Lympstone Archives - Devon Tile Doctor

Cream Marble Tiled Floor Polished in Lympstone Devon

Wax Sealed 130m2 Cream Marble Tiled Floor Polished in Lympstone

I was asked to pop over to the village of Lympstone to survey a beautiful Cream Mable tiled floor. The owner of the property was unhappy with its appearance as the wax-based product used to seal it previously had significantly dulled over the years resulting in a flat/matte look and making marks extremely obvious and difficult to remove.

Wax based products like the one used on this floor and a traditional method for protecting Marble floor but its easily marked, tricky to remove and with the advent of modern stone sealing products it’s not a solution we recommend

After surveying the 130m2 of Marble tiles, I could see the best way forward would be to remove the wax, clean the floor and then use a ‘Burnishing’ process to bring up the deep natural shine in the stone and then seal to protect. I explained the process in full and a date was agreed for my return to do the renovation.

Marble Floor Before Polishing Lympstone Devon

Deep Cleaning Red and Brown Marble Kitchen Tiles

I began by scrubbing in Tile Doctor Cleaner/Stripper product called Remove & Go, this emulsified and broke down the wax seal, loosened up any surface dirt and marks and cleaned up the grout lines which was significantly discoloured due to years of use.

I find the best was to do this it to spray on the Remove and Go, then let it soak into the tile and then run over each tile with a black scrubbing pad. Pads can struggle to reach into the recesses of the grout line so to ensure a thorough clean I also run a stiff hand brush over the grout.

The floor was rinsed with water and then the soiling extracted with a wet vacuum. It was important to remove the wax before starting the next stage of burnishing other wise the diamond pads used in this process will become clogged with remnants of wax.

Marble Floor During Polishing Lympstone Devon

With the wax removed the chemical clean was complete and I was ready to move onto burnishing the Marble. On this occasion I stared with an 800-grit diamond burnishing pad fitted to a rotary machine running with added weight to make better contact with the floor. I only use water to lubricate the process and make eight to ten passes over each section. The process is then repeated without the weights using a 1500-grit diamond pad and water before vacuuming up the slurry.

Finally, I spray a small amount of fresh water onto the floor and burnish the Marble until almost dry with a 3000-grit diamond pad. This is the last step in the polishing processed and adds a lovely sheen to the stone.

Sealing Red and Brown Marble Kitchen Tiles

After the floor had been buffed dry, I finished by sealing the marble with Tile Doctor Ultra seal which is a specially formulated seal specifically for polished marble. It’s a natural look sealer that doesn’t change the characteristics of the stone and is almost invisible.

Ultra-Seal is an impregnating sealer that provides durable protection by impregnating the pores in the stone with sealer, so dirt cannot become ingrained there. The results were sharp and obvious and the customers were both very happy with the results and was a large job on their renovation tick list completed.

Marble Floor After Polishing Lympstone Devon

For aftercare cleaning of polished stone floors, we recommend using Tile Doctor Stone Soap, it’s compatible with sealers and helps maintain the patina on the stone.

Professional Restoration of a Marble Tiled Kitchen Floor in Devon

Wax Sealed 130m2 Cream Marble Tiled Floor Polished in Lympstone Read More »

Terracotta Tiled Floor in Lympstone Before and After Cleaning

Terracotta Tiled Floor Transformed with a Deep Clean and Seal in Lympstone

1 Comment / Exmouth Tile Cleaning, Terracotta Tile Cleaning, Work History / Harry Payne

Terracotta, terra cotta or terra-cotta meaning baked earth is a clay based tile which can be glazed or unglazed and were traditionally hand-made. Because of the material used to produce the tiles they are very porous and the firing process creates a lot of variation of colour not just between each tile but within each individual tile. The two main types of terracotta tile are Spanish and Mexican, or Saltillo, and have different colour variations and characteristics but are essentially treated in the same way. There are even some manufacturers that offer paw prints in tiles, although they cost extra!

Of course, Terracotta is also commonly used as a material for tiled floors due to the warming and homely characteristics of the stone, associated with old country living. Indeed, a Terracotta tiled floor can be an asset to any home, but only if it is routinely maintained.

I recently visited a property in Lympstone, a small picturesque harbour village in East Devon in the area of Woodbury, to tend to a lovely Terracotta tiled floor that had been installed in an open-plan kitchen/diner. The tiles had gotten very dirty over its fifteen-year life and the current owners were struggling to clean it and had spent a long time scrubbing the floor with very little reward.

Once on-site I conducted a small test clean on the floor which was very successful and gave the customers confidence in going forward. Happy to give me the work we agreed a date and I came back a few weeks later.

Terracotta Tiled Floor in Lympstone Before Cleaning

Deep Cleaning Terracotta Tiles

Because of the undulation and texture in the tiles, the floor was treated using Tile Doctor’s Oxy-Gel, a powerful and fast-acting alkaline stripper/degreaser which is ideal for use on vertical surface and uneven tiles such as terracotta because the gel doesn’t run off the higher areas and pool in the lower areas. The product also has a short dwell time which enabled the entire floor to be cleaned in a day.

The Oxy Gel was scrubbed into the tile and grout with the aid of a stiff bristled monster brush fitter to rotary scrubbing machine. Once the cleaning process had been completed, I extracted the dirty cleaning solution using a wet vacuum and then re-treated any stubborn areas.

Following the cleaning the whole floor was given a thorough rinse to remove any trace of cleaning product. This required a lot more water and brushing than usual because of the tiles acting more like a sponge because they weren’t sealed. Again, a wet vacuum was used to extract the water and get the floor as dry as possible.

Sealing Terracotta Tiles

Because Terracotta is a very porous tile I left the floor for five days to ensure it would be dry enough when I returned to seal it. Tiles need to be dry before sealing as any excess moisture and damp issues can upset the performance of the sealer.

I tested the floor for dampness on my return and found it had dried well and was ready to be sealed. This allowed me to proceed with sealing the tiles using Tile Doctor Seal and Go, which is an acrylic, topical sealer. It provides a both a stain resistant surface seal and a durable low-sheen satin finish.

Being the product is water-based there no smell is given off by the sealer as it dries, and since the Terracotta is very porous I ended up using nine coats of sealer which is not uncommon on this type of tile. Once fully sealed the floor will not absorb water and so is easier to clean and much more resistant to staining.

Terracotta Tiled Floor in Lympstone After Cleaning

As you can see from the above photo, the condition of the floor was massively improved. What was a very dull and stained Terracotta floor is now colourful and clean. Certainly, the customer was really pleased with the outcome and left the following feedback:

“Stuart was punctual to the minute and thoroughly friendly and professional at all times.
We are very pleased with the floor and highly recommend him. Ryan S.”

Professional Cleaning and Sealing of a Dirty Terracotta Tiled Floor in Devon

Terracotta Tiled Floor Transformed with a Deep Clean and Seal in Lympstone Read More »