Sidmouth Tile Cleaning

Sidmouth Tile Cleaning

Welcome to my Work History archive where you will find examples of the cleaning and renovation of tiles carried out in Sidmouth.

Travertine Tiled Patio Renovation Rousdon Devon

85m2 Travertine patio renovation in Rousdon, Devon

A client from the village of Rousdon in Devon asked me to take a look at a large Travertine patio which was laid approximately five years ago and was now in a bad state. I contacted her and arranged a time to pop over and conduct a free survey of the patio which was approximately 85m2.

Travertine Patio Before Cleaning Rousdon Devon

Upon arrival I could see that garden furniture had been left on the patio and not moved for a long-time, this had resulted in rust stains from the metal and wooden furniture which had leached into the travertine causing staining. Normal cleaners and just jet washing would not be able to clear the stains.

Travertine Patio Before Cleaning Rousdon Devon

I performed a test with our Tile Doctor product – Patio and Driveway Cleaner which is a very strong cleaner designed to remove the toughest mildew, growth and staining on exterior stone and tiled patios and driveways. The test went well and the client was thrilled with the results and asked if I could achieve the same finish throughout the whole patio. I informed her I could, however, we would need to postpone the booking until spring at the earliest so that the weather and air has time to warm up so the products and sealer both do their jobs.
She was happy to take this advice and accepted my quotation.

Cleaning a Travertine Patio Tiled Floor

I returned in April on a warm, dry weekend to carry out the work as intended.

Work started with the generous application of around ten litres of Tile Doctor Patio and Driveway Cleaner which was left to dwell for approximately three hours, checking every 15 minutes on progress. After this time, I agitated the areas using a Viper rotary machine fitted with a stiff bristle brush to work the product into the stone and get into the pits and grout lines.

Immediately after the agitation process I used my pressurised water system to collect the slurry and remove any remaining moss and algae from the patio – this also neutralised the stone from any remaining products and removed much of the moisture from the stone so it could dry out quickly.

In the lasting afternoon sun, the patio dried out quickly with the assistance of floor fans to speed up the process.

Sealing a Travertine Tiled Patio Floor

The following day I ran some moisture tests which confirmed the patio was dry and could accept a sealer. It’s not a good idea to apply a sealer to damp stone anyway but outside even more so as moisture can become trapped in the stone and then freeze over winter resulting in damage to the sealer.

All was well and I was able to complete the job with the application of three coats of Tile Doctor Ultra Seal. This kept to the brief from the client who had requested a completely natural stone finish.

Travertine Patio After Cleaning Rousdon Devon

Once completed the patio was transformed and my client was over the moon with its new appearance which is now ready for summer entertaining. To make sure the patio keeps it appearance they have requested I come back every year going forward to do a spring clean and top up the sealer. I offer an annual maintenance plan for customers with high maintenance floors/patios like this one so I’m more than happy to do that.

Travertine Patio After Cleaning Rousdon Devon

 

Professional Restoration of a Travertine Tiled Patio in Devon

85m2 Travertine patio renovation in Rousdon, Devon Read More »

Encaustic Shower Room Floor Tile Cleaning Honiton

Renovating Discoloured Encaustic Floor Tiles in a Honiton Hotel Bathroom

This enquiry came from a prestigious hotel outside Honiton (North of Sidmouth), they were concerned about the appearance of the Black and White floor tiles in one of their luxury bathrooms.

I visited the hotel to survey the floor tiles and could see the tiles were Encaustic and heavily soiled as described. Unlike Ceramic tiles encaustic’s need to be sealed to prevent the build-up of dirt becoming ingrained in the tile. In this case the sealer had worn off with wear and probably the use of strong cleaning products, without the sealer in place the tiles had become discoloured.

Encaustic Shower Room Floor Tiles Before Cleaning Honiton

I knew the problem could be resolved and so informed the manager there would be no need to pull the floor up and replace just before the season was about to start. She was very relieved to hear this and pleased that we could resolve the problem relatively easily and quickly.

Deep Cleaning Encaustic Floor Tiles

To restore the appearance of the encaustic tiles I applied a set of Tile Doctor’s Diamond encrusted Burnishing Pads. Starting with the 400-grit pad fitted to a weighted rotary machine I cut the surface of the tile down whilst lubricating with water during the process. Just enough is removed to get past the staining allowing the original, uniform colours to come back up.

Rinsing and extracting with the wet vacuum after each pad I moved through the series of pads onto the 800 and 1500-grit pads again using water to lubricate. It was then time for a light clean using a dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean to lift out all the remaining slurry and dirt in and around the tiles and joints.

I then put several fan’s on to assist the floor drying before using a spray burnish technique to finish the floor. This is where a small amount of water is sprayed onto the tiles and then a very fine 3000-grit polishing diamond pad fitted to a rotary machine is run over the floor. This process helps reinstate a good level of sheen to the tiles.

Sealing an Encaustic Tiled Shower Room Floor

The following day I returned to seal the tiles first checking the floor had completely dried out. To do this I take several moisture readings using a damp meter. The readings were fine so I was satisfied the tiles were ready to accept a sealer.

To seal Encaustic tiles, I selected Tile Doctors robust colour enhancing sealer called Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal. This will be particularly good for high traffic use and will stand up to the wear and tear in a hotel bathroom.

Encaustic Shower Room Floor Tiles After Cleaning Honiton

The hotel manager was extremely happy with the results and even more so with the fact the hotel doesn’t need to replace the floor at large cost and has insisted she book me back in periodically to work through the other bathrooms/shower-rooms which are all also tiled with encaustic tiles. I also took time to advise the use of Neutral Tile cleaner for the regular cleaning of the encaustic floor tiles, it’s an effective but mild tile cleaner that’s safe to use on sealed tiles.

As much of our business comes from recommendations and repeat clients, this type of work is invaluable to us, we were delighted we could help, now they are ready for the busy holiday season.

 

Professional Restoration of Encaustic Floor Tiles in Devon

Renovating Discoloured Encaustic Floor Tiles in a Honiton Hotel Bathroom Read More »

Porcelain Tiled Floor Before After Renovation Sidmouth Exeter

Textured Porcelain Floor Tile and Grout Deep Cleaned and Tile Replaced in Sidmouth

We were contacted by a property owner in Sidmouth near Exeter about their Textured Porcelain floor tiles in the kitchen and hallway which needed a deep clean. The tiles themselves were looking grubby and the grout had become stained and darker with ingrained dirt.

Porcelain Kitchen Diner Floor Before Cleaning Repair Sidmouth

There was also a damaged tile that needed replacing which I was happy to do. We often get asked to replace tiles but we don’t really take on tiling work unless it’s part of a bigger renovation project.

I discussed with them the service we offered and gave them a price for the work, which they were happy to proceed with. We arranged a date to complete the work the following month.

Cleaning Textured Porcelain Hallway and Kitchen Floor Tiles

I started by removing all the kickboards from below the kitchen units and then running a bead of clear silicone sealant around the bases. We tend to use a lot of water when cleaning tiles and as most kitchen units are made from MDF we like to prevent any water becoming absorbed into the units. This will prevent them becoming warped by the water so it’s worth taking the time to remove or protect them. I also added protection around the skirting boards.

The cleaning process began by spraying Tile Doctor Remove & Go onto the floor, this is an alkaline cleaner designed to remove dirt and other coatings. I left it to soak in for 45 minutes before starting to work it in with a rotary buffer fitted with a black scrubbing pad. The long dwell time gives the product time to digest and loosen the ingrained dirt in the textured tile, dips, and grout lines.

Porcelain Kitchen Diner Floor During Cleaning Sidmouth

After scrubbing the tiles, they were then rinsed with a small amount of water. I used a pressurised truck-mount water vacuum system fitted to my van to extract all the remaining soil and product from the floor.

With the soiling removed the floor was left to air dry (which took an hour or so) before neutralising the floor and removing old grout smears with a diluted acid rinse using Tile Doctor Grout Clean Up. After the rinse floor was given another rinse and once again the waste extracted using the truck-mount system.

After this treatment, the floor was looking so much better and I hadn’t finished.

Replacing a Porcelain Kitchen Tile

Returning the following day, the last step was to remove a broken tile and replace with a new matching tile the client had provided. I always recommend buying more tiles that you need and then keep those extras in the loft or something as you never know when they might come in handy.

To remove the broken tile, I stated by cutting though the grout lines separating it from its neighbours and then carefully breaking the tile up for with a hammer action drill fitted with a chisel bit. The bits of old tile were removed and what was left of the grout was removed using a small Grout-Out tool.

Porcelain Kitchen Diner Floor During Tile Replacement Sidmouth Porcelain Kitchen Diner Floor During Tile Removed Sidmouth

You have to be careful when doing this sort of work as many modern kitchen floors are installed with an electric heating matt which is easily destroyed when lifting a tile. In this case there was no matt under the tile but to my surprise the was another tile so it was clear that the tiler had simply tiled over an existing tiled floor. I hear this is a popular thing to do as a tiled floor usually makes a good base.

With the area cleaned up, it was simply a case of applying fresh rapid setting adhesive and fitting the new tile in place. Once the adhesive had set, I grouted using a lime colour Mapei Grout and the job was complete. Most Porcelain tiles are sealed in the factory so it was not necessary to apply one.

Porcelain Kitchen Diner Floor After Renovation Sidmouth

The result was a fresh and tidy Porcelain tiled floor with a marked improvement particularly on the grout lines and of course a very happy client.

 

Professional Renovation of a Porcelain Tiled Hallway and Kitchen Floor in Devon

Textured Porcelain Floor Tile and Grout Deep Cleaned and Tile Replaced in Sidmouth 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 »

Edwardian Hallway Tiles Herringbone Colyton Before and After

Original Herringbone Pattern Edwardian Tiles Restored in Colyton

Colyton is a small village in the Coly Valley, which itself is part of Devon’s Area of Outstanding Beauty. As you can imagine, it was very nice to drive through the countryside to reach the village to visit a customer. The customer was keen to restore her Edwardian tiled entranceway and hallway in a classic herringbone pattern, which consists of an arrangement of rectangles.

Parts of the floor had been under carpet for a long time and other areas were covered in at least three layers of thick masonry paint. There was some damage to the floor at thresholds where the carpet grips had been hammered into the floor and a few holes with rawl plugs in scattered the area. This had left the floor looking worse for wear and all in all, there was a lot to be done to restore the tiles back to their original condition – just take a look at the photos below.

Edwardian Hallway Tiles Herringbone Pattern Colyton Before Edwardian Hallway Tiles Herringbone Pattern Colyton Before

Several methods were tried on each area during the initial visit to determine the best way forward including chemicals, diamond pads and heat plus a razor scraper. It was clear a mixture of these methods would be needed to get the best results.

Cleaning an Edwardian Tiled Entranceway and Hallway

On my return, I removed the rawl plugs filled the holes with an epoxy resin in a matching colour. Next I started on giving the tiles a deep and thorough clean to remove not just the copious ingrained dirt, but also the unappealing paint smears.

I did this by applying Tile Doctor Remove and Go, which not only cleans the stone, but also strips away any old sealer. Remove and Go is particularly good for removing most artificial coatings and finishes, adhesives, and paints – and can be used on most unpolished natural stone.

Next, I give the tile and grout an acid rinse with Tile Doctor Grout Clean Up, which is a concentrated phosphoric acid product, to negate any underlying efflorescence and alkaline salt deposits. Efflorescence and salt deposits can be common problems for older, original tiled floors because they often lack a damp proof course.

Having finished cleaning the floor, I gave it a thorough rinse using fresh water to remove any traces of chemicals, before leaving it to dry overnight.

Sealing an Edwardian Tiled Entranceway and Hallway

Returning to the property next day, I ran some quick damp tests to check the floor was ready to be sealed.

To seal the floor, I used a single coat of an impregnating sealer called Colour Grow and followed this up with five coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go. Both sealers will allow for vapour to rise up through the floor ensuring any damp can rise up through the floor in future which is essential for an old floor like this one which has no damp proof membrane.
The also combine to provide stain resistance surface and a robust, low-sheen finish.

And, with that, the job was done. Two days of work later and the floor is back to looking it best, as you can see in the photos below. Another satisfied client for the Devon Tile Doctor who left the following feedback.

“Very good work,we are very pleased with the result.
Stuart was a very professional hard worker and gave us clear advice on taking care of the floor.“

Edwardian Hallway Tiles Herringbone Pattern Colyton After Edwardian Hallway Tiles Herringbone Pattern Colyton After

 

Professional Tile Cleaning and Sealing for a Herringbone Pattern Edwardian Tiled Entranceway and Hallway Restoration in Colyton

Original Herringbone Pattern Edwardian Tiles Restored in Colyton Read More »

Kitchen Slate Tiled Floor Honiton Before and After

Deep Clean and Seal for Dirty Slate Kitchen Tiles in Honiton

Honiton is an old market town in East Devon with some interesting history. Most of the main buildings in the centre town are Georgian – dating back to the 18th century – and the town has been the site of the annual Honiton Agricultural Show since 1890.

I visited this quaint area not too long ago to visit a customer. The customer’s Slate tiled kitchen floor, as you can see from the photograph below, was looking worst for wear. The sealer had worn off and dirt and grime had penetrated the pores of the stone, this made the tiles difficult to clean and the new owners of the house were having trouble improving the appearance of the floor. They thought that the tiles were laid about eight years previously but that there had been no real cleaning or maintenance on it.

Sealers are the sacrificial-lamb for tiles and stone floors and do a great job of protecting and enhancing the floor but only last around 2-4 years on normal-traffic floors such as this. Regular maintenance can extend this and topping up of the sealer once a year can see this continue indefinitely. Tile Doctor can help with any maintenance plans and can be discussed as part of any visit

Kitchen Slate Tiled Floor Honiton Before
I was called in to get this Slate tiled kitchen floor back to looking its best and easy to clean.

Cleaning a Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor

In this case the sealer that had been used was past its best and was attracting dirt and holding it in, so the only option would be to completely strip the floor and re-seal. The grout had also been discoloured over the years and there are a few options to get grout looking its best again.

Grout is more prone to discolouration than the tiles but usually comes up well using Tile Doctor products Remove and Go, Pro Clean or Duo Clean. If the grout is discoloured beyond repair a grout recolour is the best way forward and a variety of colours are available.

This floor was stripped of old sealers using Tile Doctor’s Remove and Go, a strong alkaline stripper and degreaser plus coarse buffing pad on a rotary scrubber to remove any traces of previous sealers plus normal kitchen oils and stains. The grout was also scrubbed for good measure using a special grout brush and the floor was thoroughly rinsed with water and a wet vac to ensure that any remaining chemicals were neutralised and removed.

This process left the floor fresh and clean – and ready to be left to dry completely overnight.

Sealing a Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor

After leaving the floor to dry overnight, I returned to the property to seal it. Before doing so, I ran a few damp tests – aware that the property is reasonably old and may not have a damp proof membrane installed. Any excess moisture can cloud the sealant and damage its performance, but thankfully this floor proved to be dry.

I proceeded then to seal the tiles using Tile Doctor Colour Grow. This is our impregnating sealer which enhances the dark natural shades in the Slate, as you can clearly see from the photo below. As an impregnating sealer, it penetrates the pores of the stone to fill them and block dirt and stains from becoming ingrained.

Kitchen Slate Tiled Floor Honiton After
The restoration was truly transformative and as you can see from the picture above the grout came up very well so a recolour wasn’t necessary.

Professional Restoration of a Dirty Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor in Devon

Deep Clean and Seal for Dirty Slate Kitchen Tiles in Honiton Read More »

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Devon Tile Doctor

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