Work by Location

South-East-London-Tile-Doctor

Welcome to my Work History archive where you will find detailed examples of Tile, Grout and Stone Cleaning and renovation work carried out within South East London.

I have organised the posts by the most populous locations throughout South East London, if I haven’t listed your location do get in touch, Tile Doctor covers the whole country so if I can’t cover it there’s a good chance one of my colleagues can.

Local towns and villages I cover include: Abbey Wood, Anerley, Avery Hill, Bankside, Beckenham, Bellingham, Bermondsey, Bickley, Blackheath, Bostall Heath and Woods, Brixton, Brockley, Camberwell, Catford, Charlton, Chelsfield, Chinbrook, Chislehurst, Crockenhill, Crofton Park, Crossness, Dartford, Denmark Hill, Deptford, Downe, Downham, Dulwich, Eden Park, Elmers End, Elmstead, Eltham, Evelyn, Falconwood, Farnborough, Forest Hill, Green Street Green, Greenwich, Grove Park, Hayes, Herne Hill, Hextable, Hither Green, Hockenden, Honor Oak, Horn Park, Keston, Kidbrooke, Ladywell, Leaves Green, Lee, Lewisham, Locksbottom, Longlands, Maze Hill, Mottingham, New Cross, New Eltham, Newington, Nunhead, Orpington, Park Langley, Peckham, Peckham Rye, Penge, Perry Vale, Petts Wood, Plumstead, Pratt’s Bottom, Rotherhithe, Royal Arsenal, Rushey Green, Ruxley, Shooter’s Hill, Shortlands, Sidcup, South Bank, South Bermondsey, Southwark, St John’s, St Mary Cray, St Paul’s Cray, Surrey Quays, Swanley, Sydenham, Telegraph Hill, Thamesmead, Tulse Hill, Upper Norwood, Vauxhall, Walworth, Well Hall, Well Hill, West Dulwich, West Heath, West Wickham , Westcombe Park, Woolwich

Limestone Floor Cleaning and Polishing Bromley

Tumbled Limestone Floor Cleaned, Polished and Sealed in Bromley

I get called to renovate this Tumbled Limestone tiled floor at a property in Bromley every few years. The sealer does a good job of protecting the stone, but it does wear off with use and the natural crevices in the Travertine attract dirt easily. The other problem of course is the grout which due to its cementous nature also attracts dirt and darkens over time.

Limestone Floor Before Cleaning Bromley

Polished stone floors do regular attention if you want to keep them looking good and this is why we offer a maintenance program where we pop back to the property once a year to top up the sealer and repolish. In this case the owner also had a dog who was very well natured however dogs are not know for wiping their feet before entering your house.

Limestone Floor Before Cleaning Bromley

Stripping and Polishing Tumbled Limestone Tiles

With most polished Limestone floors, I would normally start with a set of burnishing pads which are the best way to restore the finish. In this case however I decided to start the cleaning process with the application of a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is left to soak into the stone for ten minutes before being worked in. This gives the product time to digest and breakdown the dirt that gets trapped in the crevices. I then use a silicon carbide brush fitted to a rotary floor machine to work the solution into the stone to bring out the dirt. The soiling is then rinsed off the floor and extracted with a wet vacuum.

The next step was to burnish the stone using a set of Diamond encrusted pads of increasing grits that range from a coarse 400-grit to a very fine 3000-grit. The pads are fitted to the rotary machine and are run across the whole floor lubricating with water which is deployed from a tank on the machine. After each the pad the soiling is rinsed away and extracted with the wet vacuum as before.

Limestone Floor During Cleaning Bromley

I stopped the burnishing process on the first day with the 1500-grit pad and turned my attention to the grout joints which are scrubbed by hand with a wire brush and more Pro-Clean. After another rinse and extract the Limestone and grout was already looking noticeably cleaner.

Sealing Limestone Tiles

I returned the next day and set about polishing the floor with the last in the set of burnishing pads which is a 3000-grit pad. This pad is applied with only a little water sprayed on to the stone as its run over the surface, this technique is known as a spray burnish and leaves the floor dry and ready to be sealed.

I was already aware that the owners of the property like the stone to look completely natural and so the sealer chosen was Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal. This is an impregnating sealer that works by soaking into the pores of the stone so dirt cannot become ingrained there allowing it to be easily removed from the surface. It doesn’t change the appearance of the stone at all so it’s almost invisible and difficult to detect which is exactly what they were after. Ultra-Seal is also a great grout sealer and will ensure the grout keeps clean for much longer.

Limestone Floor After Cleaning Polishing Bromley

Once the sealer was dry gave the floor an application of Tile Doctor Shine Powder which is a stone polishing compound that is worked into stone, left to dry and then buffed off with a White buffing pad to leave a durable shine on the stone.

Limestone Floor After Cleaning Polishing Bromley

Before leaving I took time to discuss aftercare cleaning and left them with a complimentary bottle of Tile Doctor Stone Soap which not only cleans but also help maintain the patina on polished stone.

 

Professional Renovation of a Large Polished Limestone Floor in Kent

Tumbled Limestone Floor Cleaned, Polished and Sealed in Bromley Read More »

Chinese Slate Kitchen Floor Renovation Keston

Renovating Chinese Slate Kitchen Flooring in Keston BR2

A client in Keston asked me to freshen up the Chinese Slate floor tiles that had been installed in the Kitchen. Kitchens are the busiest room in the house and overtime the floor had become tired and dull with ingrained dirt, the grout was also stained with dark patches. He had tried cleaning with lots of household products but nothing was improving the appearance.

Dull Chinese Slate Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning Keston

I visited the property to survey the floor and recommend a solution to the problem. I could see the floor had previously been sealed but it had degraded in several areas and in some places, there was no sealer present at all. Consequently, dirt was able to get into the pores of the stone where it is difficult to remove. All these problems detracted from what should be a very beautiful Slate floor.

Dull Chinese Slate Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning Keston

To demonstrate my point, I picked a small area of tiling and conducted a test clean followed by the application of a fresh sealer; the floor came up well and my client could see that we could improve the floor significantly. Impressed with the different he was happy to go ahead with my quote and we returned the following month to carry out the work.

Deep Cleaning a Chinese Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor

There was an old topical sealer on the Slate which had to be removed first. To do this I like to use a combination of Tile Doctor Remove and Go combined with and Tile Doctor Nanotech HBU. I applied the solution to the tiles and grout and allowed it to soak in and get to work for around thirty minutes. The two products combined create a powerful solution that will remove the old sealer and start to break down the stains in the tile and grout.

After thirty minutes, I added water to the solution and scrubbed, paying particular attention to the grout lines, then I vacuumed up the solution using the wet vacuum we have on board. I then went over the tiles and grout with my steamer to ensure I had rinsed and removed all chemicals.

When dry I could see the grout staining was far too deep to be able to get perfectly clean so I applied a grey Tile Doctor Grout Colourant to the grout lines. As well as refreshing the grout to give a consistent and uniform colour it also seals the grout, protecting it with an epoxy barrier making it much easier to clean and maintain going forward. When the grout colourant was dry it was now time to apply the sealer to the slate.

Sealing a Chinese Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor

I advised the client to switch from a topical sealer to an impregnating sealer that works by soaking into the stone, occupying the pores, and thereby preventing dirt from residing there.

Happy with my recommendation I sealed the slate with Tile Doctor Colour Grow which as its name suggests contains a colour enhancing formular that it perfect highlighting the natural colours in Chinese slate.

Dull Chinese Slate Kitchen Floor After Renovation Keston

The sealer adds a new level of depth to the Slate and being an impregnator is hardwearing and long lasting. The new sealer will make the floor much easier to clean in future and on that topic I also recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner for that purpose.

Dull Chinese Slate Kitchen Floor After Renovation Keston

Neutral Tile cleaner is a pH neutral product that is effective yet mild enough not to impact the integrity of the freshly applied sealer. Many household cleaning products are simply too strong for use on a sealed floor (always check the label) and will break down the sealer which may be the reason for the previous sealer failing in the past.

 

Professional Renovation of a Chinese Slate Tiled Kitchen in Southeast London

Renovating Chinese Slate Kitchen Flooring in Keston BR2 Read More »

Black Slate Kitchen Worktop Renovated Dulwich South London

Removing Limescale from a Black Slate Worktop in a Dulwich Kitchen

I was contacted by a customer of mine from Dulwich who having been impressed with the work I did for them previously cleaning and sealing a stone floor wondered if I could obtain a similar result with the Black Slate worktop installed in their kitchen. I was due to visit the property anyway to perform a maintenance clean on the stone floor anyway so was able to look at it after that work was complete.

Black Slate Kitchen Worktop Before Renovation Dulwich

I don’t mention this very often but I recommend to owners of polished stone floors that they ask me to return on an annual basis to re-polish the floor and top-up the sealer, we call this a maintenance visit and it ensures the tiles look its best for much longer. The process takes a couple of hours as opposed to a full clean and seal which typically takes two days.

After maintaining the floor I turned my attention to the Black Slate worktop and could see not only had it lost its deep shine it was spotted with ring marks and stained with other contaminates from cooking. I detected that a topical sealer had been used on the Slate in the past but it was now patchy and to ensure the best result this needed to be completely removed, the stone polished and a fresh sealer applied.

Black Slate Kitchen Worktop Before Renovation Dulwich Black Slate Kitchen Worktop Before Renovation Dulwich

Renovating a Stained Black Slate Worktop

To strip off the old sealer I applied Tile Doctor Remove and Go and left it to soak into the Slate for around thirty minutes. Then using a small six-inch pad fitted to a hand-held buffer scrubbed the solution into the stone to remove all the old sealer and clean up the stone. The worktop was then rinsed down with water and a cloth.

With the old sealer removed I set about tackling the ring marks and White staining which were probably caused by water, (limescale) or acids from the use of strong cleaning products or food. I find the best way to tackle deep seated staining on stone is by burnishing the stone with a series of diamond encrusted burnishing pads in different grits. I started with a 200-grit pad with water, vacuuming up the solution as I went, and then went through the remaining set of diamond pads (400, 800, 1500 and 3000 grits) to ensure I had fully honed the stone and restored its polished appearance. With worktops I used the smaller six-inch pads fitted to the hand-held buffer mentioned earlier.

Sealing a Black Slate Kitchen Worktop

Once the worktop was dry I was able to apply a fresh sealer to improve the Black colour and protecting it going forward. For the best result I started off by applying an even coat of Tile Doctor Stone Oil, a sealer that soaks into the Slate enhancing colour and improving strength.

I allowed the Stone Oil to dry for about forty minutes and then followed up with Tile Doctor Colour Grow sealer, this also enhances the colour whilst providing durable surface protection. I buffed off the final coat with a dry cotton cloth within 15 minutes of it being applied

Black Slate Kitchen Worktop After Renovation Dulwich Black Slate Kitchen Worktop After Renovation Dulwich

Once done the Slate Worktop was completely transformed much to the delight of my customer who was relieved something could be done with it. For aftercare I recommend the use of Tile Doctor Stone Patina Spray which is a mild cleaner that will maintain the patina of the stone.

Black Slate Kitchen Worktop After Renovation Dulwich

 

Professional Renovation of a Stained Slate Worktop in South London

Removing Limescale from a Black Slate Worktop in a Dulwich Kitchen Read More »

Slate Bathroom Tile Renovation Bermondsey

Green Slate Bathroom Tile Refurbished in Bermondsey SE16

This customer from Bermondsey SE16, was having a new shower tray fitted after discovering a leak. He wanted to know if his Green Slate tiles could be spruced up rather than having to pay out for new tiles and the tiling. The property was a basement flat in a warehouse conversion and with only one bathroom in the property a full bathroom rip out would have been very inconvenient.

Slate Bathroom Tile Before Refurbishment Bermondsey

The main issue with the tiling which included the wall and floor was they had a lot of white marks on them. My client thought it was limescale, but he couldn’t remove the staining and hence contacted Tile Doctor. After taking a look at the Slate I informed him that the White marks were in fact what was left of an old topical sealer! It seems over years it had broken down and water had penetrated it turning it white.

Slate Bathroom Tile Before Refurbishment Bermondsey Slate Bathroom Tile Before Refurbishment Bermondsey

Removing White Stains from a Green Slate Tiled Bathroom

To begin I applied Tile Doctor Nanotech HBU Remover to the walls and floors, this is a heavy build up remover (HBU) used to remove stains and waxes. The product is quite thick which helps it stick to walls without running off. Its essential to give it a long dwell time so it can get to work breaking down the old sealer. In this case I left it for 45 minutes before scrubbing it into the tile.

Before rinsing I also applied Tile Doctor Remove & Go on top of the Nanotech as this is multi-purpose coatings stripper which removes old sealers. The Nanotech had softened and started to break up the old sealer, and I was using Remove & Go to get into the old sealer and lift it off completely, which it did.

I used a wet vacuum to pick up the soiled solution and then I a steam cleaner to rinse the tiles. I use steam for two reasons, firstly as I want to seal the tiles on the same day rinsing this way doesn’t soak the tiles. Secondly any remaining old sealer gets lifted out by the steam.

Slate Bathroom Tile During Refurbishment Bermondsey

Sealing Green Slate Bathroom Tiles

Later that day the Slate tile was dry and ready for sealing. I first applied Tile Doctor Colour Grow, which is a colour enhancing impregnating sealer that penetrates the pores of the Slate and protects from within. The sealer is applied with a cloth and worked into the stone, wiping off the excess and then leaving to dry for 30 minutes.

Once dry I then applied a coat of Tile Doctor Stone Oil, again this enhances the colour, but being an oil also improves the mechanical strength of the stone. This was left to dry, for another 30 minutes plus before applying another coat of Colour Grow. I always finish with a sealer as this helps to lock-in the oil.

Slate Bathroom Tile After Refurbishment Bermondsey

My customer was very happy with the results and relieved to avoid the expense and inconvenience of having to retile the bathroom. Thankfully that is no longer the case, and the Slate has become a real feature of the bathroom.

Slate Bathroom Tile After Refurbishment Bermondsey Slate Bathroom Tile After Refurbishment Bermondsey

For aftercare of shower tiles, especially stone I recommend regularly spraying on a product called Tile Doctor Aqua-Pro which is a mild cleaner designed for use where the tiling has been sealed. A lot of tile cleaning products you find are simply too strong for use on sealed surfaces and can slowly erode the sealer over time.

 

Professional Slate Tile Restoration in a South London Wet Bathroom

Green Slate Bathroom Tile Refurbished in Bermondsey SE16 Read More »

Terracotta Conservatory Floor Renovation Herne Hill London SE24

Terracotta Conservatory Floor Deep Cleaned and Sealed in Herne Hill SE24

The following photos are of a Terracotta floor I recently worked on in the conservatory of a property in the South London suburb of Herne Hill SE25. The room was going to receive a makeover and they were not sure whether to replace the floor or not. The terracotta tiles were very dirty and although they had tried cleaning it themselves, they struggled to get a result so decided to call in Tile Doctor.

I went over to survey the floor and could see that any sealer that was once on the tiles had completely worn away and without the protection of sealer dirt had become ingrained into the pores of the tile. Once that happens it can be troublesome to remove deep seated dirt from within Terracotta due the porosity of the clay-based tile.

Terracotta Conservatory Floor Before Cleaning Herne Hill London SE24

However, having done quite a few of these floors previously I was confident with the right approach it could be deep cleaned and then a fresh sealer applied to protect it going forward. On the subject of sealers, they told me that they did not want a shiny finish so I quoted the job to clean and seal with an impregnating sealer that would meet their requirements.

I quoted for two days work, one day to clean and one day to seal and with the quote agreed the work was scheduled.

Deep Cleaning a Terracotta Conservatory Floor Tiles

On my return I started the cleaning process by applying a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go combined 1 to 1 with Nanotech HBU Remover. Remove & Go is a multipurpose stripper with a long dwell time designed to remove old sealers and ingrained stains and the “Nanotech HBU Remover” is a heavy build-up cleaning product that uses nano sized particles to penetrate below the surface and draw out the ingrained dirt and stains.

Nanotech is a gel like substance and combined with the Remove & Go it makes for a powerful double action tile cleaning product. For maximum results It was left to sit on the floor for 30 minutes without allowing it to dry up or soak in. I then scrubbed the solution into the floor with a black scrubbing pad attached to a rotary floor machine. This action released the dirt from the tile and grout causing the cleaning solution to go black. The resulting slurry was then rinsed away with water extracted using a wet vacuum.

Terracotta Conservatory Floor During Cleaning Herne Hill London SE24

With the floor already looking significantly cleaner I moved onto the next step of giving the tiles and acid rinse using a 1:5 parts dilution of Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up. This product is a phosphoric acid based cleaner, which amongst other things removes efflorescence and lime deposits, being acidic it also neutralises the strong alkaline chemicals used to clean. I apply this solution by hand using stainless steel scouring pads for the tiles and a wire brush for the grout lines. I work in one metre square sections at a time, not allowing the solution to sit on the tiles for more than five minutes before vacuuming up the dirty solution.

One I had cleaned the whole floor with the “Grout Clean-Up” solution I then rinsed it with a steam cleaner. I use a steam cleaner for two reasons, for one it doesn’t soak the floor and the heat means it dries quicker and two any stains still there get drawn out by the steam.

Terracotta Conservatory Floor After Cleaning Herne Hill London SE24

Sealing Terracotta Conservatory Floor Tiles

It’s not good practice to apply a sealer to a damp floor as the dampness can cloud the sealer and result in a patchy appearance. Because of this I always seal on a second day and in this case, I left the floor to dry out fully for two days before returning.

To seal the floor, I used four coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer that soaks into the pores of the Terracotta occupying the tiny pores and thereby blocking dirt from becoming ingrained there. Colour Grow as its name suggests improves the natural colours in the tile and in this case it did well to bring out the Orange/Red colours in the Terracotta, it also leaves a matt finish as requested by the client.

Terracotta Conservatory Floor After Sealing Herne Hill London SE24

For aftercare I recommend Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner, sealers are vulnerable to harsh chemicals so its important to use a cleaner that won’t impact them. It’s always worth checking the small print when buying a cleaner as the wrong product can degrade the sealer and then your back to square one with the floor becoming dirty with ingrained dirt.

 

Professional Renovation of a Terracotta Tiled Conservatory Floor in South London

Terracotta Conservatory Floor Deep Cleaned and Sealed in Herne Hill SE24 Read More »

Damaged Victorian Step Before and After Restoration Chislehurst

Damaged Victorian Tiled Step Fully Restored in Chislehurst

This client in Chislehurst wanted to create a better first impression as their front Victorian tiled step looked tired and had been damaged by long term settlement in the sub floor. They ideally wanted to keep the original tiling but thought it would have to be replaced. The problem was that one section of the base had dropped and the tiling had cracked either side of this.

Victorian Tiled step Before Repair and Restoration Chislehurst

After visiting the property, I told the client that it could be repaired with matching reproduction tiles and fully restored. My client was happy with this suggestion, and they agreed to go ahead with my quote on that basis.

Victorian Tiled step Before Repair and Restoration Chislehurst

Repairing a Victorian Tiled Path and Step

Our workload has been busy this year so I returned as soon as I could and started by carefully lifting the tiles from the dropped section and all the cracked tiles that had been affected. Before retiling I had to underpin the original base and raise the level with new concrete. Once this was done, I left the property for a few days so the new concrete base could cure fully.

When I returned to the job, I set about fixing the replacement reproduction tiles in place laying them down in the same pattern as before, again these needed time for the adhesive to set so I left the property once completed.

Victorian Tiled step During Repair and Restoration Chislehurst

Restorative Cleaning of Victorian Tiles

I returned again a few days later to clean and seal the tiles. I first used Tile Doctor Remove and Go to remove any ground in dirt and old sealers that may be on the original tiles. As these tiles were outside and open to the elements, I needed to remove some blackening from the tiles and used Tile Doctor Patio and Brick Driveway Cleaner to get that off. I put this on the tiles and let it dwell for a while, adding water to it to keep the tiles wet. It was a small area so to help lift the dirt out of the tile I scrubbed the tiles by hand. Once done the whole area was rinsed with more water and the soil extracted with a wet vacuum.

The next step was to bring up the appearance of the tiles and remove further dirt with the application of a 100 and then 200-grit milling pad. These pads are applied with water for lubrication and do a great job of deep cleaning the tiles and hone up the face of the tile to ease the sealing process. It was a small area, and the weather was good so it wasn’t too long before I could move onto sealing.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Path and Step

When the tiles were dry, I applied two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow and then once this had dried, I applied a coat of Tile Doctor Stone oil. Both these sealers are impregnators, which soak into the pores of the tile to enhance the appearance and natural colours of the tiles.

Victorian Tiled step After Repair and Restoration Chislehurst

It took a half few days to fully restore the path, fortunately Chislehurst is very close to my base in Bromley and so I was able to do some other work in between. The step looked new afterwards and my client was very impressed with the completed job.

 

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Step in South East London

Damaged Victorian Tiled Step Fully Restored in Chislehurst Read More »

Stained Encaustic Shower Tiles Renovated in Forest Hill SE23

The client had recently moved into this property in Forest Hill SE23 and the previous owner had used a professional cleaning company to give the house a thorough clean prior to moving out. Unfortunately, they had used an aggressive acid based cleaner on the reclaimed encaustic tiles around the shower, causing white staining. I was contacted to see if it was possible to remove the stains and correctly seal the tiles to protect them.

Encaustic Shower Tiles Before Renovation SE23

I was pleased to tell them it was indeed possible to restore the tiles and we discussed how I would do this. I gave them my quote which they accepted, and we arranged a mutually convenient time to carry out the work. Encaustic tiles are quite unusual they were traditionally made from clay, but today, most modern versions of the tile are made using cement and are often referred to simply as cement tiles.

Cleaning and Restoring an Encaustic Tiled Shower

The first step was to scrub the tiles with a dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, an alkaline cleaner that is safe to use on Encaustics. The solution was scrubbed into the tile to ensure any remaining soap scum and surface grime was removed. Once done the tiles were rinsed off with water and I moved onto the next of renovating the appearance of the tiles with a set of handheld burnishing pads.

These pads are made from industrial diamonds that clean and remove scratches renovating the surface and closing the pores of the stone. For general cleaning and honing I would normally start with a 400-grit, but with the staining on these tiles, I started with the 200-grit. Once I had gone over all the tiles with the 200-grit pad with water, I then repeated the process with the 400, 800 and 1500 and 3000 pads in sequence. The tiles were rinsed off after each pad and finally left to dry.

Sealing an Encaustic Tiled Shower

Once the tiles had dried it was time to apply a sealer that would further enhance their appearance and protect them. For this I chose to use Tile Doctor Colour Grow as it’s an impregnating, colour enhancing product. It works by soaking into the pores of the tile where dirt can collect, thus protecting it from within.

The sealer was applied thinly with a cloth to all the tiles and allowed to dry for 30 minutes before the next coat was applied. Due to the porosity of these tiles, I applied four coats until I was satisfied, they were fully sealed. Once the tiles were dry, I buffed them with a dry 3000 burnishing pad to leave them with an appealing satin sheen.

Encaustic Shower Tiles After Renovation SE23

The client was pleased with the result and I explained the best way to clean and maintain the tiles for the future would be to use Tile Doctor Aqua-Pro which is designed for use in bathrooms and gentle enough to use every day. They needed to avoid using strong household cleaners on these tiles otherwise the same issue would occur.

 

Professional Renovation of Encaustic Shower Tiling in Kent

Stained Encaustic Shower Tiles Renovated in Forest Hill SE23 Read More »

Soiled Encaustic Tiled Bathroom Floor Deep Cleaned in Sydenham

The customer had Encaustic Concrete tiles laid in two bathrooms and a hallway around a year ago at their house in Sydenham, South East London. Encaustic tiles have been around for a very long time however they are currently undergoing a resurgence and are once again proving very popular due the varied patterns being created.

Concrete Encaustic Bathroom Floor Tiles Before Cleaning Sydenham
It’s probably difficult to appreciate from the photographs but this particular brand of encaustic tiles were very porous and had become very grubby since being installed and were now staining easily. I suspect they had only been lightly sealed after installation (if at all) and this had allowed dirt to penetrate the pores of the tile making it difficult to clean.

Concrete Encaustic Bathroom Floor Tiles Before Cleaning Sydenham Concrete Encaustic Bathroom Floor Tiles Before Cleaning Sydenham

Cleaning a Dirty Encaustic Tiled Hallway

The process I used for cleaning the tiles was the same one I would use on polished stone such as Limestone or Travertine. It involves applying a set of Diamond encrusted burnishing pads starting with a coarse 400 grit pad fitted to a rotary floor buffing machine and lubricated with water. The water becomes soiled with the slurry from the burnishing process and once all the tiles have been treated its rinsed off with more water.

You then apply the medium 800 grit pad, again with water to help lubricate and rinse off afterwards like before. The process is repeated with the fine 1500 grit pad and the tiles given another rinse.

Before applying the final super fine 3000 grit pad I scrubbed the grout lines with a solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a strong alkaline cleaner that’s designed for use on Tile and Stone. I used a handheld narrow brush to scrub the grout and followed that up with another rinse with water using a wet vacuum to extract the water and dry the floor afterwards.

Sealing Encaustic Tiles

The beauty of honing the tiles with the burnishing pads in this manner is that the system closes up a lot of the pores in the tiles, making them less porous and easier to seal. Burnishing also uses less water so it wasn’t long before the floor was dry, and I was able to start the sealing process.

I sealed the floor using Tile Doctor Colour Grow, which is a colour enhancing impregnating sealer that seeps into the pores of the tile and protects it from within. Three even coats with a drying time in between is sufficient for these tiles, and once the final coat had dried I went over the floor with the 3000-grit pad on my floor machine, to leave the floor with a slight sheen.

Concrete Encaustic Bathroom Floor Tiles After Cleaning Sydenham Concrete Encaustic Bathroom Floor Tiles After Cleaning Sydenham

After care is so important when it comes to maintaining a sealed floor, so I always leave the customer with a small bottle of a recommend cleaning product. In this case I left them with Tile Doctor Stone Soap which is made with vegetable oil extract and will help maintain the patina on the floor.

Concrete Encaustic Bathroom Floor Tiles After Cleaning Sydenham

 

Professional Encaustic Tiled Floor Renovation in Kent

Soiled Encaustic Tiled Bathroom Floor Deep Cleaned in Sydenham Read More »

Polished Limestone Tile Renovation in Beckenham

This modern town house in Beckenham had a Limestone tiled floor laid in the family room, kitchen, utility room and hallway. It had been some time since it was last polished and was now starting to look flat and even grubby in places.

Limestone Tiled Floor Before Cleaning Beckenham

A polished stone floor needs regular attention in order to keep it looking good and this is why we offer a maintenance program where we pop back to the property once a year to top up the sealer and re-polish. In this case a thorough clean, polish and re-seal was required and due to the large area to be cleaned and the need to move furniture around it would have to be done in three stages.

Limestone Tiled Floor Before Cleaning Beckenham

Stripping and Polishing Limestone Tiles

The best way to restore high quality stone like this is to hone the floor using varying grits of abrasive floor pads. Tile Doctor have developed a technique for this known as burnishing which is a version of stone polishing that involves the application of Diamond encrusted pads. Each pad in the system has its own level of grit and is applied in sequence from Coarse to Very Fine in order to clean and re-hone the finish on the stone.

I swept the floor to remove any loose dirt and grit and then began the burnishing process using a
Coarse 400 grit pad lubricated with water, then after rinsing and wet vacuuming the floor with water I moved on to the Medium 800 grit pad, Fine 1500 grit pads. The next step was to get the grout as clean as possible by scrubbing in a medium dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean with a narrow stiff brush. Pro-Clean is a strong alkaline product that is safe to use on Tile and Stone and is a good grout cleaner. With the Limestone tiles and grout now clean I gave the floor another quick rinse and finished honing the section with a very fine 3000 grit pad that gives the stone a final polish. You don’t need too much lubrication with this last pad, just a spray of water.

Sealing Limestone Tiles

Once the floor section was dry it was sealed with Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is a colour enhancing impregnated sealer that protects from within and really brings out the brown colours in the Limestone. Once the sealer was dry I polished the floor using Tile Doctor Shine Powder which is a stone polishing compound that is worked into the floor wet, left to dry and then buffed off with a white buffing pad to leave a durable high shine on the stone.

Limestone Tiled Floor After Cleaning Beckenham

As I mentioned at the start this was a large area that had to be completed in three sections, so it took a few days in order to complete the whole floor. It was worth waiting for however and the customer was very pleased with the finish. For general day to day cleaning of polished stone we recommend using Tile Doctor Stone Soap which not only cleans but also adds patina to the finish, I left with a complimentary bottle, so she could try it.

Limestone Tiled Floor After Cleaning Beckenham

 

Professional Renovation of a Large Polished Limestone Floor in Kent

Polished Limestone Tile Renovation in Beckenham Read More »

Deep Cleaning Bathroom Tile & Grout in Beckenham

Recently I was asked to renovate the tile and grout of this windowless bathroom in a Beckenham flat which was not looking its best. The Ceramic tiles had become dull due to a build up of Limescale and the grout had become stained from shampoo dyes and mould.

Ceramic Bathroom Tiles Grout Before Cleaning Beckenham
Without strong ventilation and regular cleaning most bathrooms can end up with these problems however with the right products and techniques they can be renovated as you will see below.

Ceramic Bathroom Tiles Grout Before Cleaning Beckenham

Deep Cleaning Bathroom Tile and Grout

My first action was to apply a liberal amount of Tile Dr Oxy-Gel which is a strong alkaline tile and grout cleaning product that comes in a gel form. Being a gel it’s able to sticks to vertical surfaces for longer allowing it to break down the Limescale and soap residue that had taken up residence. Once it had been left to dwell for around thirty minutes, it was scrubbed off with water and a pan scrapper and then dried with a micro cloth. You can use this process with glazed ceramic tiles like these but for natural stone I would have used a different approach.

I then sprayed Tile Doctor Duo Clean, which is a grout cleaner and mould remover, onto the grout lines. I left the grout with the Duo Clean on it for about ten minutes before scrubbing and rinsing off with water.

The process was repeated where needed until I was happy that the tile and grout were as clean as possible however to really give the bathroom a fresh look I decided to completely renovate the grout with the application of a Grout Colourant.

Grout Colouring Bathroom Wall Tiles

There are ten colours to choose from in the Tile Doctor range of Grout Colourant’s and in this case I felt the best outcome would be to use a White colourant to match the tiles and restore the original look of the bathroom; the customer however wanted a grout colour that would provide a contrast against the white tiles, so in the end we opted for a light grey colour.

The colourant is easily applied directly to the grout and in this case I waited for the tiles to dry before applying two coats with the aid of a small brush making sure to remove any excess that comes into contact with the tile.

I finished the renovation by cutting out the original mastic sealant from around the bath and replacing with a new mould resistant silicone in white to match the bathtub.

Ceramic Bathroom Tiles Grout After Cleaning Beckenham
The bathroom now looks transformed and the epoxy grout colourant adds a layer of protection to the grout that will keep it looking good for some time to come.

Bathroom Tile Renovation in Kent

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