Tips on Deep Cleaning Victorian Hallway Tiles by Expert Restorer in Johnstone

 This is another Victorian hallway floor we deep cleaned in Johnstone which is located to West of Paisley. Before quoting I visited the property to survey the Victorian tiles and ensure I had a complete idea of what would be needed to fully renovate floor.

 

After inspecting the floor, I could see there were no surprises such as loose or cracked tiles that would need replacing and that the main issue was it was just incredibly dirty. All that it needed would be deep cleaning including stripping of any remaining sealer, then cleaning and ultimately sealing. This is a typical Tile Doctor job for us to carry out and having worked on many Victorian floors before I was very confident of a great result. The client was happy to go ahead with the quotation and we arranged to return a few weeks later.

 

Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

The floor was given a pre spray of Tile Doctor Remove and Go diluted 50:50 with water and then left to soak in for10 minutes to give it time to break down the dirt and any previous coatings that may have been present on the floor. Then the floor was scrubbed using a rotary bonnet machine fitted with a silicon carbide brush. This is an effective brush that in combination with the Remove and Go released a lot from the pores of the tile to the surface where it could be extracted with a wet vacuum. The floor was dirtier than anticipated and the process was carried out three times to ensure floor was as clean as possible.

Once the chemicals had done as much as they could the Victorian tiles were resurfaced using Tile Doctor 100 and 200 grit milling pads that remove stubborn ingrained dirt and staining. This process was carried out twice rinsing with water and extracted the soiling with a wet vacuum afterwards.

Last process was to give the tiles a mild Acid wash using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up. This was scrubbed in using soft brushes fitted to the bonnet machine and then extracted as before. This process further cleans up the tile and will counter any efflorescent salts that can build up in floors of this age which won’t had a modern damp proof membrane in place.

The floor was left to dry out for a few days with a fan left in place to speed up the drying times. The floor looked so much cleaner than when we started, and my client was already pleased with the results.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

On my return the I took a few moisture readings with a damp meter to check it was dry enough to accept a sealer. We don’t recommend applying a sealer to a damp floor as from experience the results can be inconsistent so always best to check first.

The meter readings were fine, so I started applying the sealer, which for this floor Tile Doctor Colour Grow was chosen. Three coats were applied to fully protect the floor and bring the colours back after being cut back with the milling pads. This sealer works by soaking into the pores of the tile, occupying the pores, and thereby preventing dirt from becoming ingrained there going forwart. As the name suggest it’s a colour enhancing product that is also fully breathable which is important for floors with no damp proof membrane.

 

For aftercare cleaning I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner which is a mild pH neutral tile cleaner that is gentle enough for daily use and will ensure that the newly applied seal is not compromised and kept looking good, especially in such a high traffic area.

Source: Hallway Floor Tile Cleaning and Renovation in Johnstone, Glasgow

Removing Carpet Adhesive from Victorian Hallway Tiles in Glasgow's West End

I thought you might be interested in these pictures of a tile restoration that we carried out in the hallway of a victorian property in the West End of Glasgow. Glasgow is actually the most populated city in Scotland and the third biggest by population in the whole of the UK so naturally a busy location for us.

The floor had been previously covered in carpet and as a result was stained with adhesive and paint splashes. We popped in to do a site visit, so we could survey the floor and see for ourselves the condition of the floor. Although not in great shape, I was happy that the overall floor was in good physical condition and could be restored with the help the products and methods.


I discussed with the client the process involved and the costs to put it right. They were happy to accept my quote and we booked the job in for later in the month. The job would take two days to complete, one day to clean and a further day to seal the floor.

Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

The first job was to clear the floor of the wooden carpet gripper by carefully chipping it off the floor. This took a bit of time and we had to be careful not to damage the floor further.

Next, we started on deep cleaning the floor by applying Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel. This is a strong alkaline based cleaner and degreaser in gel form, its great for when a long dwell time is required to break down dirt, grime, acrylic sealers, stains and oil-based products and waxes.

We left the Oxy-Gel to dwell for twenty to thirty minutes to ensure it got to work on breaking down the layers. It was then worked into the tile using a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine with the slurry rinsed off the floor and extracted with a wet vacuum. This process was carried out a few times to get the floor as clean as possible could before we gave a final scrub and rinse with Tile Doctor Acid Gel to combat any efflorescence issues that can occur on these old floors that do not have a damp proof membrane.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

I returned the following day to seal the floor checking first that it had dried using a damp meter. Once I was satisfied, four coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra were applied to the tiles to give the sheen finish asked for by the client. This process takes longer that you might think as you have to wait for the first coat to dry before applying the next and naturally this can vary depending on the conditions. 

I chose Seal and Go Extra as these Victorian properties were built before the invention of damp-proof membranes so you need to use a fully breathable sealer that will allow dampness to rise through the tile and evaporate. Use of a non-breathable sealer can lead to damp becoming trapped under the floor which can spread into the walls leading to rising damp. The sealer will protect the tiles and make it much easier to clean going forward, additionally it enhances the appearance of the tile leaving a sheen finish which allows the vivid colours to shine through.


The client was very happy with the floor and quite amazed with the before and after shots, they had not expected the results to be as good. They would now be able to easily keep the floor clean and looking good for any visitors.



Source: Victorian Floor Cleaning and Sealing Service in Glasgow

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...

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...

To read more on this topic click here

Cleaning a Travertine Tiled Shower Cubicle

This Travertine wet room in Glasgow was in a sorry looking state, the tiles had become very dull and there was evidence of mould especially around the silicone. Cleaning a Travertine Wet Room The first job was to cut out all the mouldy silicone around the bottom of the shower cubicle; which had Read more...

Maintaining Slate Tiles in Glasgow

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

Removing Mould from Travertine Bathroom Tiles

This mouldy filled Travertine tiled bathroom was located in a house in Glasgow and as you can see from the photograph below was completely covered in mould right round the whole bathroom, there was also some staining from the dyes in soap etc. Cleaning a mouldy Travertine tiled bathroom Firstly Read more...

Removing Grout Haze from Slate Kitchen Tiles

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

Maintaining A Slate Staircase

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

Deep Cleaning Slate Tiles in Glasgow

Slate is a hard-wearing product ideal for floors however it does need a sealer to bring out the best in it and sealers do wear off after a few years and this had happened with the Slate tiled floor in this post. The floor was now looking dull and the grout had also discoloured so time to call Read more...

Marble Tile Restoration at a Neoclassical Palladian Mansion

This Marble tiled floor is located in the pantry of the historical Kinross House which is a late 17th-century country house overlooking Loch Leven that was built by the architect Sir William Bruce as his own home in 1686. You can see from the photograph the floor was in quite a state and given the history it was an honour to be asked to work on the floor. Marble Tile Cleaning and Polishing We brushed out the floor to remove all the loose debris and then proceeded to restore the floor using a set of diamond encrusted burnishing pads which fit a rotary buffing machine. The burnishing process is designed to grind out dirt in the stone and smooth /polish the floor, you start with a course pad and work your way through the four pad set until you get to the finer polishing pad. This may sounds simple but it does take time to complete. Sealing Marble Tiles Once the floor was polished we applied a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Pro-Seal which is a non-sheen premium sealer recommended for natural stone that provided the natural matte look the client was after and will protect the Marble and keep the floor looking good. Source: Marble restoration in Perth and Kinross, Scotland Read more...

Dirty Slate Kitchen Floor Deep Cleaned and Resealed

These photographs of a Slate tiled kitchen floor are from a house in Lochwinnoch in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. You can see that the slate and grout was looking very dull and any sealer that was present had failed leaving the stone in need of a deep clean and re-seal. Cleaning Slate Read more...

Cleaning a Mouldy Shower Cubicle

A customer contacted us regarding a Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle problem they had with their house in Glasgow. The grout and mastic sealant had started to discolour and there was staining on both from mould which is quite a common problem in modern houses and our busy lifestyles and insulated Read more...

Cleaning Ceramic Shower Tiles

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 Read more...

Refreshing Ceramic Bathroom Tiles

This bathtub with shower over was at a house in the village of Kilmacolm near Greenock. As you can see from the photograph below the grout was stained in places and a tile had become loose behind the taps due to a previous leak causing it to fall out. Refreshing a Ceramic Tiles Bathroom The Read more...

Porcelain Tiled Floor & Grout Restored in Bearsden near Glasgow

The photographs below are from a 55m2 Porcelain tiled floor that we worked on recently at a house in the town of Bearsden which is an affluent suburb of Glasgow. The floor was laid well with large format tiles which were in good condition however like most floors the grout had become stained and was now patchy and inconstant in appearance. The owner of the property thought we may need to replace the grout however I was confident we could resolve the problem without having to resort to Read more...

To read more on this topic click here

Putting the Colour back Into a Dull Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor

This customer, who lives in Paisley, one of Scotland's biggest towns - and one with a rich history in the textiles industry - had not been completely satisfied with her Slate tiled kitchen floor since it had been laid. Having only been laid recently, the tiles themselves were in good shape, but Read more...

Bombed Damaged Porcelain Floor Rebuilt in Coventry

The photographs below are from a 55m2 Porcelain tiled floor that we worked on recently at a house in the town of Bearsden which is an affluent suburb of Glasgow. The floor was laid well with large format tiles which were in good condition however like most floors the grout had become stained and was now patchy and inconstant in appearance. The owner of the property thought we may need to replace the grout however I was confident we could resolve the problem without having to resort to Read more...

Cleaning Grout in a Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle

To clean grout we normally recommend a good scrub with Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is an strong alkaline product, in some cases however the staining cannot be removed completely and the only thing your can do with the exception of re-grouting is to re-colour the grout with a Grout Colourant Read more...