Middleton Tile Cleaning

Middleton Tile Cleaning

Welcome to my Work History archive where you will find examples of the cleaning and renovation of tiles carried out in Middleton.

Slate Affect Porcelain Floor Before After Restoration Bury

Cleaning a Slate effect Porcelain Tiled floor in Bury

A client from Bury, north of Manchester, contacted us to have their Slate tiled floor stripped and sealed and have the grout replaced. They were finding it difficult to keep clean and were mainly concerned about the grout which they described as awful.

As per usual practice I went over to survey the floor and work out a price for doing the work. After running some tests, I realised that the tiles were actually Porcelain which are manufactured to imitate Slate and therefore far easier to maintain. I recommended a deep clean of the tile and grout followed by the application of a grout colourant to restore the appearance. I completed a test clean on part of the floor which they were very happy with and they agreed to my quote. We booked the work in to be completed later in the month.

Slate Look Porcelain Tile and Grout Before Cleaning Bury Slate Look Porcelain Tile and Grout Before Cleaning Bury

Cleaning/Repairing a Slate effect Porcelain Tiled Kitchen Floor

First, I prepared the area and taped up the plinths and skirting to protect them. I then cleaned the floor using Tile Doctor Remove and Go, which is sprayed onto the tile and grout and then scrubbed in with the aid of a rotary floor machine fitted with a scrub brush. The slurry was then extracted off the floor by rinsing with water and extracting with a wet vacuum.

The next step was to apply Tile Doctor Grout Colourant Pre-Treater to the grout lines and scrub it in. This product is slightly acidic so as well as cleaning it also etches the grout to provide a better bond with the colourant. It was left to get to work on the grout for a few minutes and then was scrubbed in with a stiff narrow brush. I used a steamer and a wet vacuum to get the grout as clean as it could be and then left it to dry for a short time.

With the tile and grout as clean as it could be, I inspected the floor and could see areas where the grout was still stained and others where it was crumbling. Only the application of a grout colourant would give the consistent appearance desired by the customer. First though I needed to tackle the crumbling grout by scrapping out the old grout and replacing with new.

Sealing a Slate effect Porcelain Tiled Kitchen Floor

I needed the fresh grout to dry out, so I left the floor overnight and came back the next day to complete the grout colouring for which I used one bottle of Tile Doctor Grout Colourant in Limestone wiping off any excess as I went. As the floor tiles were in fact Porcelain there was no need to apply a sealer so once the colourant had dried the job was complete.

Slate Look Porcelain Tile and Grout During Grout Colouring Bury

Once finished the floor looked great, it was now clear that it has been the grout that had brought down the overall appearance of the floor.

My customer was very happy with their new floor and even left me a bottle of wine! I left then with some Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner, used regularly it will ensure the appearance of the floor is maintained and the grout is protected.

Slate Look Porcelain Tile and Grout After Renovation Bury

 

Professional Restoration of a Porcelain Tiled Kitchen Floor in Greater Manchester

Cleaning a Slate effect Porcelain Tiled floor in Bury Read More »

Marble Tiled Floor Before After Polishing Middleton

Marble Floor Tiles Polished and Sealed in Middleton, Manchester

This customer in Middleton near Manchester wanted to bring the shine up on the tiled floor in their Kitchen and Dining Room, it had been laid nearly fifteen years before and was now dull, lifeless and the grout was also in need of a clean.

I was told the tiles were Ceramic however after visiting the property and running some tests if became clear that the tiles were in fact Marble. There are some very realistic Ceramic and Porcelain tiles on the market however you usually find they have a set of repeating patterns whereas with natural stone no two tiles are the same.

Marble Tiled Floor Before Polishing Middleton Manchester Marble Tiled Floor Before Polishing Middleton Manchester

The floor had lost its shine over the years which is a common problem with natural stone such as Marble which ideally needs to be polished and have the sealer topped up every year to keep it in the best condition. The cleaning test results were so good that the customer booked us in to complete the floor straight away after agreeing the quote.

Cleaning and Polishing a Marble Tiled Kitchen and Dining Room Floor

We started by giving the floor a general clean with Tile Doctor Pro-Clean paying special attention to the grout where it was scrubbed in along the grout lines using a stiff narrow brush. The soiled cleaning solution was then rinsed off and extracted using a wet vacuum.

The next step was to clean and re-polish the Marble using the 400, 800 and 1500 grit burnishing pads which re-hone the stone bringing up the polish gradually. You use water to lubricate the process and rinse with more water in-between each pad to rinse off the soil that is generated. The soil is then extracted with a wet vacuum.

After running all three pads over the floor in sequence and the floor was left to dry off overnight and I returned the next day to complete the work.

Sealing a Marble Tiled Kitchen and Dining Room Floor

On my return I started by running over the floor with the fourth burnishing pad in the set which is a very fine 3000-grit pad. It’s applied with a little water sprayed onto the floor using a technique we call a “Spray Burnish” and it really brings up the polish on the Marble tiles.

The last step was to seal the Marble tiles which will protect them from dirt becoming ingrained in the pores of the stone and make them easier to clear. For this I chose to use Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer which has the added benefit of enhancing the natural colours in the stone.

Marble Tiled Floor After Polishing Middleton Manchester Marble Tiled Floor After Polishing Middleton Manchester

It was the perfect choice for the floor and the final result was quite a transformation. Certainly my customer was very happy with the results and left the following feedback on the Tile Doctor feedback system.

“Excellent professional service. The floor tiles are back to how to how they were 14 years ago.”

Before leaving I discussed aftercare and explained that the more a polished floor gets used the more the shine and sealer wears off, so I always advise having the floor re-polished once a year using the 3000-grit pad and then adding another coat of sealer. My customer agreed and has already booked me in for a years’ time to do the work which should only take about two hours.

 

Professional Renovation of a Marble Tiled Floor in Greater Manchester

Marble Floor Tiles Polished and Sealed in Middleton, Manchester Read More »

Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle Before and After Refresh Moston

Removing Mould from a Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle in Moston

The photographs below are from the bathroom of a house in the Moston area of Manchester which is primarily residential and only 3 miles away from the city centre. My customer had been primarily concerned with the removal of unsightly mould but was also keen to have the grout in the ceramic tiled shower cubicle given a good deep clean.

Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle Before Restoration Moston Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle Before Restoration Moston

Cleaning a Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle

To clean the Shower Cubicle, I used a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro Clean which is a strong alkaline cleaner that works really well on grout. The Pro-Clean solution was decanted into a spray bottle and then sprayed onto the grout lines and left it to dwell. The air in the solution makes it lighter and easier for it to stick to vertical surfaces.

After a few minutes the Pro-Clean was scrubbed in using a stiff grout brush. The tiles were then rinsed with water to remove the soiled solution from the tiles and the process repeated where required.

Although cleaning process was a success there were still a few mould marks left so to tackle these I used Tile Doctor Mould Away spray using the same process of scrubbing and rinsing. The Mould Away spray did the trick for me and I moved on to remove the silicone around the shower cubicle. When removing silicone, you must make sure you get all mouldy silicone out otherwise it can spread from the old to the new.

Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle During Restoration Moston

After I had finished removing the silicone I tidied the shower cubicle and used a bit of gentle heat from my heat gun to dry the grout lines and edges where silicone used to be.

Grout Colouring a Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle

I used my damp tester to make ensure there was no dampness anywhere around the working area and then moved on to colouring the grout which would give the whole shower a fresh and consistent appearance. On this occasion, I used a White colour from the Tile Doctor range of Grout Colourant’s, it’s an epoxy based colourant that protects and rejuvenate the grout lines.

I had to use 2 coats of colourant to get the best result and then moved on to putting new silicone around the shower base with a high-quality mould resistant silicone. When finished adding fresh silicone I tidied up again and the job was complete.

Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle After Restoration Moston Ceramic Tiled Shower After Restoration Moston

I think you can’t argue the shower cubicle was transformed and customer even said it looks better then when it was new; we also fixed few chips for her whilst there and stripped and replaced the silicone around the sink as a bonus.

Ceramic Tiled Sink Grout Before Cleaning Moston Ceramic Tiled Sink After Cleaning Moston

 
 

Shower Tile Refresh in Greater Manchester

Removing Mould from a Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle in Moston Read More »

Quarry tiled porch floor before and after cleaning in Middleton

Stained Quarry Tiled Porch Cleaned and Sealed in Middleton

It’s not uncommon for us to hear from customers who have decoration work undertaken, only for the builders to leave plaster and paint stains all over the floor. These types of stains can be particularly difficult to remove from tiles – especially if you rely on using everyday, supermarket quality products.

Quarry tiled porch before cleaning Middleton

This was a problem for this customer from the town of Middleton, who had just had a new porch built and in the process the Quarry tiled floor had become very noticeably stained. Struggling to deal with the problem herself, the customer found Tile Doctor online and decided to make use of our expertise.

Quarry tiled porch before cleaning Middleton

Cleaning Stained Quarry Tiles

To clean the porch tiles we used a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro Clean, our powerful alkaline product designed to remove dirt and stains on natural stone tiles and grout. We evenly applied Pro Clean and left it to dwell for five minutes, allowing it to seep into the tiles. We then agitated the product with a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine, breaking down the stubborn paint and plaster marks.

The resulting slurry was then removed using a wet vacuum, before the floor was rinsed thoroughly to remove any chemicals from the stone. With the tiles looking fresh and clean, we left them to dry completely overnight. We recommend a natural drying period of about 24 hours, although in some circumstances heat guns and turbo dryers can assist in speeding up the process.

Sealing Quarry Tiles

I returned to the property the next day, starting by using my damp tester to check whether the floor was dry enough to seal. There were some areas that were still damp, but I managed to get them dry quickly with my heat gun.

For sealing, I used four coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go, our water-based blend of acrylic polymers that provides both a stain resistant surface seal and a durable low-sheen finish that compliments the natural stone. The addition of a fresh sealer will make the tiles far easier to keep clean in the future.

Quarry tiled porch after sealing Middleton

The customer was very pleased with the overall result. However, she was keen to make sure she could give the tiles the regular maintenance they need, so I left her with a complimentary bottle of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner. This gentle, pH-neutral cleaner is perfect for regular maintenance as it reliably removes dirt and stains without damaging the sealer. You can use it to clean all types of tiles, stone and grout.

Quarry tiled porch after sealing Middleton

 
 

Cleaning and Sealing of a Stained Quarry Tiled Porch in Greater Manchester

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riven slate floor after photo

Riven Slate Tiled Floor Cleaned and Sealed in Bury

If your hiring a decorator beware, for some reason were seeing an increase in floors splattered with paint due to a lack of care. This was certainly the case on this Riven Slate tiled floor in Bury, Greater Manchester where decorators had made a right mess of this floor with plaster and paint.

riven-slate-floor-before-photo

Cleaning the Slate Tiled Floors

I started the cleaning process by applying a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a multi-purpose cleaner/stripper safe to use of natural tile and stone. The Pro-Clean was left to soak in for a while before being worked into the floor with a rotary machine fitted with a black pad; this worked well and removed all of the plaster and most of the paint. The remaining suborn paint spots were dealt with individually by applying Tile Doctor Remove and Go which is a specialist coatings remover. The last step was to rinse the floor down with water three times in order to wash away any remaining chemical and neutralise they floor before sealing.

Sealing Riven Slate Tiles

I left the floor to dry overnight and came back the next day to seal it using five coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go which provides good stain protection and a low sheen finish. You can see from the photographs the improvement in the floor.

riven-slate-floor-after-photo

 
 

Cleaning and Sealing a Riven Slate Tiled Floor in Bury, Greater Manchester

Riven Slate Tiled Floor Cleaned and Sealed in Bury Read More »

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Greater Manchester Tile Doctor

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