Dull Marble Bar Top Rejuvenated at Manchester Club

Revolucion de Cuba is one of the biggest and busiest bars in Manchester. With the sheer amount of customers that visit the bar, the Marble counter top had become very worn and dull. Stains and spillages are inevitable in an environment like this, but this can cause long lasting damage to the sensitive natural stone if proper maintenance is not provided. The bar owners hold very high standards for the appearance of the venue and as such were keen to get the Marble bar top back to looking its Read more...

Lustre Restored on a Dull Slate Tiled Floor in Twickenham

Slate is a popular choice for tiled kitchen floors and when properly maintained looks fantastic, however like all natural stone products without an effective cleaning plan dirt will become ingrained in the stone and will start to lose its appearance. This was the case with this fantastic Slate tiled kitchen floor in Twickenham which had the potential to look really nice, but hadn't received the proper maintenance for a long while, leaving it looking very tired. It now needed what was left Read more...

Polishing and Sealing Marble Night Club Bar Top

Revolucion de Cuba is one of the biggest and busiest bars in Manchester. With the sheer amount of customers that visit the bar, the Marble counter top had become very worn and dull. Stains and spillages are inevitable in an environment like this, but this can cause long lasting damage to the sensitive natural stone if proper maintenance is not provided. The bar owners hold very high standards for the appearance of the venue and as such were keen to get the Marble bar top back to looking its Read more...

Restoring the Appearance of Slate Flooring in Middlesex

Slate is a popular choice for tiled kitchen floors and when properly maintained looks fantastic, however like all natural stone products without an effective cleaning plan dirt will become ingrained in the stone and will start to lose its appearance. This was the case with this fantastic Slate Read more...

How to Select the Best Laminate Flooring For You

Hardwood flooring - its traditional look is almost timeless, its beauty is unmatchable. However, it's pretty hard to maintain a hardwood floor, not to mention the price you have to pay for it. Even with the most recent floor treatments they will still scratch, fade, dent and stain in a rather small amount of time. That's why laminate flooring was invented. Because it's machine made and its top layer is a hardwood photographic laminated surface, laminate has the look and appeal of real hardwood floors, but it's more durable and it requires less maintenance.

Unlike real hardwood floors, laminate flooring is more resistant to scratching, staining, fading and denting. Laminates warranty range from 10 years to lifetime and it covers all of the bad things mentioned above, while entry level laminates come with a 10 to 15 years one. But they are designed for light traffic areas. I mentioned this because many people mistake and think that they will remain the same if used in a high traffic area during the warranty period. This is not true. Used in a high traffic area, they will begin to show wear and tear rather quick (usually within 3 to 5 years).

Remember that choosing the right laminate flooring is not as easy as it seems, but by doing that, you will save money in the long run. Just think of things like the amount of time you are planning on staying in that house or the amount of traffic, because there is no point in buying really expensive laminate flooring with extended warranty if you know that you are moving sometime in the near future. Another thing you should know is that people usually replace the floor first when moving in a new house, so, with expensive laminate with an extended warranty, you will either pay an amount of money for nothing, or for the people who will move in after you.

A thing you should consider when buying laminate flooring for bathrooms or kitchens is it's core. A thicker core is more stable, less vulnerable and sounds more like the real hardwood floor when walked on. Quality laminate cores are treated with water repellent chemicals. Also consider buying laminates with Paraffin wax impregnated joints, as this wax acts as a water repellent and prevents water from penetrating down to the core.

As glueless locking mechanisms has been introduced to the market, laminate flooring has become the perfect choice for households because it has a quicker installation, it's easier to repair and it can be installed by people without experience or specialized tools. This will save you a considerable amount of money.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com

Marble Floor Tiles Restored Through Burnishing in North Ferriby

These Marble tiles were installed at a lovely property in North Ferriby by another tile company who although has done a great job laying the floor had neglected to provide the owner with any kind of post-installation maintenance. Thus the tiles, which covered a large kitchen and hallway area, appeared dull and certainly not up to the standard that could be achieved with the right methods. Funnily enough, the tile company had told the property owner that the stone would need to be sealed, Read more...

Using Stone Oil To Add Colour To Slate Floor Tiles

These Slate kitchen floor tiles at a property in Oxford were in good physical condition, but had become dull over time due to heavy usage, and upon close inspection the grout was stained. The customer contacted me as she was keen to get the tiles back to looking their best. This would require a Read more...

Dull Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor Refreshed in Oxford

These Slate kitchen floor tiles at a property in Oxford were in good physical condition, but had become dull over time due to heavy usage, and upon close inspection the grout was stained. The customer contacted me as she was keen to get the tiles back to looking their best. This would require a thorough clean and the application of a fresh sealer. While Slate floor tiles are reputed to be hard wearing and damage resistant - and are therefore a popular choice for high traffic areas like Read more...

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Getting The Best Out Of Your Slate Floor

These Slate kitchen floor tiles at a property in Oxford were in good physical condition, but had become dull over time due to heavy usage, and upon close inspection the grout was stained. The customer contacted me as she was keen to get the tiles back to looking their best. This would require a thorough clean and the application of a fresh sealer. While Slate floor tiles are reputed to be hard wearing and damage resistant - and are therefore a popular choice for high traffic areas like kitchens - this does not exclude them from needing regular maintenance.

Cleaning a Dull Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor

To begin, I mixed a strong solution of Tile Doctor Pro Clean and water. Pro-Clean is a versatile cleaner that when used in a weak dilution can be used as a regular cleaner for most types of natural stone floor, including more sensitive stones such as Limestone and Marble. The cleaning was then spread across the surface area of the floor, and left it to dwell for ten minutes to allow the solution to seep into the pores of the stone and lift the ingrained dirt to the surface. Pro-Clean in a strong dilution also functions as a stripping product, meaning it works to strip away any old and ineffectual sealer. I then scrubbed the solution into the floor using a stiff scrubbing brush, paying particular attention to the grout in order to break down the visible staining. The tiles and grout lines came up really well during the cleaning process - this became clear once I had rinsed the floor and removed the residue using a wet vacuum.

Sealing a Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor

With the customer eager to have the job completed quickly, I installed portable room dryers and utilised a heat gun to dry the floor, allowing me to seal it on the same day. Once I had ensured the floor was completely dry, I commenced the sealing process by firstly applying a coat of Tile Doctor Stone Oil, a product which is designed to bring out all of the natural dark shades in the Slate. When this was dry, I applied a single coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow. This is an impregnating sealer, meaning that it soaks into pores of the stone to provide durable protection from within against ingrained dirt and stains. Colour Grow also enhances the natural colours in the stone even further.


The customer was amazed by just how big a difference could be made to the tiles in the space of just a day. Although the tiles were generally in very good nick, my main task was to be liven them up - judging by the before and after photos, I think this was achieved. And, now that they have been treated to a fresh seal, the tiles will be prevented from quickly becoming dull again.


Source: Slate Tile and Stone Cleaning and Sealing Service in Oxfordshire

Heavily Soiled Victorian Tiled Hallway Restored in Fulham

This Victorian tiled floor at a house in Fulham was in an absolutely horrendous state. As you can see from the first photograph, the tiles were caked in layer upon layer of muck, including paint and glue stains. This was due to the floor being unknowingly hidden for many, many years under carpet. Needless to say, the property owner was desperate to remedy get the fantastic pattern floor back into good nick, and so contacted me for assistance. I travelled up to the property in the town of Read more...

Maintaining Victorian Floor Tiles

This Victorian tiled floor at a house in Fulham was in an absolutely horrendous state. As you can see from the first photograph, the tiles were caked in layer upon layer of muck, including paint and glue stains. This was due to the floor being unknowingly hidden for many, many years under Read more...

Maintaining Sandstone Floor Tiles

These Indian Fossil Sandstone tiles (sometimes known as 'Yorkstone' tiles) at a property in the small town of Swanland near Hull were, on initial inspection, in great condition, with no cracks or damaged tiles. However, thanks to a lack of sealer, the tiles had become ingrained with dirt, resulting in a heavy soil buildup that dulled the appearance of the stone. Also noticeable were some unsightly cement splashes around the grout lines. The property owner contacted me with the problem and I Read more...

Indian Fossil Sandstone Tiles Restored in Swanland

These Indian Fossil Sandstone tiles (sometimes known as 'Yorkstone' tiles) at a property in the small town of Swanland near Hull were, on initial inspection, in great condition, with no cracks or damaged tiles. However, thanks to a lack of sealer, the tiles had become ingrained with dirt, resulting in a heavy soil buildup that dulled the appearance of the stone. Also noticeable were some unsightly cement splashes around the grout lines. The property owner contacted me with the problem and I Read more...

4 Ideas for Bathroom Laminate Flooring Borders

Laminate flooring is gaining popularity due to the fact that it is a relatively affordable option and provides a very stylish look to any room. Additionally, it is easy to install without requiring the assistance of professionals. This also applies in the case of laminate flooring borders, which can define the room and its flooring even more if chosen correctly. In fact here we shall be discussing some ideas for laminate flooring borders that you can select for your bathroom.

1. Basic Considerations

First of all, shop around as you are bound to find a wide range of styles to choose from. Keep an eye not just on prices but also on quality and brands. It will pay to spend some time researching and asking around prior to purchasing. You will find not only diverse colors but also textures. If your flooring is already installed you may wish to match some flooring borders, or else go totally overboard and choose borders of different colors and textures to create contrast and interest. Make sure you make a well informed decision as you do not want to end up unsatisfied with the final result or even consider removing your newly installed flooring borders.

2. Width

The width of the border has to be proportional to the other flooring tiles and the area of the bathroom. If it is a large bathroom then it is best to go for a wide border. A wide border can also give more emphasis to the flooring. A small room will look a bit larger if the borders are narrower.

3. Colors

The color you choose for your flooring borders is personal and a significant factor in determining the end result. Tastes vary, but the bottom line is either to go for the same color tones or else choosing contrast colors for emphasis. The room's decor and furnishings play an important part in your choice of color in both instances.

To keep with the same color scheme, you need to mix and match various colors already found in the soft furnishings, or even darken or lighten some of them.  The borders must never be too similar in color to the flooring tiles. For best effect, the flooring need to be dark, while the borders are lighter, or vice versa. However, ultimately, it all depends on the individuals' tastes and preferences and as in any other decoration project, there can never be any set rule.

4. Decorative Borders

A nice idea is to use borders to create emphasis or a focal point in a room. Rather than applying the same border throughout the room, you can choose a differently colored or patterned border for the middle part, or where there is a particular object or furniture item you would like to accentuate. With the wide variety of borders to choose from, being different and innovative will be easy.

Since we are dealing with installing floor borders to a bathroom, finding one or two fixtures to highlight is relatively easy. The result accentuate the flooring of your bathroom, and ultimately enhance the look of the room itself. Due to the frequent usage of water, it is best to go for laminated flooring borders rather than plain wooden ones, for better longevity.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com

Refreshing the Appearance of Terracotta Kitchen Tiles

This Terracotta tiled kitchen in the village of Willingale near Maldon, in the Epping Forest District of Essex had lost its finish and looked slightly dull. The client wanted the tiles restored to a shiny finish and additionally wanted the two cracked tiles replaced in the kitchen doorway. Read more...

Recently Uncovered Victorian Tiled Hallway Restored to New in Warminster

It's always a great surprise to find old tiled flooring hidden underneath carpet or linoleum which appears especially common with 19th century properties where it's not unusual for the owners to uncover fantastically patterned, original Victorian tiled floors and, naturally, they want to restore them to their former glory. If you have a property of this type you might want to look under the carpets. The majority of the time, however, these tiles have been covered up for decades, allowing Read more...

Rebuilding and Restoring a Victorian Tiled Hallway

As you can see from the photographs below this Victorian tiled hallway was in quite a state and not only needed a thorough clean and fresh seal but needed to be rebuilt in parts. Leamington Spa or Royal Leamington Spa to give its full name is one of the original UK Spa towns where people would Read more...

Restoring a Victorian Tiled Hallway Hidden under Carpet

It's always a great surprise to find old tiled flooring hidden underneath carpet or linoleum which appears especially common with 19th century properties where it's not unusual for the owners to uncover fantastically patterned, original Victorian tiled floors and, naturally, they want to restore Read more...

Victorian Hallway Floor Rebuilt and Restored in Leamington Spa

As you can see from the photographs below this Victorian tiled hallway was in quite a state and not only needed a thorough clean and fresh seal but needed to be rebuilt in parts. Leamington Spa or Royal Leamington Spa to give its full name is one of the original UK Spa towns where people would visit to bathe the waters which are supposed to have medicinal properties, the town has many regency period properties and so Victorian floors Rebuilding and Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Hallway A good Read more...

Advantages to Laminate Floor Tile

Laminate floor tile is an innovative option when it comes to flooring possibilities. Laminate floor tiles have several advantages and they are gaining popularity in many homes.

Easy to Maintain and Install

Many people have stated that laminated floors are easy to maintain and clean. Nowadays people don’t have the time to fuss over cleaning floors and such, so having a laminated floor sure takes the pressure off.  It is much more dent resistant and stains less than hardwood. Better brands of laminated floors are designed to snap together by a tongue and groove installation process that is permanent as well as surprisingly simple.

Endless Varieties to Choose From

The varieties of laminated floors are endless. The biggest problem for installing laminated flooring will probably be deciding which one to choose. Any laminate manufacturer that wants you as their customer will have to have a great variety. Leading brands are surely to come out on top as they have an impressive array of planks with different widths and inventory tiles and floor styles that are sure to leave you astounded. 

Apart from wood, ceramic and stone floors are also available so you are not stuck only to the wood option.  If you have gone over your budget and can’t afford solid floor materials, good laminated floors will give an amazing visual impact that will make your room look far more expensive than it really is.

Having High Standards

When laminating floors you need to make sure that you are choosing good quality tiles. Check ratings and ask around to see what results have been given to other customers that have bought from the same manufacturer you are intending to buying from. Before buying, check out the offers being offered by the manufacturer. Also check out the guarantees given.

Saves Money

The biggest advantage of all is that when you are laminating floors, you are ultimately saving money. If you are going to buy floor tiles, they may cost you a big sum of money especially if you have a big room. If you decide to laminate the floor it will cost you less as the floor boards are cheaper.

If you are going to install tiles, it’s going to cost you a significant sum of money as well. Laminated floors are installed by clipping them to each other so it will not cost you that much relatively speaking. If you install tiles, they will not stay clean for long, and they might even stain or chip easily. On the other hand laminated floors  are very easy to clean and are made of very strong material so they will not chip easily.

Cleaning and Resistance Benefits

If you install tiles, they will not stay clean for long, and they might even stain or chip easily. On the other hand laminated floors,  are very easy to clean and are made of very strong material so they will not chip easily.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com

Red Sandstone Floor Restored in Kirby Lonsdale

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

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Removing Floor Leveling Screed from a Red Sandstone Floor

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

Maintaining the Polish on Limestone Floor Tiles

These Limestone tiles had been laid in a modern property in Witham, an Essex town that sits between Chelmsford and Colchester. The property owners had spent many hours over the years cleaning and sealing the floor to maintain its condition, but while the tiles were in certainly in good shape, Read more...

Limestone Tiled Floor Re-Polsihed in Essex

These Limestone tiles had been laid in a modern property in Witham, an Essex town that sits between Chelmsford and Colchester. The property owners had spent many hours over the years cleaning and sealing the floor to maintain its condition, but while the tiles were in certainly in good shape, they had lost their shine and lustre. The result was quite a dull looking floor that could certainly be improved on. When the property owners contacted me about the problem, I informed them that due to the hardness of the stone only a process known as burnishing, which involves cleaning and polishing with special gritted pads instead of a liquid product, would do the trick to restore the Limestone tiles.

Burnishing a Limestone Tiled Floor

We use burnishing to restore several types polished stone to looking their best, including Limestone, Marble, and Travertine. Tile Doctor's burnishing system consists of four diamond encrusted twister pads with varying levels of grit. The pads are graded so that each hones the stone to a greater degree than the previous one, resulting in the build-up of a durable polish and shine on the stone. Using a small amount of water as lubrication, I worked my way through the system, applying each pad in succession, beginning with the Coarse grit pad, before on to Medium, Fine and Very Fine pads. While polishing the tiles, the diamond encrusted pads also serves to break down any dirt. Thankfully, these tiles were already well taken care off and were not currently suffering from heavy soil build up. After completing the burnishing process, I promptly rinsed away any cleaning slurry and left the floor to dry.

Sealing a Limestone Tiled Floor

I returned the property once the floor had dried completely to seal the tiles, with my choice of sealer being Tile Doctor Colour Grow. I applied three coats of the sealer to the tiles, before buffing them for a final time. Colour Grow is an ideal sealer for Limestone for two main reasons. Firstly, it is an impregnating sealer, meaning it penetrates deep into the pores of the Limestone to provide robust protection against ingrained dirt. Secondly, it contains colour intensifying properties which enhance the natural colours in the Limestone. I took a couple of photographs before and after (above) in which you can see a significant improvement in the shine and lustre of the Limestone tiles. Most of the cream and tan shades in the Limestone were practically invisible before the burnishing was carried out and a fresh seal was applied - now the tiles stand out as the most prominent feature of the room. Needless to say, the customer was very satisfied.


Source: Limestone Tile and Stone Cleaning and Sealing Service in North Essex

Dirty White Limestone Tiles Restored Through Burnishing in Knaresborough

Knaresborough is a historic town in North Yorkshire, popular amongst holiday goers for its numerous attractions. I travelled to the area not to visit the attractions, however, but to visit a customer, whose fantastic white Limestone tiled floor was in need of a deep clean. Limestone is a porous material, meaning that without a sealer dirt can become easily trapped in the pores of the stone, as well as the grout. With this Limestone being naturally white, the dirt was particularly visible, Read more...

Maintaining White Limestone Floor Tiles

Knaresborough is a historic town in North Yorkshire, popular amongst holiday goers for its numerous attractions. I travelled to the area not to visit the attractions, however, but to visit a customer, whose fantastic white Limestone tiled floor was in need of a deep clean. Limestone is a porous Read more...

Burnishing White Limestone tiles to restore appearance

Knaresborough is a historic town in North Yorkshire, popular amongst holiday goers for its numerous attractions. I travelled to the area not to visit the attractions, however, but to visit a customer, whose fantastic white Limestone tiled floor was in need of a deep clean.


Limestone is a porous material, meaning that without a sealer dirt can become easily trapped in the pores of the stone, as well as the grout. With this Limestone being naturally white, the dirt was particularly visible, making the tiles look very unsightly. Once deep cleaned the floor would also require a fresh seal to provide long-term protection against muck and stains.

Burnishing a Dirty White Limestone Floor

To treat high end, polished stone floors such as Limestone and Marble, we recommend using the process of burnishing. Simply put, burnishing involves the application of diamond encrusted pads of varying grits, which serve to break down dirt and then polish the stone. Typically, we use a set of four pads in gradual succession; here, I used the first three pads on the first day. Starting with the Coarse grit pad, along with a little water as lubrication, I polished the Limestone, before repeating the process with Medium and Fine pads to refine the polish. On the same day, I also cleaned the grout using a solution of one part Tile Doctor Pro-Clean (a high alkaline cleaner) and three parts water. On Limestone floors you should take care to avoid even mildly acidic cleaning products as sensitive stones like Limestone and Travertine can be damaged over time. After successfully cleaning the dirt grout lines, I rinsed the floor before using a wet-vac machine to soak up the residue. The floor was then left to fully dry overnight.

Sealing a White Limestone Floor

The next day, I returned to the property to complete the restoration. Before sealing the tiles, I applied the fourth and final of the burnishing pads to achieve a Very Fine polish.


To seal the tiles, I used Tile Doctor Ultra Seal, the customer didn't want to darken the stone in the way that a colour enhancing sealer might. Additionally, the customer required a more natural finish, which this product provides. Then, I polished the excess sealer off with a white buffing pad and left it to dry for an hour, before polishing a final time with the Very Fine grit burnishing pad. With this method, the floor was perfectly dry and the customer could walk on the tiles as soon as I left.


Before leaving my very satisfied customer to enjoy their newly restored Limestone floor, I made sure to impart some aftercare advice. I recommend Tile Doctor Stone Soap for the Limestone (and other polished stone) as its helps to retain the sheen whilst also acting as a general cleaning agent.    


Source: Limestone Tile and Stone Cleaning and Sealing Service in North Yorkshire

Removing Grout Haze from Slate Shower Wall Tiles

A builder had made a real mess of this customer's new Slate tiled wet room. When installing any new natural stone tiles, it is always recommended to apply the sealer before grouting, since - as was the case here - the porosity of the stone can cause the grout to stick with to the stone, leaving Read more...

Dealing with Dirty Quarry Tile and Grout

When the sealer wears down on sealed tiled floor dirt will become ingrained in the pores of the tile and floor becomes more and more difficult to clean effectively. Even hard wearing tiles like Quarry tiles will experience this problem over time more so if you use acidic floor cleaning products Read more...

Kitchen Quarry Tiles Floor Treated to a Deep Clean and Seal in Salisbury

When the sealer wears down on sealed tiled floor dirt will become ingrained in the pores of the tile and floor becomes more and more difficult to clean effectively. Even hard wearing tiles like Quarry tiles will experience this problem over time more so if you use acidic floor cleaning products to regularly clean your floor as they slowly eat away at the sealer. This is a problem we come across relatively often and was the case this customer, living in the town of Salisbury contacted Tile Read more...

How to Cut Laminate Flooring

Due to the different sizes and shapes of floors, you may be required to cut laminate flooring so that it is able to fit in smoothly along the edges of the floor. Cutting laminate flooring is definitely a skillful job to perform, which does need some practice, in order for it to be done in the right way.

What You'll Need

• Safety goggles
• Measuring tape
• Pencil
• Paper
• Laminate cutter

Step 1 - Safety

Put on a pair of safety goggles, so that your eyes are protected. It is very useful when the piece of laminate falls apart during the cutting process.

Step 2 - Measurement

Measure the size of the floor space with the help of a measuring tape. Measure the length and the width of the floor space and take a note of these dimensions on a piece of paper.

Step 3 - Marking Dimensions

You then need to turn the laminate piece topside down, so that you are able to look at the backside of the piece. With a measuring tape and a pencil, mark the dimensions you had recorded onto the back of the laminated piece.

Step 4 - Use of Cutter

Place the laminate topside down on the cutter, and cut the laminate piece according to the size marked before.

For Irregular Shapes

• Dust mask
• Ear plugs
• Utility knife
• Cardboard
• Jigsaw

Step 1 - Template

You then require making a template for the irregular shape piece of flooring. Take a piece of cardboard and place it on the floor, where the irregular shapes needs to be fitted. With the help of a utility knife, trace the shape and cut the cardboard to the irregular shape to make a template.

Step 2 - Cutting of Cardboard

Cut the cardboard onto the topside of the laminate piece, utilizing the blue painter’s tape. Use a jigsaw and cut the laminate piece to the shape you require and make sure you do the cutting with the topside of the laminate facing upwards.

Step 3 - Cleaning

Remove the blue painter’s tape and wipe off and clean all the dust from the laminate piece.

The process must be practiced on a piece of scrap first, so that you do not ruin the piece of laminate. Also, make sure that you are careful while you are using the jigsaw and the cutter, as they are very sharp tools.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com

Slate Tiled Wet Room Treated for Grout Haze and Restored in Sevenoaks

A builder had made a real mess of this customer's new Slate tiled wet room. When installing any new natural stone tiles, it is always recommended to apply the sealer before grouting, since - as was the case here - the porosity of the stone can cause the grout to stick with to the stone, leaving a terrible blotchy and uneven appearance. What's more, once stuck to the stone, the grout is essentially impossible for the tiler to remove. In this wet room, light grey grout had been left smeared Read more...

Laminate Floor Board Direction: Tips and Mistakes to Avoid

There are many good reasons for installing laminate floor boardin your home. However, despite the endurance and life of this flooring there are a number of reasons why you should be careful about how you install laminate in your home. The direction of the flooring is something which it is easy to overlook when you are measuring up for an installation, but if you don't get this right the first time, you could find yourself having to rip up your floor boards and replacing them. If you are a beginner in laminate floor board installation, then you might want to consider learning more about the right direction to install your boards.

Direction is Crucial 

The direction of the installation can be vital, particularly if you are fitting boards into an area which will see a lot of traffic and use. One way in which a poor choice of direction can affect the boards is when you lay them lengthways across a hall with stairs at the end. If you have the regular pressure of a foot on one particular board, this can eventually cause it to crack, or move, which at the bottom of some stairs can be dangerous. It is better to lay them so that 2 or more boards cover the stair area, so there is less pressure being bought to bear on the single board. This is also true of areas where people are regularly walking up and down. A single board might eventually fail under the constant pressure from pairs of feet.

Floor Joist Direction 

Another consideration is floor joist direction. When you lay a floor in a second story, the boards must not travel in the same direction as the joist. The joist might be forced away by the pressure of the single board, and in addition, the support will not be given to all boards equally. In order to allow the joist to support the floor board, lay it at right angles to the direction of the joist, if possible. If this is not a feasible action, then you should try for some diagonal placing, at least. The danger of the joist having to support weight in one place is that it may well become damaged or loose.

Changing Direction 

If you are laying laminate across a number of rooms, then the chances are that you will eventually wish to have a change of floor board direction. For example, floorboards laid in a hall might not need to be at the same angle as that of the living room. However, joining these boards together is very difficult. One solution to this problem is to use a transitional strip between the changes in boards. This strip prevents the boards from touching, and in this way prevents them from forming gaps which people can trip over, or cracking, or any of the other problems which can affect boards under pressure.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com

Welcome to the Derbyshire 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...

Restoring Quarry floor tiles previously covered in Carpet

This Quarry tiled floor at a house in Banbury had previously been covered in carpet which had been stuck to the floor with an adhesive when once removed left a stain of white marks all over the floor. The customer had taken the floor as far as they could so I got the call to complete the Read more...

Removing Carpet Glue from Quarry Tiles in Banbury

This Quarry tiled floor at a house in Banbury had previously been covered in carpet which had been stuck to the floor with an adhesive when once removed left a stain of white marks all over the floor. The customer had taken the floor as far as they could so I got the call to complete the restoration. Restoring Quarry Tiles The first process was to tape the newly papered wall to protect them from any splashes during the cleaning process. I then scrubbed in a dilution of Tile doctor Pro-Clean Read more...

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Restoring Quarry Tiles Hidden Under Carpet

This Quarry tiled floor at a house in Banbury had previously been covered in carpet which had been stuck to the floor with an adhesive when once removed left a stain of white marks all over the floor. The customer had taken the floor as far as they could so I got the call to complete the restoration.

Restoring Quarry Tiles

The first process was to tape the newly papered wall to protect them from any splashes during the cleaning process. I then scrubbed in a dilution of Tile doctor Pro-Clean with the assistance of a rotary floor machine fitted with a black pad and then rinsed off the resultant slurry. This process defiantly made an improvement but I can see more work would be needed so I then applied a mixture of Pro-Clean and HBU (Heavy Build-up Remover) to the floor and scrubbed this with a carbon brush attached to a rotary floor machine. This proved to be more effective removing the carpet glue marks so I then rinsed the floor with water and used my wet vacuum to remove the slurry. I then gave the floor a thorough rinse with water again using the wet vacuum to extract the solution afterwards. To finish the cleaning of the floor and remove any grout smears and other minderal deposits I applied Tile Doctor Acid Gel to the floor; this was left to dwell for a short time before scrubbing in with a stiff brush and then rinsed away with more water and extracted again using the wet vacuum. The last job of the day was to fill in some holes in the tiles with a colour matching resin filler.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled floor

I returned two days later and confirmed the floor was dry ready for sealing. To seal the floor I first applied a coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating seal that also enhances the colour of the stone. This leaves a Matt finish and I showed the client this as they was not sure what finish they wanted, after seeing this that wanted more shine to the floor so once dried I applied a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go which is a topical sealer that gives a sheen finish to the floor.


The client was very pleased with the end result leaving this as feedback. Our options were a completely new floor or renovate the existing quarry tiles. We were glad we chose renovation; the results are amazing and a lot less messy and expensive than a new floor!


Source: Quarry Tile and Stone Cleaning and Maintenance Service in Oxfordshire

Cleaning and Sealing Indian Fossil Sandstone Floor Tiles

The pictures below are of an Indian Fossil Sandstone tiled floor at a house in the small town of Hessle which as you can see was in a need of a deep clean and seal. The tiles themselves where in good physical condition with no cracks, just a lack of sealer and a heavy build up of dirt. Cleaning dirty Flagstone floor tiles I started the job by dealing with some unsightly cement splashes that had been left around the grout lines, breaking them down manually using a good old fashioned hammer Read more...

Indian Fossil Sandstone Kitchen Floor Restored in Hessle

The pictures below are of an Indian Fossil Sandstone tiled floor at a house in the small town of Hessle which as you can see was in a need of a deep clean and seal. The tiles themselves where in good physical condition with no cracks, just a lack of sealer and a heavy build up of dirt. Cleaning dirty Flagstone floor tiles I started the job by dealing with some unsightly cement splashes that had been left around the grout lines, breaking them down manually using a good old fashioned hammer Read more...

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Cleaning and Sealing Indian Fossil Flagstone Flooring

The pictures below are of an Indian Fossil Sandstone tiled floor at a house in the small town of Hessle which as you can see was in a need of a deep clean and seal. The tiles themselves where in good physical condition with no cracks, just a lack of sealer and a heavy build up of dirt.

Cleaning dirty Flagstone floor tiles

I started the job by dealing with some unsightly cement splashes that had been left around the grout lines, breaking them down manually using a good old fashioned hammer and chisel. Once that was taken care of step one was to mix a solution of one part Tile Doctor Pro-Clean to four parts clean water, applying it to the tiles and scrubbing it in with a black pad fitted to a rotary machine. The second step involved rinsing the floor with Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner to neutralise the floor and remove any trace of product used to clean the surface. This process removed the ingrained dirt caused by a lack of sealer and clean the area ready to receive a fresh seal.

Sealing the Flagstone tiled floor

I left the property to allow the floor to dry over night. Upon my return the next day, I checked for excess moisture and, once satisfied the floor was dry, I proceeded to seal the floor with four coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go. Seal & Go is a water-based topical sealer designed to build up stain resistant protection on the surface of the floor and to allow moisture vapour transmission. It is typically used to seal internal, unsealed porous surfaces, including Sandstone, Quarry and Victorian tiled floors.





Source: Sandstone Tile and Stone Cleaning and Sealing Service in Yorkshire

Quarry & Marble Floor Tiles Renovated at a 12th Century Church in Wantage

Did you know that Wantage, the town in Oxfordshire where I completed this job, is the birthplace of Alfred the Great? The town is certainly a historic area - in fact, I was contacted by the warden of a church dating back to the 12th century, who asked Tile Doctor Oxfordshire to help restore the building's flooring, consisting of Quarry and Marble tiles. This is an interesting mix of hard wearing and high end tiles, and while the floor was in dire need of a deep clean, it could be restored Read more...