Work by Location

Devon-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 Devon.

I have organised the posts by the most populous locations throughout Devon, 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, Abbots Bickington, Abbotsham, Abbotskerswell, Abbotsleigh, Aish, Alfington, All Saints, Aller, Aller Grove, Aller Park, Allercombe, Alminstone Cross, Alphington, Alston, Alswear, Alverdiscott, Alwington, Appledore, Arlington, Arlington Beccott, Ash Mill, Ash Thomas, Ashburton, Ashbury, Ashcombe, Ashculme, Ashford, Ashill, Ashmansworthy, Ashprington, Ashreigney, Ashton, Ashwater, Atherington, Aulers, Aveton Gifford, Awliscombe, Axminster, Axmouth, Aylesbeare, Babbacombe, Babeny, Badworthy, Ballhill, Bampton, Bantham Cross, Barnstaple, Beaford, Beaworthy, Beer, Beesands, Beeson, Belstone, Bere Alston, Bere Ferrers, Berry Head, Berry Pomeroy, Berrynarbor, Bickington, Bickleigh, Bicton, Bideford, Bigbury, Bishop’s Nympton, Bishop’s Tawton, Bishopsteignton, Bittadon, Bittaford, Black Dog, Black Torrington, Blackawton, Blackborough, Bondleigh, Bovey Tracey, Bow, Bradford, Bradninch, Bradstone, Bradworthy, Brampford Speke, Branscombe, Bratton Clovelly, Bratton Fleming, Braunton, Brendon, Brentor, Bridestowe, Bridford, Bridgerule, Brixham, Brixton, Broadclyst, Broadhembury, Broadhempston, Broadwoodkelly, Broadwoodwidger, Brushford, Buckerell, Buckfast, Buckfastleigh, Buckland Brewer, Buckland Filleigh, Buckland in the Moor, Buckland Monachorum, Buckland-Tout-Saints, Budleigh Salterton, Bulkworthy, Burgh Island, Burlescombe, Burrington, Butterleigh, Cadbury, Cadeleigh, Calverleigh, Chagford, Challacombe, Chardstock, Charles, Charleton, Chawleigh, Chelfham, Cheriton Bishop, Cheriton Fitzpaine, Cheston, Chillington, Chittlehamholt, Chittlehampton, Chivelstone, Christow, Chudleigh, Chudleigh Knighton, Chulmleigh, Churchstow, Churston Ferrers, Clawton, Clayhanger, Clayhidon, Clovelly, Clyst Honiton, Clyst Hydon, Clyst St George, Clyst St Lawrence, Clyst St Mary, Cockington, Coffinswell, Colaton Raleigh, Coldharbour, Coldridge, Colebrooke, Colyford, Colyton, Combe Martin, Combe Raleigh, Combeinteignhead, Combpyne, Cookbury, Copplestone, Cornwood, Cornworthy, Coryton, Cotleigh, Countisbury, Crapstone, Crazelowman, Crediton, Crockernwell, Crowden, Croyde, Cruwys Morchard, Cullompton, Culmstock, Dalwood, Dartington, Dartmouth, Dawlish, Dean Prior, Devonport, Diptford, Dittisham, Doddiscombsleigh, Dolton, Dowland, Down St Mary, Downes, Drewsteignton, Dunchideock, Dunkeswell, Dunsford, Dunstone, Dunterton, East Allington, East Anstey, East Buckland, East Budleigh, East Charleton, East Cornworthy, East Down, East Knowstone, East Portlemouth, East Putford, East Worlington, Eggesford, Ermington, Eworthy, Exbourne, Exeter, Exminster, Exmouth, Farringdon, Farway, Feniton, Filleigh, Folly Gate, Fremington, Frithelstock, Galmpton, George Nympton, Georgeham, Germansweek, Gidleigh, Gittisham, Goodleigh, Great Torrington, Haccombe, Halberton, Haldon, Hallsands, Halwell, Halwill, Harberton, Harbertonford, Harford, Harpford, Hartland, Hatherleigh, Hawkchurch, Heanton Punchardon, Heathfield, Heavitree, Hele, Hemyock, High Bickington, High Bray, Highampton, Hittisleigh, Holbeton, Holcombe, Holcombe Burnell, Holcombe Rogus, Holne, Holsworthy, Honeychurch, Honiton, Hope Cove, Horwood, Huish, Huntsham, Huntshaw, Huxham, Iddesleigh, Ide, Ideford, Ilfracombe, Ilsington, Instow, Inwardleigh, Ipplepen, Ivybridge, Jacobstowe, Kellaton, Kelly, Kenn, Kennerleigh, Kentisbeare, Kentisbury, Kenton, Kernborough, Kilmington, King’s Nympton, Kingsbridge, Kingskerswell, Kingsteignton, Kingston, Kingswear, Knowstone, Lamerton, Landcross, Landkey, Langtree, Lapford, Leigham, Lewtrenchard, Lifton, Little Torrington, Littleham, Littlehempston, Loddiswell, Loxbeare, Loxhore, Luffincott, Lundy, Luppitt, Lustleigh, Lydford, Lympstone, Lynmouth, Lynton, Malborough, Mamhead, Manaton, Mariansleigh, Marldon, Marwood, Mary Tavy, Marystow, Meavy, Meeth, Meldon, Membury, Merrivale, Merton, Meshaw, Milton Abbot, Milton Damerel, Modbury, Molland, Monkleigh, Monkokehampton, Monkton, Moorhaven Village, Morchard Bishop, Morebath, Moretonhampstead, Mortehoe, Morwellham, Musbury, Newton Abbot, Newton Ferrers, Newton Poppleford, Newton St Cyres, Newton St Petrock, Newton Tracey, Nomansland, North Molton, North Tawton, Northam, Northleigh, Northlew, Noss Mayo, Nymet Rowland, Nymet Tracey, Oakford, Offwell, Ogwell, Okehampton, Otterton, Ottery St Mary, Paignton, Pancrasweek, Parkham, Parracombe, Pathfinder Village, Payhembury, Pennymoor, Peter Tavy, Peters Marland, Petrockstowe, Pilton, Pinhoe, Plymouth, Plympton, Plymstock, Plymtree, Poltimore, Portlemouth, Postbridge, Powderham, Prawle, Princetown, Puddington, Putsborough, Pyworthy, Queen’s Nympton, Rackenford, Rattery, Revelstoke, Rewe, Ringmore, Roborough, Rockbeare, Romansleigh, Rose Ash, Rousdon, Rushford, Salcombe, Salcombe Regis, Sampford Courtenay, Sampford Peverell, Sampford Spiney, Sandford, Satterleigh, Saunton, Scorriton, Seaton, Sector, Shaldon, Sharpham, Shaugh Prior, Shebbear, Sheepstor, Sheepwash, Sheldon, Sherford, Shirwell, Shobrooke, Shute, Sidbury, Sidford, Sidmouth, Silverton, Slapton, Sourton, South Brent, South Molton, South Sydenham, South Tawton, South Zeal, Southleigh, Sowton, Sparkwell, Spreyton, St Budeaux, St Giles in the Heath, St Giles in the Wood, St Nicholas, Starcross, Stibb Cross, Sticklepath, Stockland, Stockleigh English, Stockleigh Pomeroy, Stoke Canon, Stoke Damerel, Stoke Fleming, Stoke Gabriel, Stoke Rivers, Stokeinteignhead, Stokenham, Stoodleigh, Stowford, Strete, Sutcombe, Swimbridge, Sydenham, Sydenham Damerel, Taddiport, Talaton, Tamerton Foliot, Tavistock, Tawstock, Tedburn St. Mary, Teigngrace, Teignmouth, Tetcott, Thornbury, Thorverton, Throwleigh, Thrushelton, Thurlestone, Tiverton, Topsham, Torbryan, Torcross, Torquay, Totnes, Trusham, Twitchen, Uffculme, Ugborough, Uplowman, Uplyme, Upottery, Upton Hellions, Upton Pyne, Virginstow, Walkhampton, Warkleigh, Washfield, Washford Pyne, Way Village, Weare Giffard, Welcombe, Wembury, Wembworthy, West Charleton, West Down, Westleigh, Westward Ho!, Whimble, Whimple, Whitchurch, Whitestone, Whiteworks, Widecombe-in-the-Moor, Widworthy, Willand, Winkleigh, Witheridge, Woodacott, Woodacott Cross, Woodbury, Woodleigh, Woolacombe, Woolfardisworthy, Worlington, Wrangaton, Yarcombe, Yarnscombe, Yawl, Yealmpton, Yelland, Yelverton, Zeal Monachorum

Slate Flagstone Floor Renovated in Bideford

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

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

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 Before and After Cleaning

Small Victorian Tiled Vestibule Exmouth

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 Tiled Farmhouse Hallway Clyst Hydon Before and After Cleaning

Mid Victorian Farmhouse Hallway Clyst Hydon

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 »

Small Victorian Tiled Hallway Entrance Exeter Before and After Cleaning

100 Year-Old Victorian Hallway Tiles Renovated in Exeter

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 »

Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor Before and After Cleaning and Sealing Moretonhampstead

Deep Cleaning Dirty Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor in Moretonhampstead

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

Professional Renovation of a Dirty Terracotta Tiled Floor in Devon

Deep Cleaning Dirty Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor in Moretonhampstead Read More »

Flood Damaged Sandstone Tiled Floor Chagford Before and After Restoration

Flood Damaged Sandstone Flagstone Floor Renovated in Chagford

Chagford is a small town on the north-east edge of Dartmoor and so as you can expect is surrounded by plenty of old farmhouses, some still as part of a working farm, some long since converted to family homes with just a small area around the property remaining and some having made use of the land and reinvented farmland. I visited a property that falls into the latter category, having converted pastoral farmland into stables and a riding school with a family home at the centre. Whilst the owners were on holiday having a well-earned rest a pipe burst flooding the ground floor of their house, damaging the Sandstone flagstone flooring in the process.

I went over to inspect the floor and could see that the stone floor had dried out but was now dull from dirt and in addition some of the stones were now suffering from shaling. This is where the top layers of the stone start to delaminate, and the only treatment is to cut the stones back to a decent surface through a process called milling. Tile Doctor has available a set of very coarse diamond encrusted pads for this purpose which I was able to demonstrate. I carried out the demonstration on a small area so that the customers could be confident that there was a remedy and then I measured the floor so that I could work out the amount of products that would be needed and priced the job accordingly.

Flood Damaged Sandstone Tiled Floor Chagford Before Restoration
The customers were keen to go ahead with the quote and I arranged to go back and restore the floor at a mutually suitable date.

Milling Delaminated Sandstone Flagstones

On my return I prepped the skirting boards around the hallway with plastic tape to protect them from the soil generated during the milling process. Once done I started the floor treatment using a very coarse with a 50-grit diamond milling pad to cut the sandstone back and then followed with a 100, 200 and finally a 400-grit pad to get rid of any scratches caused by the coarser pads and to tighten the pores of the sandstone which would allow for easier maintenance. Water is used to lubricate the process and the floor is rinsed with more water, which is then extracted with a wet vacuum between the application of each pad.

Once this was completed and the sandstone floor was thoroughly rinsed and then dried with the wet vacuum to remove as much moisture as possible. The floor was then left to dry out thoroughly before I returned to seal. This was a large area and so the milling was done in various stages over a few days so by the time I had finished the last area the first one was nearly ready to be sealed.

Sealing Sandstone Flagstones

The customers wanted a slight sheen to the stone floor, but not too shiny and so Tile Doctor’s Seal and Go was used; this is an acrylic sealer which once fully cured will settle to a satin finish which works really well on this Sandstone. Like the cleaning the sealing was also staggered into sections to avoid the whole of the ground floor being out of action whilst the sealer dried.

Flood Damaged Sandstone Tiled Floor Chagford After Restoration
Similar to paint drying, the polymers in Seal and Go initially give the floor a semi-gloss appearance and so I warned the customer of this, reassuring them that it would dull to a satin finish over the next week or so. In fact, I called back two weeks later to check and they confirmed this had happened and they were very happy with the result.

Restoration of Water Damaged Sandstone Flagstone Flooring in Devon

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Victorian Tiled Hallway Broadclyst Farmhouse Before and After cleaning

Victorian Tiled Farmhouse Hallway Deep Cleaned in Broadclyst

I was contacted by the owners of an old Farmhouse in the East Devon village of Broadclyst to look at their Victorian Tiled Hallway floor which as you can see from the photograph below was heavily stained and had also been splashed with paint from decorating. Victorian tiles are very robust and can take a lot of punishment which you certainly get in a farmhouse, however once the sealer wears off dirt gets into the pores of the tile making it very difficult to clean.

I visited the property to take a closer look and to take some moisture readings because these old floors don’t have a Damp Proof Course and moisture levels too high can restrict when this type of work can be done due to the sealers needing the floor to be dry in order to cure. I also did a test piece to show the customers what level of cleaning could be achieved.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Broadclyst Farmhouse before cleaning

Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Hallway

With the customers happy with the quote I returned to complete the work starting by covered the skirting and bottom of the stairs to protect the paintwork and carpet. I then put a strong stripper/degreaser called Pro Clean on to the floor, ensuring even coverage and keeping and eye on the floor to make sure that it didn’t dry out.

After a short dwell time I set to work scrubbing the floor with a 400 grit diamond burnishing pad and using small hand blocks to get into 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 alkaline cleaner and soiled water.

This was followed by giving the floor an Acid rinse using Tile Doctor’s Acid Gel, this process counteracts any alkaline salts that can rise up through the tile as it dries out, a process which is more commonly known as efflorescence. This can be quite a problem on floors like this that don’t have a damp proof course (floors generally didn’t pre-1950s). I had to be careful not to leave the acid down for too long because these tiles are susceptible to acid damage.

Dealing with salt issues on these old floors (efflorescence) is essential because they can damage the sealer or become trapped under it, detracting from the beauty of the floor. Given the age of the farmhouse it’s difficult to know what the floor had been laid onto. Often it was compacted rubble and building works from the erection of the adjoining buildings; additionally some of the later Victorian floors were laid on a wet limecrete scree which contain a high salt-content.

Before I left for the day I 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 Old Victorian Tiled Hallway

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 matt-finish, colour-enhancing sealer called Colour Grow was applied before two coats of a Seal and Go sealer was used to give the floor a satin finish, which I think gives it a slight glaze and freshly mopped appearance.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Broadclyst Farmhouse before cleaning
The customers were thrilled and said that they wished they had brought me in sooner!

Professional Deep Clean and Seal of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in East Devon

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Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor Before and After Cleaning South Molton

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor Deep Cleaned in South Molton Georgian Townhouse

This story follows on from a previous post on the renovation of a Victorian Tiled Reception Area at a listed Georgian Townhouse in the middle of the small market town of South Moulton in North Devon. You may recall he was struggling to clean the floor in the reception area and I was called in to sort it out. Whilst I was there he also asked me to deep clean and seal the Kitchen Quarry Tiles.

Kitchens as you can imagine are one of the busiest areas in any house and as a result the floors do see a fair amount of wear; in this case the Quarry tiles were dull and lifeless and I suspect any previous sealer had long since worn off.

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning South Molton

Cleaning Kitchen Quarry Tiles

The Quarry tiles were in a better state than the Victorian tiles I discussed in the previous post so a less aggressive course of action was required. In this case I applied a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and left it to soak in. Pro-Clean is an effective tile cleaner which will clean and strip off old sealers in a strong dilution. This was important as I wanted to be sure any remaining sealer would be removed, typically sealers wear off in the high use floor areas first so it was quite possible some sealer would still be present on the less used parts of the floor.

After ten minutes I agitated the solution with a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary scrubbing machine to really get the floor clean and then rinsed off the soiled cleaning solution with water and a wet and dry vacuum before leaving it overnight to dry off fully.

Sealing Kitchen Quarry Tiles

The following day I returned and after rechecking the moisture levels to ensure that they had adequately dried out I started to seal the Quarry tiles in the Kitchen using Six coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go which leaves a satin finish once dried and gives the tiles a freshly mopped or slightly glazed look.

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor After Cleaning South Molton
The customer was thrilled and left the following feedback on the Tile Doctor feedback system:

“The work was carried out in a professional manner, with excellent results.”

For aftercare I left the customer with some guidance on care and maintenance of the floor as well as a suitable bottle of tile cleaner.

Professional Renovation of a Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor in Devon

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Georgian Reception Floor Tiles Before and After Cleaning South Molton

Victorian Tiled Reception Area Renovated in South Molton Listed Building

I was approached by the owner of a listed Georgian Townhouse right in the middle of the small market town of South Moulton in North Devon who was struggling to have any impact on the appearance of his Victorian tiled reception area, despite hours of back-breaking scrubbing and had become disheartened by it.

Georgian Reception Floor Tiles Before Cleaning South Molton
Upon arrival a survey on the floor was conducted where I tested the moisture level of the tiles because floors of this age and construction didn’t have a Damp Proof Course and as such were just tiled onto whatever subsurface was already there, which quite often contained rubble and other guiding materials such as lime from the construction of neighbouring properties!

Georgian Reception Floor Tiles Before Cleaning South Molton
Whilst talking to the customer he mentioned that he had some old quarry tiles in his kitchen that he also wanted cleaning, however I’ll cover that in another post. To continue I produced a quote for the work which was accepted and a date was agreed for me to return with all the equipment and products required.

Cleaning Victorian Tiled Reception Area

To clean the Victorian tiles in the reception area I applied a medium dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and left it to soak in for ten minutes. I then set about scrubbing the solution into the tiles using a series of Diamond impregnated burnishing pads ranging from 100-400 grit.

Once the whole floor had been treated in this manner it was thoroughly rinsed with water using a wet and dry vacuum to extract the now soiled cleaning solution and I was able to see that the process had really brought the tiles up a treat.

Concerned about the damp readings I had experienced earlier I decided it would be prudent to give the floor an Acid Rinse with Grout Clean-up to counteract any potential salt issues (efflorescence) that can be a real problem on these old floors which have no Damp Proof Course. I highly recommend this step on old floors as salts can over time permeate through the tiles and the cleaning process draws them to the surface. Left unaddressed the salts can damage the sealer and leave the floor looking far from its best.

Once the tiles had been cleaned, I rinsed the entire floor thoroughly using fresh water to remove any trace of cleaning products, before leaving it to dry off completely overnight.

Sealing an Original Victorian Tiled Hallway and Entrance Lobby

The following day I returned and after rechecking the moisture levels to ensure that they had adequately dried out I started to seal the Victorian tiles in the reception area. To improve colour, I first applied a coat of Tile Doctor’s Colour Grow, a solvent based impregnating sealer which picks out and enhances the natural colour of the tiles, not only bringing the whole floor to life but helping to disguise any damage the floor has suffered over the years. After this coat had dried sufficiency four coats of Seal and Go were applied to finish off the floor and give it that ‘wow factor’.

Georgian Reception Floor Tiles After Cleaning South Molton Georgian Reception Floor Tiles After Cleaning South Molton

The customer was thrilled and left the following feedback on the Tile Doctor feedback system:

“The work was carried out in a professional manner, with excellent results.”

For aftercare I left the customer with some guidance on care and maintenance of the floor as well as a suitable bottle of tile cleaner.

Professional Renovation of a Victorian Tiled Reception Floor in Devon

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