Renovating a Salt Stained Quarry Tiled Floor in Cambridgeshire

We were called out to quote for restoring this Quarry tiled living room & hallway for a building contractor in the local area of Wicken. This is a small village on the edge of The Fens near Soham in East Cambridgeshire.

The works needed to be completed at short notice as the property was due to be put up for rent, so I agreed to work over two evenings to make sure it was ready for the first tenant. We discussed the cost and the process, and the contractor was happy to go ahead. We can always be flexible with our diary to help out our clients.


The floor had signs of alkaline salt efflorescence which had left white patches on the tiles, this problem is usually indicative of a damp issue but when I went over to survey the floor, I checked with a damp meter and couldn't find any evidence of dampness. Clearly something had happened in the past and as the floor dried out it left these white salt deposits on the surface.

Cleaning a Quarry Tiled Living Room and Hallway Floor

To remove the salt stains the floor was given an Acid Wash several times with Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up worked in with a stiff brush pad fitted to a rotary machine. The acid in the product counters and removes the alkaline salts, it also cleans up the tiles of any other mineral deposits such as old grout smears. The floor was then rinsed with water to remove the now soiled solution and then extracted using a wet vacuum.

Once I was happy that the salts had been removed, we applied Tile Doctor Remove and Go to strip the quarry tiles of old sealers. This is a non-flammable, multi-purpose stripper which is safe to use on tiles and works best when left to soak into the tile for ten minutes first. This product also draws out ingrained stains and removes heavy grease build-up and any ingrained dirt. We used the rotary machine again fitted with the stiff brush as before to get the floor nice and clean. As before the floor was rinsed with water and the soils extracted using the wet vacuum.

The floor was then left to dry overnight in preparation for the sealant to be applied.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled Living Room and Hallway Floor

Upon arriving the following evening, the floor was checked again with the damp meter to make sure it was dry, all was well, so it was then sealed with multiple coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go. This provides both a stain resistant surface seal and a durable low-sheen. The sealer brought back the deep colour in the tile and made a huge difference to the look of the floor. It would also make the floor much easier for the new tenant to maintain going forward.

You can see from the pictures the transformation that was achieved. The client was very happy with the completed work and was satisfied he would now be able to rent the property out to his next tenant.




Source: Quarry Tile Cleaning and Renovation Service in Cambridgeshire

5 Tips for Installing Cork Tile Flooring in the Bathroom

Putting cork tile flooring down is becoming more and more popular in today's world. Cork is very popular with the green movement and more homeowners are going with it than ever before. Cork is quiet and warm underfoot and it also provides you with a lot of durability. Many people are now going with it as an option in the bathroom. If you are planning on installing cork in the bathroom, here are a few tips that you need to keep in mind.

Pull The Toilet

Some people try to get by with leaving the toilet in while they install flooring. When you put cork in, pulling the toilet is really the best way to do it. You will want to set the toilet back down onto the top of the flooring after you install it. This will give you a finished look and it will help you seal up the cork better when you are done.

Acclimate the Cork

Before you install the cork, make sure that you acclimate it to the surroundings. Being a natural product from a cork tree, cork flooring can expand and contract based on the temperature and humidity in the room. You will want to make sure that you allow it to acclimate for 24 to 72 hours prior to trying to install it. This will ensure that you keep your manufacturer warranty and that you will not run into problems in the near future.

Expansion Gap

Around the outside of the floor, you need to leave an expansion gap. This expansion gap provides room for the floor to expand and contract over the years. You will need to put baseboards over the edge of the gap or quarter round. Where it meets the bathtub, you may have to use caulk so that the joint remains flexible.

Glue Joints

When you are putting cork in a bathroom, you definitely need to glue the joints. Where cork locks together, it is susceptible to moisture. In a bathroom, water will end up getting on the floor at some point. Getting in and out of the shower, you will drip water on the floor. This makes it very important that you seal the joints up so that water can not get down in there as easily.

There are a number of wood glues on the market that will work in this application. Just make sure that you check with the company that you buy it from to make sure that it will work for this.

Center the Tiles

When working in a small space like a bathroom, it will usually look better if you center the tile in the room. Get a tape measure and determine the exact center point of the room. Then snap a chalk line so that you know exactly where to start from. Work from the middle out and put your cut pieces of cork up against the wall.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com

Burnishing a Deep Polish onto a Dull Marble Tiled Floor in Greater Manchester

This customer in Middleton near Manchester wanted to bring the shine up on the tiled floor in their Kitchen and Dining Room, it had been laid nearly fifteen years before and was now dull, lifeless and the grout was also in need of a clean.

I was told the tiles were Ceramic however after visiting the property and running some tests if became clear that the tiles were in fact Marble. There are some very realistic Ceramic and Porcelain tiles on the market however you usually find they have a set of repeating patterns whereas with natural stone no two tiles are the same.


The floor had lost its shine over the years which is a common problem with natural stone such as Marble which ideally needs to be polished and have the sealer topped up every year to keep it in the best condition. The cleaning test results were so good that the customer booked us in to complete the floor straight away after agreeing the quote.

Cleaning and Polishing a Marble Tiled Kitchen and Dining Room Floor

We started by giving the floor a general clean with Tile Doctor Pro-Clean paying special attention to the grout where it was scrubbed in along the grout lines using a stiff narrow brush. The soiled cleaning solution was then rinsed off and extracted using a wet vacuum.

The next step was to clean and re-polish the Marble using the 400, 800 and 1500 grit burnishing pads which re-hone the stone bringing up the polish gradually. You use water to lubricate the process and rinse with more water in-between each pad to rinse off the soil that is generated. The soil is then extracted with a wet vacuum.

After running all three pads over the floor in sequence and the floor was left to dry off overnight and I returned the next day to complete the work.

Sealing a Marble Tiled Kitchen and Dining Room Floor

On my return I started by running over the floor with the fourth burnishing pad in the set which is a very fine 3000-grit pad. It’s applied with a little water sprayed onto the floor using a technique we call a “Spray Burnish” and it really brings up the polish on the Marble tiles.

The last step was to seal the Marble tiles which will protect them from dirt becoming ingrained in the pores of the stone and make them easier to clear. For this I chose to use Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer which has the added benefit of enhancing the natural colours in the stone.


It was the perfect choice for the floor and the final result was quite a transformation. Certainly my customer was very happy with the results and left the following feedback on the Tile Doctor feedback system.

"Excellent professional service. The floor tiles are back to how to how they were 14 years ago."

Before leaving I discussed aftercare and explained that the more a polished floor gets used the more the shine and sealer wears off, so I always advise having the floor re-polished once a year using the 3000-grit pad and then adding another coat of sealer. My customer agreed and has already booked me in for a years’ time to do the work which should only take about two hours.


Source: Marble Tile Cleaning and Polishing Service in Greater Manchester

5 Tips for Installing Kitchen Cork Flooring

Installing kitchen cork flooring can provide you with a very durable, functional floor. The kitchen is one of the most highly-trafficked areas of the house. Therefore, you want to make sure that you put a floor in there that will stand up to the wear and tear everyday for years. Cork can do just that, but it needs to be installed correctly in order to do so. If you do not install it properly, you could run into problems down the road. Here are a few tips for installing kitchen cork flooring effectively.

1. Clear the Area

Before you can do anything, you need to clear the area of everything. Remove the appliances, remove the kitchen table, and remove anything else in the room. You need a clear workspace and a good clean floor for the cork to be installed on.

2. Prepare the Subfloor

The floor that you put the cork on needs to be flat and level. Since cork is a floating floor, you should be able to install it over a number of different subfloors. You can put it over a wood subfloor or concrete. You can even install it over other types of flooring like vinyl or ceramic. If there are imperfections in the floor, you will want to level them out with floor patch. If you are not over a crawlspace, you will want to make sure that the floor is sealed off from moisture. You can do this with a Visqueen vapor barrier or with a liquid floor sealer that you roll onto the concrete. Just make sure that moisture does not have any direct access to the cork flooring.

3. Don't Forget to Acclimate

Since cork is a natural product, it will expand and contract in different conditions. When the temperature around the flooring changes, it can expand and contract. It can also change based upon moisture content in the air. For this reason, it is necessary to acclimate the cork for a certain period of time in the environment that it will be installed in. Check with the manufacturer recommendations to see how long you should acclimate it. Depending on the company, they recommend somewhere between 24 and 72 hours. In order to make sure that your cork is still under warranty, you will want to follow the manufacturer's recommendation on acclimation.

4. Leave Expansion Gap

Something else that you will want to keep in mind is that you need to leave an expansion gap around the outside of the room. When you install cork, you want to make sure that there is room for the floor to expand and contract. When you forget to leave an expansion gap, your floor will eventually end up buckling at the joints.

5. Glue the Joints

When you are installing a floating floor in a wet area like a kitchen, you will most likely want to glue the joints as you install the planks. A good glue will help keep the boards together and prevent surface spills from getting down into the cork.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com

Restoring an Old Terrazzo Hallway Floor in Newmarket

The owner of an older property in Newmarket got in contact with us about restoring his Victorian Terrazzo Tiled Hallway. We like to do a site survey to ascertain the condition of the floor and give the client a fixed price for the works, so we organised a time to pop over and look at the floor.


The floor had taken a battering over the years and was completely unrecognisable after being completely covered up with carpet that had been secured in place with a lot of adhesive. Removing the glue and restoring an old floor like this is a difficult task but something we are familiar with and we were confident it could be restored to a reasonable standard. We discussed with the client the process and agreed a price to carry out the restoration.

Cleaning and restoring a Victorian Terrazzo Tiled Hallway Floor

The first day consisted of adding protection to the wooden skirting and then carefully scraping off as much excess adhesive as possible. To remove the rest of the glue a thick coat of Tile Doctor Nano Tech HBU remover was applied. I had tried applying this product on the floor first, but it struggled to make any impact given the huge amount of adhesive that was present. Incidentally HBU stands for Heavy Build-Up which pretty much described the problem with the floor. I left the HBU to dwell for about fifteen minutes, scrubbed it in and then rinsed off the soil with water and extracted with a wet vacuum.

To finish the job, I then repeated the process with a coat of Tile Doctor Remove and Go which was scrubbed it in to the floor to release the last bits of adhesive. Again, the floor was rinsed with water and the soil extracted with a wet vacuum. The floor was then inspected to ensure all the adhesive had been removed and stubborn areas were spot treated using a mixture of techniques until I was happy.

Removing the adhesive was hard work and took up the whole of the first day but was well worth the effort as the Terrazzo was now visible and the end goal was in sight. So, returning the next day we proceeded to build on the restoration by honing and polishing the Terrazzo with 100 through to 3000-grit diamond encrusted burnishing pads. They are applied in sequence i.e. 100, 200, 400, 800, 1500 and finally 3000 grit, using water to lubricate and then more rinsing and extracting between each pad.

With the glue was removed and the Terrazzo renovated a large crack was clearly visible across part of the hallway floor, whilst it’s not possible to repair this without taking up the floor I was able to improve its’ appearance by applying a matching filler to the cracks whilst the floor dried.

Sealing a Victorian Terrazzo Tiled Hallway Floor

The final stage was the application of an impregnating sealer. We selected to use Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is a colour enhancing product that soaks into the pores of the stone protecting it from within. It had been some time since the Terrazzo had been sealed so it took more coats then usual to properly seal the floor.


As you can see the floor looked a lot better once completed, the client was very happy with the final result and left the following feedback:-

”We knew that restoring our Victorian Terrazzo floor was going to be a very difficult job, so we were heartened when Tom was so positive about doing a good job and his quotation was very reasonable. He tackled the work very professionally, always turned up on time, explained exactly what he was doing and minimised our inconvenience. We are delighted with the finished job (at the quoted price!) and would have no hesitation in recommending Tom to anyone who needs a similar service.”
Des B, Newmarket




Source: Terrazzo Tile Cleaning and Sealing Service in Newmarket

How to Dye Your Cork Floor

The look of a cork floor can be changed by dying it to change the color. When specific dyes are applied to the cork tiles they can change the color of their flooring very easily.

All cork floors will be coated with a protective coating to prevent stains. If you are working with a new floor then the stain can be applied before this coating, otherwise the coating will need to be removed so that the stain can be properly applied.

What You'll Need:

• Brush
• Cloth
• Polyurethane clear coat
• Paint roller
• Stain
• Paint stirrer

Step 1 - Cleaning the Floor

Start by sweeping the floor to make sure that there's no debris or dust covering it. If there is a protective layer on the floor then this first needs to be removed using strippers.

The whole project will take around 24 hours before you can actually walk on the floor. Plan to carry out this work when you have enough time to spare.

Step 2 - Opening the Stain

Now you need to open up the can of stain and stir it to mix it up by using a stirring stick. Carry on stirring the stain until it is even in color and texture. A paddle can also be fitted to your drill for faster and quicker results.

Step 3 - Testing

If you have any of the cork flooring left over from when you installed then you will be able to test the stain on this. This will help you to check that the stain won't cause any problems or damage your existing floor. It will also help you to check that the color of stain is suitable for use in your room.

Step 4 - Applying the Stain

Dip a clean cloth into some of the stain and then rub the stain into the cork flooring. Use the stain in a circular motion. Try to keep the coat of stain as even as possible, use the cloth again to remove any excess stain. If required you might need to apply extra coats of the stain to improve the color of the floor.

Step 5 - Drying

Leave the cork stain to dry over night so that it's completely dry. Check a small area of the stain around the edge to ensure that it's dry.

Step 6 - Coating
When the flooring is dry you then need to apply a coat of polyurethane by using a paint roller. Choose polyurethane sealant which is designed for use on cork flooring. Once the first coat is down allow it plenty of time to dry. You might need to choose coating which is suitable for use in areas of the house which have heavy traffic if this is being installed in hallways or living rooms.

Step 7 - More Coats

Next all you need to do is apply extra coats of polyurethane onto the floor. Wait for the coating to dry properly before applying the next coats. Also try to avoid setting foot in the room until the coating is dry.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com