Victorian Tile Cleaning Archives - Greater Manchester Tile Doctor

Victorian Fireplace Hearth Tiles Renovated in Altrincham

Renovation of Victorian Hearth in Altrincham

Our client was renovating the front room of her Victorian home including the old Fireplace in Altrincham South of Sale in Manchester. After lifting the carpet directly in front of the fireplace with a view to stripping back the wooden floorboards she found an original tiled hearth which she liked and decided she wanted to have restored.

Victorian Fireplace Hearth Tiles Before Cleaning Altrincham

The property had several other original features, so my client was very keen to try and retain as many as she could. After trying several specialist fireplace restorers without any success, she contacted us.

The tiles were in quite a state, but the main issue was the adhesive that the carpet has been secured with. With reasonable expectations of what could be achieved she hoped we could improve this little bit of history and we offered to see what we could do to improve them.

Victorian Fireplace Hearth Tiles Before Cleaning Altrincham

Armed with a range of Tile Doctor products we sampled various options before settling on a combination of Pro-Clean and Nanotech HBU cleaner. HBU stands for Heavy Build Up and is especially effective on textured surfaces. I gave her a quote for the work which she was happy to accept, and we booked in a time to carry out the work.

Victorian Fireplace Hearth Tiles During Renovation Altrincham

Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Hearth Floor

The combined products were applied to the hearth tiles and left to for fifteen minutes so they could get to work breaking down the old adhesive and dirt. Then the solution was gently agitated with a small brush to work it in further and loosen the adhesive, mortar, dirt and grime allowing it to be carefully scraped off. I used a wet vacuum to extract the resultant soiling followed by rinsing and more vacuuming.

Victorian Fireplace Hearth Tiles During Renovation Altrincham

With the tiles clean the next step was to fill any gaps that had now appeared before drying. As the area was small there was only a short time needed to dry the tiles, enough time for a cuppa.

Sealing Victorian Hearth Tiles in Greater Manchester

To improve the look of the tiles even further I gave them a very gentle dry burnish using a six inch 3000-grit diamond polishing pad fitted to a small buffer running at slow speed. This was used to remove light scratches and bring back a gentle sheen to the tile.

Victorian Fireplace Hearth Tiles During Renovation Altrincham

Finally, I gave then tiles a coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow sealer to improve colour and add protection.

Victorian Fireplace Hearth Tiles After Renovation Altrincham

The hearth tiles were transformed by the work and my client commented it was so much better than they had dared hope could be achieved and plans to dress the area with candles or a fire basket. It is amazing what a small feature can do to the overall look of the room, and it really brought the colours out of the patterned tiles which surround the fireplace.

For their next project they are planning to strip the wood floorboards back, hoping for similar success, however I can’t help them with that.

Later my client posted the following 5 Star review on the internet:

“Kevin cleaned the hearth tiles on my Victorian fireplace which had been hidden by carpet and underlay for many years and they now look beautiful. All done quickly and efficiently and at a reasonable cost.”

Victorian Fireplace Hearth Tiles After Renovation Altrincham

For aftercare cleaning of any sealed tile, I recommend the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner. It’s a gentle but effective tile and grout cleaner that won’t impact the sealer which can be the problem with some of the more aggressive products you find in supermarkets.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Hearth Tiles in Greater Manchester

Renovation of Victorian Hearth in Altrincham Read More »

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Restoration Urmston

Victorian Tiled Hallway restoration in Urmston

I was contacted by a couple from London who were relocating to a 1850’s Victorian property in Urmston, Manchester which they were renovating before the move. During the renovation they uncovered a Victorian tiled floor in the hallway and having decided to retain as many original features in the property as possible they made a decision to renovate the floor.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Before Cleaning Urmston

With our clients wanting to move in early Feb 2024 I quickly arranged to survey the floor and work out what could be done. Whilst there I was able to re-assure them that the tiles could indeed be restored however, we would need to minimise the use of water in case it leaked through into the cellar below.

To work around the cellar issue, I recommended using Tile Doctor low moisture products to strip and clean the floor of old sealer, dirt and grime and then to apply a sealer to protect it going forward. As part of the work, I agreed to complete several minor repairs which included re-sitting some loose tiles and replacing the worst of the missing/broken tiles.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Before Cleaning Urmston

Cleaning/Repairing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

Before starting work, I took a moisture reading from the floor so I could establish a base level. This followed with the application of Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel cleaner, which because it’s a gel it is very easy to control and won’t cause any issues with the cellar below. The gel is applied to the tile and grout, brushed in and then left for ten to fifteen minutes so it can get to work breaking down old sealers and dirt. The gel is then scrubbed into the tiles using a rotary machine and the soiling generated is removed with wet vacuum.

The floor was then inspected, and I used more Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel with handheld diamond burnishing pads along the edges. Further work was also needed to remove stubborn marks so for this I used a scraper and small amounts of Tile Doctor Remove and Go and Nanotech HBU cleaner which are stronger products. The floor was then given a quick rinse with minimal water and then extracted quickly with the wet vacuum.

Finally, I gave the floor an acid rinse with Tile Doctor Acid Gel which can remove old grout smears that can detract from the tile’s appearance. This product also neutralises the ph level of the floor following the use of the alkaline cleaners used earlier.

Work then started on the repairs which involved lifting the loose and broken tiles, cleaning out the subfloor of old adhesive and then re-fitting with fresh adhesive. The broken tiles were replaced with tiles I had managed to source before starting the job.

Victorian Tiled Hallway After Cleaning Urmston

With the bulk of the work done the floor was left to dry off fully overnight.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

Before beginning the work the next day, I took several moisture readings to ensure the floor was as dry as it was the previous morning. All was well and I was able to apply the first coat of sealer for which I used Tile Doctor Colour Grow which as its name suggests contains a colour enhancer that really brings out the colours in Victorian tiles. This product is also an impregnator which works by soaking into the pores of the tile adding protection from within.

Once the base layer of sealer had dried, I added a coat of Tile Doctor X-Tra seal to add further protection and add a satin sheen to the floor. I left this to dry and then gave the floor a quick buff with a white pad to remove any excess sealer and bring up the appearance of the tiles even further.

The results where exactly what our customers wanted with them commenting “Wow what a difference the tiles look beautiful ?? thank you so much for your work”.

Victorian Tiled Hallway After Sealing Urmston

For aftercare cleaning I made a point to recommend they use Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner, it’s especially formulated for cleaning sealed floors and won’t impact the sealer which can be an issue with the products you find in supermarkets.

Victorian Tiled Hallway After Sealing Urmston

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in Greater Manchester

Victorian Tiled Hallway restoration in Urmston Read More »

Victorian Tiled Vestibule Restoration Cheadle

Restoring a Victorian Tiled Vestibule Discovered Under Carpet in Cheadle

1 Comment / Stockport Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning / Kevin Parry

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 »

Victorian Minton Tiled Floor Restoration Wigan

Old Minton Tiled Victorian Hallway Floor Repaired and Renovated in Wigan

1 Comment / Atherton Tile Cleaning, Leigh Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning / Kevin Parry

Earlier this year I was contacted by a homeowner from Wigan who could not believe it when they took up the old hallway carpet to reveal a lovely, but neglected, Victorian Minton tiled floor. Although the carpet had offered some protection It was covered with paint splashes and marks and there were some loose, cracked, and missing tiles.

Victorian Tiled Floor Before Renovation Wigan

Whilst the clients had removed as much paint of as possible, lots of splashes remained. They wanted it cleaned, made sound, and missing tiles replaced before sealing also, if possible, have the cemented door threshold replaced with matching tiles. Basically, they wanted to retain the character of the floor and only replace where necessary.

Deep Cleaning Old Victorian Floor Tiles

To begin, I took moisture readings over all areas due to be worked on; an old floor like this will have been laid before Damp Proof Membranes (DPM) were made standard so its useful to get a baseline moisture reading. Next the floor was cleaned using Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel which was scrubbed into the tiles using 50 and 100-grit pads fitted to a rotary floor buffer running at slow speed. Gel cleaners are ideal for use on floors without a DPM as they use less water which keeps the moisture levels lower. The resultant soiling was then extracted using a wet vacuum and the floor inspected. Stubborn marks and inaccessible areas were spot treated by hand with more Oxy-Gel and Tile Doctor Nanotech HBU Remover.

The next step was to give the tiles an acid wash using another gel product by Tile Doctor called Acid Gel. A 200-grit pad was used to work this into the floor and then it was removed using the wet vacuum as before. This product serves two purposes, first it will counter any efflorescent salts in the tile and second it neutralises the pH level of the floor following the use of the alkaline cleaning products used earlier.

Repairing a Victorian Tiled Floor

The floor was Left to dry overnight, and I returned the next day to make the tile repairs discussed earlier. Victorian floors are still popular to this day so finding replacement tiles that match the originals isn’t a problem although they do need to be cut to fit the original size and pattern.

Victorian Tiled Floor During Renovation Wigan

Using the replacements and unbroken original tiles I was able to re-sit the loose tiles and replace the missing and damaged tiles whilst maintaining the character of the original floor.

Sealing Old Victorian Hallway Tiles

The floor needed to be dry before applying the sealer and so before getting to work I checked the floor with the damp meter and compared it with my previous readings. The use of gel cleaners had worked a treat, and the readings were all within range.

The sealer applied was Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal which is an impregnating oil-based sealer designed to occupy the pores in the tile so dirt can’t become ingrained there. This keeps the dirt on the surface where it can be easily removed. X-Tra seal is fully breathable and rated for indoor and outdoor used so will cope easily with any dampness rising through the floor.

Victorian Tiled Floor After Renovation Wigan

The job took three days in total and on returning home on the last day and seeing the results the customer immediately commented “I love it, great job thank-you”. They also left the following review the Tile Doctor feedback system.

“Kevin was very responsive and talked us through exactly what the job entailed. We’re extremely pleased with the end result, just how I wanted my 130 year old minton tiles to look.”

For aftercare cleaning of sealed Victorian tiles, I recommended using Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a mild but effective tile cleaner that’s safe to use on sealed tiles. Its important to use a cleaning product like this as stronger product can erode the sealer.

Victorian Tiled Floor After Care Wigan

Victorian Floor Restoration in Greater Manchester

Old Minton Tiled Victorian Hallway Floor Repaired and Renovated in Wigan Read More »

Victorian Tiled Chruch Floor Before and After Renovation in Rishton

1877 Victorian Tiled Church Floor Restored in Rishton

1 Comment / Victorian Tile Cleaning, Work History / TileProf

Earlier this year I was asked to restore a number of Victorian tiled floors at the St. Peter & St. Paul’s Parish Church in Rishton near Blackburn. The Church has a lot of carpet flooring and some had to be removed due to some other work that was going on and these tiles were discovered underneath. The Vicar believe the tiles are originals and date back to 1877.

Victorian Floor Before Cleaning Rishton Church

You can see from the photograph above that the tiles were discoloured with years upon years of ingrained dirt but what you can’t see is the adhesive that was used to secure the carpet to the tile. The whole floor and the Altar behind would need several deep cleans to remove the dirt and glue and being a busy church with an active congregation it would need to be done in a few days. In need of an extra pair of hands I gave Derbyshire Tile Doctor Henri Mall a call and he was more than happy to help me out.

Deep Cleaning Old Victorian Church Tiles

To begin, I took moisture readings over all areas due to be worked on; Damp Proof Membranes were not invented until relatively recently, so it pays to know in advance how damp the floor is. Next, I gave the floor a quick clean in Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, mainly to remove any surface dirt and grit. This was then followed by the application of a 200 grit burnishing pad to grind off surface dirt and excess glue so we access the pores of the tile. The resultant soil was then rinsed off with water and then extracted using a wet vacuum.

The next step was to give the tiles a good soak in a solution of NanoTech HBU remover (HBU stands for Heavy Build-Up) which was then scrubbed in using a black pad fitted to a rotary floor machine. This process worked well to release the ingrained dirt from the tile and took off a lot of the glue however it took quite a few iterations and the use of a portable steamer to really get the floor clean.

Victorian Floor During Cleaning Rishton Church

There was a lot of tile to do so working in sections it took Henri and I two days to really get the floor clean. A lot of water was used in the process and although a lot of the moisture was extracted using a wet vacuum we felt it best to leave the floor to thoroughly dry out for a couple of days.

Sealing Old Victorian Church Tiles

The floor needed to be dry before sealing so on our return I checked the floor with the damp meter and compared it with my previous readings. All was so Henri and I started applying the first coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow, an impregnating and breathable sealer ideal for this situation. Colour Grow seeps into the pores of the tile protecting it from within and enhancing the colours in the tile. Three coats were needed so it took most of the day to complete.

Victorian Floor After Cleaning Rishton Church

While it was a lot of work we were very both pleased with the outcome, as was the Vicar who left the following comment on the Tile Doctor feedback system.

Many thanks to Tony Olmet, not only a very good job but he worked tirelessly, never stopped, to get it done. Nothing a problem, very helpful chap. Recommended.
Christopher Holden (vicar), Rishton 14 July 2017

140 Year Old Victorian Tiled Church Floors Restored in the Diocese of Blackburn

1877 Victorian Tiled Church Floor Restored in Rishton Read More »

Restoring Victorian Tiles at the Salford Town Hall

1 Comment / Salford Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Work History / Kevin Parry

This original Victorian Tiled floor was uncovered at the Grade 2 listed Salford Town Hall in Salford, Manchester. This public building which built around 1827 was the former Salford Town Hall and Magistrates Court; it’s currently being turned in to luxury apartments and this amazing floor is located in the main entrance hall. The floor was only recently re-discovered during the conversion works after being hidden for many years and was in surprisingly good condition. The company remodelling the building are maintaining the historic features so we got the call to go in and clean and seal the floor.

Victorian Tiles at Salford Town hall before

Cleaning Victorian Tiles

Cleaning the floor was fairly straight forward and involved the application of a dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which was left to dwell on the tile for around ten minutes before being worked into the Tile and Grout using a rotary machine fitted with a black pad. The dirty solution was removed using a wet vacuum and the whole floor rinsed down three times to ensure there was no trace of cleaner left on the floor. It’s a large tiled area so it took the whole day to complete.

Sealing Victorian Tiles

I returned the next day to see that the floor had dried off overnight and so started to seal it using Tile Doctor Seal & Go which is a topical sealer that adds a nice shine to the tiles, five coats of sealer were needed before the tiles were fully sealed. I think you would agree the floor now looks fantastic; certainly the client was happy with the finish.

Victorian Tiles at Salford Town hall after

Cleaning a large Victorian tiled floor in Salford

Restoring Victorian Tiles at the Salford Town Hall Read More »

Victorian Tiled Floor Restoration at Buxton Outward Bound Centre

Stockport Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Work History / Kevin Parry

Derby University have a 58 acre outward bound centre in Buxton at the centre of the famous peak district. The manor which was previously a hotel is the hub of centre and caters for numerous outdoor pursuits including climbing, underground caving and canoeing; as you can imagine the floors in manor house get a fair amount of wear as students come and go in their boots and rucksacks. All this takes its toll and I was asked to restore a marvelous old Victorian tiled floor at the manor house.

Cleaning the Victorian Tiled Floor

The Victorian tiled floor was looking tired; any sealer that may have been applied previously had long since worn off. There were a few cracked and broken tiles which needed replacing and fortunately you can still source these tiles and so once this was done I set about cleaning the floor. To clean I used Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is an alkaline product in conjunction with a buffing machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad; once the floor was clean I washed it down with clean water to remove any remaining chemical before sealing. I can recommend the use of a wet vacuum at this point as it makes the job of removing liquids from floors much faster.

Sealing the Victorian Tiled Floor

One the floor was dry I started the sealing process or applying five coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go, this can take a while as it’s necessary to allow each coat to dry before applying the next. The sealer added a nice sheen to the floor and will provide protection to the Victorian tiles going forward; you can see the difference in the photographs.

Tiled Victorian floor restoration in Buxton for Derby University

Victorian Tiled Floor Restoration at Buxton Outward Bound Centre Read More »

Victorian Tiled Hallway Renovated in Ashton Under Lyne

Ashton-under-Lyne Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Work History / Kevin Parry

This Victorian Tiled Entrance Hall was an original feature of a house in Ashton under Lyne which is a town in the wider Greater Manchester area; naturally an entrance hall is a high traffic area and subject to a fair amount of wear so it was in need of a deep clean and re-seal.

Cleaning the Victorian Tiled Floor

The Victorian Tiled tiles were fairly dirty so we mixed Tile Doctor Pro-Clean 50/50 with NanoTech Ultra-Clean and then diluted it with water; the two products together form a very powerful cleaner as you get the cleaning power of Pro-Clean combined with the tiny abrasive particles found in Ultra-Clean. The resulting mixture was worked into the floor using a buffing machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad. Once the floor was clean and I was happy with the results it was rinsed with clean water to remove any trace of cleaner and neutralise the floor prior to sealing. We used a wet vacuum to remove the water from the floor and left the floor to dry overnight.

Sealing Victorian Floor Tiles

The next day the floor was dry so we set about applying the sealer. For Victorian Tiled floors I recommend the use of Tile Doctor Seal and Go, its ideal for Victorian Tiled and as well as providing good stain protection its adds a nice low sheen to the floor. To fully seal this floor we needed four coats of Seal and Go before which does take time as it’s necessary to allow each coat to dry before applying the next.

Victorian-Floor-After-Cleaning-and-Sealing

Cleaning and Sealing Victorian Tiled Floor Tiles in Greater Manchester

Victorian Tiled Hallway Renovated in Ashton Under Lyne Read More »

Victorian Floor Tile Cleaning

Grout Cleaning, Stockport Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Work History / Kevin Parry

Details below of a Victoria floor tile renovation we did recently in the hallway of a house in Heaton Mersey, which is an old suburb of Stockport. The floor was an original feature in the house being laid sometime in the eighteen hundreds, some sealer was left on the floor to offer protection but most had been worn down and the floor was suffering from the impact of ground in dirt from recent building works.

Cleaning the Victorian Floor

The floor was cleaned using Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and a black buffing pad to loosen the soil that had built up on the floor. The floor was then neutralised to remove any remaining cleaning solution by rinsing it three times with water and then left to dry.

Sealing the Victorian Floor

Once dry the floor was sealed with 5 coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go which is ideal for sealing Victorian tiled floors as it brings out the colours in the tile whilst providing stain protection and allowing moisture vapour to breathe through.

Victorian-floor-tiles-After-cleaning-and-sealing

The owner Mr Mitchell was very pleased with my work and left a great testimonial which is copied below.

“Steve has done an excellent job of cleaning up a very dirty old Victorian floor. The job was not without its problems, but Steve dealt with them very professionally, taking responsibility for issues with third parties that he had little control over. He has also done an excellent job of cleaning our carpets.”

Cleaning and Sealing a Victorian floor in Heaton Mersey, Stockport

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Greater Manchester Tile Doctor

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