Neutral Tile Cleaner Archives - South Cumbria Tile Doctor

Beautiful Victorian Tiled Hallway Maintenance Bowness Windermere

Maintaining a Victorian Tiled Hall Floor at a Stately Home in Bowness

Recently I paid a visit to a client who lived in an impressive stately home near Bowness on Windermere and had asked for help renovating the Victorian tiled hallway floor. It was a very grand property and the hallway floor mainly consisted of red clay tiles with a decorative cream and black tile border.

Beautiful Victorian Tiled Hallway Before Cleaning Bowness Windermere

After inspecting the floor, I could see it was in excellent physical condition for its age, it just needed a deep clean to flush out ingrained dirt and then sealing to protect it. There were also a few stains that were mainly visible on the cream tiles that would need spot cleaning to get the best out of them. After discussing the clean and seal process I worked out a detailed quote which was accepted and then it was just a question of agreeing a start date.

Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Hallway

Four weeks later I returned to begin the project which started with adding protection to the impressive and beautiful wooden skirting and door surrounds that were a feature of this period property.

With the protection in place, I began the cleaning with a vacuum of the floor to remove any surface grit. A strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean was then sprayed onto the tiles and left to dwell and soak in for twenty minutes. This gives the product time to soak into the tile and break down the dirt. The tiles were then scrubbed with a rotary floor scrubber fitted with a 200-grit diamond pad. This action pulls the dirt out of the tiles and any remaining sealer; the diamond pad is also good at removing surface marks. Once done the floor was rinsed with water and the soiled solution extracted with a wet vacuum.

Beautiful Victorian Tiled Hallway During Cleaning Bowness Windermere

Beautiful Victorian Tiled Hallway After Cleaning Bowness Windermere

The pad can struggle to have an effect in the doorways and edges so for this I use a 200-Grit Diamond hand burnishing block and more Pro-Clean. It was needed as they were particularly ingrained and needed further attention. Again, once done the soiling was removed using the wet vacuum.

Next step was to give the floor an acid wash using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up which further cleans the floor by removing any mineral based staining such as grout smears and plaster cement leaving the tiles really clean. Being acidic it also neutralises alkaline salts which are a common problem for these old Victorian tiled floors which don’t have a damp proof membrane. Finally, this this product also helps the sealer to achieve a better contact with the tile. Once done, the floor was rinsed with water and then dried as much as possible using the wet vacuum.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway

The following day I returned to seal the floor and started by taking moisture readings from the tiles. A damp meter is used for this and is needed to confirm the tiles are dry enough to accept a sealer, applying a sealer to damp tiles can result in a patchy appearance.

The client had previously requested a low sheen finish, so I recommended we apply Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is a matt sealer that improves colour and results in an appealing subtle finish. Five coats of sealer were needed to ensure the tiles were fully sealed as confirmed by performing a water test.

Beautiful Victorian Tiled Hallway After Cleaning Sealing Bowness Windermere

It’s difficult to see the improvement from the photos as red tiles hold the dirt quite well however you should be able to see a difference in the lighter borders. I was certainly happy with the result, and my client was equally pleased.

For aftercare I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a mild but effective tile and grout cleaner that won’t impact the sealer. Stronger bleach-based products will prematurely erode the sealer and are best avoided.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in South Cumbria

Maintaining a Victorian Tiled Hall Floor at a Stately Home in Bowness Read More »

Terracotta Tiled Floor Renovation Hawkshead

Terracotta Tiled Flooring Stripped and Sealed in Hawkshead

The client from Hawkshead had used Tile Doctor previously to renovate a Terracotta tiled floor. Now eleven years later the floor needed attention again and so I went over to the property to survey the tiles and get a good understanding of any issues and requirements.

I went out to the client to assess the floor and could see the sealer had all but gone and dirt was becoming ingrained in the Terracotta. It turns out the client had been using flash floor cleaner which has a PH over 12 making it a strong alkaline and similar in PH to our own product Remove and Go which we use for stripping sealers off floors.

Terracotta Floor Before Cleaning Hawkshead

After discussing the floor in detailed I proposed stripping the floor back completely to its pre-seal state, deep cleaning to flush out the ingrained dirt then and re-sealing to bring the tiles back to their best condition. I worked out a detailed quote which was accepted and a date set for the work to start two weeks later.

Cleaning a Terracotta Tiled Hallway Floor

Before stripping and cleaning time was spent adding protection to the kitchen island, skirtings, and exposed surfaces. This is necessary to prevent moisture and chemical exposure soaking into the woodwork which can result in warping and staining.

Next a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean was sprayed across the entire floor and after leaving it to soak in for ten minutes scrubbed into the tile and especially the grout. This product is an effective Tile and Grout cleaner and served as an initial clean to the grout and Terracotta which is very porous.

Terracotta Floor During Cleaning Hawkshead

The floor was inspected and there was still evidence of sealer in the less used areas of the floor as well as deeply ingrained grime. To deal with these problems Tile Doctor Remove and Go was sprayed onto the problem areas and left to soak in as before. After ten minutes the solution was agitated using a deck brush and then worked into the Terracotta using a rotary scrubber fitted with a black pad. Each part of the floor was scrubbed five to six times to remove any remaining sealer and release the dirt. Afterwards the floor was rinsed with water and the soiling extracted with a wet vacuum and at this point you could really see the true colours of the Terracotta.

Next step was to give the tiles and acid wash using Tile Doctor Acid Gel which applied to the tiles and diluted with water whilst being brushed into the tiles. This removes residues, mineral deposits, old grout smears and remaining contaminants. Being acidic it neutralises the floor after the alkaline cleaning products used earlier. After being allowed to dwell briefly it was then removed using the wet vacuum. The floor was then rinsed with water and extracted again to remove any trace of product prior to the next step of sealing.

Sealing a Terracotta Tiled Hallway Floor

I left the floor to dry out overnight with multiple floor fans to accelerate drying and returned the next day to seal the floor with Tile Doctor Colour Grow. This product is an impregnator that soaks into the pores of the Terracotta and acts as a barrier to prevent dirt from becoming ingrained there. It also contains a colour enhancer that really works well on Terracotta to bring out the natural red and orange colours in the tile.

Once that Colour Grow had dried which leaves a matt finish, I completed the sealing by topping it off with five coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go which adds a nice subtle shine to the tile. When complete the floor looked so much better with improved colour and depth and a lovely silky appearance.

Terracotta Floor After Cleaning Sealing Hawkshead

The outcome was very satisfactory and the client was extremely pleased with the result and the floor was ready in time for Christmas guests. For aftercare I recommended Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a mild yet effective cleaning product that won’t affect the sealer.

Professional Renovation of a Terracotta Tiled Flooring in South Cumbria

Terracotta Tiled Flooring Stripped and Sealed in Hawkshead Read More »

Encaustic Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Restoration Kirby Stephen

Renovating an Original Encaustic Tiled Victorian Hallway Floor in Kirkby Stephen

1 Comment / Encaustic Cement Tile Cleaning, Kirkby Stephen Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning / Chris Jones

A client from Kirkby Stephen had uncovered a heavily soiled and stained Victorian tiled floor in their hallway. The tiles were clearly quote old and included some lovely, patterned tiles as part of the design which were clearly handmade encaustic tiles that must have been over 150 years old.

Encaustic Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Before Cleaning Kirby Stephen

Keen to have the original floor restored to its full potential I was asked to call in and quote for completing a sympathetic restoration of the whole floor including cleaning and then sealing. Having inspected the floor and confident it could be restored to a very good condition I discussed the main issues and came up with a plan for the work which would be respectful of the floors age.

Happy with my plan and detailed quotation I was given the go ahead and we agreed a date for my return.

Deep Cleaning an Encaustic Tiled Victorian Hallway Floor

Before starting cleaning, protective tape was applied to the stair carpet, new oak doors, skirtings, and other surrounding surfaces. This ensures all adjacent areas are safeguarded from moisture and chemical exposure.

The property had a cellar below and I was concerned that any excess liquids used during cleaning could seep through the floor, as a result I decided to clean the floor using low moisture gel cleaning products. This involved spreading Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel across the entire floor and then allowed the product to soak in for ten to fifteen minutes. The gel was then worked into the tiles using a deck brush initially and then a rotary scrubber fitted with a black pad.

The soiling was then extracted with a wet vacuum and then repeated until I was satisfied the tiles were as clean as they could be. In-fact the floor was so dirty this process had to be repeated five to six times to lift deep-set grime and reveal the original colours of the tiles. Once done the floor was given a quick rinse with water which was then extracted using the wet vacuum.

Last step was to give the tiles an acid rinse using Tile Doctor Acid Gel which is another gel cleaner which can remove cement-based residues, mineral deposits, and other contaminants. The gel was allowed to soak in briefly before being removed using the wet vacuum.

The last step in the process was to give the floor another quick rinse to remove any trace of cleaning products and then dried thoroughly with the wet vacuum and left to dry off fully with the aid of several floor fans.

Sealing an Encaustic Tiled Victorian Hallway Floor

The next day I returned to inspect the floor and make sure it was dry using a moisture meter to confirm it was dry enough to be sealed. Sealers don’t cure well on damp floors resulting in a patchy appearance so it’s always a good idea to check for dampness first.

Encaustic Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor During Sealing Kirby Stephen

To seal and protect the Victorian tile, a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow were applied to the floor using a paint pad applicator. Colour Grow is a fully breathable, colour enhancing sealer which soaks into the tile, occupying the pores and thereby preventing dirt from residing there. This ensures dirt remains on the surface where it can be easily cleaned away.

You can see from the photographs that the transformation was dramatic, I just wished I took more photos. Certainly, my client was extremely pleased with the final result. For aftercare I recommended they use Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a mild but effective floor cleaning product that’s designed for use on sealed floors.

Encaustic Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor After Restoration Kirby Stephen

Professional Renovation of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in Cumbria

Renovating an Original Encaustic Tiled Victorian Hallway Floor in Kirkby Stephen Read More »

Quarry Tiled Floor Restoration in Kendal

1 Comment / Kendal Tile Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning / Chris Jones

A homeowner from Kendal asked me to inspect an old Quarry tiled floor laid in the classic Red and Black Dorchester pattern. Several tiles were damaged or back filled with concrete and so needed replacing, but overall, the floor just required a deep clean and seal. I suspect something had been dropped on the damaged tiles at some point, causing them to deteriorate over time. With old floors like this, their history is often lost.

Red and Black Dorchester Pattern Quarry Tiled Floor Before Restoration in Kendal

I provided a quote for the work, which included replacing the damaged tiles, deep cleaning the floor, and sealing it for protection. Red and Black Quarry tiles are still popular, so I was confident I could find replacement or salvaged tiles that would match the floor. The homeowner accepted the quote, and a date was set for the work to begin.

Cleaning and Repairing a Quarry Tiled Floor

Upon arrival, we protected the areas near our work site and carefully removed the damaged tiles, ensuring not to dislodge adjacent tiles and expand the project unnecessarily. The foundation was cleaned to remove rubble and old adhesive, and the replacement tiles were shaped and dry-fitted. They were then secured with fresh adhesive and grouted. I was confident the repair would be invisible once completed.

Red and Black Dorchester Pattern Quarry Tiled Floor During Repair in Kendal

The tiles were left to set overnight. The next day, we deep cleaned the entire floor using Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel. Old floors like this lack a damp-proof membrane, so I prefer gel cleaners that minimise water usage. The gel was applied neat to the quarry tiles and allowed to soak for about ten minutes before being worked in with a 200-grit pad fitted to a rotary buffer. This combination is excellent for cleaning old tiles, as there was a significant amount of carpet glue around the room’s edges that needed removal.

The slurry was extracted with a wet vacuum, and the process was repeated with another gel product called Tile Doctor Acid Gel scrubbed in with a deck brush. This product further cleans the tiles and being acidic dissolves any salts present in the tile, it also etches the tiles microscopically which helps to achieve a better bond with the sealer. The gel was then rinsed off and extracted with the wet vacuum, and the floor was left to dry overnight.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled Floor

The moisture level readings were satisfactory the next day, and we proceeded to seal the floor with a coat of Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal. This oil-based breathable sealer is ideal for old floors like this, as it leaves a light sheen and enhances the colour of the black and red clay.

The result was transformative; the repair was indeed invisible, and the Quarry tiles looked much cleaner and brighter. Needless to say, my client was very pleased with the work.

Red and Black Dorchester Pattern Quarry Tiled Floor After Restoration in Kendal

X-Tra Seal works by soaking into the clay tile, occupying the pores, and preventing dirt from becoming ingrained in the tile, where it can be difficult to remove. This effectively keeps dirt on the surface, where it can be easily cleaned away.

For aftercare cleaning, I recommended using a sealer-compatible tile cleaner such as Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner. This pH-neutral cleaner won’t erode the sealer, which can be a significant problem with many stronger products found in supermarkets.

Red and Black Dorchester Pattern Quarry Tiled Floor After Restoration in Kendal

Professional Restoration of a Quarry Tiled Floor in South Cumbria

Quarry Tiled Floor Restoration in Kendal Read More »

200-Year-Old Black Flagstone Floor Restored at Kendal Gaol

1 Comment / Flagstone Tile Cleaning, Kendal Tile Cleaning / Chris Jones

Earlier this year I was asked to improve this tired looking Black Flagstone floor which was at a house in Kendal that dates back over 200 years. The property used to be the Prison Wardens house and was part of the House of Corrections which was situated in Kendal on the Hill on the road up towards Windermere. The old Stone walls, in what is now the car park, are still present but the Gaol has long gone with new houses built in its place around 120 years ago.

Black Flagstone Floor Before Renovation Kendal

The flagstones formed the floor of what is now a Kitchen and Pantry and sometime in the past a red cement base was put on top of the stone to level it and was then covered in a wooden Parquet floor. The trouble with this was that it stopped the stone from breathing leading to damp spreading into the walls which in turn encouraged mould to grow. Certainly not what you want in a house and certainly not in the Kitchen.

The customer had removed all the old Parquet floor which was rotten anyway and knocked out a lot of the leveller but the stone was very rough and he was unable to get it clean as it would shred mops and the dirt would get trapped in the pits and build-up.

I went over to look at the Flagstones and recommended that we mill the stone which would remove what remained of the levelling compound allowing the stone to breathe again and remove the roughness of the stone allowing it to be cleaned easily. I came up with a restoration plan to do that, address the pointing and then seal the stone with a breathable sealer. Happy with the quote and relieved they now had a practical solution we were given the go ahead to do the work.

Milling a 200-Year-Old Black Flagstone Floor

We used a series of coarse DRB milling pads to grind off a thin layer of stone off the flagstones. This exposes new stone underneath and removes the contaminates in the process. The work starts with the very coarse 50-grit DRB milling pad and is applied to the floor using a heavy-duty buffing machine that has weights added to improve traction. Water is used to lubricate the process and this slowly turns to a slurry as work progresses. The slurry is then rinsed and extracted from the floor and the process repeated with the 100 and then 200-grit DRB milling pads.

Once done we moved onto the pointing which was knocked out with a Hammer Drill and replaced with a breathable pointing product called VDW in a stone-grey colour. Work continued into the next day where the sandstone was cleaned again with the 200-Grit milling pad and focus turned to cleaning all the edges and corners where the pads struggle to reach. Once done the floor was given another rinse and extraction and left it to dry overnight.

Sealing a Black Flagstone Tiled Basement Floor

To return the dark Black colour to the stone I decided to use a breathable oil-based sealer called Tile Doctor X-Tra seal that leaves a low satin finish. This product is rated for internal and external use and being breathable it will allow moisture to rise through the floor and evaporate at the surface. Old floors like this don’t have a damp proof membrane so it is important to choose a sealer that can allow the floor to breath and this will resolve the damp issues the property was experiencing previously.

Black Flagstone Floor After Renovation Kendal

This was not an easy job for us, but luckily it was quite a small floor. I’m not sure the photographs really do it justice but our work certainly made a difference and my customer was very happy with the result. They even left the following 5-star feedback on our website.

Brilliant job, our flagstone floor is completely transformed!
By Helen M, Kendal, 11 March 2024

Black Flagstone Floor After Renovation Kendal

For aftercare I recommended Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which will clean the floor without impacting the sealer which can be a problem with many of the stronger products you find in supermarkets.

Professional Restoration of a Black Flagstone Basement in Cumbria

200-Year-Old Black Flagstone Floor Restored at Kendal Gaol Read More »

Brazilian Semi Riven Slate Kitchen Floor Kendal Cumbria

1 Comment / Kendal Tile Cleaning, Slate Tile Cleaning / Chris Jones

This client in Kendal recently had a new kitchen fitted, but the builder/ joiner didn’t put any protection over the Brazilian Black semi riven Slate flooring resulting in quite a mess. As a result, the new Kitchen units looked great but the floor was pulling the look of the whole job down.

Brazilian Black Slate Before Cleaning Kendal

The client called us in to rectify it, we have a lot of experience with stone floors and have the know-how and equipment to achieve a good result. You will see from the photographs we took time to protect the new kitchen units whilst we were cleaning, this is standard practice for a Tile Doctor it is just a shame the kitchen fitters hadn’t done the same to protect the floor.

Cleaning a Brazilian Black Semi Riven Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor

Work started by stripping off the old sealer with a product called Tile Doctor Remove and Go which was diluted and worked in with a 200-grit diamond milling pad. This process leaves the floor free of old sealers and dirt resulting in lots of soiling which was rinsed off with water and extracted with an industrial wet vacuum.

Brazilian Black Slate During Cleaning Kendal

The next step was to treat the floor to an acid wash using Tile Doctor Grout Clean Up, this removes any mineral staining from the tile including grout smears and leaves the tile in a pH neutral state after the use of Remove and Go which is a strong alkaline product. Another advantage of doing this is that it will improve the bond with the new sealer later. Once that was done the floor was given a rinse with water to remove the Tile Doctor Grout Clean Up and then dried with a wet vacuum.

Sealing a Brazilian Black Semi Riven Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor

Once the deep clean had been completed, the protective plastic was then removed from the kitchen units and the sealer was applied; on this occasion the client preferred a nice satin finish rather than a dull matt finish which was on there before we had arrived.

To seal the floor, we used Tile Doctor Seal and Go which produces an appealing satin finish and brings out the best in Slate tiles as you will see on the photos. The new sealer will protect the stone from staining and is very durable so will be ideal in this kitchen situation.

Brazilian Black Slate After Cleaning Sealing Kendal

For aftercare cleaning we recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner. This is pH neutral product that is effective yet won’t impact the newly applied sealer which can be a problem with stronger floor cleaning products.

Professional Restoration of a Brazilian Black Slate Tiled Kitchen in South Cumbria

Brazilian Semi Riven Slate Kitchen Floor Kendal Cumbria Read More »

Victorian Tiled Floor Renovation Cartmel

Late Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Impacted by Subsidence Renovated in Cartmel

1 Comment / Grange-Over-Sands Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning / Chris Jones

Pictures below are from a Victorian tiled floor we recently renovated in the South Cumbrian village of Cartmel. The house had experienced a bit of subsidence in the past, which had settled long ago, but left a series of cracks running through from the front door to the staircase.

Victorian Floor Before Renovation Cartmel Cumbria

The owner of the property had decided to get the floor renovated and wondered if anything could be done to improve the cracks and reset several tiles which had become loose. Having restored numerous period floors previously I was confident all these problems could be resolved and the floor renovated to a high standard.

Repairing and Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Floor

Before cleaning the floor needed to be secure so the subsidence issues had to be resolved first. I had to take out several loose tiles, rake out the old adhesive and grout and then reset them with fresh rapid setting adhesive and grout. Then to resolve the cracking a colour matching grout filler was pushed into the gaps and this disguised the cracks quite well.

Victorian Floor During Renovation Cartmel Cumbria

Once the repairs had set the cleaning process could begin starting with the application Tile Doctor Remove and Go worked in with a coarse 200-grit milling pad. Remove and Go is a powerful tile cleaning product that as the name suggests will remove all sorts of coatings such as sealers.

Small hand-held Diamond blocks were used for cleaning up the Yellow tiles, these tiles contain sand in the clay to give it the colour as such they are always the most porous and most difficult to get clean. However we have found using a set of handheld Diamond blocks of different grits we can open up the pores of the clay, release the ingrained dirt and then close the pores ready for the final clean and seal.

The final clean involves giving the floor an acid rinse for which I use Tile Doctor Grout Clean Up. This final step removes old grout smears, clay resin and also counters the use of alkaline cleaning products such as Remove and Go leaving the floor with a neutral ph. Lastly it etches the clay slightly resulting in a stronger bond with the sealer, improved finish, and better performance.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Floor

To seal the floor a thin coat of X-Tra Seal was applied, this is an Oil based Impregnating sealer that soaks into the pores of the clay tile protecting it from within and helping the colours to pop out. Additional this sealer is fully breathable which is an important consideration when dealing with a floor laid in the Victorian era without the benefit of a damp proof membrane.

Victorian Floor After Renovation Cartmel Cumbria

As usual before leaving we like to advise the customer on how to maintain the tiles using a compatible cleaning product such as Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner. This aftercare product has a neutral ph. which won’t impact the sealer like many of the standard bleach based products you find in supermarkets.

Professional Tile Repairing, Cleaning and Sealing for a Victorian Tiled Floor in Cartmel

Late Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Impacted by Subsidence Renovated in Cartmel Read More »