Victorian Tiled Hallway restored near Coventry

Popular as they are in the UK it wasn't long before I was called back to refurbish another Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor this time in the town of Allesley near Coventry. This tiles were heavily soiled and had been splashed with paint from decorating, on top of this there was evidence of Read more...

Cleaning Victorian Mosaic Tiles in Glasgow

These unusual period Victorian mosaic tiled floor at a residence in the west end of Glasgow were far from looking their best and well overdue for a deep clean and re-seal. Cleaning a Victorian Floor I'll try and keep the details short so as not to lose your attention but basically the tiles Read more...

Removing Glue From Victorian Floor Tiles

This Victorian Tiled Hallway at a house in Radford near Coventry had been well preserved under a carpet for many years and the owners of the house now wanted it brought back to life. Physically the tiles were in good condition however they did suffer from the usual issues of paint splashes and Read more...

Victorian Tile Restoration in Wiltshire

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 Read more...

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Victorian Tile Restoration Tips

This owner of this house built around 1900 in Cardiff had asked me if I could make their look any better following their attempt at renovating their original Victorian Tiled floor. I examined the floor and established that they had sealed the floor without testing for moisture also it seemed it Read more...

Matching old and new Victorian tiles

This particular Victorian tiled floor had been installed in the hallway of a house in Stow Park, Gwent around 130 years ago. Despite its age it was in a good condition and the detailed pattern although dirty was still very distinctive, the customer felt however that the floor was spoilt by the Read more...

Cleaning up Victorian Tiles after building work

This Black and White Victorian Tiled hallway floor laid in a "Starburst" pattern at a house in Penarth which had been previous restored in 2011 by another Tile Doctor however the house had recently been subject to some renovations and unfortunately the builders did not cover the hallway floor Read more...

Removing Adhesive and Paint from Vistorian Hallway Tiles

The owner of this house located in the village of Holt had discovered a beautiful Victorian Tiled floor hidden underneath their hallway carpet and made contact with us to get it restored and brought back to life. Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Floor We started by making a strong dilution of Tile Read more...

Cleaning Original Victorian Floor Tiles in a Listed Building

This original Victorian Tiled floor was uncovered at the Grade 2 listed Salford Town Hall in Salford, Manchester. This public building which built around 1827 was the former Salford Town Hall and Magistrates Court; it's currently being turned in to luxury apartments and this amazing floor is Read more...

Restoring Victorian Tiles Hidden under Carpet

After removing the hallway carpet the new householders had discovered a Victorian tiled floor and being keen to restore it as an original feature made contact with Tile Doctor. Restoring original features can add a lot a value to a house so it's well worth pursuing. Restoring a Victorian Tiled Read more...

Deep Cleaning and Removing Old Sealers From Edwardian Floor Tiles

This Edwardian tiled stone floor was installed in the hallway of a house in Richmond, Surrey. It had not been deep cleaned for a number of years and a number of layers of old sealer were visible causing a yellowing of the tile. The old sealant needed to be stripped off before cleaning could take Read more...

Grout Haze removed from Travertine Tiles in Henley-on-Thames

The photograph below taken at a house in Henley-on-Thames shows a Travertine tiled floor covered with grout haze smears across the surface of the tile. The tiler should of dealt with this after laying the floor however removing grout smears from natural stone is tricky as normally you would use acid but Travertine is very sensitive to acid so I suspect the tiler decided against it in-case the tiles were ruined. Refurbishing Travertine Tiles The first step was to give the floor a general Read more...

Contact Us

Why not take advantage of our free local survey service and arrange for us to visit you at your home or premises where we can listen to your needs and use our knowledge and experience to put new life into your tiles. Remember prevention is cheaper than the cure so do talk to us about grout sealing and regular maintenance. Complete the form below or call us on 0845 652 4652 and we will be in touch. What Our Recent Customers Have to Say Click here to read more feedback Other Tile Doctor Web Sites Read more...

Victorian Floor Repair and Renovation

A customer in Port Talbot discovered an original but damaged Victorian Tiled Floor, circa 1890, hidden under laminate flooring in their hallway and were keen to restore it back to its original condition. They trawled the Internet and discovered Tile Doctor, made contact and a visit was arranged Read more...

Old Slate Flagstone Tiled Floor Brought Back to Life in Banbury

Every so often we come across exceptionally old tiles that are in desperate need of restoration. These Slate flagstones at a property in Banbury, Oxfordshire had to be a couple of hundred years old, the grout had come loose and I wagered that it'd been covered by bitumen (also known as asphalt), plaster, and concrete for a significant portion of its life. The property owner was keen to try and restore them and had tried to clean them, only to realise that it was a bigger task than initially Read more...

Removing Glue and Plaster From Period Victorian tiles

The pictures below are from a Victorian tiled floor installed in a period house in the coastal town Eastbourne. The tiles had been covered lino and carpet for years which the owner had only recently removed during renovation work, as it turns out this was unfortunate as they then became covered Read more...

Limestone - Cleaning and Sealing

Limestone is reputed in the international market for its premium quality, toughness and durability. It is often the preferred choice for interior and exterior in both commercial and domestic for flooring, wall cladding, paving and facades of buildings, railway stations, pavement, landscaping and Read more...

Limestone Tiled floor cleaned and polished

Photographs below of a job we did restoring the shine on a Limestone tiled floor at a house in the town of Hastings which is down on the south coast of England and well known as the location for that famous battle in 1066. The homeowner wanted an easy to maintain low sheen Limestone floor; we Read more...

Portfolio

Portfolio of Tile Cleaning work completed by Barry Woodward Read more...

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Restoring an Edwardian Quarry Tiled Bathroom Floor in Braunstone

This is a job I recently completed in the small town of Braunstone, which lies just outside the city boundaries of Leicester, Leicestershire. My client wanted a restorative cleaning and sealing service for their very old Quarry tiled bathroom floor, which dates back to the Edwardian period. The floor was suffering from paint and adhesive staining, and was now in dire need of a thorough clean more generally along with a fresh seal to protect it from further damage. Cleaning an Edwardian Read more...

Putting the Shine Back On Old Victorian Tiles

I'm beginning to wonder if Tile Doctor has started a trend that has got people looking under their hallway carpets looking for period floors. Indeed this customer in Whitchurch has done exactly that and discovered a beautiful Victorian tiled floor which was with the exception of adhesive residue Read more...

Magnesium Limestone Floor Polished

The owner of this house in Wandsworth had imported these hard magnesium Limestone tiles direct from Italy and fitted them into a conservatory three years prior; over they years however they had lost their shine and started to go dull and look uninviting. This is fairly normal for polished stone Read more...

Dirty Black and Red Quarry Tiles Rejuvenated in Thame

Sometimes it isn't until you've deep cleaned your tiles that you realise just how dirty they were to begin with. This was the case with my customer in Thame, in the south of Oxfordshire where I worked on a classic red and black Quarry tiled floor which was far from being in its best condition. Cleaning Dirty Quarry Tiles My starting point in the cleaning process was to mix a strong solution of Tile Doctor Pro Clean, which is the reliable, multi-purpose alkaline cleaner that is safe to use Read more...

Contact Us

Why not take advantage of our free local survey service and arrange for us to visit you at your home or premises where we can listen to your needs and use our knowledge and experience to put new life into your tiles. Remember prevention is cheaper than the cure so do talk to us about grout sealing and regular maintenance. Complete the form below or call us on 0845 652 4652 and we will be in touch. What Our Recent Customers Have to Say Click here to read more feedback Other Tile Doctor Web Sites Read more...

Restoring 200 year old Victorian tiles

Details below of a Victorian Tiled floor I renovated in Penrith earlier this year. The floor had previously been hidden under laminate flooring and the mat well had been concreted over and other tiles were missing and replaced with concrete infill. Restoring Victorian Floor Tiles I carried out a Read more...

Restoring Limestone Tiled Floor

This Limestone tiled floor hadn't been cleaned properly for 5 years and we were asked to clean and reseal, hopefully you can appreciate the improvement in the photographs. Cleaning Limestone Floor Tiles The first step was to scrub the Limestone tiles with a rotary machine fitted with a black Read more...

Victorian Tiles Refreshed After Property Renovation in Oxford

When you decide to undertake a complete renovation of a property, it's inevitable that floors will be in some way affected by the decorating. At this property in Oxford a renovation had just recently taken place, leaving the black and white patterned Victorian tiled floor covered in concrete residue, plaster and paint. Naturally, the property owner was keen to have the appearance of the tiled restored, to match in with the completely rejuvenated house. I was called in to see what could be Read more...

Terrazzo Tiled Hallway Polished in South Wales

Terrazzo is a quite a bit different from the natural stone floors we most commonly work with. It's a type of flooring material that was made popular by Venetian builders in Italy in the 1920s, but is ultimately descended from styles of design that date back hundreds of years. A typical Terrazzo floor consists of chips of marble or granite set in concrete and polished to result in a smooth surface. This Terrazzo floor, installed in the hallway of a property in Bridgend, South Wales, was in Read more...

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...

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Dirty Terrazzo Floor Deep Cleaned, Burnished and Sealed in Bridgend

Terrazzo is a quite a bit different from the natural stone floors we most commonly work with. It's a type of flooring material that was made popular by Venetian builders in Italy in the 1920s, but is ultimately descended from styles of design that date back hundreds of years. A typical Terrazzo floor consists of chips of marble or granite set in concrete and polished to result in a smooth surface. This Terrazzo floor, installed in the hallway of a property in Bridgend, South Wales, was in Read more...

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Removing Vinyl Glue From Terrazzo Tiles

Terrazzo is a quite a bit different from the natural stone floors we most commonly work with. It’s a type of flooring material that was made popular by Venetian builders in Italy in the 1920s, but is ultimately descended from styles of design that date back hundreds of years. A typical Terrazzo floor consists of chips of marble or granite set in concrete and polished to result in a smooth surface. This Terrazzo floor, installed in the hallway of a property in Bridgend, South Wales, was in relatively good physical condition, but it had clearly lost its shine due to the build-up of dirt and muck over the years. In fact, it was first installed in around 1940! The owner was keen to have it rejuvenated to its best possible condition, so they asked me to come in to see what I could do.

Cleaning and Burnishing a Dirty Terrazzo Tiled Floor

My first course of action was to apply Tile Doctor Pro Clean liberally across the floor and leave it to dwell for a short period. This is a high alkaline cleaner that is designed to deal with light to moderate soil build-up, and to strip away any old sealer remaining on the floor. I scrubbed the product in using a black pad fitted to a rotary machine and vacuumed up the resulting cleaning with a wet-vac machine. Next, to restore the shine to the floor, I undertook a process known as burnishing, which involves the application of diamond encrusted polishing pads. We will typically start with a Coarse grit pad to level off any uneven areas of the floor and grind down any particularly stubborn marks and stains. Then, we gradually refine the polish on the floor using Medium and Fine grit pads. A small amount of water is used as lubrication with each pad. After I had finished applying the first three pads in our four-pad system, I gave the floor a thorough rinse and left it to dry overnight.

Sealing a Terrazzo Tiled Floor

I returned to the property the next day and immediately ran some damp tests to check for excess moisture issues, which one might expect with an old floor like this one. Thankfully, the floor proved dry – and I could finish the burnishing process with the fourth and final Very Fine diamond encrusted burnishing pad, which achieved a beautiful shine finish. Finally, I sealed the floor with three coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow, an impregnating sealer which provides robust protection and enhances the coloured patterns in the Terrazzo.


As you can see from the photos above, the floor is looking so much more colourful and bright after a deep clean, polish and a fresh seal. The customer was over the moon!


Source: Terrazzo Tile Cleaning and Restoration in South Wales

Limestone Kitchen Floor Restoration

The photographs on the page come from a house in Kensington, London which had recently been decorated. The Limestone Tiled floor was already in need of clean however to make things worse the decorators had managed to get paint splashes on the floor which they had removed using white spirit, this Read more...

Quarry Tiled Floor Restored in Shop to Flat Conversion in Oxford

This ground floor flat in the City of Oxford had been converted from a shop which as you can imagine, was quite complex. One significant element involved in the conversation was the restoration of an old Quarry tiled floor which ran through the main hallway and had for many years been covered in Read more...

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...

How to Paint over Terra Cotta Tile

Terra cotta tile floors or walls are practical and these tiles may also be used to decorate various items of furniture. The surface of a terra cotta tiles may deteriorate in time, especially if the tiles are kept outdoors, but you have the choice of painting over them.

What You'll Need:

• Mild detergent
• Brush
• Sander
• Oil based primer
• Oil based paint
• Brushes

Step 1 -- Clean and Prepare the Tile

Clean the terra cotta tile, making sure to remove mold, moss or other debris. Use a mild detergent or a tile cleaner with a soft brush. Allow the tiles to dry completely before going to the next step. Use a sander and 220 grit sandpaper to remove any remains of paint, glaze or gloss from the surface of the tile. Remove the dust that forms after sanding the surface using a clean piece of cloth or a soft brush.

Step 2 – Apply the Primer

Choose a highly adhesive, oil based primer and apply it on the surface that will be painted. Apply 1 coat and allow to dry. You may also apply a second coat.

Step 3 – Apply the Paint

Get an oil based paint and apply a thin coat. Allow the area to dry and apply a second coat.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com

Heavily Stained Quarry Tiled Floors Restored in Oxford Shop Conversion

This ground floor flat in the City of Oxford had been converted from a shop which as you can imagine, was quite complex. One significant element involved in the conversation was the restoration of an old Quarry tiled floor which ran through the main hallway and had for many years been covered in a commercial linoleum covering. When the linoleum covering was removed, the sheer amount of glue which had been used to affix it had completely ruined the appearance and condition of the Quarry Read more...

Limestone Tiled Floor Stripped and Sealed

Details below of a Limestone tiled floor strip and seal job we did recently for a lady in Wimbledon, South West London. It was a fairly common Limestone problem which had lost its polished appearance and was looking dull. Stripping the Limestone Tiled Floor To resolve we had to stripped back the 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...

Limestone Tiled Floor Maintenance

This Limestone tiled floor was around 50m2 and installed in Kitchen and Hallway in a new build style property in Newmarket, 'The Home of Horse Racing'. The property was only 3 years old and the owner was having difficulty keeping the floor clean. Cleaning Limestone Floor Tiles The first step Read more...

Marble Tiled Wet Room in Great Bricett, Suffolk

Details below of a wet room lined with 10m2 of Marble in old cottage on the outskirts of the medieval village of Great Bricett in the heart of Suffolk. You can see from the photographs staining of the Marble Tiled wall and floor which was left in a mess after a friend of the family had tried to remove the limescale during a visit. Cleaning and Sealing Marble Tile The Marble tiles were cleaned and polished using a set of mini Twister burnishing pads. The pads are encrusted in diamonds are 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...

Cleaning Up a Grubby Shower Cubicle in Bishopton

This shower cubicle was installed in the main bathroom of a house in Bishopton where the grout had become quite grubby and the Ceramic tiles were looking quite dull. The owner was thinking about re-tiling the bathroom and thought they would give us a call first to see if we could refresh the look without the expense. Cleaning Ceramic Tile and Grout We started by spraying the tiles with Tile Doctor Oxy-Pro which is a strong high-alkaline cleaner especially formulated and packaged for cleaning Read more...

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Cleaning and Grouting Sandstone Patio Paving in Kettering

At the start of the year we usually get asked to restore the appearance of patios and other outside areas which have suffered from the staining of autumn leaves and the ravages of winter cold snaps. Most patios are quite straight forward to maintain however when you're dealing natural stone then it's best to call in your local Tile Doctor to ensure nothing is applied to the stone that could damage it. Such was the case with this four-year-old Sandstone Patio at a house in the town of 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...

Limestone Floor Maintenance in Little Chalfont

This Limestone tiled floor with Slate Inlays was installed in a house in Little Chalfont, Buckinghamshire; the previous sealer had failed and was no longer offering any protection allowing dirt to become ingrained in the stone and become dull from soiling. Cleaning and Polishing Limestone Tiles 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...

Limestone Tile Stain Removal

This was a Limestone tiled hallway at a house in Notting Hill, London W2 where extensive renovations had just been completed. The floor had been badly affected by being left uncovered during the building works as well as having a build-up of many years of dirt and stains on its surface. The Read more...

Polishing Limestone Shower Tiles

This was an unusual problem; a customer contacted us regarding their Marble shower room at a house in Marlborough where the customer had sprayed Viakal Limescale remover onto the Marble tiles to clean them which unfortunately etched the surface. I've downloaded the MSDS sheet from the Inernet for this product and can verify it contains a combination of Etidronic, Formic and Phosphoric acids so not a very safe product to use on Marble or any sealed stone surface. Cleaning Marble Wall Tiles To Read more...

Putting new life into a Dull Sandstone Patio

At the start of the year we usually get asked to restore the appearance of patios and other outside areas which have suffered from the staining of autumn leaves and the ravages of winter cold snaps. Most patios are quite straight forward to maintain however when you're dealing natural stone then it's best to call in your local Tile Doctor to ensure nothing is applied to the stone that could damage it. Such was the case with this four-year-old Sandstone Patio at a house in the town of Read more...

Refreshing a Shower Cubicle in Edinburgh

Keeping the tile and grout in shower cubicles clean is often a headache for homeowners and this cubicle at a house in Edinburgh was certainly no different. You can see from the photograph below that although the glazed ceramic tiles were in good condition they were being made to look grubby by the stained condition of the adjacent grout and there were also signs of mould build-up. If you catch this early you can overcome the problem spraying on a product called Tile Doctor Mould-Away however Read more...

Annual Sandstone Patio Maintenance in Northamtonshire

At the start of the year we usually get asked to restore the appearance of patios and other outside areas which have suffered from the staining of autumn leaves and the ravages of winter cold snaps. Most patios are quite straight forward to maintain however when you're dealing natural stone then it's best to call in your local Tile Doctor to ensure nothing is applied to the stone that could damage it. Such was the case with this four-year-old Sandstone Patio at a house in the town of Read more...

Antalya Limestone Tile Restoration

I don't mind a few stairs but these Antalya Limestone tiles were installed in a flat at the top of a three storey residential block in Reading with no lift. The sealer had worn down over time which was making the floor hard to clean and always looking dirty. Cleaning a Limestone Tiled Floor To Read more...

Refreshing a Victorian Tiled Floor

The Victorian tiled floor shown below comprised of a complex square and diamond pattern contained with a parallel border and must of take a lot of work when it was first installed. It had been a while since it was last given a deep clean and was now looking rather dull and lifeless; we come Read more...

Travertine Tiled En-Suite Maintained in Horsham

The pictures below are from a Travertine tiled en-suite bathroom at a house in the town of Horsham. A black mould had become ingrained in the pores of the shower tiles and the owner wanted it cleaned up before she rented the property out. The client had tried various well known supermarket products to remove the mould and grime from the tile, grout and sealing strip but without success so we got a call. Cleaning Travertine Shower Tile After explaining the cleaning process to the owner I set Read more...

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Slate Stone Cleaning and Sealing

Slate stone has traditionally been used for centuries as roofing and flooring, the durability of this material ensured its popularity until the introduction of cheaper man made alternatives. Much of the slate used in the UK today comes from China however there are still Slate mines in Cornwall, Read more...

Restoration of Limestone Floor in a Kitchen

Details below of a Limestone tiled floor clean, polish and seal job we completed recently for a client in Lutterworth, Leicestershire. It's quite common for a Limestone floor to loose it's polished appearance over time and start to look dull and dirty and this floor was no different. Stripping Read more...

Removing Carpet Tiles from Victorian Tiles

I've seen a few Victorian Tiled floors in my time and I can tell you the condition of this particular floor was one of the worst I've seen in a while. The tiles had been covered up with carpet tiles which had been stuck down with a strong adhesive and there was still a fair amount of carpet Read more...

Limestone Tiles Polished in Burton Upon Trent

This Limestone tiled floor was installed in a Kitchen at a house near Burton on Trent. You can see from the photographs below that the Limestone had lost its polished appearance and was trapping dirt on the surface including a few stubborn marks; the grout was also looking grubby and dark. Read more...

Rejuvenating Salvaged Flagstone Tiles at a Property in Ledbury

Here we have an interesting situation in which an old Flagstone tiled floor had been salvaged from a cottage approximately 30 years ago and subsequently reinstalled at a house in Ledbury, a small market town which lies to the west of the Malvern hills in the North of Gloucestershire. Since being reinstalled, the Flagstone tiles had been barely touched in terms of maintenance for three decades and so the stone and grout were naturally in need of a deep clean and seal! The property owner had Read more...

Black Slate Tiled Floor in a Pub Toilet

I guess it was inevitable that I would be asked to clean the floor in a public toilet at some point; fortunately for me this one in a pub in Ambleside Cumbria was in a reasonably pleasant condition. The floor was Black Honed Slate Tiles but the sealer had been badly etched by Uric Acid (aka Read more...

Restoring an Original Geometric Tiled Floor

This original Victorian Geometric tiled floor was recently uncovered in the hallway of a house in Mapperley near Nottingham. These beautiful old floors built by Victorian Craftsmen are often neglected and sometimes hidden by other floor coverings. In this case we had to remove carpet, carpet Read more...

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Restoring Salvaged Flagstone Flooring in a Gloucestershire Kitchen

Here we have an interesting situation in which an old Flagstone tiled floor had been salvaged from a cottage approximately 30 years ago and subsequently reinstalled at a house in Ledbury, a small market town which lies to the west of the Malvern hills in the North of Gloucestershire. Since being reinstalled, the Flagstone tiles had been barely touched in terms of maintenance for three decades and so the stone and grout were naturally in need of a deep clean and seal! The property owner had Read more...

Dealing With Limescale On Polished Stone

I recently went the assistance of a home owner in Addlestone, Surrey who had damaged the surface of the Marble tiles in her shower by attempting to remove Limescale using a well-known household cleaning product, which unfortunately due to its acidic formula actually made the problem worse and etched the tiles. Burnishing Marble Shower Cubicle Tiles To remove the etching and Limescale from the Marble tiles the surface would need to be cut back and re-polished using diamond encrusted Read more...

Painted Slate Floor Restored in a Kitchen

Recently restored a Slate floor in a kitchen which was covered in paint, grout haze and cement. The answer was to mill the slate which got rid of the paint and the roughness of the slate and 90%of the Grout haze. Painted Slate Floor before Restoration by Tile Doctor Lancashire We used Tile Read more...

Shower Tile Cleaning Information

Shower Tile Cleaning Products Tile Doctor Concentrated Tile Cleaner A phosphate-free cleaner formulated for everyday use that's super-concentrated so one bottle is enough to make up to 121 litres. This neutral cleaner eliminates soap scum build up and hard water deposits when used regularly. The pleasant spearmint scent leaves a room smelling clean and fresh. Tile Doctor Pro-Clean Tile and Grout cleaner A concentrated, multi-purpose high-alkaline cleaner, stripper and degreaser. Dilute with Read more...

New Ruined Limestone floor restored

This client had recently had a black limestone tiled floor installed in the kitchen and dining area in his home on the northern border of Warwickshire. Unfortunately however the tiler had not sealed the tiles prior and struggled to remove the grout smears from the Limestone surface. The tiles Read more...

Renovating a Victorian Tiled Hallway

Details below of a customer in Telford who bought a house with a Victorian Tiled Hallway a couple of years prior and has been refurbishing it in sections. When I went there to do the quotation the floor I could see it was in a desperate state and in need of a deep clean and replacement of Read more...

Terracotta Tiles - Cleaning and Sealing

Terracotta Tiles have been around in certain parts of the world for over two millennia, in fact the word Terracotta means burned earth. The ancient Romans used a variety of terracotta tiles in their villas and palaces for many centuries. Terracotta tiles are thicker than most modern tiles giving Read more...

Replacing the Silicone Sealer Strip in a Cardiff shower

Sometimes my clients ask the question: 'Why is the grout coming out of the joints in my bathroom floor, and what can I do about it?' This job at a house in the city of Cardiff had exactly that problem and I had been asked to resolve it, additionally one of the tiles had become cracked and need replacing. The cause was due to movement in the floor when walked on, causing the grout to dislodge from the tile; this is not uncommon on tiled floors where there is wooden base and there is a lack Read more...

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Deep Cleaning Old Victorian Tiles

The owner of this pre 1900s period house in the town of Melksham contacted us to clean & seal their Victorian tiled hallway which had been laid in a geometric pattern and was the original floor from when the house was built. Given its age it was in excellent conditions and a real testament to Read more...

Complete Restoration of Brazilian Slate Tiles

The pictures below testify to the amazing difference we were able to make to these Semi Riven Brazilian Slate tiles on the floor in the kitchen of a house in Greater Manchester where the tiles had become dull and the grout stained Cleaning Brazilian Slate Tiles The first step was to strip any Read more...

Restoring a Limestone Tiled Floor in South Buckinghamshire

The photographs on the page come from the kitchen and dining area of a house in High Wycombe which had previously been rented out to tenants and the client wanted required the Limestone Tiled floor tiles to be cleaned and polished before the next occupant moved in. Cleaning a Limestone Tiled Read more...

Black Chinese Slate Tiles Successfully Restored

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 Read more...

Deep Cleaning a Dirty Shower Cubicle in Middlesbrough

Here's a fairly straightforward job I completed at a house in Middlesbrough which if you haven't come across it before is a large industrial town situated on the south bank of the River Tees famous for its football club. My client was keen to have the Ceramic tiled shower cubicle in her bathroom refreshed, paying particular attention the areas where the tiles and grout had been stained by the chemicals in shampoos and soaps. There was also signs of mould build-up that needed to be addressed. Read more...

Removing Linseed Oil from Terracotta

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 Read more...

Cleaning and Sealing a Limestone Patio

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 Read more...

Restoring a Victorian Floor hidden under ceramic tiles

Never give up is how I would describe this job!!! I initially surveyed the floor in this Cardiff kitchen in November 2014 and finally completed it and the end of February 2015 working on it off and on as I searched for right tiles to match the existing. On my survey the Victorian tiled floor Read more...

Restoration of Slate Tiles in the Kitchen and Conservatory

The Slate floor in the kitchen and conservatory of a house in St. Albans was laid around five to six years old and now required deep cleaning and re-sealing. Previously a grout repair had been carried out but unfortunately after the initial clean the grout applied was the wrong colour and needed Read more...

Polishing Limestone in Surrey

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 Read more...

Removing Mould from Bathroom Shower Tiles

Having mould in your bathroom is never a desirable situation, especially in a family home with young children. Additionally, severe mould can cause a range of health issues, including respiratory problems, nasal congestion, and throat irritation, so it's important to remove it as soon as possible. I mention this as I was recently called out to a family home in Bedford recently because the parents were getting worried about the mould developing in the Ceramic tiled bathroom, especially on the Read more...

Restoring Mexican Terracotta Tiles

Mexican Terracotta tiled floor laid several years ago in the kitchen of a property in Wheathampstead near St Albans. It had originally been laid and sealed in the classic method with a wax and was becoming increasingly impossible to clean. Cleaning Mexican Terracotta Tiles We started the Read more...

Ceramic Tiled Bathroom with Mould Issues Refreshed in Bedford

Having mould in your bathroom is never a desirable situation, especially in a family home with young children. Additionally, severe mould can cause a range of health issues, including respiratory problems, nasal congestion, and throat irritation, so it's important to remove it as soon as possible. I mention this as I was recently called out to a family home in Bedford recently because the parents were getting worried about the mould developing in the Ceramic tiled bathroom, especially on the Read more...

Refreshing a Victorian Tiled Hallway

Coalvile in the heart of the Midlands was a coal mining town and with that history has many period properties with traditional floors including the one in this post which has a Victorian tiled hallway. The tiles were in good physical condition for their age but were now looking faded and Read more...

Deep Cleaning, Sealing a Victorian floor

This Edwardian style floor had been installed in a house in Twickenham around five years prior. The floor had a number of damaged tiles which needed replacing and that it had not been professionally cleaned since being installed and the original sealer had either worn off or turned yellow. Read more...

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Cleaning and Sealing Old Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor

Details here of a customer who had discovered old Terracotta tiled floor that had been hidden under carpet in the kitchen of their house in the village of Oadby Leicestershire. The carpet had been glued to the Terracotta tile which as you can see was in quite a state, the tiles also had grout Read more...

Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle Cleaned and Recoloured in Glossop

Keeping shower cubicles clean can be extremely tough, especially as they constantly come into contact with shampoos and soaps containing acids that can damage the tiles. This was the case with this Ceramic shower cubicle at a property in Glossop, a small town in the High Peak area of Derbyshire, famous for its buildings constructed of locally produced Sandstone. The property owner had attempted to clean the cubicle tiles on a regular basis using supermarket standard cleaners, but had never Read more...

Slate Tile Colouring

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 Read more...

Grout haze removed from Limestone

If you're passionate about tiled floors and easily upset I suggest you look away now as believe it or not the photographs below are from a recently laid Limestone tiled floor in Banbury. It had been left in a very poor state by the tiler who had managed to cover in Grout Haze and then in the Read more...

Damaged Flagstone Tiled Floor Deep Cleaned and Sealed in Grange-over-Sands

This customer in Grange-over-Sands, a town on the Morecambe Bay, contacted us because an oven cleaning company had spilt a strong cleaning solution onto their Sandstone Flagstone Kitchen tiles, damaging them. The customer hadn't realised the damage until after the oven company had been paid, and because nothing had been said at the time the cleaning company unfortunately wouldn't accept responsibility. When we arrived at the property, we were asked to do a spot clean on the affected tiles, Read more...

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Slate Flagstone Cleaning

These Slate flagstone tile were installed in a conservatory in the town of Fareham. The flagstones and grout were reasonably clean and in good condition but the previous sealer had all but worn off and they were looking dull and in need of revamp. Slate Flagstone Cleaning As the previous sealer Read more...

Restoring an Acid Damanged Wet Room Floor in London

All carbonate materials, including those used in building and construction, are sensitive to acid deposition. A common example of this is the reaction that occurs when you combine bicarbonate of soda and vinegar. Another example of a material affected by this is Limestone, which is often used as Read more...

Restoring a Victorian tiled hallway hidden under carpet

We were contacted by a home owner in Swindon who had discovered a black and white Victorian tiled floor underneath carpet in their hallway and wanted to make it a feature. I took a look at the floor and can see it was in good condition considering the carpet glue and arranged an appointment to Read more...

Badly Stained and Mouldy Marble Shower a Cubicle Transformed in Beddau

Tiled shower cubicles can very easily become tired and grubby looking without the right care. The shampoos and soaps we use in our everyday lives can have long lasting damage if their effects are not sufficiently dealt with, with grout mould being a very common problem for property owners in the UK where we have a cold climate that encourages us to seal up our homes limiting natural ventilation. At this property in the small village of Beddau, near Cardiff, my customer had a particularly Read more...

Restoring Flagstones Damaged by Strong Cleaning Products

This customer in Grange-over-Sands, a town on the Morecambe Bay, contacted us because an oven cleaning company had spilt a strong cleaning solution onto their Sandstone Flagstone Kitchen tiles, damaging them. The customer hadn't realised the damage until after the oven company had been paid, and because nothing had been said at the time the cleaning company unfortunately wouldn't accept responsibility. When we arrived at the property, we were asked to do a spot clean on the affected tiles, Read more...

Acid-Damaged Limestone Tiles Restored to New in Wapping

All carbonate materials, including those used in building and construction, are sensitive to acid deposition. A common example of this is the reaction that occurs when you combine bicarbonate of soda and vinegar. Another example of a material affected by this is Limestone, which is often used as tiled flooring. When exposed to acidic products, the damage caused to Limestone tiles is both material and aesthetic, and many property owners who suffer this kind of damage assume that they are Read more...

Dealing with Flagstones Damaged by Strong Cleaning Products in Cumbria

This customer in Grange-over-Sands, a town on the Morecambe Bay, contacted us because an oven cleaning company had spilt a strong cleaning solution onto their Sandstone Flagstone Kitchen tiles, damaging them. The customer hadn’t realised the damage until after the oven company had been paid, and because nothing had been said at the time the cleaning company unfortunately wouldn’t accept responsibility. When we arrived at the property, we were asked to do a spot clean on the affected tiles, however to do so would have resulted in a patchy finish compared to the rest of the floor. However, we could see that the rest of the floor was well overdue a deep clean and the sealer was past its best. So, we suggested the best course of action was to deep clean and reseal the whole floor to ensure a consistent finish across the tiles.

Cleaning a Damaged Flagstone Tiled Floor

The customer agreed to the work, and we started on the same day. To begin, we used a Coarse 200 grit diamond encrusted burnishing pad fitted to a heavy weight buffing machine to grind away the damaged layer of stone. This worked well on about 90% of the area, but the harder to reach spots needed a chemical clean, so Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel cleaner was applied. This is an alkaline-based gel cleaner that is effective for neutralising acidic stains. The product was left to dwell for 30 minutes and then scrubbed into the tiles, before being rinsed away. Following this, we extracted the dirty solution off the tiles using a wet vacuum.

Sealing a Flagstone Tiled Floor

Since we used quite a lot of water to rinse away the chemically-infused cleaning solution, we had to leave the floor to dry overnight before we could seal it. This is really important because excess moisture can cloud the sealer and damage its performance. Arriving back at the property the next day, we ran some damp tests. Once satisfied that the tiles could be sealed, we applied four coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go. This sealer provides an aesthetically pleasing, low-sheen finish and is fully breathable. Most of the old Flagstone tiled floors found in properties don't have a damp proof membrane installed underneath them, so a sealer which allows for moisture vapour transmission is essential.




The customer was very happy with the work, not only because we restored the condition of the damaged tiles, but also because we were able to drastically improve the overall appearance of the floor. We recommended that the customer use Tile Doctor Stone Soap as a regular aftercare cleaner. This product not only cleans the stone, but adds to the natural stone patina by maintaining and enhancing its shine.



Source: Tile, Stone and Grout Cleaning and Restoration in Cumbria

Terracotta Floor Restoration

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. Read more...

Portfolio

Portfolio of Tile Cleaning work completed by Didi Mohammed Read more...

Maintaining Victorian Tiled Hallways

These Victorian hallway tiles were cleaned at a residence in the historic town of Bideford. As you can see from the photograph below the tiles were dull and had lost their vitality due to ingrained dirt, clearly it had been some time since they were given a good deep clean. Cleaning a Victorian Read more...

Restoring Terracotta Floor in Boston

Details below of a terracotta floor cleaning job we did near Boston, that's Boston in Lincolnshire which is small port on the east coast of the UK as opposed to Boston, Massachusetts which was given its name by emigrants from this area. The tiles were expensive handmade terracotta tiles, a few Read more...

Dealing with Mould on Grout and Silicone in Northampton

A common problem with bathroom and shower cubicle tiles is the appearance of mould on the tile, grout and silicone which if not tackled on a regular basis will spread and threaten to severely damage the appearance of the tiles, along with the silicone. This problem is usually due to inadequate ventilation however the good news is that with early intervention with Tile Doctor Mould Away spray the problem can be reversed. The two photos below show a bad case of this very problem at a property Read more...

Add River Rock Tile to Your Shower Floor

Adding a river rock tile floor to your shower will give the look and feel of a natural stone floor. River rock tile shower floors can also compliment other aspects of the bathroom. River rock tiles come in different color schemes, most of them being neutral. Before tackling this project, it is best to practice tiling and grouting on a different surface. The tools and instructions to take on this job are listed below.

What You'll Need:

• Thinset
• Mortar
• Putty knife
• Bucket
• Trowel
• Scoop
• Interlocking mesh
• Sealant
• Stiff bristled brush
• Sponge
• River rock tiles

Step 1 – Setting the Thinset

Spread the thinset adhesive all across the concrete base. The thinset will set the tiles in a thin layer of mortar. It is best to have a good quality thinset. The right thinset adhesive will assist with avoiding mishaps in the future. Spread the thinset starting in the back corner of the shower and working in small increments. Increments of 3 square feet should do the trick. This will keep you from spreading more thinset than is needed before it dries. The thinset will usually dry in about 10 or 15 minutes. Scoop the thinset from the bucket onto the floor of the shower. Spread it with a 1/4 inch notched trowel. The trowel should be held at a 45 degree angle with the notched side down. Drag the trowel across the thinset in order to corm rows of ridges that will be neat.

Step 2 – Adding the River Rock Tiles

The river rock tiles need to now be placed on the thinset. You can usually purchase the tiles mounted on sheets of interlocking mesh. They are 12 inch by 12 inch sheets. These are a plus because the stones are already spaced the way the need to be. This makes it faster to set the tiles and you can easily see the patterns across all of the tiles. You can get these tiles in a wide array of colors. Some of the tiles even mimic the look of a river bed. Others come in gray monotones, brown, black or white. You can cut the backing on the tiles to make shapes or patterns by mixing them. Another option when adding the river rock tiles is to use individual stones. This is more time consuming but gives you more creative options.

Step 3 – Sealing, Grouting and Sealing Again

Use a penetrating sealer to seal the natural stones. The stones need to be covered in grout. Press the grout down in between the stones. Give it about 30 minutes to dry. You can use a brush with stiff bristles to remove the excess grout. Using a clean damp sponge, remove all of the grout that remains on the surface of the tiles. Lastly, apply the second and last coat of the penetrating sealant.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com

Removing Paint and Plaster from Slate tiles

If your hiring a decorator beware, for some reason were seeing an increase in floors splattered with paint due to a lack of care. This was certainly the case on this Riven Slate tiled floor in Bury, Greater Manchester where decorators had made a right mess of this floor with plaster and paint. Read more...

Cleaning a Limestone Tiled Balcony

This balcony in St John's Wood, London, NW8, which had been clad in Limestone floor tiles, had not been professionally cleaned for 15 years and was now covered in mould which the customer was unable to remove. Stripping the Limestone Tiled Floor To get the Limestone clean I used a neat solution Read more...