Removing Marks from a Limestone Tiled Floor in Stourbridge

We often get called to sort out problems left behind by Tilers and this case was no exception. This Limestone tiled floor in the kitchen of a house in the historic town of Stourbridge had been sealed using a cloth and resulted in visible wipe marks being left behind in the top surface seal. Removing the Sealer from Limestone Tiles To resolve we had to cut back the surface using a set of twister burnishing pads, these diamond encrusted pads come in a number of different colours each one does Read more...

Travertine Table Top Restoration In Preston

Here's a quick job I did at a house in the town of Preston, located on the north bank of the River Ribble. My customer had a Travertine table top that had become dull and lost its shine however being a polished stone I knew it should be possible to burnish the shine back. Travertine is very popular for both commercial and residential use, as it is a natural material with unique features and characters that distinguish it from other types of stone. It can be used for floor tile, kitchen Read more...

Maintaining a Limestone Patio in Crowborough

A sealer for internal use had been applied to this external black limestone patio in Crowborough and as you can see from the photograph below it had become badly affected by weather and was basically looking a real mess. Cleaning a Limestone Patio Working outside does have advantages in that there is a lot less preparation to do to protect other surfaces so it wasn't long before we got to work with the application of a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a multi-purpose cleaner Read more...

Resolving Sandstone Flagstone issues in Clapham

Deep Cleaning Victorian Tiles in Leicestershire

This Victorian Tiled Floor was in the hallway of a house in Melton Mowbray which is famous for its pork pies and historic buildings, although structurally sound it has been some time since it had been given a deep clean and re-seal and was now looking rather dull and lifeless. Cleaning a Read more...

Restoring old Quarry tiles in Bedford

This was a very straightforward request to clean and seal an old Quarry tiled floor that dated back to the Victorian era. The tiles didn't appear to have any sealer or other treatment applied, it could be if there was anything it had worn off a long time before. Cleaning Old Quarry Tiles A Read more...

Welcome To The Bedfordshire Tile Doctor

We are your local specialist for tile cleaning, stone cleaning, grout cleaning and tile, stone and grout sealing covering the restoration of all types of stone and tiled flooring including Ceramic, Limestone, Marble, Porcelain, Quarry, Sandstone, Slate, Terracotta, Terrazzo, Travertine and Victorian tile. Were professionally trained and have the equipment and experience to solve any problem, were also part of a national network that enables us to share industry knowledge and expertise. Areas Read more...

Sandstone - Cleaning and Sealing

At Tile Doctor we see Sandstone used at lot as Kitchen flooring, however as with any natural stone it needs to be sealed to protect it and bring out its beauty and colour. One of the biggest problems we find with stone flooring in a kitchen is that the sealer applied is stripped away by the continuous use of cleaning agents not designed for this type of surface. Sandstone Maintenance ROUGH/RIVEN SANDSTONE SMOOTH MATT FINISH To remove any excess sealer before cleaning use Tile Doctor Remove & Read more...

Cleaning Neglected Terracotta Tiles

Not too long ago, I visited a house in the town of Fulwood in Preston, Lancashire. My client had a Terracotta tiled floor which had been neglected for many years and in their attempt to improve it had unfortunately been given some very poor advice by tile retailers, all of whom sold him Read more...

Travertine Tiled Floor Maintained in Brightwell-Cum-Sotwell

This Travertine tiled floor had been laid in a house in the picturesque village of Brightwell-Cum-Sotwell in south Oxfordshire and the owner had decided it was time to have it properly cleaned and re-sealed. Cleaning Travertine Floor Tiles The floor was given a wash with Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner to remove any surface grit and we then filled the small holes, which are quite a common feature of natural travertine, with a matching coloured grout. This was then followed by the use of the Tile Read more...

Kitchen Quarry Tile Cleaning and Sealing in Daventry

Apologies for the poor quality of these grainy Quarry Tile Cleaning photographs taken in the kitchen of a residential property in Daventry but it was the middle of winter and I was using my phone camera which doesn't have an effective flash. Hopefully you can see from the photograph below how dirt had become ingrained into the tile and stains to the grout. Cleaning Quarry Tiles To get the floor clean I removed the kick boards around the base of the kitchen units and applied a dilution of Read more...

Renovating old Limestone Flagstones in Dorset

This Georgian house in the beautiful historic town of Sherbourne, Dorset still had its original floor of black limestone flagstones. These were in a sorry condition, having been smoothed over with a cement screed to make it level for a carpet and, before that, painted at various times with both Read more...

Deteriorated Slate Tiled Floor Rejuvinated in Southport

An unusual but attractive combination of semi riven black Slate with white Marble inserts had been installed in the hallway of this residence in the town of Southport. This floor had not been cleaned properly in some time, in fact the local Tile Shop had given the customer the incorrect tile Read more...

Holes in Travertine Cleaned, Filled and Sealed

This Travertine tiled floor installed in the kitchen of a house in Holmes Chapel was proving impossible to clean and this was compounded by the fact that black dirt had become trapped in the natural holes in the Travertine. Cleaning Travertine Floor Tiles The floor was given a wash with Tile Read more...

Welcome to Dorset Tile Doctor

We are your local specialist for tile cleaning, stone cleaning, grout cleaning and tile, stone and grout sealing covering the restoration of all types of stone and tiled flooring including Ceramic, Limestone, Marble, Porcelain, Quarry, Sandstone, Slate, Terracotta, Terrazzo, Travertine and Victorian tile. Were professionally trained and have the equipment and experience to solve any problem, were also part of the largest specialist tile and stone cleaning network in the UK that enables us to Read more...

Travertine Floor Maintenance in East Grinstead

Pictures below of a Travertine tiled floor in East Grinstead which had been laid some years earlier and over time had become dull as it lost its polished appearance with wear. The customer had tried cleaning but could not get the floor looking the way they it used to. Cleaning Travertine Tile To restore appearance on polished hard stone floors such a Travertine and Limestone they have to be cut back and polished with floor burnishing pads, it's a similar process that you use on wood where Read more...

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Removing Bitumen Adhesive from Victorian Tiles

We were contacted by a letting agent who managed a large town house in Goring by Sea that had been turned into flats. The area they wanted dealing with was the entrance hall where the original Victorian tiled floor had been covered over with linoleum tiles backed with a bitumen based adhesive Read more...

Maintainting Terracotta Tiles in South Middlesex

This Terracotta Tiled floor was in an old Coach House in Shepperton that had been subject to building renovations for over 2 years. Prior to this, it was used as a motor garage and as a school before that so as you can see from the photograph below it had seem extensive wear and tear and was now Read more...

Changing the Sealer on Black Limestone Tiles in Wiltshire

A customer in Fovant, Salisbury got in touch to clean and seal her Black Limestone tiled floor as she wasn't happy with appearance. She informed me that when they were laid they were a grey colour which she loved but when the tiler sealed them they became jet black in appearance. The sealer Read more...

Removing Grout Haze from Slate Tile Flooring

You may remember a previous Limestone floor job we did for a Mrs Schwartz from Stourbridge, well true to her word she invited us back to clean and seal the slate tile flooring in her hallway which had been left with grout smears (aka grout haze) on the surface after tiling. Grout smears can be removed however if the floor is sealed it's necessary to remove the sealer first. Cleaning Grout Haze off Slate Tile Flooring To remove the sealer and clean off the grout smears we used a 50/50 mix of Read more...

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Removing Plaster from Quarry tiles

This floor was another case of builders failing to protect the Quarry Tiled Floor when they were working at this house in Bedford, this is certainly not un-typical of plasters considering the number of messy floors we have had to clean up previously. I guess in some ways we shouldn't complain as Read more...

Sandstone Floor Restoration

These pictures are of a Sandstone floor installed in a house in Leyland, the dog seems quite content with the floor but the owner wasn't; the trouble with Sandstone is that is a relatively soft sedimentary stone which doesn't provide the best foundation for a sealer causing it to breakdown faster. To counteract this I usually apply as much sealer as the floor will accept and then leave any spare with the customer so they can top it up when the shine starts to wear off. I find this works Read more...

Cleaning Old Slate Flagstones Tiles in Banbury

These photographs from the hallway of a house in Banbury where old thick slate tiled floor had been laid and the customer was unable to get them clean or restore any colour back into the stone. Cleaning Slate Flagstone Tiles I prepped the skirting boards with masking tape to protect them and then cleaned the floor with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which was left to dwell on the floor for a while before being worked into the flagstones by hand using a stiff bristle brush. Read more...

Travertine Floor Tile Polishing in Hampshire

I do like a beautiful Travertine Tiled floor however they do need regular maintenance to keep them looking good. This travertine floor installed in the kitchen of a house in Fareham was no different as the tiles were looking dull and the grout was tarnishing. Cleaning Travertine Kitchen Tiles Read more...

Cleaning and Milling Silver Pearl Pearlescent Slate floor in Lancaster

Previously I had solved a lippage problem on this customers Limestone kitchen floor where the tiler had laid the tiles unevenly and they had asked me to remove and level the edges which we can do with diamond encrusted burnishing pads. I sorted that out and they asked me back to look at their Conservatory floor as well which was a Silver Black Pearlescent Slate, again laid with lippage but the slate had also been oiled prior to sealing causing it to loose all its Silver colouring making it Read more...

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Marble Wall and Floor Tile Refresh in Woking

This job was to refresh the Marble tile installed in a house in Woking. There were a number of different marble tiles installed on the wall and floor including two shower cubicles, a bathroom floor, a small cloakroom floor and the kitchen floor; the pictures below show before and after photographs for each job. Cleaning a Marble Tile Shower Cubicle I started with the shower cubicles using Tile Doctor Oxy-Pro which is a specific product for cleaning showers and comes with a spray attachment Read more...

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Restoring Slate Tiles in Historic Stratford

This beautiful Brazilian Slate tiled floor was installed in the cellar of a house in Urmston, Manchester; the slate has never been sealed as so as you would expect it dirt soon became ingrained into the pores of the tile and it lost its appearance. Cleaning slate Floor Tiles I gave the floor a Read more...

Restoring a Victorian Tiled Hallway in Kettering

The following photos are from a Victorian tiled hallway floor at a residence in Kettering Northants which had been covered with carpet for the last thirty odd years; to make matters worse the carpet had been stuck down with adhesive which was proving very difficult to remove. The customer phoned to see if it would be possible to restore the floor back to its former glory as it was very dirty and the colours were dull not to mention the glue. After a home visit and testing a small area to Read more...

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Maintaining Slate Tiles in Glasgow

The photographs below are from the Kitchen of a house in Glasgow with a Slate tiled floor fitted. The sealer on the slate has started to go and if you look closely at the photographs you can see how tired and dull the tiles are looking; this is a common problem with natural stone floors where Read more...

Terracotta Deep Clean and Seal

This Terracotta tiled kitchen floor in Twickenham had accumulated a high amount of soil over the years. Spots and spills from kitchen activity had also proved impossible to remove by the owner which was due to the sealer breaking down; the floor was now in need of a deep clean, stripping off the Read more...

Grout Cleaning And Re-Colouring A Ceramic Tiled Floor In Canvey Island

Here's a quick grout cleaning and re-colouring job I completed in the town of Canvey Island, Essex. Canvey Island lies on the south east coast, and lies just above sea level which in my job is always worth noting as the area can be prone to flooding. This wasn't the problem here though, simply put, my client was unhappy with the colour of their grout, and wanted it re-coloured to a darker shade to match the grey Ceramic floor tiles. Cleaning the grout before re-colouring is essential Read more...

Refreshing a Limestone Tiled Floor

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 Read more...

Limestone Tiled Kitchen Floor Cleaned and Polished in Fulham

Beautiful Limestone tiled floor installed in the kitchen of a house in Fulham, the owner was keen to have the floor cleaned and re-polished; Limestone is a very hardwearing material but does need an occasional professional polish to keep it looking its best. Cleaning Limestone Floor Tiles The floor was given a quick wash with Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner in order to remove any surface grit and then cleaned using a set of Burnishing pads fitted to a rotary machine. The burnishing pads come in Read more...

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Terracotta Tiled Floor Cleaned and Sealed in Ringmer

This Terracotta Tiled floor was located in a house in the town of Ringmer, East Sussex, it had been a while since it had last been thoroughly cleaned and re-sealed and was now well overdue for some extra attention. Terracotta Tile Cleaning To get the tiles clean we applied a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a heavy duty alkaline cleaner/coatings stripper ideal for tiled surfaces. We let the solution dwell on the floor for 10 to 20 minutes before working it into the tiles Read more...

Cleaning Terracotta Tiles Marked With Dirty Boot Prints

I had a rather long conversation with this worried terracotta flooring customer in Weymouth. This was a new installation of around 30 m2 of terracotta tiles. The tiler had laid the tiles and was in the process of sealing with a rather nasty rubber based yellow coloured sealer when his assistant walked through from outside with dirty boots. Being a very absorbent tile the dirty prints penetrated into the tiles within the sealer leaving lovely dirty chevrons all over the new floor. To rectify Read more...

Welcome to the Hampshire Tile Doctor™

We are your local specialist for tile cleaning, stone cleaning, grout cleaning and tile, stone and grout sealing covering the restoration of all types of stone and tiled flooring including Ceramic, Limestone, Marble, Porcelain, Quarry, Sandstone, Slate, Terracotta, Terrazzo, Travertine and Victorian tile. Were professionally trained and have the equipment and experience to solve any problem, were also part of the largest specialist tile and stone cleaning network in the UK that enables us to Read more...

Terracotta Tiled Floor Cleaned and Sealed in Leighton Buzzard

Details below of a Terracotta tiled floor at a house in Leighton Buzzard which was in need of a deep clean and re-seal. Cleaning Terracotta Floor Tiles To get the tiles clean we applied a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean mixed 50/50 with NanoTech Ultra Clean which combines into a heavy duty alkaline cleaner containing nano sized abrasive particles that cleans deep into the tile. For best results let the cleaning solution dwell on the surface of the tile for 10-20 minutes before Read more...

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Travertine Tiled Floor Cleaned, Filled, Polished and Sealed in Stratford Upon Avon

Following on from a referral I agreed to travel down to Stratford upon Avon and deep clean this Travertine tiled floor which had not been professionally cleaned for over eight years and was now looking rather dull as you can see in the photograph below, additionally the holes in the travertine Read more...

Filling Holes and Restoring Shine on a Victorian Tiled Floor in Thame

The pictures below were taken in the entrance hall of a residence in the market town of Thame in Oxfordshire where the Victorian Floor Tiles although in good condition had become dull, you will see there is also a photograph of part of the tiles where holes had been drilled in the floor (don't ask). Naturally the owner wanted both problems resolving and so called in their local Tile Doctor. Restoring Victorian Quarry Tiles The first task was to clean the floor which I used a dilution of Tile Read more...

Deep Cleaning Grubby Quarry tiles

This Quarry Tiled Kitchen floor had been laid in 2000 which is relatively recent compared to some of the floors I'm asked to deal with, the tiles are 150 x 150 mm Quarry tiles with a mixture of colours. A customer in Cardiff said that the Quarry tiles has been sealed by the tiler however it Read more...

Polished Marble Floor Covered in Grout Haze in Irthlingborough

These photos are from a newly installed Polished Marble floor in the kitchen at a residence in Irthlingborough Northants which had been left covered in grout haze. The customer called the builder back as they were unhappy with the finish but he could not rectify the problem, so the customer contacted Tile Doctor to see if anything could be done. This is a problem we often come up against where a builder or tiler does a good job of laying the tiles but for some reason doesn't remove all the Read more...

Cleaning Sandstone Fireplace

We don't get a great deal of inquiries about the restoration of stone fireplaces so its refreshing when one comes along, however the principles of cleaning and are the same so were always happy to take on the work. As you can see from the photograph above the Sandstone Fireplace was stained from soot and in need of a good clean. Soot staining is inevitable given the location however it can be reduced with wood burning stoves by fully opening the air vents shortly before opening the door, Read more...

Factory Floor Degrease in Coventry

Called out to a factory floor in Aldermans Green Industrial Estate, Coventry in the West Midlands to clean and degrease the floor prior to keys being handed back to the local council .The floor also need to be repainted with epoxy floor paint but had to be clean first, we were happy to offer both services, i.e. cleaning and repainting. The floor was cleaned using Tile Doctor Pro-Clean diluted 1 to 5 with water and an additional 100ml of Tile Doctor Remove and Go to help strip cut the grease. Read more...

Terracotta Floor Cleaned and Sealed

Terracotta Tiles cleaned With Tile Doctor Pro-clean and 2 Black Buffing pads, there were some awkward stains in corners and such so I used Remove and Go and some Nano-scrub cleaner on these, but only after they had been pre-wetted first otherwise Remove and Go is hard to get out of the clay. Terracotta Floor Before Cleaning and Sealing Lots of Rinsing with water, left to dry overnight and came back the next day to Seal, turned the heating up, opened a couple of small windows front and back Read more...

Deep Cleaning Victorian Floor Tiles

We had a great result on this Victorian tiled floor at a house in Musselburgh which is five miles east of Edinburgh and apparently one of the oldest towns in Scotland. If you take a close look at the photograph below you can see how dirty the tiles were before we got started. Cleaning Victorian Read more...

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Welcome To Tile Doctor Glasgow

We are your local specialist for tile cleaning, stone cleaning, grout cleaning and tile, stone and grout sealing covering the restoration of all types of stone and tiled flooring including Ceramic, Limestone, Marble, Porcelain, Quarry, Sandstone, Slate, Terracotta, Terrazzo, Travertine and Victorian tile. Were professionally trained and have the equipment and experience to solve any problem, were also part of a national network that enables us to share industry knowledge and expertise. Read more...

Polishing Marble Tiles in Kendal

We were recently asked to look at a polished Marble Tile installed in the floor of a house in Kendal, Cumbria. They were recently fitted but the local Tiler had struggled to get the sheen right on the surface of the Marble, in fact the sealer he had used was badly smeared in some places and needed to come off. To strip off the sealer we used with a Red diamond encrusted burnishing pad fitted to a rotary machine and then rinsed the floor with water which we then removed using a wet and dry Read more...

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Cleaning Terracotta Tiles in a Kitchen

This customer in Salisbury was having difficulty bringing their Terracotta tiled kitchen floor back to the condition it was in when it was first laid. Upon inspection it was evident that the sealer on the floor had failed and dirt had become ingrained into the pores of the tile making it Read more...

Kitchen Quarry Tile Cleaning and Sealing in Rushden

This job was to strip and re-seal these Quarry tiles installed in a commercial kitchen which was undergoing refurbishment at a canteen in Rushden, Northamptonshire. The tile finish had dulled and there was a lot of staining to the grout. Cleaning Quarry Tiles As there was little in the way of kitchen units to protect I go straight down to stripping down the floor using a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a multi-purpose cleaner/stripper that's safe to use on stone, tile and Read more...

Restoration of Sandtone Floor in Beyton

We were called into Clean and Seal 36m2 of Sandstone tile flooring installed in the Kitchen, Utility, Hallway and Cloakroom of a house in the Suffolk village of Beyton. The sandstone floor tile was laid around 10 years prior, the tiles had never been sealed and despite regular cleaning the riven surface had become a natural home for dust and grime. Sandstone Tile Cleaning Cleaning the floor was straight forward using a dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a very effective and flexible Read more...

Slate Tiled Floor restored to a natural finish in Balham, South London

This beautiful slate tiled floor installed in the kitchen and hallway of a house in Balham London; I was asked by the owner if we could restore the floor following some work that had been carried out by a builder who had failed in his attempts to remove the old seal. To instill confidence that we could complete the work we carried out a demonstration on a small test area which was enough to prove that money would not be wasted and we were booked for the job, we even agreed to clean the Read more...

Office Floor Clean and Polish in Essex

These photographs are from the cleaning of a Travertine tiled floor installed in an old house in Dunmow that had been used as offices by employees of a Ford dealership. The house was empty when we started the cleaning process and you could see that the dirt had become ingrained into the tile and Read more...

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Cleaning Ceramic Tiles at Luton High street restaurant

The Ceramic floor tiles shown below were installed in a Luton high street restaurant, as you can see they were far from clean, deeply stained and even the grout had gone black. Cleaning Ceramic Floor Tiles Given the amount of dirt on the tile and grout we decided to apply a very strong combination of Tile Doctor Remove and Go mixed 50/50 with NanoTech Ultra Clean which results in the creation of a heavy duty stripper/cleaner containing nano sized abrasive particles that can penetrate deep Read more...

Sealing Reproduction Victorian Tiles

These Victorian Tiles had been laid in a hallway floor of a house in Dorchester ten years prior and sealed with what turned out to be an impregnator that had long ago lost its strength through oxidation and years of cleaning with flash which is far too strong and attacks sealers. What was left of the sealer was easily stripped off with Tile Doctor Pro-Clean agitated using a rotary scrubber and then washed down with a hot pressure wash. Sealing Victorian Tiles We offer the customer a choice Read more...

Renovating a Victorian Tiled Floor in a Leicestershire Pub

Here's a really interesting commercial job for you, which I recently completed in the town of Hinckley, Leicestershire. I was asked to take a look at a Victorian Geometric and Encaustic tiled floor in the historic Queen's Head pub. This floor is over a century old and although in good Read more...

Kitchen Quarry Tile Restoration in Coundon, Coventry

These Quarry tiles were in the kitchen of a house in Coundon, Coventry; the owner of the house found them hidden under a carpet and was keen to restore them. You can see from the photograph below they had been seriously neglected, covered in paint and cement and then finally carpet adhesive. Restoring Quarry Tiles First the quarry tiled floor was dry vacuumed to remove loose soil and particles from the surface. It was then cleaned using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up which is an acid based Read more...

Removing Grout Haze from Slate Kitchen Tiles

These Slate tiles were installed in the kitchen of a house in Glasgow and as you can see from the photograph below they were looking dull and tired and there was evidence of grout haze over a lot of the tiles. The Tile Doctor diagnosis was that a face lift was in order for which a deep clean and Read more...

Restoring the Appearance of a Limestone Tiled Floor

We were asked by the new owners of this property in Marlow to clean and seal the Limestone tiled kitchen floor which was in a heavily soiled condition and it was apparent that the tiles and the grout lines hadn't been professionally cleaned for some time. Cleaning a Limestone Tiled Floor To lift Read more...

Old Victorian Tiled Floor Restored In A Hinckley Public House

Here's a really interesting commercial job for you, which I recently completed in the town of Hinckley, Leicestershire. I was asked to take a look at a Victorian Geometric and Encaustic tiled floor in the historic Queen's Head pub. This floor is over a century old and although in good condition for its age had suffered significant wear over the years, along with some cracked tiles and slight inherent moisture issues. What the pub landlord requested was a restorative clean to alleviate the Read more...

Limestone Tiled Entrance Hall Cleaned in Burford

This Limestone tiled floor was located in the entrance hall of a residential property in Burford. I popped round following a cleaning enquiry to provide a quote and did a sample clean on a test area, I was then asked if I could do the whole floor there and then and not wanting to disappoint I managed to shuffle a few appointments round and got on with it. Cleaning Limestone Floor Tiles To get the best from this floor I used a set of diamond encrusted burnishing pads which if you have read Read more...

Restoring a Victorian Tiled Hallway in Brighton

The photograph below is from a Victorian tiled floor that we recently restored in the seaside town of Brighton. The house owner discovered the tiles under carpet and after realising what a beautiful and original feature they were decided to have them restored and so called in Tile Doctor. The tiles had been well preserved by the carpet although as you can see they were looking rather washed out and were in need of a thorough deep clean. Cleaning Victorian Tiles We set about cleaning the Read more...

Restoring An Old Quarry Tiled Floor

I recently completed a floor in the town of Radcliffe-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire where the owner of an old cottage which dated back to 1875 had lifted up a carpet to discover an original Quarry tiled floor from when the property was first constructed. The underlay had been stuck down with Read more...

Horrendous Terracotta Tiled Floor Restored in North Chailey

This customer in North Chailey, near Haywards Heath and Uckfield, contacted me asking for her Terracotta tiled kitchen floor to be cleaned and sealed. To quote the customer she said the tiles were "horrendous" and upon inspection it was hard to disagree. However I thought that most of the floor could be greatly improved but several areas around the washing machine and dishwasher were particularly soiled. Once I spoke of my concerns the customer admitted that both the washing machine and Read more...

Dealing with Grout Haze on honed Limestone

The photographs below are of a honed Limestone floor in the kitchen/diner of a house in Bingham, Nottinghamshire which had been contaminated with heavy grout haze from dark grout that had penetrated into the surface of the natural stone tiles due to the face that they had not been properly Read more...

Power Washing Paving Slabs in Great Oakley

This was a straight forward request to Power Wash Paving Slabs outside a house in Great Oakley. I wouldn't normally add this to my blog however it occurred to me that a lot of my customers don't realise Tile Doctor's have invested in high pressure equipment that can be used externally as well as internally. In the photograph below you will see a picture of our van which contains a very high pressure truck mounted cleaning system which can generates pressures far in excess of a domestic Read more...

Hidden Quarry tiled Floor Restored in Radcliffe-on-Trent

I recently completed a floor in the town of Radcliffe-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire where the owner of an old cottage which dated back to 1875 had lifted up a carpet to discover an original Quarry tiled floor from when the property was first constructed. The underlay had been stuck down with adhesive, and grippers fitted at the wall edges secured with both tacks and resin glue. This had caused a small amount of damage to the tiles and since the floor had been hidden away for so many years there Read more...

Deep Cleaning Slate tiles in Cumbria

This property in Ulveston had previously been used as a guest house and was now being refurbished and turned back into a home. The kitchen and conservatory had a Slate tiled floor and as you can imagine had seen a fair amount of wear from the numerous fried breakfasts that had been prepared in Read more...

Amtico Floor in Manchester For Corrination Street Actor

As well as Tile and Stone Tile Doctor also have the ability to restore Amtico and Karndean vinyl flooring such as this Hallway in Manchester owned by none other than Coronation Street actor Philip Middlemiss aka Des Barnes which had become ingrained with dirt and was becoming difficult to clean properly. Tile Doctor Russell-Taylor and Phil Middlemiss aka Des Barnes First I applied a small tester of Tile Doctor Woodstrip, which although very good at stripping wax and polish off wooden Read more...

Cleaning Tumbled Travertine Kitchen Tiles

This Tumbled Travertine kitchen floor in Twickenham, Middlesex was in need of a deep clean including stripping out the old sealer and re-sealing to ensure easy maintenance in the future. The floor had not been professionally cleaned and re-sealed for over 10 years and being in a high traffic Read more...

Beautiful Indian Sandstone Restoration

This beautiful Indian Sandstone tiled floor was laid throughout an open plan Kitchen, Dining and Lounge in a house in Guilford. The floor was in need of a deep clean and seal so we called round initially to survey the tile and grout and provide a quote which was accepted. Cleaning Indian Sandstone To clean the floor we used a solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a flexible strong alkaline cleaner specially designed for use on stone floors mixed 50/50 with Tile Doctor Nanotech Read more...

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Cleaning and Sealing Black Chinese Slate Tiles in Basingstoke

You can see from the photograph below how dirty these Black Chinese Slate tiles and grout had become; the old sealer protecting the tile and grout from stains had virtually vanished because the customer in Basingstoke had been using washing up liquid to clean them. Generally speaking washing up liquid is a degreaser with a slight Acidic PH and over time it can strip the sealer off. This was definitely the root cause of problem in this case in fact the sealer was virtually non existent. In a Read more...

Cleaning and Sealing Slate Tiled Floor

It helps to know the cleaning and sealing history of the floor, knowing this information can help with cleaning and sealing decisions. In this case however the slate tiled floor had been laid 15 years prior in a house in Sturminster Newton, around the time the house was built and had not been resealed since so that information was long forgotten. Cleaning the Slate Tiled Floor After testing I found it had been sealed with a wax based product which could easily be removed with Tile doctor Read more...

Tired Quarry Tiled Floor in Dunstable School Refurbished

Before and after photograph below of a Quarry Tiled floor at a school in Dunstable that was in such a bad state we had to apply grout colourant to the floor. Quarry tiles are fairly indestructible so ideal for use in schools etc. where they will see a lot of foot traffic and abuse, having said that they will fade with wear over time and naturally the grout can become ingrained with dirt if not protected. Cleaning Quarry Tiles It had been a while since the Quarry Tiles and Grout had been Read more...

Effectively Remove Rubber Floor Tiles

Rubber floor tiles offer good flooring material for areas of the home that need extra sound insulation. These tiles also provide softer surfaces that absorb impact. When deciding to remove the rubber tiles in favor of environmentally friendly flooring materials, you have to deal with the adhesive underneath it.

What You'll Need

• Putty knife
• Pliers
• Protective gloves
• Soapy water
• Adhesive removing solvents
• Rag
• Respirator

Step 1 – Preparations

Remove any object that is on top of the rubber floor tiles. Clean chunks of debris and sweep dust on the top surface. Prepare all tools and materials as well. Choose solvent for adhesive removal. Solvents such as paint thinner, mineral spirits, lighter fluid, acetone, alcohol, and commercial adhesive removers can be used. However, when dealing with a wide area, make use of a stronger solvent to speed up the process.

Step 2 – Remove the Tiles

Wear protective gloves. Use a putty knife to detach the tile from the underlayment or subfloor. Start working from the corners and edges of the floor. Insert the flat end of the putty knife into the underside of the tile and loosen the adhesive. When a portion of the tile is removed, pull it up carefully with a pair of pliers while loosening the leftover adhesive with the knife. After detaching the tile, move to the next tile. Work from one edge going towards the opposite edge.

Step 3 – Prepare for Adhesive Removal

When working with solvent, provide sufficient ventilation inside the room by opening available windows and doors. Wear protective gloves and a respirator. Keep in mind that over exposure to fumes coming from toxic solvents can cause adverse effects health. Safety should be a primary concern.

Step 4 – Remove the Adhesive

Work one section at a time to keep things organized. Use a putty knife to scrape away large chunks of adhesive and leave the hard-to-scrape ones for the solvent to remove. To keep things safe, use warm soapy water when removing the leftover adhesive. Spread the warm soapy water over the floor and rub it with a rag.

Use mild solvent such as alcohol or acetone when soapy water is not effective. Spread the solvent over the adhesive one small section at a time and rub it with a rag. For better effectiveness, allow the solvent to sit for about ten minutes before rubbing it with a rag. Do not let the solvent dry.

Use stronger solvents only when milder solutions do not work. Choose whether to use mineral spirits, paint thinner, or other commercial adhesive removers. Apply a liberal amount the solvent over the affected surface. Let it sit for about ten minutes before rubbing the adhesive away. Ensure that every residue of the adhesive is removed before cleaning up the mess.

Step 5 – Clean Up the Residue

Wipe the solvent off the surface using soapy water. Wipe it dry afterwards with a clean dry cloth or a mop. Apply baking soda solution to neutralize the solvent if preferred. Clean the residue with a vacuum cleaner. 

Source: www.DoItYourself.com

Welcome to the Wiltshire Tile Doctor™

We are your local specialist for tile cleaning, stone cleaning, grout cleaning and tile, stone and grout sealing covering the restoration of all types of stone and tiled flooring including Ceramic, Limestone, Marble, Porcelain, Quarry, Sandstone, Slate, Terracotta, Terrazzo, Travertine and Victorian tile. Were professionally trained and have the equipment and experience to solve any problem, were also part of a national network that enables us to share industry knowledge and expertise. Read more...

Victorian Tiled Floor Restoration in Glasgow

This Victorian tiled floor was located in the west end of Glasgow, the owner had discovered the tiles under the carpet and wanted to have them restored as an original feature. When we arrived the floor was still covered in carpet glue, cement, and hessian backing from the carpet that had been stuck to the tiles. Cleaning a Victorian Floor The first job was to scrape off as much hessian backing and glue as we could with large scrapers and brushed all loose debris away. We then covered the Read more...

Careful Cleaning of Quarry tiles around a swimming pool

Photographs below of a job we did cleaning and sealing the Quarry Tiles surrounding a residential indoor swimming pool floor tiles at a grand residence in Cambridge. As you can see from the photograph below the Quarry tiles and Grout was looking rather washed out and given their proximity to Read more...

Deep Cleaning Moroccan Encaustic Cement Tiled toilet Floor

Similar in many ways to Victorian tiles, these are Moroccan Encaustic Cement tiles which come in a huge range of patterns and are ideal for indoor and external use although they should be sealed to protect against water penetration and dirt as well as making cleaning easier. Very popular in hot Read more...

Removing Tar from Quarry Tiles in Rugby

This Quarry Tiled floor was in a house in the village of Clifton-upon-Dunsmore which is close to Rugby; the tiles had been covered in an unattractive damp proof tar membrane and then hidden under carpet for many years and the owner wanted the floor restoring. Quarry Tile Tar Removal To remove the tar membrane the Quarry Tiled floor was coated with Tile Doctor Remove and Go mixed 50/50 with NanoTech Ultra-Clean and left to dwell for 30 minutes to an hour. We then scrubbed the floor using a Read more...

Stripping Terracotta Tiles of Sealer

These photographs of a Terracotta tiled floor came from a house in Melbourne Market Harborough, as you can see the tile was looking tired and the grout had gone dark with staining. Cleaning Kitchen Terracotta Tiles Before starting work the tile perimeter was protected using plastic sheet. Read more...

Applying Ant-Slip to a shiny Porcelain Patio

Last week we were asked to carry out a demonstration of our AntiSlip Treatment for a lady in Ashtead Surrey. She has white shiny Porcelain tiles laid on a patio area and when they get wet they are really slippery and dangerous and she was especially concerned about young children hurting themselves. We carried out a test patch for her and asked her to see if she could slip, not only did she try, but her gran and mother-in-law also tried and were extremely impressed. I left her with our Read more...

Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor Cleaned and Sealed in Thame

This customer had recently moved into a house with a Terracotta Tiled Floor in Thame, Oxfordshire and decided she did not like the colour of the floor grout and also was unable to clean off some back marks in the corners. When I went to view the property I performed a test clean on a sample area to show her that the black marks could be removed and also stripped back the tile show how much cleaner they could look. The work was agreed and I was booked to come back and completely strip the Read more...

Terracotta Floor Maintained in Whipsnade

Pictures below of another Terracotta tiled floor that was deep cleaned and then sealed, this time in Whipsnade. You can see from the photograph below the floor was in good physical condition but was looking washed out and had staining to the grout. Cleaning Terracotta Floor Tiles To deep clean the Terracotta tile and grout I applied a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean mixed 50/50 with NanoTech Ultra Clean to produce a heavy duty alkaline cleaner with nano sized abrasive particles Read more...

New Osprey Deep Clean ProVap Evo Vac Steam Vacuum

Every Tile Doctor has a range of tools and equipment they can bring to a job. Here at Warwickshire Tile Doctor we recently invested in a new ProVap Evo Vac Steam Vacuum machine from Osprey, a leading supplier of efficient industrial steam cleaning equipment in the UK. Steam cleaning is an environmental cleaning solution and ideal for general cleaning, sanitation and degreasing, it's also a powerful tool for dealing with stains that are proving particularly tricky to shift. The ProVap Evo Vac Read more...

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Removing a Sealer From Kitchen Quarry Tiles

I recently paid a free home survey visit to a home owner in the village of Sherston near Malmesbury where the sealer on her Quarry Tiled Floor had started to fail in places and was becoming difficult to keep clean. Whilst I was there I did a sample clean and after reviewing the results she was Read more...

Terracotta Tiled Floor Cleaned and Sealed in Great Bourton

At first glance and this Terracotta tiled floor at a house in the village of Great Bourton looks in good condition, but on closer inspection there were visible white marks where there had been a water leak in previous years and the salts had come through the tiles. The customer also told me she had to wax the floor on a regular basis and was looking for a seal where she didn't have to do this. Cleaning Terracotta Tile My first task was to protect all the skirting and kickboards with Read more...

Deep Cleaning Travertine Tiles

Another Tumbled Travertine kitchen floor, this time in Teddington and much dirtier than the previous post. The grout was badly stained and dirt had built up in the pores of the tile causing it to go black and very un-appealing. Normally a sealer would stop this from happening and I suspect these Read more...

Cleaning & Sealing Travertine Floor Tiles in Portsmouth

This beautiful Travertine Tiled floor was installed in a Kitchen in Portsmouth; it was in need of a little TLC so the house owner called in Tile Doctor to give it a make over. Cleaning Travertine Kitchen Tiles Before starting the cleaning we applied clear silicone in order to protect the Kitchen units, otherwise water can soak into the plinths and kicker boards, and this was left to cure while we worked on other parts of the kitchen. There was a paint splatter on one area which we managed Read more...

Refreshing Sandstone Flagstone in a Barn Conversion

These photographs are from a fantastic barn conversion in the town of Newark, Nottinghamshire. The owners of the property, however, were unhappy with the state of their modern Sandstone Flagstone tiled floor, which was looking dull and tired. Flagstones are typically quite hard-wearing and durable but will need proper maintenance over time and I was called in get them looking like new again. Cleaning Sandstone Flagstones Firstly, I mixed a solution of one part Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, which is Read more...

Cleaning and Sealing Kitchen Slate Tiles in Towcester

These photographs of a Slate tiled floor were taken in the Kitchen of a house in Towcester where the slate was looking rather dull and had lost its appeal. This does happen with natural stone floor where the sealer which can add a shine to the stone becomes worn down and ineffective. Cleaning Chinese Slate Tiles We removed the kickboards from the kitchen units and lined the skirting boards with green Frog tape in order to protect them from cleaning fluids. The next step was to soak the Read more...

Stained Marble Table Top

This beautiful Marble Table Top belonged to a lady living in Sturminster Newton whose slate floor I was restoring and she happened to ask me about the surface staining. She had had a quote from a stone mason who had said he would take it away, grind it, and bring it back which as you can imagine would not of been cheap. Polishing a Marble Table Top Unlike the stone mason I was able to restore the Table Top without moving it from the dining room using a set of six inch burnishing pads. I Read more...

Deep Cleaning Victorian Tiles

This dull and un-inviting Victorian tiled entrance hall was located at a house in the small town of Whitburn in West Lothian which is half between Glasgow and Edinburgh. The tiles were in need of a deep clean and seal and we do see our fair share of Victorian tiled floors in this area and so Read more...

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Maintaining Honed Limestone Tiles

The photographs below of a Honed Limestone tiles fitted in the living room of a house in Marlborough. The tiles were proving difficult to keep clean especially around the high traffic areas such as the doorway, I suspect the sealer had worn down and dirt was now becoming ingrained in the pores Read more...

Cleaning and Sealing Slate tiles in a Kitchen

These photographs of a Slate tiled floor were taken in the Kitchen of a house in Towcester where the slate was looking rather dull and had lost its appeal. This does happen with natural stone floor where the sealer which can add a shine to the stone becomes worn down and ineffective. Cleaning Read more...

Customer Testimonials

Customer Testimonials Read more...

Quarry Tiled Floor Restored in Warninglid

This customer in Warninglid, near Cuckfield asked me to clean a Quarry tiled floor that had been hidden for years under carpet. The carpet had been thoroughly stuck down with glue and sticky gripper rods so the tiles were in quite a mess. Whilst I thought that most of the floor could be greatly improved I voiced my reservations about several patches of heavy glue and some blackened area where burning logs appeared to have rolled from the hearth onto the stone. Deep Cleaning Quarry Tiles I Read more...

Dull and Tired Sandstone Flagstone Tiled Floor Refreshed in Newark

These photographs are from a fantastic barn conversion in the town of Newark, Nottinghamshire. The owners of the property, however, were unhappy with the state of their modern Sandstone Flagstone tiled floor, which was looking dull and tired. Flagstones are typically quite hard-wearing and durable but will need proper maintenance over time and I was called in get them looking like new again. Cleaning Sandstone Flagstones Firstly, I mixed a solution of one part Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, which is Read more...

Deep cleaning dirty Terracotta tiles in a Kitchen

This Terracotta tiled floor was in the kitchen of a house in Didsbury near Manchester. The tiles had never been sealed before and so had become ingrained with dirt making them very difficult to clean. Cleaning Terracotta Tiles To get the Terracotta tiles clean I soaked tiles in a dilution of Read more...

Travertine Tiled Wet Room Refresh in Glasgow

This Travertine wet room in Glasgow was in a sorry looking state, the tiles had become very dull and there was evidence of mould especially around the silicone. Cleaning a Travertine Wet Room The first job was to cut out all the mouldy silicone around the bottom of the shower cubicle; which had the added advantage of allowing us to clean the adjacent tiles right to the edges. Once the silicone was removed we decanted a dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean into a spray bottle and began to spray Read more...

Considering All Your Kitchen Floor Options

The humble kitchen floor is capable of so much more than tired linoleum patterns chosen for their ease of cleaning. Options range from unique stone design to affordable but classy looking and durable vinyl tiles. This wealth of choice and abundance of materials can sometimes be overwhelming. Heading to your local home improvement or Do It Yourself store may be the first option for many but having a good idea of what you are looking for and why before you leave the house is a good idea. Forewarned, after all, is forearmed. 

Materials

Vinyl flooring has long been one of the most popular options for kitchen floors. Not only is it durable and easy to clean but also advances in the manufacturing process mean an increased number of designs and colors, as well as availability in sheet or tiles. Because it’s easy to mop or wipe clean, vinyl is the perfect choice for families or for any household looking for a stylish kitchen that is easy to maintain.

Ceramic tiles are also comparatively easy to clean. They combine sleek looks with amazing potential. There is a wide range of different designs, patterns, and colors to choose from so you can easily match any kitchen design. While ceramic tiles are not as affordable as vinyl tiles they do offer a little more in the way of luxurious finishes and a unique look for your home.

Laminate flooring has seen a surge in popularity. The principle of manufacturing laminate flooring is that a picture of wood or another effect is laminated onto a durable flooring material. This gives the effect of a wooden floor without the cost and maintenance of a hardwood floor. Laminate is easy to clean and easy to install yourself. It has also become much more affordable whether in strips, planks, or sheets.

Hardwood flooring is the more luxurious version of a laminate floor. Nothing else truly compares to the beauty of well-finished hardwood flooring. Unfortunately a real wood floor can prove costly and needs regular maintenance. Choosing the best hardwood finish means that the floor will be more scratch and damage resistant. A hardwood kitchen floor will last longer than almost any other type of floor and through routine maintenance it can be kept looking fresh and attractive throughout its life.

Stone flooring is expensive because it generally offers a completely unique look. The type of stone you choose will directly impact the cost and size and shape of the stone. It can be difficult to fit a stone floor because of the unusual shape of the stone itself. However, nothing looks as unique and alluring as a stone floor.

Beauty, Strength, And Durability

Finding the right combination of beauty, durability, and use according to your own requirements is essential. Your budget will generally play a large part in this but so too will the size of your family unit and the overall design of your kitchen. Never forget that the kitchen sees a lot of foot traffic for a majority of the time. This means that durability should be a major issue, especially if you have a large family or use the kitchen to entertain.

Kitchen Flooring Decisions

The overall design of your kitchen should play an important part in your final decision on flooring. Sleek, modern designs should incorporate similarly modern looking flooring. This can be achieved with laminate or certain tiles. Light colors give kitchens the appearance of being airy and spacious so are particular useful for smaller rooms. However, one of the most fascinating aspects of any interior design project is that rules are sometimes best broken. Experiment and consider all of your options before making that all-important final decision.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com

Quarry Tiled Floor Cleaned and Sealed in Ashtead

A while ago I was asked to quote to clean up an old quarry tiled floor in a converted barn in Ashtead. Whilst I was there I carried out a test patch for the lady to show what the results would be; she had said that if she wasn't satisfied she was going to replace the floor so she must have met her expectations as a week later we were given the go ahead to carry out the work. Cleaning Hallway Quarry Tiles Fortunately for us they had recently removed the old kitchen and scheduled us after to Read more...

Grout Colouring in Chorley

The surface of grout is porous and as a result it can get so dirty it becomes impossible to clean it successfully, even our most powerful cleaners struggle if it gets to this stage. If you get to this point you could use the flat end of a screwdriver to scrape out the grout and re-grout the whole floor to ensure a consistent colour, naturally this is arduous work and can be time consuming however there is a second option and that is to apply a Grout Colourant instead. The grout colouring Read more...

Victorian Tiled Hallway Restoration in Chippenham

This customer had just brought a house in Chippenham which they were renovating and it had come to their attention that Victorian tiles had been laid under the hallway carpet. Keen to restore them the customer called us in to see if we could enhance the appearance of their floor. Cleaning Victorian Tiles We started by covering the floor with a mild solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean mixed 50/50 with NanoTech Ultra Clean, this combination creates a powerful cleaning solution for tackling Read more...

Removing layers of wax and oil from Terracotta tiles

These photographs are from a Terracotta Tiled Kitchen at a house in the historic town of Warwick. You should be able to see from the photographs that the tiles had a heavy build-up of wax and oil coating which besides being very unsightly made them difficult to clean. Removing Wax and Oil from Read more...

Ceramic Tiled Toilet Floor Restored At Car Dealership In Melton Mowbray

At Tile Doctor, we carry out professional tiled floor restorations in both residential and commercial environments. In this particular case we were asked to take a look at the tiles at a Car Dealership in the town of Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. Melton Mowbray is known as the "Rural Capital of Food", thanks to its range of local specialities, including its famous pork pie and Stilton cheese. The problem was focused in the toilet area, where the non-slip Ceramic tiles had suffered heavy Read more...

Polishing Marble Mosaic Balcony Tiles in Bournemouth

Installed on an external balcony these black and white Marble Mosaic tiles had been exposed to the elements resulting in an accumulated of dirt. Cleaning Marble Mosaic Balcony Tiles Marble is a very tough product so for best results we recommend using a set of burnishing pads fitted to a rotary machine that can cut through the grime and re-polish the stone. There are four pads in the set and you start with the Red pad together with a little water, this removes any remaining sealer; next you Read more...

Welcome to the South East Wales Tile Doctor™

We are your local specialist for tile cleaning, stone cleaning, grout cleaning and tile, stone and grout sealing covering the restoration of all types of stone and tiled flooring including Ceramic, Limestone, Marble, Porcelain, Quarry, Sandstone, Slate, Terracotta, Terrazzo, Travertine and Victorian tile. Were professionally trained and have the equipment and experience to solve any problem, were also part of a national network that enables us to share industry knowledge and expertise. Read more...

Removing Linseed Oil from Terracotta in Leamington Spa

This Terracotta floor in Leamington Spa had been sealed previously with Linseed Oil; apparently the tiler had dipped the Tile into the oil to make sure he had an even coverage. Linseed Oil is a traditional way of sealing terracotta however it makes the tiles significantly darker and over the years it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain. Cleaning Terracotta Tiles To remove the oil and clean the floor we used a 50/50 mix of Pro-Clean and NanoTech Ultra-Clean, the strong cleaning power Read more...

Cleaning Commercial Ceramic Anti-Slip Tiles

At Tile Doctor, we carry out professional tiled floor restorations in both residential and commercial environments. In this particular case we were asked to take a look at the tiles at a Car Dealership in the town of Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. Melton Mowbray is known as the "Rural Capital of Food", thanks to its range of local specialities, including its famous pork pie and Stilton cheese. The problem was focused in the toilet area, where the non-slip Ceramic tiles had suffered heavy soil build-up. Since the cleaning contractor was unable to tackle the issue, Tile Doctor was recruited to restore the area using specialist tile cleaning methods and products.

Cleaning non-slip Ceramic Tiles

Judging by the level of soil build-up on the floor I mixed a solution of one part Tile Doctor Pro-Clean (a high alkaline cleaner) with five parts of water. This was then left to dwell on the tiles so the solution could seep into the crevices of the non-slip tile breaking it down and making it easier to clean.


I agitated the solution using scrubbing pads to remove the soil which once the dirty cleaning solution was rinsed away and removed using a wet vacuum made a dramatic difference to the overall appearance of the floor.

Removing Grout Smears from Ceramic Tiles

The floor looked much better however now it was clean I could see a film of grout haze residue on the surface of many of the tiles which had been left over from the initial installation. To tackle this problem I applied Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up which along with grout haze this product can also remove rust stains and other mineral deposits. I was now happy with the condition of the ceramic tile and grout and after another rinse with water I promptly force dried the floor with a special fan in order to get the toilet ready for use again. You only need to look at the before and after photos to see the difference!




Source: Tile, Stone and Grout Cleaning and Maintenance Services in Northamptonshire

Removing Varnish from Quarry Tiles

We were asked to take a look at these Quarry Tiles at a house in the Lancashire town of Formby near Liverpool. The tiles had been sealed with varnish but a polyurethane sealer like Varnish which forms a thin coat on the surface of the tile is easily scratched as you can see in the photograph Read more...

Terrazzo Tiled Vestibule Cleaned and Polished in Glasgow

This Terrazzo tiled vestibule in Glasgow was completely dull and lacking colour when we arrived, this area probably see's the most foot traffic in the house so it must of seen a fair amount of wear and abuse over the years. Cleaning Terrazzo Tiles Terrazzo is a very hard surface and needs to be burnished in the same way as you would treat Marble or Travertine, before we could do that thought we needed to remove any loose debris etc. that could scratch the surface during the burnishing Read more...

Deep Cleaning Dirty Travertine Kitchen Tiles

This Travertine tiled kitchen floor in Ottershaw, Surrey, was in need of a deep clean, strip out the old sealer and re-seal to ensure easy maintenance in the future. Being a high traffic area the tiles had accumulated a high amount of soil over the years. There was also marking from breakfast Read more...

70m2 Slate tiles cleaned and Sealed in Chelwood Gate

This customer from Chelwood Gate which is a small village south of East Grinstead contacted me asking for the Slate tiles in their kitchen, utility room and living area to be cleaned and sealed. It was quite a large area, approximately 70sq metres. Deep Cleaning a large Slate Tiled Floor Once we had cleared the large sofas and fridge freezer from the room I got to work cleaning and stripping the floor using a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. I was slightly concerned by the large Read more...

Ceramic Tiled Bathroom Cleaned and Sealed in Leighton Buzzard

This Ceramic tiled family bathroom with shower was installed at house in Leighton Buzzard and was in need of rejuvenation. You can see from the photograph below that the tiles were in reasonable condition but the grout had become ingrained with dirt which is not unknown as the top layer of grout is porous and will discolour over time if not protected. Cleaning Ceramic Tile and Grout The Ceramic tiles and grout were treated using a strong 2:1 dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean mixed 50/50 Read more...

Restoring a Victorian Tiled Floor in Oxford hidden under Parquet

Let me start this story by telling you this was the most challenging floor that I have come across so far. It all started with a request to visit a property in Oxford where they had discovered an original Victorian tiled floor under a parquet floor in the hall. When I arrived the customer had taken up a small area in the corner and had already tried to remove the black bitumen that the parquet floor was stuck down with, he had made some progress but realized it would be a massive project Read more...

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Resolving Limestone Installation Problems

Welcome to the South Buckinghamshire Tile Doctor™

We are your local specialist for tile cleaning, stone cleaning, grout cleaning and tile, stone and grout sealing covering the restoration of all types of stone and tiled flooring including Ceramic, Limestone, Marble, Porcelain, Quarry, Sandstone, Slate, Terracotta, Terrazzo, Travertine and Victorian tile. We're professionally trained and have the equipment and experience to solve any problem, we're also part of a national network that enables us to share industry knowledge and expertise. Read more...

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Victorian Tiled Floor hidden under Carpet restored

This Victorian tiled floor had been discovered under a carpet in a house in Blanford Forum by the customer and they wanted it restored back as close to its original condition as possible. The floor had been preserved well under the carpet although it had lost its vibrance and there was evidence of adhesive staining along the perimeter so I suspect the carpet had originally been glued to floor. Cleaning the Victorian Tiled Floor Cleaning the floor was straightforward and just needed a deep Read more...

Cleaning and Sealing Kitchen Slate Tiles in Corby

Another example of a tired Slate Tiled floor that was in need of a clean and seal, this time in the industrial town of Corby famous for its iron and steel works. Cleaning Slate Kitchen Tiles To get the Slate tile and grout clean the a dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean was applied which was left to soak into the tile for ten minutes before scrubbing it in with a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad and then using a stiff grout brush to clean along the grout lines. The floor was Read more...

Effectively Sealing Victorian Floor Tiles

Apologies for the first photograph, I realise now it's a little out of focus but hopefully you can see that the Victorian Tiled Floor pictured (at a residence in the market town of Farringdon, Oxfordshire) was not looking its best and this was mainly due to the fact that the house had recently Read more...

Maintaining Sandstone Flagstones

These Sandstone flagstones were in the hallway of a house in the 16th century village of Stretton under Fosse, Warwickshire. The flagstone floor was in good condition however it had never been sealed so every time it was cleaned the cleaning product soaked into the floor and was less effective also the customer wanted to reveal the natural colours in the Sandstone and needed some of the grout repairing. Cleaning Sandstone Flagstones The first job was to clean and flush the flagstone so we Read more...

Victorian Tiled Hallway Restoration in Balham

Set of photographs here from a Victorian Tiled floor for a customer in Balham, South London. They had found the floor under an old carpet, and wanted to restore it. Unfortunately their builders did not listen and didn't bother to put down any protection when they painted, as a result there was paint everywhere, I've include a detailed photograph below so you can see for yourself what a state the floor was in. Cleaning the Victorian Floor Tiles Initially the floor was cleaned using a dilution Read more...

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Maintaining A Slate Staircase

These photographs were taken some time ago however I thought they might be interesting as Glasgow has an interesting mix of architecture and occasionally we are asked to clean some unusual buildings including this one which had a stone winding staircase faced with slate tile which was overdue Read more...

Victorian Hallway Tiles Cleaned and Sealed in Glasgow

These Victorian tiles at a residence in Glasgow went through a dramatic change after we restored the colours and appearance. You can see from the photograph below the tiles were dull, stained and there was also paint splashes in various places. Cleaning a Victorian Floor Firstly the floor was swept out and vacuumed to remove all loose debris; we then covered the entire floor with a strong solution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go combined 50/50 with NanoTech Ultra Clean which was left to dwell Read more...

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Brick Paved Floor Re-grouted and Cleaned in Peppard

The owner of this house in Peppard Common near Henley on Thames was keen to have the grout completely removed from this brick paved floor in the Kitchen and re-done. This is a lot of work and re-colouring the grout with a Grout Colourant kit would have been faster and easier however it is something we can do if required. Removing Grout I started by removing the kick boards around the base of the kitchen units then to remove the grout I had to cut along all the grout lines with a hand held Read more...

Polished Marble Kitchen Floor Refreshed in Melton Mowbray

The photographs before are of Marble floor installed in the kitchen of a house in Melton Mowbray, that we recently refinished. The honed matte marble tiles had previously been finished with a water-based topical floor sealer by the customer to create a polished finish; unfortunately the coating had become damaged, worn and now soiled. To restore the finish with something more durable we recommended the removal of any remaining coatings, then re-finishing with our restorative diamond Read more...

Removing Efflorescence from Terracotta Floor

I was contacted by the owner of a Terracotta floor at a house in the old village of East Tytherley near Salisbury, the floor was in good condition and was just in need of a regular deep clean and seal with extra attention along the grout lines which had darkened, additionally there appeared to Read more...

Customer Testimonials

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Deep Cleaning Terracotta Kitchen Tiles in Salisbury

This customer in Salisbury was having difficulty bringing their Terracotta tiled kitchen floor back to the condition it was in when it was first laid. Upon inspection it was evident that the sealer on the floor had failed and dirt had become ingrained into the pores of the tile making it difficult to clean and causing it to become increasingly dirty over a period of time. Terracotta Tile Cleaning We started by cleaning the floor with a strong solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean mixed 50/50 Read more...

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Slate Flooring Care

Slate Flooring Care in Whepstead Some details below of a cleaning and sealing job we we did on a 43m2 Slate Floor in a kitchen/utility room in Whepstead, Suffolk. This beautiful slate floor had been sealed several years ago, the sealer had worn and it was in need of some slate flooring care. The floor was cleaned with Pro-clean, it was a reasonably large and it tool around 2 litres to get it clean. We then left it to dry overnight and came back the next morning to seal it using 6 x coats of Read more...

Customer Testimonials

Customer Testimonials Read more...

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Dennis Ruabon Quarry Tiles cleaned and sealed in Low Bentham

Customer had these Dennis Ruabon Quarry Tiles fitted over 20 years ago in the WC of his house in Low Bentham, various cleaning and sealing products have been used since however this left a build-up of contamination on the Tiles which was detrimental to their aesthetic appeal and also left a noticeable residue smell. Cleaning Quarry Tiles To clean the Tiles and strip off previous sealing coatings we used Tile Doctor Pro-clean diluted 1 to 10 with warm water. This was left to dwell on the Read more...

Bathroom Tile and Grout Facelift in Didsbury

This Ceramic tiled bath with shower was installed at house in Didsbury, this customer wanted to give the bathroom a facelift and not usually it was the grout rather than the ceramic tile that had discoloured, the silicone also needed to be replaced due to the mould build-up and if you get mould on silicone it's impossible to remove and can only be replaced. Unfortunately mould build-up in bathrooms is quite common in the UK due to our damp climate and modern insulated homes that restrict air Read more...

Indian Sandstone flagstones restored in Cheshire

This Indian Sandstone floor was laid in a large Kitchen, utility and WC in a house in Prestbury, Cheshire. It was cleaned professionally five years earlier and in that time the sealer had started to wear down and the floor had become dirty again. On top of that the rough nature of the Sandstone flagstones were shredding cleaning mops used to clean the floor so the customer decided it was time for a spring clean and arranged with us to have the floor cleaned and re-sealed. Cleaning a Read more...

Applying Anti Slip Treatment to Porcelain tiles in Wimbledon Office

We were contacted by a builder who had recently laid Porcelain Tiles in an office reception in Wimbledon. Although he has laid this type of tile in various art galleries around London without problem, in this particular lobby which is situated next to a shopping centre the tiles were extremely slippery and the facilities manager wanted the tiles changed at the expense of the builder. Obviously this would have been an expensive option and so the builder contacted Tile Doctor for help. Read more...

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Restoring the look of Travertine tiles

I was recently asked to pop over to a large house on the Wynyard estate near Wolviston where a customer with a beautiful Travertine Tiled Kitchen floor needed some help to put the shine back on their tiles. It seems their cleaner had been using the wrong cleaning product on the tiles and it Read more...

Welcome to the North Buckinghamshire Tile Doctor™

We are your local specialist for tile cleaning, stone cleaning, grout cleaning and tile, stone and grout sealing covering the restoration of all types of stone and tiled flooring including Ceramic, Limestone, Marble, Porcelain, Quarry, Sandstone, Slate, Terracotta, Terrazzo, Travertine and Victorian tile. Were professionally trained and have the equipment and experience to solve any problem, were also part of a national network that enables us to share industry knowledge and expertise. Read more...

Beckley Village Slate Tile Barn Renovation

This Slate tiled floor is in a barn in Beckley, near Rye, Hawkhurst, Tenterden and Robertsbridge. For years it had been used to store furniture, gardening equipment and worryingly, a leaky motorbike which had stained the slate. You can see from the photographs below that the Slate tiles were much worn, stained, faded and far from looking their best. Deep Cleaning Slate Tiled Floor Firstly I swept out the whole area then applied Tile Doctor Remove and Go to several areas where engine oil had Read more...

Restoring a Kitchen Slate floor in Royal Leamington Spa

This Slate tiled kitchen floor at a house in Royal Leamington Spa needed a full clean and seal plus some of the tiles were reclaimed having been used originally outside and as well as loosing colour were suffering from salt damage. Cleaning Slate Tiled Flooring To remove the sealer, clean the floor and tackle the salt damage the floor we used a 50/50 mix of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and Nanotech Ultra-Clean worked into the floor with a buffing machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad. This Read more...

Cleaning Porcelain Tiles at Luton Flats

These Porcelain floor tiles had been laid in the hallway of a block of flats in Luton and had seen a fair amount of foot traffic resulting in the usual build-up of dirt and grime making it well overdue for a deep clean. Cleaning Ceramic Floor Tiles To clean Porcelain tiles I would normally just apply Tile Doctor Pro-Clean however given the amount of dirt in the tile we needed all the help we could get so the Pro-Clean was mixed 50/50 with NanoTech Ultra Clean which results in the creation Read more...

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Selecting the Right Type of Floor for your Home

Carpet

Usually constructed of nylon. Polyester, wool, acrylic and polypropylene are also used. 

Styles include level loop pile (Berber), multi-level loop pile, cut and loop pile, cut pile and sisal. 

Quality of carpet depends on the density of construction (the denser the better) and the twist, or how many fibers have been intertwined to make the yarn (the tighter the twist, the better the carpet). 

Use with carpet padding to extend the life of the carpet. 

Installation products will include tack strips, a sharp razor-type knife, a chalk line and a straight edge. 

Usually comes in 12’ widths. 

Carpet Padding

Installed underneath the carpet. 

Prolongs the life of the carpet and adds to comfort. 

Usually made from felted cushion, urethane, foam rubber or sponge rubber. 

Weight, density and thickness vary by type and the amount of traffic in the area to be carpeted. 

Typically available in 36”, 54”, 72”, 108” and 144” widths. 

Vinyl Flooring

Generally available in large, 12’ rolls in varying lengths, or in square tiles. 

Available in a variety of patterns and colors. 

Most floors have a no-wax surface, although most manufacturers recommend specially formulated floor finish to enhance or restore shine and provide added protection. 

Quality depends on the thickness of the material. In general, urethane floors last longer than vinyl. 

Installed by gluing to the subfloor with an adhesive made for the material. 

The square tile type often has an adhesive backing that makes for easier installation.

Hardwood Flooring

Available in planks or parquet tiles. 

Some types install with nails, others with glue. 

Popular types of wood are oak, maple, beech, birch and pecan. 

Has tongue and groove joints for a tight installation.

Engineered Flooring

A popular alternative to solid hardwood flooring. 

The surface veneer is made of hardwood such as maple or oak, while tongue-and-groove strips underneath are constructed of plywood. 

Easy to install because it can be installed without a subfloor and requires no sanding or finishing. 

Usually installed by gluing to the subfloor, although some types snap together and do not require glue. 

The size of the veneer will determine the floor’s durability. High-quality engineered floors feature surface veneer of 5/32” to 1/8”.

Laminated Flooring

Consists of thin layers of wood or paper products adhered to a resilient foam core. 

Designed to look like wood, stone or marble. 

A coating of aluminum oxide provides hardness for the flooring.

Easy to maintain and resists scratching, denting or staining. 

A glueless, interlocking design offered by some manufacturers makes it easy to install. 

Not recommended for bathrooms since it can swell when exposed to water.

Ceramic Tile

More durable and easier to maintain than vinyl or wood flooring.

Glazed tile is made of clay that has been single fired at a high temperature, a process that makes color and shape permanent and a surface that is resistant to stains, burns and scratches. 

Comes with a durability rating from 1 to 4+. Class 1 is the least durable, while 4+ is intended for commercial applications with heavy traffic. 

Available in a variety of colors and patterns. 

Comes in sizes 12” x 12”, and accent pieces can be 2”x 2”, 4” x 4” or 6” x 6”.

Marble Tile

Made of natural marble. 

Slick and easily scratched, although scratches can be buffed out.

Tiles should be sealed after installation. 

Types include travertine (for exterior use), while (translucent) and green (usually installed with water-free epoxy mortars.

Granite Tile

Made of solid granite. 

Similar to marble, but harder, denser and more durable. 

Must be sealed after installation. 

Commonly used on countertops. 

More difficult to harm than marble, but also more difficult to restore when damaged.

Slate Tile

Made of shale with a natural cleft finish. 

Must be sealed after installation. 

Quarry Tile

Has a shale body, extruded then cut to size with edges ground smooth. 

Can be glazed, but is usually sold unglazed. 

Must be sealed after installation. 

Very durable, and often used in institutional settings.


Source: www.DoItYourself.com