Sandstone Tile Cleaning Archives - South Cumbria Tile Doctor

Red Sandstone Kitchen Floor Flagstones Before After Renovation Kirkby Lonsdale

Red Sandstone Kitchen Flagstones Renovated in Kirkby Lonsdale

1 Comment / Milnthorpe Tile Cleaning, Sandstone Tile Cleaning, Sedbergh Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Heidi Taylor

The client in Kirkby Lonsdale called us in to sort out deep staining on the kitchen and utility floor area which was laid with Red Sandstone throughout. The stone flags were in quite a state mainly due to a failed sealer which allowed dirt to become ingrained in the stone. Sealers do wear down off over time especially in busy areas such as kitchens and once the sealer has gone the stone has little protection.

Red Sandstone Floor Before Renovation Kirkby Lonsdale

Cleaning a Red Sandstone Tiled Kitchen Floor

Work started by removing the kick boards under the kitchen units where we could, some were stuck fast so to protect them from water ingress during cleaning a silicone sealant was applied. We have learned from experience that although kitchen units are often sold as solid wood the kick boards underneath the units are often made from cheaper chipboard and thus very susceptible to water damage. They can blow within 15 to 20 minutes of water standing underneath, and we find silicone is a simple and effective answer to this issue.

Red Sandstone Floor During Renovation Kirkby Lonsdale

To renovate the sandstone, a very coarse 100-grit milling pad was worked into the floor using a heavy weighted floor buffer and water to lubricate the process. This process cuts into the surface of the sandstone to strip off a very thin layer to reveal uncontaminated stone underneath. The slurry generated is rinsed off with more water and extracted with a wet vacuum. The process is repeated with a 200-grit pad that refines the surface.

Following this the floor and especially the grout is given a scrub with Tile Doctor Pro Clean. This is worked in with a black scrubbing pad and then rinsed off with more water and the wet vacuum. We always make a point to clean behind washing machines, tumble dryers, fridges etc wherever we can as you can see in the pictures.

Once the cleaning process was over the floor was dried as much as possible with the wet vacuum and it was left to dry out overnight.

Sealing a Red Sandstone Tiled Kitchen Floor

The next day we returned to seal the floor before doing so however moisture readings were taken from the stone; we are a big believer in letting the stone or tiles fully dry out before they are sealed otherwise if the stone or tiles are still damp then the sealer won’t cure correctly. There are occasions where you can clean and seal the same day i.e. upright showers but when it comes to a thick stone like sandstone it really needs time to dry out before applying a sealer.

I mention this because there are certain companies which will offer a clean and seal on the same day. At Tile Doctor we are trained to do the job correctly and not to cut corners, if there is a problem with the job you can rely on us to come back and put it right.

On this occasion three coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow were applied which is an impregnating sealer that soaks into the pores of the stone protecting it from within and enhancing the natural colours in the stone. It works really well on Red Sandstone and added a nice lift to the appearance of the floor.

Red Sandstone Floor After Renovation Kirkby Lonsdale

The client was very happy with the renovated floor and before leaving I took time to discuss aftercare. I cannot stress how important it is to use the correct cleaning product when it comes to a cleaning a sealed floor, so for cleaning I always leave the customer with a complimentary bottle of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner. Many regular floor cleaning products you find in supermarkets will strip the sealer off a floor, so it is well worth checking the label before choosing a cleaner.

Professional Restoration of a Red Sandstone Kitchen in South Cumbria

Red Sandstone Kitchen Flagstones Renovated in Kirkby Lonsdale Read More »

Sandstone Floor Before After Clean Seal Windermere

Sandstone Floor Clean and Seal in Windermere

1 Comment / Sandstone Tile Cleaning, Windermere Tile Cleaning, Work History / Heidi Taylor

We had been to maintain this Sandstone floor about two years previously at a property in the pretty area of Windermere in the English Lake District. The client had run out of our Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner that we left after completing the job and had started using a standard cleaner instead (a well-known ecological cleaner). Unfortunately, this product has a 5% non-ionic surfactant in its chemical structure, which will strip a coat of stone sealer off the surface within 6 months, once that topcoat has been removed the sealed surface is only 50% as strong as it should be.

Sandstone Floor Before Clean Seal Windermere

Readers of this article should be aware that even washing up liquid which is a degreaser will strip sealers although it will take many months of regular use before you will start to notice an issue. Stronger bleach-based cleaning products such as Flash and Domestos will cause instant damage to stone sealer which will often go an off-white colour as a result. So, the importance of using the right cleaner is imperative. Having used our services on this floor previously he client knew what to expect and was happy to go ahead with our quote.

Cleaning a Sandstone Tiled Kitchen Floor

My first task would be to clean the floor and completely remove what was left of the old sealer to ensure the floor would have a consistent appearance. On this occasion I used a strong 1:3 dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean worked into the floor with a Black buffing pad fitted to a rotary buffing machine. The Sandstone floor was then rinsed with water, scrubbed again and then the waste extracted using a wet vacuum.

This was followed with acid rinse using a 1:5 dilution of Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up, this is a Phosphoric Acid (not a Brick Acid). After being scrubbed into the tile it was rinsed off the floor as before using water and the wet vacuum. This process further cleans the stone and neutralises the floor after the use of the strong alkaline Pro-Clean used earlier.

Before leaving for the day I gave the floor one final rinse with water and then dried the floor as much as possible with the wet vacuum. The floor was now clean and free of sealer and left to fully dry off overnight.

Sealing a Sandstone Tiled Kitchen Floor

I came back the following morning and started by testing the floor with the moisture meter. I always do this as I know from experience how important it is to ensure the floor is dry before applying a sealer.

Happy the Sandstone was dry I then proceed to apply the first of what would be four coats of sealer. For this I used Tile Doctor Seal and Go which leaves a nice low sheen finish. This product is specially formulated blend of acrylic polymers that provides will protect the floor from ingrained dirt and staining; it will make the floor easy to clean and has the added advantage of being water based so it doesn’t leave a solvent smell as it dries.

Sandstone Floor After Clean Seal Windermere

The client was left another complimentary bottle of Tile Doctor Neutral cleaner and hopefully the seal will last a long longer the 2nd time around. The client was pleased the floor had been restored and vowed to use nothing but Tile Doctor products on it in the future.

Professional Clean of a Sandstone Tiled Kitchen in South Cumbria

Sandstone Floor Clean and Seal in Windermere Read More »

Indian Sandstone Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovation Grange-Over-Sands Cumbria

Removing Wax Sealer from Indian Sandstone Floor Grange Over Sands

1 Comment / Grange-Over-Sands Tile Cleaning, Sandstone Tile Cleaning, Work History / Heidi Taylor

Normally rough stone like this is used on an outdoor patio where the natural texture and riven prevents people from slipping in a wet area, however when used inside you find the dirt gets trapped into the riven textures and clefts of the Sandstone and it is quite difficult to remove.

Our customer found that mop heads would get shredded by the rough stone and leave bits of mop material on the stone. To make problems worse they had originally been advised to use a wax-based sealer on the floor which didn’t last and soon allowed dirt to become trapped in the stone making it even more difficult to clean.

Indian Sandstone Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning Grange-Over-Sands

We were asked to deep clean the stone and apply a sealer which would stop the dirt getting stuck into the nooks and crannies of the stone thus providing a surface that could be easily maintained. The property was in Grange Over Sands a town in in the pretty area of Morecombe Bay. We discussed what could be done with the customer and demonstrated the process on a small test patch which came out well and then agreed a price and date to carry out the work.

Cleaning/Repairing an Indian Sandstone Tiled Kitchen Floor

On our return we started the cleaning process by sraying a warm dilution of Tile Doctor Wax-Away on the floor and leaving it to dwell for five to ten. The product was then scrubbed in the stone to remove the dirt and what was left of the wax sealer. The now dirty solution was rinsed off the floor with water and removed with a wet vacuum.

This process cleaned most of the floor but there were one or two stubborn marks which we spot treated with Tile Doctor Remove and Go. This product has a slightly longer dwell time but works well to remove stubborn wax sealers and deep stains and it did not disappoint. The grout was also scrubbed using the same product which made a huge difference to the overall look. We then rinsed the floor with cold water a couple of times to remove any remaining dirt and trace of cleaning products each time using the wet vacuum to dry the floor.

Sealing an Indian Sandstone Tiled Kitchen Floor

The stone was left overnight to dry out and then we called back the next day to apply a fresh sealer. Four coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go were applied, this is a satin finish sealer which coats the tiles with an acrylic base which prevents any dirt getting into the grooves making the floor much easier to clean going forward as well as solving the problem with shredding mops.

Indian Sandstone Kitchen Floor After Cleaning Grange-Over-Sands

For every day cleaning we recommend the use of a pH Neutral cleaning product such as Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which has a neutral pH that will not prematurely erode the sealer like some tile cleaning products which if you read the label are only for use on ceramic tiles and not natural stone.

The client was really pleased with the floor, it made a huge difference, you could see the lovely natural colours and patterns in the floor. She could also see that the floor would be much easier for her to keep clean in the future.

Professional Restoration of Indian Sandstone Tiled Kitchen in South Cumbria

Removing Wax Sealer from Indian Sandstone Floor Grange Over Sands Read More »

Red Sandstone Floor before after cleaning in Kirby Lonsdale

Red Sandstone Floor Restored in Kirby Lonsdale

1 Comment / Milnthorpe Tile Cleaning, Sandstone Tile Cleaning, Work History / Heidi Taylor

The Red Sandstone flagstones at this property in the historic market town of Kirkby Lonsdale had been covered with carpet and underlay and to make matters worse it had a screed level laid on top of the stone to make the floor smoother to walk on before the carpet went down. The current owner of the property had discovered the floor under the carpet and was now keen on having it restored back to its former beauty as a period feature.

Red Sandstone Floor before cleaning in Kirby Lonsdale

Restoring Sandstone

Stone is difficult enough to restore with the conventional chemical approach as it is so instead we opted to use a full diamond pad cutting system which is designed to cut back the screed to the stone underneath. This involves applying a very coarse 50 grit Diamond pad, followed by a 100 Grit and so on to the 200 grit. As you can see from the results this not only removed the Screed/Self levelling compound but also revealed the true red colour of the Sandstone.

Sealing a Sandstone Tiled Floor

We had to leave to the stone to dry out for several days as the diamond system uses a lot of water to lubricate the process which can saturate the stone making it take longer to dry out. Once fully dry we applied three coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow for a nice even matt finish, colour grow also accentuates the deep colours in the natural stone.

Red Sandstone Floor after cleaning in Kirby Lonsdale

I think you will agree; this was quite the transformation.

Old Sandstone Floor Renovated in South Lakeland

Red Sandstone Floor Restored in Kirby Lonsdale Read More »

Sandstone Floor in Sedbergh Before After Milling

Original Sandstone Floor Milled and Sealed in Sedbergh

1 Comment / Sandstone Tile Cleaning, Sedbergh Tile Cleaning, Work History / Heidi Taylor

I had arranged to work on an original Sandstone floor in an old barn conversion in the town of Sedbergh, Cumbria, however I had to delay the visit due to the poor conditions of the roads in this area at the time due to Storm Desmond which you may recall brought a substantial amount of flooding to Cumbria. Sedbergh was historically considered part of the West Riding of Yorkshire – sitting just within the Yorkshire Dales National Park – but in more modern times, it has come to be part of Cumbria.

Storm Desmond Flooding on route to Sedbergh

The floor had been hidden by several old carpets and underlay and, unsurprisingly – judging by the condition – had never been professionally cleaned, at least not by today’s standard. Given the location of the property and the fact it was a barn conversion we can assume the stone flooring was very old, and certainly now in need of restoration.

I could see that the stone had never been properly refined, leaving a rough surface that my client wanted to be smoothed down. I told my client that we would be able to achieve this using a process Tile Doctor has developed using very coarse diamond encrusted pads, known as Milling.

Sandstone Floor in Sedbergh Before Milling

Milling a Sandstone floor

The diamond encrusted grit pads are designed to smooth down the stone; much like coarse sandpaper is used to smooth down a rough piece of wood. To begin the coarse pads were fitted to a heavy Victor Trojan rotary machine and Russell was on hand to mill the floor. This process requires quite a bit of water to lubricate the pads and can cause a mess so it’s just as well the owner had decided to have the floor done before the new kitchen was fitted.

The Sandstone stairs were also milled and once done the whole floor was given a thorough wash down to remove any remaining debris.

Sealing a Sandstone floor

We decided to leave the sealing until after the kitchen fitters had been and so we came back a few days later to seal the floor, but not before giving the tiles a light clean using Tile Doctor pH Neutral Cleaner, which is suitable for use on most kinds of stone – especially those which are acid sensitive.

The floor was then speed dried with fans and then sealed with two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow. This sealer really brought out the natural colours in the Sandstone tiles, and provided the Matt finish my client had requested.

Sandstone Floor in Sedbergh After Milling

The outcome was great, but the photographs can tell the story better than we can. My client was very pleased with result, leaving the following feedback: “Both Russell and Heidi were helpful and particularly flexible in view of the flooding at the time. They were both professional and polite and did the job thoroughly. I was delighted with the result”.

Sandstone floor restoration at a Cumbrian Barn Conversion

Original Sandstone Floor Milled and Sealed in Sedbergh Read More »

Sandstone Flagstone Renovation In Grange Over Sands

1 Comment / Grange-Over-Sands Tile Cleaning, Sandstone Tile Cleaning, Work History / Heidi Taylor

We received a request to take a look at these Sandstone flagstones at a house in Grange over Sands, the request implied all was required was a usual clean and Re-seal however once we took a look at the floor it was obvious a lot more was involved and the floor was in need of restoration work including Sandstone floor restoration including grout replacement and paint stripping.

Sandstone Floor Grange Over Sands Before Cleaning

Cleaning Sandstone

To get the floor clean I decided to apply a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go combined 50/50 with NanoTech UltraClean to give it more cleaning power. We normally use Remove and Go to remove old sealers but it works just as well softening up paint splashes so they can be removed. It was left to soak into on the flagstones for a good twenty minutes before being scrubbed into the tiles with a rotary machine fitted with a scrubbing pad. The resultant slurry was removed using a wet vacuum and the floor washed down so we could get an idea of the improvement in the floor. There were quite a few stubborn areas so the whole process was re-done until I was happy the floor was as good as I could get it and at that point rinsed the whole floor down again with clean water to neutralise the floor before dealing with the missing and loose grout which was replaced with a close a colour match as possible before leaving for the evening so the floor could dry overnight.

Sealing a Sandstone Tiled Floor

We came back the next day and tested the floor with a damp meter in a few different locations to make sure no dampness remained in the stone. The sandstone was dry so we proceeded to seal the floor with Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer that occupies the pores in the stone preventing contaminates becoming ingrained there and also as its name suggests brings out the colours in the natural stone.

Old Sandstone floor Cleaned and Sealed in South Lakes

Sandstone Flagstone Renovation In Grange Over Sands Read More »

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Ambleside Tile Cleaning, Arnside Tile Cleaning, Ceramic Tile Cleaning, Crook Tile Cleaning, Encaustic Cement Tile Cleaning, Fireplace Cleaning, Flagstone Tile Cleaning, Grange-Over-Sands Tile Cleaning, Grasmere Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Kendal Tile Cleaning, Kirby Stephen Tile Cleaning, Levens Tile Cleaning, Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing, Marble Tile Cleaning, Milnthorpe Tile Cleaning, Porcelain Tile Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Sandstone Tile Cleaning, Sedbergh Tile Cleaning, Shap Tile Cleaning, Slate Tile Cleaning, Terracotta Tile Cleaning, Terrazzo Floor Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning, Ulverston Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Vinyl Tile Cleaning, Windermere Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Heidi Taylor

South Cumbria Tile Doctor

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