Oxy-Gel Archives - South Cumbria Tile Doctor

Quarry Tiled Floor Restoration in Kendal

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

Victorian Floor Renovated in Windermere Lake District

6-inch Red Victorian Floor Tiles Renovated in a Windermere Kitchen

These old Red Victorian floor tiles in the kitchen of a property in Windermere might appear to be Quarry Tiles on first inspection however they are not. One way of telling is to look at the grout lines, modern quarry tiles are always set with at least 4mm grout joints (sometimes a lot more). Victorian floor tiles are always rebated together as close as possible with only a millimetre of grout being put in place but as grout wasn’t around over a 100 years ago it was either white limecrete or grey screed cement which was used.

Old Victorian Period Red 6 inch floor tiles before cleaning in Windermere

It’s important to know what you are working on as standard Victorian tiles have no sand fillers in the clay unlike the much thicker contract and standard quarry tiles; these red Victorian tiles are pure clay all the way through which means we can go much deeper on the cleaning.

The floor had previously been covered in carpet for many years and to secure it and the underlay to the tiles a strong adhesive had been used. A self-levelling cement compound had also been applied and lastly there was red paint to deal with.

Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Kitchen Floor

Before cleaning the first task was to run a line of silicone around all the kitchen unit edges. These are often made of MDF and not solid wood and any amount of water will blow the MDF within 5 to 10 minutes of contact. Clear silicone is used for this and left in place as it’s a great way to protect the units even from the water used in daily mopping of the floor tiles. Once that had been applied the units were then covered with a protective plastic sheet that was secured in place with tape.

To tackle the red paint and other contaminates, Tile Doctor Oxy Gel was applied and scrubbed into the floor, this softens the paint and worked well on the remnants of carpet underlay that were still firmly attached to the tiles.

Old Victorian Period Red 6 inch floor tiles during cleaning in Windermere

The cement screed was mostly scraped off and anything left over was loosened using Tile Doctor Acid Gel worked in with a buffing machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad. Some edging work was needed, and this had to be done by hand with small brushes. To finish off the floor was rinsed with water and a wet vacuum was used to extract all soiling and residue.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Kitchen Floor

With the cleaning finished we left for the day and let the floor dry off overnight. The use of gel cleaning products ensured water was kept to a minimum and allow for a quicker drying time.

Next day the tiles were sealed with the tiles two coats of a breathable sealer called Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal. This sealer is an oil-based product that adds structure to the tile and does a great job of lifting the colour in the clay tile. X-Tra Seal is also fully breathable and will cope well with any moisture rising through the floor. This is always a concern with old floors like this one that don’t have the benefit of a damp proof membrane.

Old Victorian Period Red 6 inch floor tiles after cleaning in Windermere

You will notice some patchiness on the after pictures of the clay tiles after the sealer had dried. With old floors like this you never know its full history and what might have been used on it before, in this case I suspect the patchiness is down to the miss use of a chemical cleaning product in the past, probably something with a strong acid base. These tiles are generally not acid sensitive but constant use of acid on any surface will deteriorate the finish as it opens the pores in the clay and lets the dirt in. Once the pores are open on a clay tile, they won’t close so we resolve this by using X-Tra seal and filling any cavities with oil.

Once done the floor looked so much cleaner and brighter and the new sealer will protect it from ingrained dirt well into the future.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Kitchen Floor in Cumbria

6-inch Red Victorian Floor Tiles Renovated in a Windermere Kitchen Read More »