How to Deep Clean and Renovate a Travertine Tiled Floor

The client in Bishops Cleave contacted me as she was so frustrated with her Travertine tiled floor she was thinking of having it taken up. The tiles had been laid throughout the Hallway and into the Kitchen many years prior. The appearance of the floor had slowly deteriorated over the years to the extent that she was now having real trouble getting it clean.


I arranged to visit the property in Bishops Cleave which is a small village between Cheltenham and Tewkesbury. The floor was indeed in need of attention, the sealant had clearly broken down and dirt had become ingrained in the pores of the stone. I discussed with the client what could be done to restore the appearance and demonstrated the cleaning process on part of the floor. She was thrilled with the result and about the possibility of getting the floor restored. Better still she would avoid all the disruption of relaying the floor and of course the cost. We agreed a price to carry out the work and I arranged a suitable date to return and complete the work which would take two days.

Renovating a Dirty Travertine Tiled Floor

Returning to the property the first task was to protect the kitchen units and wooden stairs with masking film. I then started cleaning with floor with a coarse 400-grit Diamond burnishing pad fitted to a rotary floor buffer using water to lubricate the abrasive process. The pad is run over each tile a few times and then once the section is completed the floor is rinsed with more water and fine slurry extracted with a wet vacuum.

This process is then repeated with the medium 800-grit pad and fine 1500 grit pads, again rinsing with water and extracting after each pad with the wet vacuum. it’s a slow process but burnishing the floor in this opens the pores in the stone so the dirt can be removed and then closes them up again so restore its appearance.

The grout lines were quite heavily soiled with dirt, so my next task was to scrub them with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. The area was then again rinsed, and the soil extracted leaving the floor to dry off overnight.

Sealing a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor

Returning the following morning, I then spray burnished the floor with a 3000-grit polishing pad to remove any residue that might have been left behind and to further bring up the polished appearance of the Travertine.

This final pad is applied dry with only a little water, so it leaves the floor nice and dry and ready for sealing. For the sealer I had selected Tile Doctor Ultra Seal which is a no-sheen, penetrating sealer which doesn’t change the appearance of the stone leaving a natural finish. It is formulated to provide maximum stain protection, so is particularly good in kitchens. It is also an excellent grout sealer. The sealer was applied and left to dry for an hour then buffed again with the 3000-grit pad. This gave the floor a lovely finish and the natural beauty of the Travertine was at last able to shine through. I was very pleased with this restoration.


The client was delighted and very pleased the she had contacted Tile Doctor, the floor looked great. She was very happy she had not needed to replace the floor. I suggested to her to maintain the floor she should use Tile Doctor Stone Soap which is a pH balanced product which you dilute. It will ensure the seal is not compromised and will keep the floor in great condition.



Source: Travertine Tile Cleaning and Renovation Service in Cheltenham

How to Seal a Cracked Shower Tile

Having a ceramic tile shower is among the most commonly and easily achieved methods of adding everyday luxury to your home. Not only does tile look great, but it is also both highly durable and easy to clean. Despite these benefits of ceramic shower tiles, damage to the tile surface will sometimes occur.

There is no need to hire a professional to repair damaged tile. So long as the damage is not extensive, a well versed do-it-yourself homeowner can complete such repairs quite easily. Simply follow the steps below and equip yourself with the tools and materials listed above in order to repair your damaged ceramic shower tiles.

What you’ll need

• Utility knife
• Silicone or water based tile and grout sealer
• Tile grout

Step 1 – Remove Old Tile Grout

Using a utility knife you can very carefully scrape out the old tile grout from around the cracked tile. The reason for doing this is that the grout may have been cracked as well due to the shifting of the cracked shower tile and this will allow water into your underlying wall. You want to avoid this happening as much as possible as it will allow mold to grow.

Step 2 – Seal the Cracked Shower Tile

To seal the crack in the time you will want to use either a water based or silicone tile and grout sealer. You can push the sealer into the crack with your fingers to totally fill the cracked area. Make sure to wipe the rest of the tile clean and remove all of the excess sealer before it dries on the tile.

Step 3 – Reapply Grout and Grout Sealer

At this time you can apply grout around the repaired tile and once it is dry you can apply grout sealer. Make sure to wipe off any access grout or grout sealer from the shower time before it dries.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com

How to Renovate a Victorian Tiled Hallway

Our client had recently moved to a property in Newport, Gwent and when removing the carpet in the hallway she discovered this beautiful Victorian Tiled floor. The property had numerous period features and realising the value that the floor could add to the property she was keen to have it restored and so contacted Tile Doctor for help.


We popped round to survey the floor and except for a couple of broken tiles it had preserved well under the carpet. It was a shame the previous owner had covered the floor over but I was confident we could source some matching tiles to replace the broken ones and then restore the overall appearance. We gave the client a quote for the work which would take a couple of days. Pleased to hear that the floor could be restored and that it could soon be on show the quote was accepted and a date set to do the work.

Repairing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

We returned later the same month to renovate the floor and started by removing the broken tiles, cleaning out the old grout and adhesive and then relaying matching replacements. There are several specialist suppliers that can supply Victorian tiles so we can usually source reclaimed or reproduction tiles.

Some of the grout lines had dropped so as well as grouting around the replacement tiles more renovation work was needed to ensure the grout was level. We used quick setting products for this work, so I was able to move on to cleaning the floor later that afternoon.

Deep Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

To restore the appearance of the Victorian Tiles I used a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean combined with Tile Doctor Remove and Go which was left to soak in for ten minutes before being scrubbed into the tiles. This created a powerful cleaner/stripper cocktail which gets to work at removing dirt, grime and breaking down old sealers paint splashes.

After extracting the soil using a wet vacuum the floor was inspected. There were a few stubborn areas which were treated to a repeat clean and a wire brush to get the floor as clean as possible.

The floor was rinsed with water to remove any trace of cleaning products and then as much moisture as possible was extracted using a wet vacuum. The floor was left to dry off overnight and we arranged to return the next day to apply a sealer.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

The following morning, we checked the floor was dry using a damp meter and this confirmed we were good to apply the sealer. The floor was sealed with Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer that protects the floor and enhances the beautiful colours in the tile. Three coats of the sealer were applied allowing each coat to dry before applying the next.


The client was very happy with the result and how beautiful the floor looked as you can see from the picture.


Source: Victorian Tile Cleaning and Restoration Service in Gwent

How to Install Marble Mosaic Tile in a Shower

Unlike porcelain or ceramic tiles, installing marble mosaic tile in a shower gives a feeling of richness and depth. A natural material, each marble mosaic tile will appear to be different in terms of patterns and color tones which make the shower unique. Follow the step-by-step guide below to install these tiles in your shower.

What you’ll need

• Utility Knife or Backerboard Knife
• 1/2 -inch Cement Backerboard
• Backerboard Screws
• Drill
• Thinset Trowel
• 15 lbs Roofing Felt
• Marble and Granite Thinset or FlexBond
• 2-inch Fiberglass Tape
• Staple Gun or Hammer Tacker
• Grout Float
• Grout
• Marble Mosaic Tile
• Grout Sponge
• Penetrating Grout and Tile Sealer
• Margin Trowel
• Tile Spacers
• Joint Knife

Step 1 – Apply Penetrating Tile and Grout Sealer

Apply a layer of penetrating tile and grout sealer over every marble mosaic tile. This prevents the dye of the grout seeping into the marble tiles.

Step 2 – Check for Mold

Remove the existing drywall and shower items. Check the studs for mold. If mold is found, apply bleach on the affected areas. Air-dry it completely before proceeding to the next step.

Step 3 – Install Roofing Felt

Cut the roofing felt (15 lbs) into pieces and fit them over the studs. Use a staple gun or hammer tacker to attach the roofing felt onto the studs.

Step 4 – Install Cement Backerboard

Cut the cement backerboards and screw it onto the studs with backerboard screws. After doing so for all the backerboard, apply the thinset over the joints with the joint knife one by one. Next, cut the 2-inch fiberglass tape and place it over the applied thinset. Excess thinset is to be scraped away using the joint knife. Repeat the thinset process for all the joints.

Step 5 – Moist the Backerboard

Remove any debris and dust from the backerboard’s surface. Using a slightly damp sponge or spray bottle, moisten its surface.

Step 6 – Apply Thinset onto Shower Walls

Mix the thinset consistently in a bucket and make sure that you have enough thinset to finish the whole project. After mixing the thinset, let it rest for 15 mins. Then, use a joint knife or margin trowel to remove the thinset to load on the thinset trowel. Apply the thinset with upstrokes onto shower walls.

Step 7 – Install Marble Mosaic Tiles

Spread the thinset onto the marble mosaic tiles and install onto the shower walls. Use tile spacers to create straight and consistent grout lines.

Step 8 – Apply Grout

Let the marble mosaic tiles dry for 1 day. Then remove tile spacers from the marble tiles. They can be kept for future tile projects. Mix the grout in a bucket to consistency and let it rest for 15 mins. Then, use a joint knife or margin trowel to remove grout from bucket and load it on the grout float. Apply the grout onto the tiles and grout joints with upstrokes. Apply the grout with force into grout lines so that there are no gaps or spaces. Let it dry for 20 to 25 minutes. Excess grout is to be wiped off from the tiles with a damp sponge.

Step 9 – Apply Penetrating Tile and Grout Sealer

Let the grout stand for 3 days. Then, apply 2 layers of penetrating tile and grout sealer onto the entire surface of grout lines and tiles.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com

How to Repair and Restore a Victorian Tiled Hallway

Earlier this year I was asked to quote for repairing and restoring a Victorian Tile Hallway in St Neots. The floor was in good physical condition for its age however a section of tiling had been removed so facilitate the installation of a new pipe. The contractor was not very sympathetic to the old floor and after removing the tiles and installing the pipe they had simply back filled with concrete ruining the overall look of the floor.


The rest of the Victorian Tiled Hallway had not been properly cleaned and sealed in some time and any protective sealer had long since worn off in the busier parts of the hallway. Without a sealer in place dirt had penetrated the pores of the tile leaving them looking dull and impossible to keep clean.

Period features like this floor are very desirable these days and understandably the owner was every enthusiastic to have the floor fully restored back to its best possible condition.

I discussed with him the work we needed to do, which included repairing the concreted sections, deep cleaning the floor and then finish with the application of a protective sealer. I was confident I could source similar tiles and would be able to get the floor looking great again. We agreed a price and booked the work in to be carried out.

Repairing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

I started by manually removing all the concrete at the back of the hall with a bolster and hammer. Once cleaned of rubble the hole was filled with a self-levelling compound to even out the area in order to get the surface to the right level ready for tiling.


Fortunately, I had managed to source nearly identical tiles to replace the missing ones. There are a few places that keep stock, so it makes it easier to restore this type of floor. The border was laid first followed by filling in the middle with the correct pattern.

Deep Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

Once grouted the whole floor was stripped and cleaned using Tile Doctor Remove and Go which is a coatings remover that is designed to clean and remove old sealers from tile and stone. The product is diluted with water, sprayed onto the tiles and then allowed to soak in for ten minutes before scrubbing it in. The solution soon turns into a dark slurry as the dirt is released from the pores of the tile and this is then rinsed off with water and extracted with a wet vacuum.


The next step was to treat any potential efflorescence problems that may appear later due to the lack of a damp-proof membrane under the floor. This is quite a common issue with old floors where moisture can rise through the tile carrying with it salts from the sub floor. To counter this problem and neutralise the alkaline salts the floor is further cleaned with Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up which is an acidic product. To remove the product another round of rinsing and extracted is carried out.

During the cleaning I noticed that some of the tiles had damage to the surface from being concreted over, so I renovated the surface using a 200-grit burnishing pad that hones the tile. Once I was happy the floor was clean, I left it to dry off for two days.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

I came back to seal the floor first checking with a damp meter that the moisture levels in the tile were below an acceptable level. All was well so I started the application of the sealer with a base coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer that will deepen the colours and add an extra layer of protection.

Once the first dry coat of Colour Grow was dry, I followed up with five coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go which adds further layers of protection and leaves the tiles with a nice subtle sheen.


The job took five days in total, three days to sympathetically repair the floor followed by two days to clean and seal. You can see from the pictures that the repaired area looked very original and overall the floor looked great and the pattern is stunning. For aftercare I recommended they kept the floor clean using Tiles Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner, this will keep the floor clean and ensure the sealant isn’t eroded prematurely which can happen with stronger floor cleaning products.


The customer over the moon with the results and left the following glowing testimonial for me on the Tile Doctor feedback system.

”Tom was professional, meticulous, polite and hard working. We would have no qualms about recommending his service to others - especially with mosaic Victorian flooring like ours. Good value and plenty of expert advice and guidance thrown in for free. Thanks Tom. By Alden W, St Neots”





Source: Victorian Tile Repair, Cleaning and Sealing Service in Cambridge

Beginners Tips for Marble Tile Installation

Marble tile installation is a process that is not extremely complicated, but it does take some care and patience. When you are installing marble for the first time, you want to be aware of how the process works and keep a few tips in mind. Your are some tips to remember when you are installing marble tile for the first time.

Subfloor Preparation

One of the most important aspects of your job is to prepare the subfloor before you start laying. If the subfloor is not in good condition, you are going to have to spend some time fixing it. If you are working with a floor that already has some type of flooring on it, you are going to want to remove the flooring. If the subfloor is concrete, you are going to need to level it out with self-leveling compound if there are problems with the floor. If you are working with a wood subfloor, you are going to need to install concrete board before you can put the marble tile in. Concrete board is going to provide you with a very strong surface to put the tile on. You will need to use adhesive under the concrete board and then use nails or screws to adhere it to the wood subfloor. Regardless of what type of subfloor you have, you want to make sure that it is completely level and smooth for your tile installation.

Wet Saw

When you are working with marble, you will definitely want to use a wet saw. When using other types of tile, you could potentially get by with other cutting methods. You could use tile snips or some other type of saw. However, with marble, you have to use a wet saw. Marble is somewhat brittle and it tends to break along the grain if you do not cut it with a wet saw. The wet saw sprays a stream of water on the marble while you cut it. This helps to make a clean cut and you will not have any rough edges when you are done.

Proper Adhesive

When you are installing marble tile, you will want to make sure that you use the proper type of adhesive. They make and adhesive that is specifically designed to work with marble and stone tiles. This type of adhesive works very well. However, you could also use traditional tile thinset if you do not have access to the marble adhesive. When you use regular thinset, you are going to want to make sure that you use white thinset. If you use a dark color, it could potentially get through the marble and you will start to see the color of the thinset underneath.

Buy Extra

Before you get started, you will want to make sure that you buy plenty of marble tile. If you are short, it can be very difficult to find tile from the same batch. This could result in you having to put tile down that does not necessarily match the tile on your floor.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com