Work History Archives - Page 2 of 4

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Renovated Exmouth

Victorian Tiled Hallway Renovated Ready for House Sale in Exmouth

This owners of this grand Victorian property in Exmouth were putting their home on the market and so decided to have its beautiful patterned Victorian Tiled hallway floor renovated to its former glory first.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Exmouth Before Cleaning

To get the best price for your property it needs looking its best and first impressions count so it makes sense to ensure the frontage and the hallway looks its best.

Deep Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

I began by applying Tile Doctor Remove & Go to the floor which was then left to soak in for twenty minutes. This gives the product time to breakdown and emulsify existing sealers and loosen ingrained dirt. I then worked the floor with a 200-grit burnishing pad fitted to a rotary machine which had extra weights fitted to improve contact. The pads are made with industrial Diamonds that cut into and release the dirt bringing it to the surface where it can be removed. To help with lubrication the floor was wetted with minimal amounts of water, old floors like this one will not have had a damp proof membrane installed so it’s best to keep fluids at a minimum.

The now soiled cleaning solution was extracted with a wet vacuum and I hand cleaned around the perimeter with Diamond burnishing blocks. A few rinses were required to remove the now dirty cleaning solution from the floor, again keeping water to a minimum and extracting with the wet vacuum afterwards. The Victorian tile and grout were then left to dry off overnight with the assistance from a couple for floor dryer’s that I left in place overnight.

The following day I went back over the floor with the Diamond handheld burnishing blocks focusing on anything I may have missed the day before such as paints spots from decorating and other stains. Once satisfied I gave the whole floor an acid wash using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up worked in with a 400-grit burnishing pad. We do this to prepare the tiles for sealing and neutralises any leftover alkaline cleaning product left in the pores of the tile. This process also removes old grout smears and will counter any latent efflorescent salts in the tiles. Once done, the floor was rinsed, extracted, and left to dry off overnight as before.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Exmouth After Cleaning Sealing

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

it’s probably difficult to tell how dirty the tiles were from the earlier photographs but by the time I returned on day 3 the customers were already chuffed with how much cleaner the floor was looking.

Moisture readings taken from the floor indicated it was dry enough to seal so I set about applying a base coat of a colour enhancing sealer called Tile Doctor Colour Grow. There was 36m2 of tiling through the hallway section and into the more heavily used entrance way so it took some time to apply. One that was dry I then applied a topcoat of Tile Doctor X-Tra seal to add further protection.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Exmouth After Cleaning

The new sealer will protect against dirt from muddy wellies, boots, and pets, keeping the dirt on the surface where it can easily be removed using an everyday cleaning product like Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner.

Professional Renovation of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in Devon

Victorian Tiled Hallway Renovated Ready for House Sale in Exmouth Read More »

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Renovation Exeter

Victorian Tiled Hallway Restoration Exeter, Devon

A couple in Exeter were nearing the end of an extensive house renovation and called me in to see what could be done to revive their Victorian tiled hallway. The previous workmen had managed to tread all sorts of building materials into the tiles, however I assured them all was not lost and that it would certainly be possible to put the life back into the floor and turn it into an eye-catching original hallmark feature once more.

After the initial free home survey, I issued them with a quote which they were happy with and they booked me straight in to complete the renovation. If your having work done to your property, I would agree it makes sense to renovate the flooring last but it will help if you protect the flooring as well.

Cleaning/Repairing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

I started the process by taping and protecting around their freshly decorated areas and custom fitted radiators. Tile Doctor Product Remove & Go was then diluted and applied to the floor and allowed to sit and dwell for a good 20 minutes. I then introduced my rotary machine with a 200-grit diamond pad to work off the stubborn surface debris, the left-over paint and cement stains. I repeated the process in some areas where the staining was particularly bad. The floor was rinsed each time and the waste was extracted with a wet vacuum.

Victorian Tiled Hallway During Renovation Exeter

A good deal of hand-block work was required around the perimeters where messy decorators had left their mark in the past. With the tile pores still open after the 200-grit pad I applied a Tile Doctor Acid Gel wash to the floor and let the product sit for half an hour before removing with the vacuum and taking any remaining excess product off with a damp cloth.

The next day I installed a course of tiles at the top end which they wanted fitting to tie in level with their freshly poured polished concrete kitchen floor. I had to build up a substrate first on top of the damp proof membrane already in place before cutting and fitting the tiles and grouting. Using quick set adhesive and grout meant these were soon dry, but they were still left overnight to set ahead of the final step of applying the sealer.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

Returning on the final day, the first job was to test that the floor was dry using a damp meter. Once satisfied the day was spent applying two coats of Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal which reinstated the vibrant colours and put the life back into the original Victorian Tiles. This is a modern breathable sealer which is oil based. It provides great protection from water and staining whilst leaving a nice subtle sheen.

Victorian Tiled Hallway After Renovation Exeter

The clients were over the moon with the job and thanked me for bringing back to life this lovely feature of their period home. It was important for them to keep the balance between new and old in this modern renovation on their Victorian home. The hallway was now a lovely welcoming area.

For aftercare cleaning of sealed Victorian tiles, I recommend using Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner. It’s a mild tile and grout cleaning product that won’t prematurely erode the lift of the sealer, many supermarket brands are simply too strong for use on sealed tiles.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in Devon

Victorian Tiled Hallway Restoration Exeter, Devon Read More »

Terracotta Tiled Floor Sealing in Whimple Devon

Improving the Shine on a Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor in Whimple

1 Comment / Exeter Tile Cleaning Service, Terracotta Tile Cleaning / Harry Payne

I was contacted by a homeowner from the small village of Whimple, (Nine miles East of Exeter), about the sealer on their Terracotta kitchen tiles. The floor had only recently been cleaned and sealed by another company but the sealer left the floor looking dull and matte and she wanted a high sheen finish.

Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor Before Renovation Whimple

Dissatisfied with the results I was asked to strip back the Terracotta tiles again and reapply a suitable seal which would finish the tiles in a high sheen. Tile Doctor have a range of sealers for all types of floors and finish and from the brief I knew that Tile Doctor Seal and Go would be idea for this floor, it leaves a lovely sheen finish and being a water-based product, it doesn’t leave a smell as it dries.

Cleaning a Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor

Work started by removing the kickboards and protecting up around any skirting to protect from water ingress. Once done a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove & Go was sprayed onto the Terracotta tiles and left to soak in for a good 15 minutes to give it time to emulsify and break down the seal which their previous contractor had applied.

The floor was then scrubbed using a rotary machine fitted with a stiff nylon scrubbing head. This action removed the sealer into the cleaning solution and where I was able to extract from the floor using a wet vacuum. Once removed I ran a water test over the tiles to check the sealer was gone and repeated the exercise where required until I was satisfied all the sealer was gone. This is important as the new sealer may not be compatible with the original which could result in discolouration and potentially peeling off the tile later.

Remove and Go is an alkaline product so to neutralise the ph level of the floor after stripping and to further clean the tiled I gave the floor an acid wash using diluted Grout Clean-up. After a quick scrub the excess product was removed and the floor given several rinses with water, this was followed with the wet vacuum to remove as much moisture from the tiles as possible and thereby reduce the drying time.

Sealing a Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor

The floor was left to dry out overnight and after checking moisture levels the following day I was pleased to see it had dried and was now ready to accept a fresh sealer. Before applying Seal & Go however I decided to apply a base coat of an impregnating sealer called Colour Grow which as its name suggests will enhance the natural colour in the Terracotta.

After an hour, the Colour Grow had dried and I began building up coats of acrylic seal ‘Seal & Go’. Terracotta is quite a porous material and the floor took six coats of Seal & Go before I had achieved the right level of sheen desired by the customer.

On the customers return home they were thrilled to see the new finish was exactly what they wanted and have now set up an annual maintenance plan with me to keep the sealer topped up and floor looking the way they like it.

Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor After Renovation Whimple

For day-to-day cleaning I recommended Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a pH neutral tile cleaning product and recommended for sealed Terracotta. It’s a mild cleaning product that won’t strip the tiles of the newly applied sealer like many strong household cleaners can. It comes in a concentrate form so a small amount goes along way.

Professional Restoration of a Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor in Devon

Improving the Shine on a Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor in Whimple Read More »

Cream Marble Tiled Floor Polished in Lympstone Devon

Wax Sealed 130m2 Cream Marble Tiled Floor Polished in Lympstone

1 Comment / Exeter Tile Cleaning Service, Grout Cleaning, Marble Tile Cleaning / Harry Payne

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 »

Slate Flagstone Floor Renovated in Bideford

Rescuing a 200-Year-Old 45m2 Slate Flagstone Floor in Bideford, Devon

1 Comment / Bideford Tile Cleaning, Slate Tile Cleaning / Harry Payne

Whilst surveying this 200+ year old floor at a cottage in Bideford the owners told me that they were quite set on pulling up their original Slate flagstone floor and replacing with new stone, but they wanted to make sure they had explored every option before making that decision.

Slate Flagstone Floor Before Restoration Bideford

The floor, which is around 45m2, had previously been covered in old underlay and carpet for some time. There were damp issues, some relatively significant shale in areas where the moisture had sat and enough paint stains on the floor to give the walls another coat 😊

I reassured them that the floor had plenty of life left and could be rescued, and once done it would be a real feature of the property that matched its age. Removing and replacing at huge cost would not be necessary. They accepted my quote and we set a date for the work to start.

Resurfacing and Cleaning a 200-Year-Old Slate Flagstone Floor

Day 1 started with resurfacing the old Slate flags using a coarse 50-grit diamond pads which was fitted to a weighted rotary floor machine. These pads cut back the old, tired surface of the stone and reveal a new untainted surface removing the shaling stone and paint marks stains,

This process also opens the pores in the stone allow the long-standing moisture to finally evaporate overnight. Although the machine does most of the hard work its meticulous work and requires rinsing and extracting to remove the soiling.

It’s slow meticulous work and once the whole floor had been completed, I moved on to a 100-grit and then a 200-grit pad to slowly close the pores in the stone and restore the appearance of the Slate.

To fully restore the appearance of the Slate I then applied a finer 400-grit diamond burnishing pad which removed the remaining scratches and swirl marks. At the end of day 3 I knocked out a few troublesome joints and re-pointed these areas with a German Resin based jointing mortar called VDW800.

Sealing Old Slate Flagstones

By day 5 the Slate floor was ready to be sealed for which I applied two coats of Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal which is a premium oil-based product that works well on old stone floors like this one.

The natural stone colours and mineral patterns soon began to pop out again leaving a stunning and freshly restored Slate flagstone floor. The owners were over the moon with the results. They had not only saved the largest internal original feature in the cottage but had also saved money as well. A great result.

Slate Flagstone Floor After Restoration Bideford

For aftercare I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a mild pH neutral tile cleaning product that will ensure the integrity of the newly applied seal and will keep the floor looking in this great condition for years to come.

Professional Restoration of a Slate Flagstone Tiled Ground Floor in Devon

Rescuing a 200-Year-Old 45m2 Slate Flagstone Floor in Bideford, Devon Read More »

Damaged Limestone Hallway Patio Fully Restored in Exminister

Renovating a New Limestone Patio Damaged by Brick Acid in Exminster

1 Comment / Exeter Tile Cleaning Service, Exmouth Tile Cleaning, Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing / Harry Payne

I was contacted by a very unhappy customer from the village of Exminster who had recently had a new Limestone Patio laid in the Garden of their house in near Exeter. After the builders had finished laying the patio, they must have used some sort of brick acid to clean the stone and remove excess mortar. With limestone being Acid Sensitive, it etched the stone leaving it in a mess. Also, you need to consider the effects of acid rain so leaving an acid sensitive stone un-protected in the UK is a big no no and will result in its degradation over time.

Acid Damaged Limestone Patio Before Renovation Exminster

Exminster is a village on the southern edge of the City of Exeter, and I often find myself working there, so it was no problem to pop down and visit the property to investigate the problem fully.

Whilst at the property and discussing the Patio with the owner I carried out a couple of tests using various products. The testing went well, and my customer could immediately see the potential of the Patio and how the problems could be rectified. The process I had worked out would involve treating the damaged white areas using a series of Tile Doctor Diamond pads to polish out the damage and then restore the colour and protect the Limestone with Tile Doctor X-Tra seal which is an ideal sealer for external stone. Happy to accept our quote a suitable weather window was chosen, and the date was set for the work to be done.

Renovating an Acid Damaged Limestone Patio

I started by adding weight to a Viper rotary floor buffer and then ran over each slab several times with a very coarse a 100-grit milling pad using water for lubrication. The process was repeated using a finer 200-grit milling pad and then a 400-grit burnishing pad again with water to lubricate the process. After each pad the patio was rinsed with water running at high-pressure using a cleaning and extraction system that is fitted into our van.

After the stones had been renovated, I gave them a full deep clean to remove any remaining dirt and staining using Tile Doctor Remove and Go which was worked into the Limestone with a black scrubbing pad. After a final rinse and extract with the van mounted cleaning system I left the Limestone patio to dry out overnight.

Sealing a Limestone Tiled Patio

With the weather still in our favour I returned the next day to seal and protect the patio with two coats of Tile Doctor X-Tra seal. This is a truly remarkable product which is fully breathable and can be used both internally and externally. It’s an oil-based sealer so its puts back the essential oils that have been leached out of the stone by the use of brick acid, thereby restoring colour and structure to the stone.

Acid Damaged Limestone After Before Renovation Exminster

My customer was very happy with the transformation and with the summer just around the corner can now enjoy their freshly laid Limestone patio in all its glory. More importantly it is now sealed and protected against future elements.

PS… For aftercare of an acid sensitive and sealed patio like this one you need to be careful what you clean it with. In this case I recommend Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner which has a neutral pH that won’t damage the stone or the sealer. Many of the cleaning products you will find in supermarkets etc. are simply too strong and will weaken the sealer over time.

Professional Restoration of a Damaged Limestone Flagstone Floor in Devon

Renovating a New Limestone Patio Damaged by Brick Acid in Exminster Read More »

Small Victorian Tiled Vestibule Exmouth

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

The owner of this property had been intending to have her Victorian tiled vestibule professionally cleaned and sealed for several years but had always seemed to just ‘make do’ with an occasional clean with a mop and bucket. Having made up her mind to have it professionally cleaned and having seen previous examples of my work online after searching for her local stone and tile cleaning professional she asked me to come and have a look and see what I could do.

Small Victorian Tiled Vestibule Exmouth Before Cleaning

Being the first stop upon entering the house the tiles were heavily soiled after years of not being sealed so after I conducted a moisture check which showed the tiles to be remarkably dry. I cleaned a few tiles using some diamond hand pads to test the area and give the customer an idea of what kind of result to expect. She was really pleased with the initial outcome of the test and booked me in to return shortly after receiving my quote.

Because the area was small I was able to tie it in with another job I had in the Exmouth area and was able to reduce the cost of the quote. This is a great option if you and your neighbour both have small areas to clean because I may be able to work on them concurrently which will save you both money!

Cleaning/Repairing a Victorian Tiled Vestibule Floor

The working area was quite tight, so the tiles were scrubbed using a series of diamond impregnated six-inch burnishing pads fitted to a rotary hand tool. The pads are used in sequence starting with a 100-grit and finishing with a 400-grit pad. The floor was then thoroughly rinsed using a wet vacuum to remove the soil that was generated during the process.

The next step was to give the tiles an acid rinse; now we don’t normally recommend the use of acids on tiles but in this case the product was only on the floor long enough to remove old grout smears and mineral deposits before being rinsed off. I used Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up for this and it has the extra advantage of countering any alkaline salts which can hiding in the pores of the tile, this is very useful on old floors of this type with no damp proof course. If left unaddressed the salts can rise through the tile as moisture evaporates leaving unsightly white salt stains on the floor. This process is known as efflorescence and can be tricky to remove later if not dealt with quickly.

Small Victorian Tiled Vestibule Exmouth During Cleaning

One done the floor was given a final rinse and then dried with the wet vacuum. I then made a few small repairs to some loose tiles and then left for the evening to allow the floor the whole floor to dry off fully overnight.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Vestibule Floor

The following day I returned and after rechecking the moisture levels of both areas to ensure that they had adequately dried out I started work, applying a coat of Tile Doctor’s Colour Grow. This is an impregnating sealer which picks out and enhances the natural colours of the tiles, not only bringing the whole floor to life but helping to disguise any damage the floor has suffered over the years.

Small Victorian Tiled Vestibule Exmouth During Sealing

After this coat had dried sufficiently I applied four coats of Tile Doctor’s Seal and Go to finish off the floor and give it that ‘wow factor’. I left the client with some guidance on care and maintenance of the floor as well as a suitable bottle of cleaner.

Small Victorian Tiled Vestibule Exmouth After Cleaning

The client was very happy with the result and her sealed floor is now easier to maintain and keep clean. The Victorian tiles are now in keeping with the rest of the house.

Professional Restoration of Small Victorian Tiled Vestibule in Exmouth

Small Victorian Tiled Vestibule Exmouth Read More »

Mid Victorian Farmhouse Hallway Clyst Hydon

1 Comment / Sidmouth Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Work History / Harry Payne

The owners of this floor in the hallway of their Mid-Victorian farmhouse in Clyde Hydon just outside of Honiton, in Devon asked me to visit shortly after they had moved in. Whilst ripping out the old carpet throughout the house they had come across this stunning Victorian tiled floor. Honiton is a market town, more well known for its lace making. As it is my home town, it was a very short commute to work for me, so I was able to visit the property quickly and take a look.

Mid Victorian Tiled Farmhouse Hallway Clyst Hydon Before Cleaning

During my visit I took some moisture readings because these old floors will not have had a damp proof membrane installed and if the moisture levels are too high it can restrict when this type of work can be done due to the sealers needing the floor to be dry(ish), in order to cure. I also did a test clean to show the customers what level of cleaning could be achieved and looked at areas of loose tiles to see if any replacement tiles would need to be sourced. I always like to do a test clean as it demonstrates what can be achieved and it also allows me to work out which methods and products work best.

Cleaning and Repairing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

With the customers happy with the quote I returned to complete the work starting by covering the wooden skirting and bottom of the stairs to protect the paint and carpet from splashing. I then applied a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean on to the floor, ensuring even coverage and keeping an eye on the floor to make sure that it didn’t dry out. Pro-Clean is quite a flexible product than can strip off old sealers when applied in a strong dilution.

After a short time, I set to work scrubbing the Pro-Clean into the floor with a 400-grit diamond pad fitted to a rotary floor buffer. I also used 400-grit hand held burnishing block to cover the corners and any edges not reached by my machine. Once I was satisfied that the tiles were as good as they could be I rinsed the floor to remove the now soiled alkaline cleaner before giving the floor an acid wash with Acid Gel to neutralise with any inherent salts in the tiles.

Before I left for the day I fixed the loose tiles back in place, re-grouted the areas that I had replaced tiles and left an air mover on the floor to aid in the drying process. I also suggested that the radiators in the hallway were turned on overnight to further aid the drying process. Occasionally these types of floors need to be left for several days to dry but it is worth the wait and the floors can be used in the meantime provided only socks and indoor shoes are used and care is taken not to get the floor dirty.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

Upon returning the next day I tested the moisture content of the floor and was pleased to find that it was well within acceptable levels for the application of the sealer that I was planning to use. I quickly checked the floor for areas that I felt may be able to be improved and once satisfied a single coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow sealer was applied to the floor. Colour Grow is a colour enhancing impregnating sealer that occupies the pores in the tile thus preventing dirt from becoming ingrained there.

Once this was dry it was followed up by applying two further coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra which is a compatible surface sealer that leaves a nice subtle sheen finish. Both sealers are fully breathable and able to cope with any damp issues that may impact the floor over time.

Mid Victorian Tiled Farmhouse Hallway Clyst Hydon After Cleaning

The customers were thrilled and said that they were going to reinstate the hallway as the main entrance to the farmhouse in order to show it off to all their visitors!

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in Devon

Mid Victorian Farmhouse Hallway Clyst Hydon Read More »

100 Year-Old Victorian Hallway Tiles Renovated in Exeter

1 Comment / Exeter Tile Cleaning Service, Exmouth Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Work History / Harry Payne

I was contacted by the owners of a Victorian terraced house in Exeter who had been lovingly restoring the property over the last couple of years and during the work they uncovered this section of tiled flooring and had decided to bring me in to make it look its best. It’s possible that this section of floor was all that was left from when the house was built over 100 years ago and at some point, in the past the rest of the floor was removed and replaced with something more modern.

Exeter has an abundance of character properties and there seems to be a bit of a trend to restore period features such as fireplaces and old floors at present. It’s always worth looking under old carpets and vinyl in the search of classic floors such as this, particularly if your neighbours have them, after all it will add value!

I visited the property to take a closer look and to take some moisture readings because these old floors were laid without a damp proof membrane and high moisture levels can restrict when this type of work can be carried out due to the sealer needing the floor to be dry(ish) in order to cure. I also did a test clean on one section of the floor to show the customer what level of cleaning could be achieved and inspected the floor for loose tiles to see if any replacement tiles would need to be sourced.

Small Victorian Tiled Hallway Entrance Exeter Before Cleaning

Cleaning Victorian Tiled Reception Area

With the customers happy with the quote I returned to complete the work starting by protecting the skirting and bottom of the stair carpet. Once done I began the cleaning process by applying a strong stripper/degreaser called Tile Doctor Pro-Clean on to the floor. For best results you need to achieve an even coverage and keeping and check it regularly to ensure it doesn’t dry out. After a short dwell time I set to work scrubbing the floor with a 400-grit diamond burnishing pad fitted to a rotary buffing machine. This really works the cleaning product into the pores of the tiles releasing the dirt and removes any sealers or other old coatings in the process. These large 17” pads do struggle to reach into the corners and edges of the floor however, so I always finish off with a hand-held diamond block. Once I was satisfied that the tiles were as good as they could be I rinsed the floor of the alkaline cleaner and dirty water and extracted the soil using a wet vacuum.

Next step was to give the floor what we like to call and Acid Rinse or Acid Wash as some of my colleagues refer to it. We don’t normally use acidic products on tile or stone however they are particularly good at dealing with mineral sales and removing grout smears. Old floors like these are particularly vulnerable to a natural process called efflorescence which results in white mineral salt deposits being left on the surface of the tile as the floor fully dries out and can interfere with the sealer. To counter this, the floor is cleaned with Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up, which is an acid-based product that will neutralise the alkalinity in the floor. The solution is quickly scrubbed into the floor and then rinsed off with water.

Before I left for the day I fixed any loose tiles back into place, re-grouted where needed and left an air mover on the floor to aid in the drying of the tiles. If there are radiators in the area I also suggest that they are turned on overnight to further aid the drying process. Occasionally these types of floors need to be left for several days to dry but it is worth the wait and the floors can be used in the meantime provided indoor shoes and socks only are used and care is taken not to get the floor dirty.

Sealing an Original Victorian Tiled Hallway and Entrance Lobby

Upon returning the next day I tested the moisture content of the floor and was pleased to find that it was well within acceptable levels for the application of the sealer that I was planning to use.

I quickly checked the floor for areas that I felt may be able to be improved and once satisfied I started the sealing process by applying a single coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer that soaks into the pores of the tile protecting it from within and improving the colours in the tile beforehand. This was following with two coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go that will add further protection and give the floor a subtle satin finish.

Small Victorian Tiled Hallway Entrance Exeter After Cleaning

The customers were thrilled and said that they wished they had brought me in sooner! For aftercare I left the customer with some guidance on care and maintenance of the floor as well as a suitable bottle of neutral tile cleaner.

Professional Renovation of a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor in Devon

100 Year-Old Victorian Hallway Tiles Renovated in Exeter Read More »

Deep Cleaning Dirty Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor in Moretonhampstead

1 Comment / Newton Abbot Tile Cleaning, Terracotta Tile Cleaning, Work History / Harry Payne

Earlier this year I was called to the Dartmoor town of Moretonhampstead in order to take a look at a large Terracotta tiled kitchen/dining room which the owners had ‘lived with’ for over a decade but were finding it harder and harder to keep clean. Upon arrival, I could see that any sealer that had been used previously was well beyond its best and the floor was holding in the dirt and grime because of how porous unsealed terracotta is.

Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning Moretonhampstead

I conducted a test on a small area of the floor which not only helped me to identify the most suitable product to clean the floor with but also to show the customer how much of an impact a professional clean and seal of a floor is likely to have. The first product I tried was Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which although cleaned the tiles very well I could tell was going to be a problem when it came to rinsing because the floor was absorbing it almost as quickly as I was able to put it down! My solution came in the form of Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel which is a very similar product to Pro-Clean and is a very powerful stripper/degreaser but has the added benefit of being in gel form, so it sits on the tiles rather than becomes absorbed into them. It is also a very good option for riven stone, uneven tiles or undulating floors because unlike a liquid it will not run off the high spots.

The clients were thrilled with the test area and couldn’t believe how much lighter the tiles were and as soon as I sent them my quote they booked me in at my next availability.

Deep Cleaning Terracotta Tiles

When I returned to the property my first task was to protect the woodwork from splashing by dressing the skirting boards and kitchen plinths in a blue plastic covering. I then set to work applying Oxy-Gel to the tiles and allowing it to dwell for about five minutes before scrubbing it in with a stiff bristled brush fitted to a rotary buffer.

The scrubbing action released the dirt form the Terracotta and I was then able to extract it from the floor using a wet vacuum. I worked methodically in small areas at a time and when the whole floor was done it was given a thorough rinse to remove any trace of cleaning products from the floor. I also checked the floor carefully and spot treated any stubborn staining and used the wet vacuum to get the floor as dry as possible before leaving for the day.

Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor Before Sealing Moretonhampstead

Sealing Terracotta Tiles

After I was satisfied that the tiles were all clean I then needed to wait for the floor to dry before I could seal. As I mentioned these tiles were very porous and so took longer than usual to dry out but once the moisture levels were at an acceptable level I returned to finish the job.

Once terracotta has been stripped it can reveal historic damage such as acid stains or from inappropriate cleaning products which look like lighter patches on the tiles. Upon my return I spent a while improving any areas like this by using diamond encrusted burnishing pads to resurface the tiles. In general, it is not recommended on terracotta because you lose the natural texture of the tiles and create a smooth finish but in this instance the customer decided that this was preferable to the stains remaining visible.

After both the customer and I were happy with the condition of the tiles I began to seal the floor with Tile Doctor Seal and Go, an acrylic based sealer which would give the tiles a slightly glazed or freshly mopped appearance. Because of the porosity of this particular batch of terracotta tile it took eleven coats before the floor was fully sealed!

The customer was very happy, and the tiles lit the room up, transforming it.

Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor After Cleaning and Sealing Moretonhampstead

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