floor restoration Archives - Shropshire Tile Doctor

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor Restoration Oswestry

Restoring a Kitchen and Utility Quarry Tiled Floor in Oswestry

1 Comment / Oswestry Tile Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Jozsef Hoffmann

This property in Oswestry was being converted from offices back into a home and I was contracted to renovate the Quarry tiles in the Kitchen. The kitchen had Red and Black Quarry tiles and an ugly piece of concrete sat where the old cooking range was. It did not look good with the new layout of the kitchen, so they wanted the concrete dugout and red and black quarry tiles laid to match the existing. The utility room had the same red and black quarry tiles and the other half had older and larger format quarry tiles which they wanted to keep as a feature.

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor Oswestry Before Restoration

Cleaning and Restoration of a Quarry Tiled Kitchen and Utility Floor

On day one my first step was to dig out the concrete from the area where the old range had been by breaking it up with a hammer drill fitted with a chisel attachment. The hole in the floor was then brought to the right level using a fibre reinforced levelling compound called Bal level max which sets in four hours. Once set I was able to tile with matching Quarry tiles that the client had provided together with others, I had managed to source from a reclamation yard. This process took up most of the first day and the newly laid tiles were left to set overnight.

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor Oswestry During Repair

The utility floor was in the worst state and needed the most work. It had previously been covered with a self-levelling compound, probably so it could be covered in Vinyl. I removed the thin compound and then deep cleaned the floor. Apart from the self-levelling compound in the utility area, the entire area had a thick layer of plaster dust and residue from the building process.

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor Oswestry During Cleaning

To deep clean the Quarry tiles, I gave the floor a good scrub with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go and then after extracting the resultant soil with a wet vacuum I followed up with another scrub of Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up. These products which helped to deal with the plaster dust, the levelling compound, and the cement-based residue. For best results I leave the cleaning products on the tiles for a good ten minutes before scrubbing in with a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine. Once done the tiles were rinsed down with water and then the soil was extracted again. In a few areas I needed to repeat the process to get the floor clean.

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor Oswestry After Cleaning

Sealing a Quarry Tiled Kitchen and Utility Floor

I left the floor to dry off overnight and returned the next day to seal the tiles. The first job was to use the damp meter to ensure the floor was dry enough. If the floor is not dry, then the seal will not cure. I had chosen to seal with Tile Doctor Colour Grow, which is a solvent based sealer which is colour intensifying, it provides durable protection to the surface of the tiles as well as allowing the surface to breath. On this floor the colour of the red and black quarry tiles was really enhanced too. The floor was transformed, and the sealer really helped the old and new tiles blend in.

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor Oswestry After Sealing

The client was very happy with restoration and couldn’t wait to get the new kitchen completed.

Professional Restoration of a Quarry Tiled Kitchen and Utility in Shropshire

Restoring a Kitchen and Utility Quarry Tiled Floor in Oswestry Read More »

Riven Slate Tiled Floor Restored in old Barn Conversion in Ince

1 Comment / Slate Tile Cleaning, Whitchurch Tile Cleaning, Work History / Jozsef Hoffmann

A customer in Telford recently bought this barn conversion in the village of Ince, Cheshire. The building had Riven Slate floor tiles installed on the ground floor from hallway and corridor through to the utility room and downstairs WC. The tiles were not looking their best and in fact the old polyurethane based sealer had gone yellow and started to peel off in places. The building was originally built in 1886 and is grade 2 listed and after an initial attempt to bring the floor back to life didn’t work out as planned the owner decided to get in touch.

Riven Slate Tiled Floor Ince Before Cleaning

Cleaning a Riven Slate Tiled Floor

To get the floor back to its original state so it could be re-sealed the old sealer would have to be completely removed from the tiles, fortunately we have a product available that does exactly that called Tile Doctor Remove and Go. Working in sections the tiles were covered with a dilution of Remove and Go which was left to soak into the slate for twenty minutes before being scrubbed in used a rotary machine fitted with a stiff brush head. The resultant soiled solution was then removed from the floor using a wet vacuum and the process repeated until all the old sealer had been removed and the floor was looking clean again. Additionally it was necessary to steam clean the whole floor and scrub stubborn areas with a hand brush. After the whole floor was clean I gave it a thorough wash down with fresh water to remove any trace of cleaning product and then used the wet vacuum to get as much water off the floor as possible and reduce drying time.

Riven Slate Tiled Floor Ince During Cleaning

Sealing Riven Slate Floor Tiles

I left the floor to dry off for a couple of days and then returned to apply the sealer checking the moisture level of the floor first to ensure it was dry enough to take a sealer. I had discussed the various options for sealing and the customer wanted a satin finish so it was decided to use Tile Doctor Seal and Go which is a water based sealer that provides the require finish and being water based can be applied without leaving a solvent smell as it dries, four coats of Seal and Go were needed to fully seal the slate.

Riven Slate Tiled Floor Ince After Cleaning

It was quite a large area and originally I had estimated it would take two days to remove the old sealer and get the tiles clean in the end however it took three days due to clean the floor due to the state of the tiles and a day to seal. The customer and his wife were really happy with the result and left the following feedback for me on the Tile Doctor feedback system.

I would like to commend Jozsef on his hard work and tile doctor on their faith and training in there staff to achieve such a high standard in an end result. The experience from start to finish has been a very pleasant one. Jozsef was very professional, polite and punctual, knowledgeable, very hardworking and trustworthy. Both my wife and I would not hesitate to recommend Tile Doctor & Jozsef.
Many Thanks again Mr & Mrs Pasquali

Restoring old slate tiles in Ince

Riven Slate Tiled Floor Restored in old Barn Conversion in Ince Read More »

Victorian Tiled Hallway Renovated in Telford

1 Comment / Telford Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Work History / Jozsef Hoffmann

Details below of a customer in Telford who bought a house with a Victorian Tiled Hallway a couple of years prior and has been refurbishing it in sections. When I went there to do the quotation the floor I could see it was in a desperate state and in need of a deep clean and replacement of several broken and cracked tiles, there were several loose ones too.

Victorian tiled Hallway before restoration in Telford

Cleaning and Repairing a Victorian Tiled Floor

The floor was cleaned using a medium dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which was left to soak into the tiles for around 15 minutes before being worked into the tile and grout using a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad and a stiff grout brush. Pro-Clean is a strong alkaline cleaning product that is safe to use on Stone, Tile and Grout. The floor was given a thorough rinse with clean water and a wet vacuum was used to remove the water from the floor, stubborn areas were then spot cleaned using the same process and the floor was then left to dry off overnight.

Victorian tiled Hallway after repair and cleaning in Telford

The next day I returned to do the repair work, originally there were seven tiles to replace, but I ended up replacing sixteen tiles and fixing twenty five, fortunately Victorian tiles are still popular and you can still source replacements.

Sealing Victorian Tiled Floor

To ensure the repaired areas had sufficient tile for the adhesive and grout to set I left the floor for four days before returning to apply a sealer checking the moisture level first to ensure it was dry enough to take the sealer. To seal the tiles which will help protect them from staining I applied five coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go which works really well on Victorian tiles and adds a nice subtle shine to the floor also being water based you don’t get that smell that a solvent based sealer has.

Victorian tiled Hallway after restoration in Telford

Restoring Victorian tiles in Shropshire

Victorian Tiled Hallway Renovated in Telford Read More »

Limestone Tiled Floor Cleaned and Polished in Owestry

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing, Oswestry Tile Cleaning, Work History / Jozsef Hoffmann

These Limestone tiles, installed in a lovely residence in the ancient market town of Oswestry close to the English/Welsh border, had become dull and dirty over the years and I was asked to get them looking their best again. When I arrived to do the quotation the customer’s main concern was that the grout lines had become dirty, but when I completed a test clean on one tile and the grout around it they realised the tiles themselves were dirty and had lost their shine to become a mat finish.

Limestone Floor Before Cleaning and Polishing Oswestry

Cleaning Limestone Tiles

It was a large floor so working in sections I gave the floor a general clean using a mild dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which was spread over the floor with particular attention paid to getting the solution into the grout lines. The solution was left to soak in and eat through any dirt and a stiff grout brush was run along each grout line giving it a good scrub along the way. Next we removed any trace of product by using a wet vacuum to extract the now dirty cleaning solution and rinsed thoroughly with clean water.

There were a couple of holes in the Limestone that needed attention so these were filled with a matching colour. The next step was to use a set of diamond encrusted burnishing pads which attach to a rotary machine and burnish the floor with four different grits from coarse to super fine. To remove any remaining sealer and dirt the floor is burnished using a course pad and a little water to help lubricate passing over each tile around four times in the process. The resultant soiled water is rinsed away with clean water which in turn is removed using a wet vacuum. This process is then repeated with the remaining pads, rinsing between each pad until a nice polish is built up on the tile. I managed to finish with the 2nd and 3rd pads but it was getting late to completely finish the polishing so called it a day.

Sealing Limestone Tiles

When I arrived on the second day to finish the polishing process with the fourth super fine polishing pad and seal the floor the customer thought I had already finished polishing and was already happy with the shine we had achieved so far, so you can imagine how happy she when I told her there was more to do. Once I had finished polishing I applied a single coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which impregnates the pores in the stone to prevent other contaminates getting in there; Colour Grow also does a great job of bringing out the natural colours in the stone.

Limestone Floor After Cleaning and Polishing Oswestry

The customer was very happy with the end result and

Limestone Tiled Floor Cleaned and Polished in Owestry Read More »

Terracotta Kitchen Floor and Victorian Tiled Hallway in Shrewsbury

Victorian Tiled Hallway and Terracotta Kitchen Floor in Shrewsbury

1 Comment / Shrewsbury Tile Cleaning, Terracotta Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Work History / Jozsef Hoffmann

For this old terraced house in Shrewsbury I was asked to clean and seal two areas which included a Victorian tiled hallway and Terracotta tiled kitchen; I’ve copied below the original request so you can better understand that there was a fair amount of work that needed doing.

“I have 2 areas of quarry tiles that need a serious make over, in the hall and the back room. There are patches of red paint and areas of mineral deposit and lots of ingrained filth!””

As it turned out the customer had only recently bought the property and told me that the previous owner had rented the property out and that the last tenants kept snakes, rats and all sorts of animals there and the remaining smell was one of the concerns of the customer.

After inspecting the Victorian tiled hallway I suspected it had probably been re-laid at some point in the past as the grout line were different in places and there were several new replacement tiles visible. The terracotta floor was more recent and had showed no signs of a sealer being applied which would explain how they had become so dirty.

Victorian Tiled Floor Before Cleaning in Shrewsbury

Terracotta Tiled Floor Before Cleaning in Shrewsbury

Cleaning a Victorian and Terracotta Tiled Floors

To clean both floors I applied a dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go leaving it to soak in before scrubbing it in using a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad. I was banking on the Remove and Go to deal with any remaining sealer and also to loosen the paint spots. The resultant slurry was washed away using more water and a wet vacuum and the process repeated until I was happy with the condition of the tiles. I also had to use a steamer on the hallway tiles as the dirt was ingrained in the mainly light coloured tiles and it needed the steam to lift it out. it was then given a final rinse to remove any cleaning products and then left to dry.

Sealing Terracotta and Victorian Floors

I left both floors to dry out overnight and returned to seal them the next day checking first with a damp meter that they were dry. To seal the Terracotta tiles in the kitchen two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow was applied, Colour Grow is an impregnating sealer that enhanced the colours and leaves a matt finish which is what the customer wanted. For the hallway however the customer wanted a shine so five coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go were applied. The one advantage of having two floors to seal was that I could be adding a coat of seal on one floor whilst the other was drying.

Victorian Tiled Floor After Cleaning in Shrewsbury

Apologies for not taking a final photograph of the Terracotta tiles after they were sealed, however the customer was really happy with the job and left a nice testimonial:

“Jozsef was a pleasure to deal with – professional, hardworking and friendly. He was quick to contact me, give me the quote and to schedule the work. He clearly explained what my options were and I am really happy with the work done – both tiled floors look great!”

Cleaning and Sealing Tiled Floors in Shropshire

Victorian Tiled Hallway and Terracotta Kitchen Floor in Shrewsbury Read More »

Travertine Tiled Floor Refurbished in Telford

1 Comment / Telford Tile Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning, Work History / Jozsef Hoffmann

This property in Telford had been purchased six months earlier with a view to refurbishing it and had recently started to get it back in shape. The history of the Travertine tiled floor was unknown but there was evidence of the wrong kind of maintenance as the legs of the kitchen cabinet was blown by excess moisture. The new owner did mention that the previous owner had three teenage children and I suspect keeping the floor maintained properly was probably not a priority.

Cleaning Travertine Tiles

The first step was to give the floor a general wash to remove any grit and the grout clean so we started by applying a mild dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which was spread over the floor with particular attention paid to getting the solution into the grout lines. The solution was left to dwell for 10 minutes in order for it to soak in and eat through any dirt and existing sealer; we then used a stiff grout brush to scrub each and every grout line. Next we removed any trace of product by using a wet vacuum and rinsing thoroughly with clean water.

The next step was to use our diamond encrusted burnishing pads which attach to a rotary machine and burnish the floor with four different grits from coarse to super fine. First using course pad number 1 we put some clean water on the floor and using our rotary machine slowly burnished the area making sure that we passed over each tile 4 times, this coarse pad cuts into the surface grime of the floor and also removes sealers. The resultant soiled water is rinsed away with clean water which in turn is removed using a wet vacuum. This process is then repeated with the remaining pads, rinsing between each pad until a nice polish is built up on the tile. The floor is then given a final rinse and once we were satisfied that all the slurry had been removed we left the floor to dry overnight.

Cleaning Travertine and Limestone Tiles

When I returned the floor was tested using a damp meter to make sure the Travertine had dried sufficiently for sealing. It had so I started to seal it using a single coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer that will occupy the pores in the stone to prevent other contaminates getting in there, Colour Grow also brings out the colours in the stone.

It’s tricky to capture all of this with photographs although you should be able to see the shine now the polish has been restored, the main thing is the customer was very happy with the results and was kind enough to leave the following message.

“We moved into a house with very unloved travertine tiles in the kitchen, bathroom and WC. We were really impressed with Jozsef. He was friendly, knowledgeable and conscientious. He was up front with us about what could be achieved with the tiles and we are very pleased with the results. He worked efficiently, was tidy, prompt and mindful of our very young children. We would definitely recommend Jozsef.”

Travertine Tiled Floor Burnished and Sealed in Shropshire

Travertine Tiled Floor Refurbished in Telford Read More »

Victorian Hallway Tiles Restored in Whitchurch

1 Comment / Victorian Tile Cleaning, Whitchurch Tile Cleaning, Work History / Jozsef Hoffmann

I’m beginning to wonder if Tile Doctor has started a trend that has got people looking under their hallway carpets looking for period floors. Indeed this customer in Whitchurch has done exactly that and discovered a beautiful Victorian tiled floor which was with the exception of adhesive residue and dirt was in reasonable condition. They had tried to restore it themselves but could not achieve the desired results so being their local Tile Doctor we got the call.

Victorian tiled hallway Whitchurch before cleaning

Removing Glue and Dirt from a Victorian Tiled Floor

The floor was dirty which I would normally take care of with Tile Doctor Pro-Clean however glue requires something stronger so a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go was applied, left to soak in and then scrubbed into the tiles using a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad. Remove and Go does pretty much what its name suggests and is a great product for safely removing coatings from tile. The floor was given a thorough rinse with clean water and a wet vacuum was used to remove the water from the floor and get it dry so it could be sealed. Some stubborn areas were still evident so they were spot treated using more Remove and Go.

Victorian tiled hallway Whitchurch after

Sealing a Quarry Floor Sealing

The floor needs to be thoroughly dry before it can be sealed and this can be a problem with old houses which may have damp issues. I therefore left the floor to dry for 5 days before coming back to seal it and when I returned checked the floor using a damp meter first. The readings were fine however there were a couple of areas that needed further treatment so those were spot treated and then dried until I was satisfied the floor was as good as it could be. I then processed to seal the floor using five coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go which adds a nice subtle sheen to the tiles as well as providing stain protection going forward.

I think you will agree from the photographs the floor looks great, certainly the customer was really pleased with the result.

Victorian tiled hallway Whitchurch after sealing

Restoring Victorian tiles in Shropshire

Victorian Hallway Tiles Restored in Whitchurch Read More »

Deep Cleaning an Indian Sandstone floor at a cottage in Cleestanton

1 Comment / Ludlow Tile Cleaning, Sandstone Tile Cleaning, Work History / Jozsef Hoffmann

This customer had bought a cottage in Cleestanton (Ludlow) six months prior which has a beautiful Indian Sandstone flagstone floor installed across the ground floor. The Sandstone slabs were however in an unfortunate state and had not been deep cleaned for some time, in fact it was very easy to see where the most foot traffic had been due to visible dark lanes in the stone.

Indian Sandstone in Cleestanton Before Cleaning

Cleaning Riven Sandstone Tiles

I cleaned the floor with a dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go which was left to soak into the Sandstone before being worked in with a rotary machine fitted with a scrubbing brush attachment. I used a brush as opposed to a pad as the floor had a riven texture and a flat pad may not have had the desired effect. Tile Doctor is an effective coatings remover ideal for removing sealers for tile, it’s also a good cleaning product having said that there were areas where the old sealer was really stubborn so and I had to retreat those and use steam in the really difficult areas.

Indian Sandstone in Cleestanton During Cleaning

Once the floor was stripped back I gave it a thorough rinse with water using a wet vacuum to remove the liquids from the floor and get it as dry as possible.

Indian Sandstone in Cleestanton After Cleaning

Sealing Riven Sandstone Tiles

I left the floor to dry out thoroughly for four days and then returned to seal it first checking with a damp meter that it was dry. All was as expected so proceeded to seal the stone using four coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go which is a water based sealer (no smell) and ideal for these types of floor as it offers good protection whilst adding a nice sheen to the surface.

Indian Sandstone in Cleestanton After Sealing

The customer was really pleased with the result and can now see all the amazing detail and character in this natural stone floor including evidence of fossilised plants.

Indian Sandstone in Cleestanton Showing Fossils

Riven Sandstone Tiled Floor Cleaned and Sealed in Shropshire

Deep Cleaning an Indian Sandstone floor at a cottage in Cleestanton Read More »

Quarry and Terracotta Tiled Floors Restored in Alveley

1 Comment / Bridgnorth Tile Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Terracotta Tile Cleaning, Work History / Jozsef Hoffmann

These photographs were taken at a recently purchased cottage in Alveley, Bridgenorth and the new owner was keen to refurbish the floors. The quarry tiles in the lounge had grout haze and general dirt on also the grout needed replacing in several places.
The remaining areas were covered with Terracotta tiles which they had thought were quarry tiles. On first impression I thought they were a patterned ceramic tile as the tiles a slight sheen on them and the “pattern” looked uniform however on closer inspection I realised that they were definitely not ceramic so I did a test clean on a small area and it turned out that the apparent pattern was in actual fact from a build up dirt all over the tile; the owners were shocked at the discovery.

Terracotta Tiled Floor Cleaning Alveley TestPatch

Cleaning Quarry and Terracotta Tiles

I cleaned both floors with a dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go which was left to soak into the tiles for a while before being scrubbed in using a rotary machine fitted with a black pad and the dirty water was removed using a wet vacuum.

Quarry Tiled Floor Cleaning Alveley Before

Terracotta Tiled Floor Cleaning Alveley Before

The Terracotta tiles needed extra attention so I scrubbed them once again with a brush paying special attention to the tiny holes in the surface of the tile which had become ingrained with dirt. Once I was happy both floors were given a final rinse to remove any cleaning products and I finished the day repairing the grout line in the lounge.

Terracotta Tiled Floor Cleaning Alveley During

Sealing a Quarry Floor Sealing

I left the floor for a week so it could dry out thoroughly and when I returned to seal the floor, the damp meter indicated that the floor was dry enough to take the sealer. At the same time I did a final inspection of the floors and spot cleaned those areas where it was needed using a heat gun to dry the tiles afterwards. The customer had dogs and had specified a matt finish so I sealed the Quarry and Terracotta tiles several coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer that occupies the pores in the tile and also enhances the colour of the tile.

Quarry Tiled Floor Cleaning Alveley During

Terracotta Tiled Floor Cleaning Alveley After

Needless to say the customer was really pleased with the result.

Deep Cleaning Quarry and Terracotta tiles in Shropshire

Quarry and Terracotta Tiled Floors Restored in Alveley Read More »

Red and Black Victorian Quarry Tiled Floor Restored in Oswestry

1 Comment / Oswestry Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Work History / Jozsef Hoffmann

Details below of a Victorian Quarry tiled floor belonging to a customer in Oswestry who had recently moved back to the area and wanted to restore the original features of the house including the Quarry tiles floor which had several coats of red floor paint and was later was covered with carpet for a number of years. The customer described the floor as:

“I have 2 areas of quarry tiles that need a serious make over, in the hall and the back room. There are patches of red paint and areas of mineral deposit and lots of ingrained filth!””

Cleaning a Quarry Tiled Floor

I managed to clean the floor with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go which was left to soak into the tiles for a while before being scrubbed in using a rotary machine fitted with a black pad; the resultant slurry was washed away using more water and a wet vacuum. The whole process was repeated several times as the paint was really stubborn and in places I had to remove the paint removal with a scraper. Once I was happy with the condition it was given a final rinse to remove any cleaning products and then left to dry for five days leaving an air mover with the customer to accelerate drying.

Red Black Quarry Tiles Oswestry After Cleaning

Sealing a Quarry Floor Sealing

The tiles have to be dry before sealing and even though I returned five days later the damp meter still indicated that there was moisture in the tiles which I suspect was due to there being no membrane in place under the old Victorian tiles. I agreed with the customer to come back a further week later which proved sufficient and the floor was dry enough to take the sealer.

The customer wanted a matt finish so I sealed the floor with two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer that occupies the pores in the tile and also enhances the colour of the tile.

Red Black Quarry Tiles Oswestry After Sealing

The customer was out when I applied the sealer but when the she got home she sent me the following message:

“The floor looks brilliant. So much better than I had ever hoped. Thank you.”

Victorian Quarry tiles restoration in Shropshire

Red and Black Victorian Quarry Tiled Floor Restored in Oswestry Read More »

Sprucing up Terracotta Tiles in Shrewsbury

1 Comment / Shrewsbury Tile Cleaning, Terracotta Tile Cleaning, Work History / Jozsef Hoffmann

Details below of a Terracotta tiled hallway and kitchen at a house in the historic town of Shrewsbury. The floor had been laid a couple of years previously but the customer had found it difficult to maintain the appearance especially in the kitchen in fact the customer’s description on their enquiry form was “Need to spruce up the hallway and kitchen floor.”

Terracotta Tile Before Cleaning in Shrewsbury

Cleaning a Terracotta Tiled Floor

I cleaned the Terracotta floor with strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean scrubbed into the tile and grout with a black pad and then rinsed off with clean water which was then removed with a wet vacuum. After rinsing the floor there were a couple stubborn spots left behind so they were spot treated using Tile Doctor Remove and Go which is a strong coatings remover that is safe to use on tile and stone and usually takes care of most issues and certainly worked in this case. The floor was then thoroughly rinsed to remove any cleaning product prior to sealing and then left to dry.

Terracotta Tile After Cleaning in Shrewsbury

Sealing a Terracotta Floor Sealing

I’d agreed with the owner to return a week later to ensure the tiles were bone dry and ready to be sealed and on my return I checked the floor for any problem areas in need of further cleaning and also for dampness. The Terracotta was dry enough to take the sealer so I sealed it using two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which was chosen as the customer didn’t want a shine on the floor.

Terracotta Tile After Sealing in Shrewsbury

Out of interest I’ve included the photograph below which shows how the sealer causes water to form on the surface of the tile due to the surface tension provided by the sealer.

The customer was very happy with the result and left the following testimonial on the Tile Doctor feedback system:
“Very pleased with the work carried out by Jozsef. He is a pleasant and hard working individual and very conscientious about his work. No hesitation in recommending his work.”

Cleaning and Sealing Terracotta tiles in Shrewsbury

Sprucing up Terracotta Tiles in Shrewsbury Read More »

Victorian Quarry Tiled Floor Restored in Telford

1 Comment / Quarry Tile Cleaning, Telford Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Work History / Jozsef Hoffmann

The photographs below of a Red and Black Victorian Quarry tiled floor were taken at a 109 year old cottage in the town of Telford. Unfortunately the tiles were in a really neglected state after the completion of building works but we do like a challenge and agreed to do the work.

Victorian Quarry Tiles Telford before cleaning

Cleaning a Quarry Tiled Floor

The whole floor was covered in layers of mortar and plaster so a strong solution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go was applied and scrubbed into the floor using a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad.

The initial clean revealed a lot more of the mess that had been left over from the builders mixing of mortar and concrete so I decided to try an acid based product called Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up which is mainly used for the removal of grout from the tile surface but works on other cementitious materials as well. This worked well but required several applications to remove it all and once complete the floor was given a thorough rinse with clean water to ensure it was clear of the resultant slurry and there was no trace of cleaning product. A wet vacuum was used to remove the water from the floor and get it dry so it could be sealed.

Sealing a Quarry Floor Sealing

Once the floor was dry I sealed it using two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which was chosen as the customer wanted a matt finish; Colour Grow also brings out the colours in the tile and it’s an impregnating sealer that occupies the pores in the tile to provide excellent stain protection.

I think you will agree the photographs below shows an amazing transformation that exceeded all expectations.

Victorian Quarry Tiles Telford After cleaning

Restoring old Quarry tiles in Shropshire

Victorian Quarry Tiled Floor Restored in Telford Read More »