining out of the grout as possible. The soiled water was removed with the wet vacuum to minimise the mess.

Bathroom Floor Grout During Steam Cleaning in Romiley

The tile and grout were then speed dried with an air mover whilst I went for lunch. This would ensure the floor would be ready for the colourant to be applied by the time I returned.

Colouring Grout in a Ceramic Tiled Bathroom

When I came back an hour or so later, I checked the grout was dry with the moisture meter before proceeding to apply the colourant. It was a small bathroom so only one bottle of Tile Doctor Limestone Grout Colourant Kit was needed we chose Limestone as this colour matched the tiles quite closely. The colourant is carefully applied with a small brush, and any residue is wiped off the tiles as we go.

Bathroom Floor Grout After Restoration with Tile Doctor Limestone Colourant in Romiley

The client was very happy with the results and with the colourant forming a barrier over the grout it will prove much easier to clean and will stay looking good for quite some time to come. The process was quick and straight forward and as you can see from the picture below the tiled floor looked a lot more inviting once the work had been completed.

Bathroom Floor Grout After Restoration in Romiley

Professional Restoration of a Ceramic Tiled Bathroom in Greater Manchester

Bathroom Floor Tile Grout Renovation in Romiley Read More »

Bathroom Wall Tile Before and After Renovation in Stockport

Tile and Grout Refresh for Neglected Bathroom in Stockport

1 Comment / Stockport Tile Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning, Work History / TileProf

If you’re a landlord, it can be quite difficult to know what your tenants are getting up to and whether they are taking good care of your property. It’s usually only when major problems emerge that a landlord will get involved.

Such was the case with a recent customer of mine who owns a property in Stockport, a large town in Greater Manchester not too far south from the main city centre. The tenants of the property either neglected or didn’t know how to take care of the tiled shower walls in the bathroom. Over time, the condition of the tiles and grout had become so appalling that the landlord had to call Tile Doctor to see about restoring them.

Bath Shower Tile Before Refresh Stockport

Cleaning Dirty Shower Tiles

I began the restoration by cleaning the grout lines, which were truly filthy. This was done using a strong solution of Tile Doctor Pro Clean. Pro-Clean is an ideal product for cleaning up neglected tiles and grout, since it removes all manner of dirt, including the soap scum and grease which had built up on these shower walls over the course of several months.

The product was left to dwell for a couple of minutes before being scrubbed deep into the grout. The area was subsequently rinsed with fresh water to remove the soil. In some stubborn places, I didn’t achieve the desired result right away, so I repeated the cleaning process a couple of times.

When the grout and tiles were cleaned to the best of my abilities, I used my heat gun to dry the walls quickly. Next, I removed all the mouldy silicone around the shower, a process which proved quite tricky because the tiles were all quite small, and there was newer silicone on top of old, very mouldy silicone, so I had to dig in deep to get it all out.

After doing this, I had to clean and dry the gap between the tiles and the bath because the old mouldy silicone didn’t leave it in a pretty state.

Sealing Shower Tiles

After everything was cleaned and dried, I sealed the walls using Tile Doctor Wall Tile and Grout Sealer Aerosol Spray. What makes this such a brilliant product is how easy it is to use. It is a spray-on sealer that adds long lasting protection against water, dirt, grease, mould and limescale. This reduces the amount of maintenance required.

When I had finished sealing the tiles and grout, I applied new, high quality and mould resistant silicone. With that, the restoration was complete. The whole process took only a day’s work, but you must agree that a fantastic outcome was achieved. The landlord and tenants were very happy with it, remarking that if they didn’t know any better, they would’ve thought it was a brand-new installation.

Bath Shower Tile After Refresh Stockport

Filthy Bath Tile and Grout Cleaned and Sealed in Greater Manchester

Tile and Grout Refresh for Neglected Bathroom in Stockport Read More »

Travertine floor before and after polishing in Didsbury

Burnishing the Polish Into Travertine Tiles in Didsbury

1 Comment / Stockport Tile Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning, Work History / TileProf

While popular and highly coveted due to its natural brown colouring, Travertine is not as tough as other types of natural stone and thus needs regular maintenance if you wish to keep it looking good. Without it the polish can quickly dull, and can suffer from erosion over time if acidic cleaning products are used often resulting in small holes or pitting appearing.

This house in the Manchester suburb of Didsbury had a particularly large area of Travertine tiles which had proven to be very difficult for the property owner to maintain. When I spoke to her I explained that Tile Doctor have a reliable process for the restoration of Travertine and similar types of natural stone such as Marble and Limestone using a polishing process we have developed called burnishing, and I assured her that we could achieve the same with her floor.

Travertine tiled floor before polishing in Didsbury

Cleaning and Polishing Travertine Tiles

Tile Doctor’s burnishing system involves the application of four different diamond encrusted burnishing pads in sequence from coarse to fine, using a small amount of water with each pad for lubrication.

I started work on this Travertine by applying a Coarse 400 grit burnishing pad to strip away dirt and any old sealer remaining on the tiles, before removing any dirty water with a wet vac machine and rinsing the floor (a process which is repeated after the application of each pas). Next, I moved on to the Medium 800 grit pad, which I used to break down any ingrained dirt and stubborn marks, and to start smoothing down the rough and uneven surface that had developed on some of the tiles. I then used the Fine 1500 grit pad to smooth the surface even further and get the floor ready for its final polishing.

However, before applying the fourth and final pad, I took the time to carefully fill all the cracks and holes as these were spoiling the overall appearance of the tiles. Following this I left the floor for the day so it could dry off fully overnight.

Sealing Travertine Tiles

I returned to the property the next morning to seal the floor. My first course of action was to run a damp test; which we do in every situation as even a small amount of damp threatens to spoil the sealer. The test did reveal some damp spots, so I used my heat gun to dry them out quickly.

Once the floor was completely dry, I went over the floor with the Very Fine 300 grit pad, without any water as lubricant this time, to achieved the final desired polish. In this situation, I used Tile Doctor Colour Grow to seal the tiles as I knew it would enhance the natural shades in the Travertine. Colour Grow is a solvent based colour intensifying sealer that provides durable surface protection while allowing the surface to breath and enhance colour.

It’s really important that all excess sealer – that which doesn’t penetrate the stone – is polished off. For polishing off the excess, I used our three cloth system. After completing the sealing process, I went over the floor one final time with the Very Fine 3000 grit diamond burnishing pad to ensure a smooth and shiny finish.

Travertine tiled floor after polishing in Didsbury

Needless to say, the customer was very happy with result, remarking that the floor never looked that good before!

Professional Polishing and Sealing of a Dull Travertine Tiled Floor near Manchester

Burnishing the Polish Into Travertine Tiles in Didsbury Read More »

Dishevelled Chinese Rough Slate After Restoration Cheadle

Rough Chinese Slate Kitchen Floor Revitalised in Cheadle

1 Comment / Slate Tile Cleaning, Stockport Tile Cleaning, Work History / Kevin Parry

This small rough Chinese Slate floor in the kitchen of a house in the village of Cheadle near Stockport in Greater Manchester had not had any sealer put on it for many years and was very grubby (dishevelled as described by the customer) looking even after the customer had tried to clean it.

Sealers do take a lot of punishment, especially in a high traffic area such as a small kitchen and will wear off over time and once this happens the floor will start to lose its appearance as dirt becomes ingrained in the stone and it can no longer be cleaned effectively.

Dishevelled Chinese Rough Slate Before Restoration Cheadle

Cleaning the Slate Tiled Floors

As we have to apply a liberal amount of water with this sort of work, the first step was to remove the Kicker boards at the bottom of the Kitchen units and silicone the Kitchen units that were fixed; this stops water seeping in and blowing the MDF allowing us to concentrate on cleaning the Slate without causing any damage.

I started the cleaning process by applying a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean to get rid of the built up dirt and any remaining sealer, leaving it to soak into the Slate before scrubbing the floor with a black scrub pad fitted to buffing machine running at slow speed. Tile Doctor Pro-Clean is a strong alkaline cleaner/stripper that is safe to use on natural stone, we do have stronger products available if required but in this case a strong dilution of Pro-Clean was sufficient to tackle any remaining sealer.

This process gave the Slate and grout lines a good deep clean and after rinsing the floor with water which was then extracted using a wet vacuum I repeated the process on stubborn areas until satisfied the floor was as clean and free of old sealer. Last stage of the cleaning process was to give the floor a final rinse and then get it as dry as possible using the wet vacuum to soak up the moisture.

Sealing Riven Slate Tiles

The floor was quite small so I was able to leave the floor to dry off over lunch time and then on my return managed to get it fully dry with a little heat from a heat gun. The customer wanted a mat finish so once dry I applied Tile Doctor Colour Grow sealer which impregnates into the pores of the natural stone protecting it from within and enhancing the natural colours of the Slate at the same time.

For general cleaning of Sealed stone floors, we recommend the use of a PH Neutral Cleaner as anything with a strong PH will degrade the life of the sealer over time.

Cleaning and Sealing a Chinese Slate Tiled Floor in Greater Manchester

Rough Chinese Slate Kitchen Floor Revitalised in Cheadle Read More »

Cracked Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor Maintained in Didsbury

1 Comment / Stockport Tile Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning, Work History / Kevin Parry

This Travertine tiled kitchen floor had been laid around five years previously in a house in Didsbury and now most of the sealer had worn down making the floor difficult to clean effectively. This resulted in the tiles looking continually dirty and a few of the tiles had cracked which you can see in the photograph below.

Travetine Tiled Floor Before Burnishing Didsbury

Maintaining Travertine Tiles

To start off with i scrubbed Tile Doctor Pro-Clean into all the grout lines with a stiff brush in order to get them as clean as possible followed by a rinse with water which was extracted using a wet vacuum.

The next step was to strip the Travertine of any remaining sealer and dirt using a set of four Diamond encrusted burnishing pads which come in a number of grades and are applied from coarse to extra fine with a little water to help lubricate.

I used the first three pads from coarse to fine rinsing between each pad to restore the polished finish of the stone but stopped before applying the final pad so I could fill all the cracked tiles with a resin filler in a matching shade. Once the filler had dried I gave the floor a final polish with the fourth extra fine burnishing pad and gave the floor a final rinse at the end to make sure the floor was clean before sealing.

Sealing Travertine Tiles

Once the floor was dry it was sealed using a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer that occupies the pores in the stone so dirt cannot become ingrained there. This particular sealer also enhances the natural colours in the stone.

Travetine Tiled Floor After Burnishing Didsbury

After the final polish and sealing the cracked areas had blended in very nicely and the customer was very pleased with the overall result.

Repairing and Maintaining Travertine Floor Tiles in Greater Manchester

Cracked Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor Maintained in Didsbury Read More »