How to Grout Tile With No Gap

Until very recently, tiles needed to be installed with a minimum of a 1/16-inch grout joint. This joint was required not only to help seal out moisture, but to prevent damage from tiles rubbing against one another and to make up for uneven tile sizes.

New technologies have helped to produce a method of tile production that uses compressed clay to produce tiles that are extremely even in size with crisp, straight edges. These tiles, known as vitrified tiles, can be installed with no gap or grout joint between them. If this is a dry-wall application, such as a kitchen backsplash, you may not wish to grout this tiles at all. If this area will be subject to water or moisture, you will still need to grout the tiles, despite their lack of joint. Unsanded grout can be used to pack these tiny gaps, sealing the tiles.

Things You’ll Need

• Unsanded grout
• Grout float
• Damp sponge

Instructions
1. Mix the unsanded grout to the consistency of slightly runny peanut butter, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Unsanded grout is made up of extremely fine particles of cement and can be pushed into the space left between tiles that have been butted up against one another.

2. Scoop up some grout with the flat of the grout float and begin to scrape it over the tiles’ edges. Press the grout float onto the tiles’ edges first on its edge, and then with the flat side of the float. This will pack the joints with the unsanded grout. Because there is not a large space, you will be able to scrape up the grout with the float and continue using the same scoopful for an extended period of time. The grout will seek out any gaps and fill them, no matter how small. Just be sure to use some pressure as you apply the float to push the grout in tightly.

3. Wipe up the excess grout from the tiles with a damp sponge after about 10 minutes. This will give the grout time to set in the joints, but not enough time to dry on the tiles. Be sure not to use a lot of water, because this could wash the grout back out of the joints before it dries. Allow the grout to dry completely for 24-hours.

Source: www.eHow.com

How to Add Shine to Hardwood Floors

Hardwood floors need regular maintenance to protect the showroom shine you first fell in love with. Basic precautions and a regular cleaning schedule should keep hardwood floors in excellent condition for decades. However, if your hardwood floors have scratches, ingrained dirt or dull areas, you will need to deep-clean them, recoat them or resand them, depending on the extent of the damage. These are heavy-duty cleaning projects, which require training, experience and expensive machinery, so it pays to keep a good maintenance schedule to avoid them altogether.

Maintenance

1. Sweep your hardwood floors regularly. If you use a vacuum, attach a felt head to avoid damaging your floor. Built-up grit damages hardwood floors and makes them look dull. Regular sweeping and dusting is the easiest and cheapest way to keep your floors with the shine you love.

2. Clean spills on your floor quickly with a soft cloth. If spills are not cleaned at once, they can damage the fiber in the wood and require expensive treatments to fix.

3. Dust mop your hardwood floors with a microfiber cloth dampened in hardwood cleaner. According to the National Wood Flooring Association, standing water and other liquids will dull the finish and damage your hardwood floors. Use wood cleaners recommended or sold by hardwood floor manufacturers.

Floor Repairs to Add Shine

1. Treat your hardwood floor to an intensive clean. You will need a professional wooden floor cleaning machine. Scrub the floor with an intensive hardwood floor cleaner recommended by the manufacturer. Scrub again with a commercial floor cleaner and polish with a microfiber cloth.

2. Re-coat your floor before it wears down to bare wood. First clean it thoroughly with a wooden-floor intensive cleaner recommended by your hardwood floor manufacturer. Apply regular floor cleaner and scrub with a professional cleaning machine. Apply a new coat of finish and repolish with a cleaning machine.

3. Re-sand your hardwood floors when they are worn down to bare wood. Use a professional floor sanding machine. Clean with a wooden-floor intensive cleaner and apply a new coat of finish. This is an extreme fix for severely damaged floors; you should never have to do this if you take good care of your hardwood floors.

Things You'll Need:

• Soft broom
• Vacuum cleaner with felt head
• Microfiber cloths
• Hardwood floor cleaner
• Professional floor cleaner

Tips

• Avoid wax- or silicone-based cleaners. Instead of making your hardwood floors shine, it will make them harder to clean and damage the floor's finish.
• Keep your pet's nails short. Avoid using high heels inside the house, and place rubber mats under furniture.

Source: HomeGuides.sfgate.com

Aga Cooker encouraging efflorescence problems in Goostrey, East-Cheshire

Pictured below is an old Quarry tiled floor in the Kitchen of a house in the small farming village of Goostrey. I went over to survey the floor at the request of the owner who felt it was overdue a deep clean and seal.


It was a classic floor that suited the kitchen and its Aga well however I’m sure it could tell a story. There were patches of white efflorescent salts in front of the Aga itself and another section of floor where the tiles were a slightly darker shade. I assume some replacements were made in this section at some point in the past. Efflorescence occurs when damp in the subfloor rises through the tiles depositing white alkaline salts on the surface of the tile as the moisture evaporates. This is quite a common problem in older properties where no damp proof membrane is present under the floor and more so where you have a warm Aga heating the space and encouraging evaporation.

As per usual the floor was survey noting all the points above and then I carried out a test clean on a small part of the floor. This helps me understand what products and process I need to follow in order to renovate the floor and thereby product an accurate quote for the work. This went well and the owner was happy for us to process so we agreed a date to start the work which would take two days.

Cleaning a Quarry Tiled Floor

To clean the floor and strip off any remaining sealer I first created a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go which was sprayed onto the tiles and then left to soak in. Remove and go is a powerful stripper and cleaner that is safe to use on tile and stone. The product is designed to loosen paint stains, adhesives and many types of urethane and wax coatings so they can be easily removed.

After thirty minutes the solution was scrubbed into the tile and grout using a weighted rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad and running at a slow speed. The resulting cleaning slurry was rinsed off with water and then extracted from the floor using a wet vacuum. I repeated this process until I was confident the tiles were clean and free of old sealer.

The next step was to neutralise the alkaline salts in the floor which could later lead to efflorescence by treating it to an acid wash using Tile Doctor Acid Gel. The gel was left to soak in for five minutes before washing it off using the wet vacuum to get the floor as dry as possible.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled Floor

The floor was left to dry out overnight and the next morning I returned to the property and took some readings from the floor with a damp meter. It’s important to check the floor is dry before sealing because any excess moisture can cloud the sealer and prevent it from doing its job properly.

Once satisfied that the floor was dry, I applied a single coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is a breathable impregnating sealer that enhances colour and protects from within. I left the floor to dry for one hour and then followed up with four coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go which provides both a robust surface seal and a long-lasting low sheen finish. The new sealer transformed the tiles and gave the whole floor a uniform appearance.


The customer was very impressed with our work and asked if we can come back later to remove the white tiles in front of the Aga and replace with Quarry tiles to match the rest of the floor.




Source: Quarry Tile Cleaning and Sealing Service in Goostrey, East Cheshire

How to Clean Cooking Grease From Ceramic Tile

If your kitchen or washroom is decorated with ceramic tiles, then chances are you're going to get grease on them. It may be cooking grease, or grease from an item that someone left on your countertops. No matter where the grease comes from, you are going to want to remove it as soon as possible. Removing grease from ceramic tiles is an easy process that takes only a few items that you most likely already have in your home.

Step 1

Wad a few paper towels into the palm of your hand and remove any large pieces of grease from the ceramic tiles. Place the paper towel at one end of the tile and pull toward you. Continue to do this until you have removed any large pieces of grease.

Step 2

Add a cup of vinegar into your squirt bottle. You may need more or less depending on the amount and size of the ceramic tiles you are cleaning.

Step 3

Spray the vinegar directly onto your ceramic tiles and allow to sit for a few minutes.

Step 4

Wipe away the grease with your sponge. You may need to rinse your sponge after each pass, to make sure that you keep your sponge clean.

Step 5

Squirt the vinegar directly onto your ceramic tiles once more after the grease is removed and wipe away. This will leave a nice shine on your ceramic tiles.

Source: www.Hunker.com

Repairing a Flood Damaged Quarry Tiled Floor in Bearwood, Birmingham

My client contacted me regarding their quarry tiled floor which hadn't been in a good condition for some time. A recent flood in the house, caused by a ruptured pipe in an upstairs boiler had only added to the problem. As you can see from the before pictures, the floor was in a sorry state. On the plus side the flood had led to an insurance claim which would cover the cost of the restoration.

I visited the property and did a test clean on a section of Quarry tiles which came up well. The client was happy the result and agreed to go ahead, my quote was agreed, and the job booked in. The property was in Bearwood which is in the southern part of the Birmingham suburb of Smethwick.

Cleaning and Repairing a Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor

The client also needed some Quarry tiles replacing due to them being broken and damaged. So before returning my first task was to source some replacement quarry tiles that would be a good match for the existing. Fortunately Quarry tiles are still popular and I was able to find a set of reclaimed tiles that would make good replacements.

I was able to get the replacements delivered in time for the job starting which was just as well as my first task would be to repair the floor. Fitting the replacements was tricky work as some of the tiles were up to two inches thick and came in various sizes and so had to be cut to size with a wet tile cutter. The tiles were a good match though and they were set in place. Later that day I was able to grout them in using a matching grout along with some other areas that needed re-grouting. By the end of the first day the floor was already looking much improved.


The next day the floor was cleaned with a strong solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. The solution is left on the tiles to dwell for about ten minutes so it can start to soak into the deep-seated dirt and break it down. The tiles were then scrubbed with a black pad fitted to a weighted rotary machine. The grout was also cleaned at this point using more Pro-Clean and a hand-help scrubbing brush.

There was also a fireplace hearth that needed cleaned, this also had to be cleaned by hand as the machine was too large. The floor was then rinsed with water and the resultant slurry extracted with a wet vacuum.


The last part of the cleaning process was to give the tiles and acid-wash using a dilution of Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up. This is an acidic product that can remove mineral staining and will also counter any alkaline salt deposits in the pores of the tile that could surface as the floor dries later. The floor was rinsed again and allowed to dry out for two days before I returned.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled Hallway Floor

On the final day I first confirmed the Quarry tiles had dried out were ready for sealing. I then sealed the tiles using Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is a fully breathable sealer that would protect whilst allowing moisture in the floor to rise through the tile. This sealer will also enhance the strong natural colour of the quarry tiles. The tiles were quite porous so four coats of sealer were needed, then after drying the floor was buffed with a white pad.


The work transformed the floor and my customer was over the moon with the end result.


For after-care I left the customer with a complimentary bottle of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner. This is a pH neutral product that is safe to use on sealed surfaces and won’t prematurely erode the sealer.


Source: Quarry Tile Cleaning and Sealing Service in Bearwood, Birmingham

How to Clean Tile and Grouted Countertops

Tile countertops may look really great when they are clean, but they can be really difficult to keep that way. Getting rid of dirt in the grout between your countertop tiles can be a chore, but mixing baking soda and vinegar to clean the grout can work wonders.

Step 1

Pour a little baking soda on the grout, then a little bit of vinegar. Watch it make a little volcano as the baking soda and vinegar mix together. Combining these products will get the dirty grout nice and clean.

Step 2

Scrub the grout stains with a used fabric softener sheet. You will see it clean immediately or after a few minutes, depending on how dirty your grout is.

Step 3

Rinse it out well with water. Repeat scrubbing with the dryer sheet if necessary.

Step 4

Let the area dry well before you place anything on your countertop again.

Source: www.Hunker.com

Black Limestone Floor Ruined when Descaling a Coffee Machine

I really felt for this customer who was mortified after accidentally spilling limescale descaling solution on their beautiful Black Limestone floor in Stratford upon Avon. The problem started when attempting to descale a coffee making machine in the kitchen, unfortunately the bottle fell out of his hands and onto the Black Limestone floor, the subsequent attempt to mop it up spread the problem across the floor.


Descaling solutions contain strong acids that dissolve the minerals in limescale so they can be easily removed. Limestone being of a similar structure is equally effected however in this case the product was removed quickly and didn’t have time to etch the stone. Unfortunately, the descaler did have time to upset the factory polish leaving a right mess and ruining the appearance of the stone.

I went over to survey the floor and reassured my customer the floor could be restored. There are several products and methods that can be applied to resurface and polish stone floors, so I knew the problem was repairable, it was just a question of finding the best solution for the customer.

Stripping Sealer from Black Limestone Flooring

I reasoned that the underlying stone was not etched by the acid, it was the wax-based factory finish that had been upset so the best course of action would be to strip back the entire floor to the bare stone and then reapply a new sealer that would provide a similar appearance.

To do this I started with the application of Tile Doctor Remove and Go across the whole floor. This product is a coatings remover that is specially designed for use on Tile and Stone, it was sprayed onto the floor and after ten minutes scrubbed in using a rotary machine fitted with a scrubbing pad. The resultant slurry was then rinsed off with water and extracted using a wet vacuum. This process was repeated until I was confident that the factory polish had been removed.

Next step was to strip the stone of the black dry added by the factory by giving it an acid wash using Tile Doctor Acid Gel. This was necessary to re-balance the appearance of the stone across the entire floor and would result in a consistent appearance one resealed. The Acid Gel was scrubbed into the Limestone, then rinsed off and extracted using the same procedure as before.

After a final rinse the floor was left to dry off overnight.

Sealing Black Limestone Floor Tiles

The next day I first checked the floor was dry using a damp meter, there were no excess moisture issues so I able to go ahead and seal the stone using a product that would bring back the colour and add protection against dirt and staining.

The best product for this was Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer that seeps into the pores of the stone protecting it from within and enhancing natural colour at the same time. The only disadvantage of this product is it leaves a matt finish whereas my customer wanted the shiny, easy to clean appearance of the original tile. To resolve I recommended we leave the floor to settle for a while and if no issues develop, I would add a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go which is compatible with Colour Grow and would give the desired finish.


Due to various commitments on both our parts it was six weeks until I was able to return and top up the sealer with Seal and Go. It was worth waiting for and much to the relief of the owner his Black Limestone floor has been transformed to new again.




Source: Limestone Tile Cleaning and Restoration Service in Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire