south buckinghamshire

Dirty Travertine Kitchen Floor Renovated in Amersham

20-Year-Old Travertine Kitchen Floor Give Deep Clean and Seal in Amersham

This client from Amersham contacted us regarding their Travertine Kitchen floor which they were simply not able to keep clean. Frustratingly any spillage went straight into the floor and stained the tiles. I called them to discuss the problem and offered to come round and survey the floor which is a free service we offer.

I can provide a quote over the phone, but my preference is to visit and test different cleaning products and techniques on the floor before quoting. Doing it this way allows me to work out an accurate quote and gives the customer the confidence I can resolve their problems.

After agreeing a suitable time to call I visited the property and could instantly see that their main problem was the sealer protecting their Kitchen tiles had failed and as described dirt was becoming stuck in the pores of the stone. Natural stone like Travertine is porous and without a sealer in place dirt becomes lodged in its pores where is becomes very difficult to shift.

Travertine Kitchen Floor Before Deep Cleaning Amersham

The kitchen was stunning but let down by the dirty floor which had been installed around twenty years ago when a new extension has been added to the property. Typically, a sealer should last between three and five years depending on use and what cleaning products are used to maintain it, so it wasn’t surprising that the original sealer had worn off.

I quoted for deep cleaning the floor including the removal of the old sealer and then applying a robust impregnating sealer which is recommended for Travertine. Happy with the price we scheduled a date for the work to be done.

Deep Cleaning a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor

On the first day the floor was given a thorough deep clean using a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, this product is our go to Tile and Grout Cleaner and when used in a strong dilution is strong enough to remove sealers. You find with sealers that they wear down first in the busiest sections of the floor so its important to remove all the sealer from across the floor or you end up with layering.

Pro-Clean is a strong alkaline cleaning product and it’s sprayed onto the tile and grout and then left for ten minutes before working it in, this allows it time to soak into the pores and start breaking down the dirt.

The floor is then scrubbed using a Rocky floor machine fitted with a series of diamond burnishing pads of increasing grits. This process generates a lot of soiling, and this is hoovered up with a wet vacuum after each pad.

The work begins with a coarse 400-grit burnishing pad which strips the Travertine and I work up to a 3000-grit pad which really brings up the finish of the stone to a slight sheen as the client requested. The floor was then left overnight to dry.

Sealing a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor

On day two I started on the sealing process first checking that the floor had dried sufficiently to accept the sealer. After discussing sealer options with the client earlier they had expressed a preference for a natural look, so I chose to apply a sealer called Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal which doesn’t colour the stone in any way and is almost undetectable.

Ultra-Seal is an impregnating sealer that works by soaking into the pores of the stone occupying the space and thereby preventing dirt from becoming ingrained there. Two coats were applied with a microfibre cloth allowing it to soak into the tile for a few hours before walking on it.

Once the seal had dried, I went over the tiles again with the 3000-grit pad which buffs of any excess sealant and brings up the sheen. Now with the floor being completely protected with Tile Doctor Ultra Seal the client shouldn’t have any problem with spillages which can be simply wiped away.

Travertine Kitchen Floor After Deep Cleaning Sealing Amersham

Once finished the deep pitted dirt was gone and the floor looked much lighter and cleaner. My client was very impressed with the transformation and has recommended us to her friend who also lives in Amersham and has a similar stone floor.

I mentioned earlier that a sealer’s life can be impacted by the product you use for regular cleaning, it’s a fact that most supermarket tile cleaners are simply too strong and can damage the sealer so before leaving I took time to discuss aftercare cleaning and for Travertine, I recommend the use of Tile Doctor Stone Soap which as well as gently cleaning the stone also helps maintain the patina.

 

Professional Restoration of a Travertine Tiled Kitchen in South Buckinghamshire

20-Year-Old Travertine Kitchen Floor Give Deep Clean and Seal in Amersham Read More »

Quarry Tiled Floor Before After Renovation Ruislip

Quarry Tiled Floor Hidden Under Lino Restored in Ruislip

This client in Ruislip had discovered a Quarry tiled floor hidden under two layers of old (and now horrible) lino. Unhappy with the Lino she decided the best thing to do would be to investigate having the Quarry tiles restored. It is amazing how tastes change over the years and classic period floors are definitely making a comeback. Period features like these are quite sought after and can add a lot of value to a property, so restoring it was a wise decision and worth investigating.

Lino Covered Quarry Tiled Floor During Restoration Ruislip Lino Covered Quarry Tiled Floor During Restoration Ruislip

On inspection the lino was well stuck to the tiles, it was clear it would take some time to lift and we wouldn’t know what to fully expect beneath until we started work. Non the less I gave her a quote for the work which she was happy to go ahead with and a date was booked in the diary.

Cleaning a Lino Covered Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor

We started by removing the lino using various methods such as scraping, cutting, and pulling always mindful not to cause any damage to the tiles underneath. Unfortunately, the lino had been secured in place with strong adhesive so once we had removed the lino we were left with a thick layer of glue and a thin concrete screed that had been used to level the floor.

Lino Covered Quarry Tiled Floor During Restoration Ruislip

To deal with this the floor was soaked in a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go which was left to dwell for some time before being scrubbed in. We find doing this gives the product time to soften the compounds making it easier to remove. Hands scrapers were employed to scrape off the glue and again care was taken not to damage the tile. The process had to be repeated to get the glue off but overall, it did a good job dealing with the glue and cement.

Once the Quarry tiles had been exposed however it was clear more work was needed to clean them up. The main problem was cement residue, so I used a combination of Tile Doctor Acid Gel, steam and a needle gun to remove the rest of the screed from the floor.

Lino Covered Quarry Tiled Floor During Restoration Ruislip Lino Covered Quarry Tiled Floor During Restoration Ruislip

The floor really did need a lot of work to restore it!

Once all of the cement was removed the floor was given a thorough rinse with water, the soil was then extracted with a wet vacuum and once I was satisfied it was as clean as it could be the floor was left to dry out overnight.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor

On the second day the floor was first checked for moisture using a damp meter, its not a good idea to add sealer to damp tiles as it will effect the result. I was satisfied the floor was dry and began the process of applying a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow tile sealer. This is a colour intensifying sealer that will protect the Quarry tiles by soaking into the pores and occupying the space thereby preventing contaminates becoming ingrained in the tile. Additionally, Colour Grow is a fully breathable sealer which is an important consideration when sealing old floor like these which need to breath. Being covered in Vinyl for many years many also have trapped moisture under the floor.

Lino Covered Quarry Tiled Floor After Restoration Ruislip

The newly revealed quarry tiled floor responded amazingly well to the restoration and once the sealer had drier the Quarry tiles had a nice sheen appearance without looking too shiny. It was a lot of work but well worth the effort and my customer was delighted. For aftercare I recommended cleaning the floor with Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner, this is pH balanced and will ensure the newly applied seal lasts and is not compromised.

Lino Covered Quarry Tiled Floor After Restoration Ruislip

 

Professional Restoration of a Quarry Tiled Floor in South-Buckinghamshire

Quarry Tiled Floor Hidden Under Lino Restored in Ruislip Read More »

Porcelain Tile and Grout Before After Cleaning Beaconsfield

Cleaning Porcelain floor tiles and grout in Beaconsfield

Recently I was called to visit this client in Beaconsfield who had moved into their house several years prior. Their hallway floor tiles were already dirty when they moved in and with several young kids the problem had slowly got worse. The hallway should look nice and bright and inviting, but instead the Porcelain tile and grout was looking dull and worn. According to the previous owners the tiles had not been down long before they sold the property.

Porcelain Tile and Grout Before Cleaning Beaconsfield Hallway

I went around to survey the floor and could see the biggest problem was the grout which had darkened due to the trapped dirt. It is always easiest for us to view the job and then we can see what work is involved. Pictures alone rarely provide enough information. I did a test clean with great results and once we had agreed a price, I was invited back to do the job. I booked it in for a few weeks’ time.

Porcelain is a popular choice in homes these days, they come in a huge variety of colours, styles and are hardwearing and versatile enough to be used in bathrooms, kitchens and on floors such as these. With the addition of underfloor heating, there is no need for the myth of a tiled floor being cold to exist either. With a small amount of maintenance, the floor can be kept looking nice.

Cleaning a Porcelain Tiled Hallway Floor

To clean the Porcelain tile and grout I applied a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean worked in with a black scrubbing pad fixed to a rotary floor buffer. The abrasive action of the pad combined with the cleaning power of Pro-Clean got to work cleaning all the tiles and got the worst out of the grout. We followed this by rinsing with water and extracting the soil with a wet vacuum, keeping the mess to a minimum.

Porcelain Tile and Grout During Cleaning Beaconsfield Hallway

Some of the grout lines were still not 100 percent so I went back over them using neat Tile Doctor Grout Clean Up scrubbing it in by hand with a stiff brush and then giving the floor another rinse. Once I was satisfied the tile and grout was as clean as it could be the floor was left to dry off overnight.

Sealing the Grout on a Porcelain Tiled Hallway Floor

The next day I returned and used a pipette to apply Tile Doctor Ultra Seal to all the grout lines. Porcelain tiles themselves won’t usually accept a sealer, however the grout will benefit hugely and hopefully they can now keep the floor looking much cleaner for longer.

For aftercare I recommended that they use Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner on a regular basis rather than the household cleaners which are available in supermarkets. It is pH neutral, so it won’t prematurely degrade the sealant on the grout.

The client was very happy with the work we had completed, the floor looked pristine, and the hallway looked welcoming. They now felt confident they would be able to keep on top of it going forward.

Porcelain Tile and Grout After Cleaning Beaconsfield Hallway

 

Professional Clean of a Porcelain Tiled Hallway in South Buckinghamshire

Cleaning Porcelain floor tiles and grout in Beaconsfield Read More »

Victorian tiled hallway Before and After cleaning Prestwood

Very Dirty Victorian Tiled Hallway Cleaned and Sealed in Prestwood

Recently I travelled down to the village of Prestwood in the Chiltern Hills of southern Buckinghamshire, to work on a Victorian tiled porch and hallway. Victorian tiles are commonly found in the entrance areas of older houses and unfortunately in this case the tiles had become heavily ingrained with dirt over time, and had suffered from additional paint and plaster spillages. The result was an unsightly mess; my client was considering covering the floor with lino after several unsuccessful attempts at cleaning it. I was called upon to provide a professional clean and seal, restoring these great Victorian tiles back to looking their best again.

Victorian tiled hallway before cleaning and sealing Prestwood Victorian tiled hallway before cleaning and sealing Prestwood

Cleaning dirty Victorian tiles

On my first day at the house, I mixed up a solution of 50 per cent Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, a high alkaline cleaner, and NanoTech HBU (formerly known as Ultra Clean), which is a cleaning product that contains nano-sized abrasive particles that penetrate deep into the stone to lift ingrained dirt to the surface. This solution was worked into the tiles using abrasive scrubbing pads fitted to one of my commercial rotary machines.

Victorian tiled hallway after cleaning Prestwood
The cleaning process left over a slurry of residue which I rinsed away with clean water and extracted with a wet vacuum. I was still left with the issue of stubborn paint spillages, so I applied a layer of Tile Doctor Remove & Go, a stripper with cleaning properties which is very effective at breaking down paint and adhesive stains.

Once the paint spillages had been dealt with I gave the area another rinse with clean water. I then left the house, allowing the floor enough time to dry overnight.

Sealing Victorian tiles

Upon my return the day I set about sealing the newly cleaned Victorian tiles. Before starting the sealing process I inspected the floor to check for any dampness, knowing that any excess moisture could potentially damage the performance of the sealer.

When I was satisfied that the tiles were fully dried, I applied Tile Doctor Seal & Go, a sealer which offers durable surface protection, along with an aesthetically pleasing, low-sheen finish which brings out the colour in the stone. This product can be used to seal internal, porous surfaces including Victorian, Slate, textured Quarry and Sandstone tiles.

Victorian tiled hallway after cleaning and sealing Prestwood
The process made an amazing difference to the floor as you can see from the photographs; additionally the restoration of such an original feature adds a lot of value and looks so much better than lino!

Victorian tiled hallway and porch floor restoration in Buckinghamshire

Very Dirty Victorian Tiled Hallway Cleaned and Sealed in Prestwood Read More »

Terracotta Kitchen Tiled Winchmore Hill After

Tiled Terracotta Kitchen Floor, Winchmore Hill

This was a rather dirty Terracotta kitchen floor located at a house in Winchmore Hill in Buckinghamshire, not to be confused with the Winchmore Hill in London. The sealer on the tiles had worn off some time ago and now the dirt was becoming trapped in the pores of the Terracotta making it impossible to clean.

Terracotta Kitchen Tiled Winchmore Hill Before

Deep Cleaning Terracotta Tile

To deep clean into the pores of the Terracotta a diluted solution of Tile Doctor Pro Clean, which is a strong tile cleaner sage to use on tiled floors, was applied to kitchen floor and left to soak in for around ten minutes. Then with the aid of a commercial rotary machine the solution was scrubbed into the tiles to release the many years of accumulated ingrained soiling which was removed from the floor using a wet vacuum.

Although this deep cleaned the tile the grout lines needed further attention and were treated with Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up solution and then washed down with fresh water which was removed with a wet vacuum.

There was still evidence of sealer remaining on the floor in some areas so the next step in the process was to apply Tile Doctor Remove and Go again working it into the tile using a scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine. Remove and Go as its name suggests is used to remove waxes and sealants from tile and stone. It certainly did the job and once the resultant slurry was vacuumed up and the floor given a final rinse to remove any chemicals used in the process the floor was looking much cleaner and left to dry overnight ready for our return

Sealing Terracotta Tile

The next day came back to do the sealing and checked the floor first for any spots we might had missed and also to ensure it had dried sufficiently. Tile Doctor Seal and Go was then applied in coats to fully seal the floor. As well as adding protection Seal and Go adds a nice subtle satin finish to Terracotta and being water based it doesn’t give off an odour when it’s drying.

Terracotta Kitchen Tiled Winchmore Hill After
 

Terracotta Floor Cleaned and Sealed in Buckinghamshire

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Slate Tiled Kitchen Farmhouse Floor Before and After Sealing in Little Hampden

Slate Tiled Farmhouse Kitchen Floor Cleaned and Sealed in Little Hampden

These slate tiles had been laid in the kitchen of a farmhouse in the village of Little Hampden around twenty years ago and since that time had become heavily soiled with a build-up of dirt and over applied sealants.

Slate Tiled Kitchen Farmhouse Floor Before Cleaning in Little Hampden

Cleaning a Slate Tiled Floor

To get the floor clean a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean was applied to the floor, allowed to soak in for a while and then scrubbed into the tile and grout with the aid of a commercial rotary machine. Once done the floor was washed down with water which was then removed along with the soiled cleaning solution using a wet vacuum.

The Pro-Clean removed the top soiling throughout the floor but it became clear that something stronger would be need to remove the heavy build-up of old sealants. Fortunately we have a product called Tile Doctor Remove and Go which is designed to strip floors of sealers so this was applied to the floor in a similar fashion as before and this tackled the problem. The next task was to clean the grout lines with Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up and give the whole floor a final rinse with more water to ensure any chemical residue is removed leaving the floor ready for sealing.

Sealing a Slate Floor

The floor was left to dry overnight and I came back the next day to seal it to protect for years to come and improve the general look of the slate which really does look better when sealed.

To seal the floor I used a combination of products to get the best results. First a coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow was applied which is a colour enhancing impregnating sealant which occupies the pores in the stone protecting it from within and then a number of coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go were added to add a nice subtle sheen to the floor.

Slate Tiled Kitchen Farmhouse Floor After Sealing in Little Hampden
Our customer was extremely pleased with the results and took up our offer of a Tile Doctor maintenance contract to enable her to keep the floor in pristine condition.

Slate Tiled Kitchen Refresh in Wiltshire

Slate Tiled Farmhouse Kitchen Floor Cleaned and Sealed in Little Hampden Read More »

Polished Limestone Before and After cleaning in Aston Clinton

Cleaning and Polishing a Limestone in Aston Clinton Communal Hallway

This Polished Limestone floor had been laid in the communal hallway of a block of flats in Aston Clinton and as you can see from the photograph below the stone had become ingrained with dirt over time and was now overdue for a deep clean and polish. Apologies for sounding like a dentist and also the photographs as the lighting wasn’t brilliant in the corridor.

Polished Limestone before cleaning in Aston Clinton

Cleaning Limestone Tile and Grout

Due to the heavy soling of the stone and grout lines we started by applying a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is an alkaline cleaning product that’s safe to use on Stone and Grout. The solution was scrubbed into the floor using a commercial rotary machine fitted with a fitted poly brush; once the cleaning solution had become dirty the floor was rinsed with water and the process re-applied until the stone and grout were clean.

Polishing Limestone Floor Tile

Our next task was to re-build the polish on the stone using a set of Tile Doctor Diamond encrusted burnishing pads which are applied to the tile in sequence from Coarse to fine further cleaning and polishing the stone until its returned to its original condition. The pads come in a set of four and you start with the coarse pad together with a little water. This this cuts through and removes surface grime, dirt and any remaining sealer. The floor is then rinsed and you move on through the remaining pads until the polish has been restored to the tiles. This process took up much of the first day so the floor was given a final rinse and left to dry overnight.

Sealing Limestone Tiles

On the second day we returned to find the tiles had dried and we started to seal the Limestone using three coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is a colour intensifying sealer that soaks into the pores of the stone bringing out the natural colours whilst providing that all important lasting protection.

Polished Limestone after cleaning in Aston Clinton
 

Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing in Aston Clinton, Buckinghamshire

Cleaning and Polishing a Limestone in Aston Clinton Communal Hallway Read More »

Limestone Tiled Kitchen Floor After Cleaning and Sealing in Marlow

Deep Cleaning and Polishing a Limestone tiled kitchen floor in Marlow

We were asked by the new owners of this property in Marlow to clean and seal the Limestone tiled kitchen floor which was in a heavily soiled condition and it was apparent that the tiles and the grout lines hadn’t been professionally cleaned for some time.

Limestone Tiled Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning in Marlow Limestone Tiled Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning in Marlow

Cleaning a Limestone Tiled Floor

To lift the ingrained soiling and restore the grout we started by applying a dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which was hand scrubbed into the grout lines with a stiff grout brush, this was followed up with Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up which returned the grout lines to the original colour. The resultant soiled solutions were then removed from the floor with the aid of fresh water and an industrial wet vacuum.

Polishing Limestone Tiles

Our next task was to re-hone the stones using the Tile Doctor Diamond encrusted burnishing pad system which cleans and polishes natural stone returning it to its original condition. The pads come in a set of four and you start with the coarse pad together with a little water. This this cuts through and removes surface grime, dirt and any remaining sealer. The floor is then rinsed and you move on through the remaining pads until the polish has been restored to the tiles. This process took up much of the first day so the floor was given a final rinse and left to dry overnight.

Sealing Limestone Tiles

On the second day we returned to find the tiles had dried and as expected and we started to seal the tile which we did with two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is a colour intensifying sealer that soaks into the pores of the stone bringing out the natural colours whilst providing that all important lasting protection.

Limestone Tiled Kitchen Floor After Cleaning and Sealing in Marlow Limestone Tiled Kitchen Floor After Cleaning and Sealing in Marlow

The customer was amazed with the clean appearance of her tiled floors and said it had transformed her house ready to live in.

Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing in Marlow, Buckinghamshire

Deep Cleaning and Polishing a Limestone tiled kitchen floor in Marlow Read More »

Aylesbury Office Porcelain Floor Cleaning After

Cleaning White Porcelain Tiles at Premises in Aylesbury

This commercial unit in Aylesbury had white porcelain tiles laid in the restroom and reception areas several years prior and had been assured they would be easy to clean, however over the years they had deteriorated leaving an unsightly grey staining throughout and were now in need of a thorough deep clean.

Aylesbury Office Porcelain Floor Cleaning Aylesbury Office Porcelain Floor Cleaning

Cleaning White Porcelain Tiles

A mixture of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean combined with NanoTech UltraClean impregnating cleaner products was spread evenly across the tiles and worked into the floor using a rotary scrubbing machine set on slow speed. We proceeded to work the floor in this manner to lift the soling followed by black stripping pads on a 150rpm rotary machine. When we were satisfied that the ingrained dirt had been lifted from the porcelain tile we used our van mounted pressure cleaning system to wash the dirt from the floor, this system has been a great investment for us and uses heat and high pressure to clean and remove the slurry back to recovery tanks in the van.

Aylesbury Office Porcelain Floor Cleaning

We let the floor dry and returned the second day to scrub along the stained grout lines and return them to their original colour using a strong mix of Tile Doctor Grout clean-up and with this solution rescrubbed the areas using our rotary machines and with a complete final clean and rinse buffed the tiles to a high shine.

Aylesbury Office Porcelain Floor Cleaning After

 

Porcelain Tile Cleaning in Aylesbury

Cleaning White Porcelain Tiles at Premises in Aylesbury Read More »

Cleaning Micro porous textured porcelain in beaconsfield

Cleaning Micro-Porous textured Porcelain Tiles in a Beaconsfield Kitchen Diner

Our customer in Beaconsfield had been having great difficulty cleaning a textured Porcelain tiled floor that was installed in the kitchen and adjacent dining room; despite numerous attempts whatever she tried never have the desired effect. During the home survey we demonstrated on a single tile how using our cleaning agents we could remove the soiling and restore the original colour of the tile which hadn’t been seen for a number of years.

Micro porous textured porcelain in beaconsfield before cleaning Micro porous textured porcelain in beaconsfield Before Cleaning

Scrubbing Micro-Porous Textured Porcelain Tiles

Equal amounts of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean combined with Tile Doctor NanoTech UltraClean was spread evenly throughout the floor and worked in with a rotary machine fitted with a scrubbing pad running at slow speed. The tiny abrasive particles in the cleaning solution worked deep into the tile to bring out the dirt so once the whole floor was treated in this manner we switched to the next machine.

Cleaning Micro porous textured porcelain in beaconsfield Cleaning Micro porous textured porcelain in beaconsfield

The next machine we used was a truck mounted device that directs hot water onto the tile at high pressure using a second hose to remove the soiled solution back to a storage tank in the van. It’s a very effective machine that has an instant effect on the tile.

Cleaning Micro porous textured porcelain in beaconsfield
Once this process was completed we scrubbed out the grout lines using a mix of Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up which did a good job of cleaning the grout and also removed any soiling left from our previous clean. Once this was done we gave the floor a final clean and rinse and then left to dry overnight.

Sealing Micro-Porous Textured Porcelain tiles

Most porcelain tiles like ceramics won’t take a sealer however Micro-Porous Porcelain tiles do need sealing due to their porosity so we came back the 2nd day to apply two coats of Tile Doctor Seal And Go which will protect the tile from staining and aid the future maintenance. I should mention that we recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral tile cleaner for regular maintenance; its neutral PH formula is ideal for sealed floors as domestic acidic cleaners will eat away at the sealer over time and reduce its life.

Micro porous textured porcelain in beaconsfield after cleaning
 

Porcelain Tile Cleaning in Beaconsfield

Cleaning Micro-Porous textured Porcelain Tiles in a Beaconsfield Kitchen Diner Read More »

Night Club WC Tile Cleaning After

Cleaning Ceramic Wall and Floor Tiled Toilets in a London Night Club

Our client’s project was to refurbish four toilets in a London Night Club but didn’t want the expense of replacing all the existing ceramic floor and wall tiles; after come across our web site we were invited to visit the club and provide a demonstration after which we were awarded the contract. Our main task on this project was to deep clean the ceramic wall tiles and floors and colour seal grout lines which had over the years had stained to a yellow appearance.

Night Club WC FloorTile Cleaning Before Night Club WC FloorTile Cleaning Before

Night Club Toilet Cleaning Day One

We started by giving all the tiles a though deep clean with Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a strong alkaline cleaner that is able to penetrate into the tile and lift the years of built up soiling on the tile and grout lines. This was followed with a further treatment of on the wall tile grout lines using Tile doctor Grout Clean up and another deep clean with Pro-Clean and pressure cleaned using our powerful truck mounted system which cleans under heat and high pressure and returns all the slurry to our recovery tanks for disposal.

Night Club WC Tile Cleaning After Night Club WC FloorTile Cleaning Before

Night Club Toilet Cleaning Day Two and Three

The tiles looked fantastic and like new again with the exception of the grout lines which although being deep cleaned of twenty years of dirt and grease still had a yellow appearance. The solution was to use a Grout Colourant to colour all the grout lines white again, the product we use is brilliant as not only does it give the appearance of newly applied grout is also protects the grout with a waterproof and stain proof barrier that is very easy to clean. Once dried we removed all the excess grout colourant residue from the tile and then polished the tiles to a pleasing high shine.

Night Club Urinal Wall Tile Cleaning Night Club WC Tile Cleaning After

The client was totally satisfied and impressed with our work which cost a fraction of what it could of cost to replace all the wall tiles. In fact a member of the management team was adamant that we had replaced the tile and grout as he thought it impossible we could of managed this good as new look any other way.

 

Commercial Tile Cleaning at a London Night Club

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Slate Tiled Floor in Tring Bucks Before and After

Riven Slate Tiled Kitchen floor cleaned and sealed in Tring Bucks

These Riven Slate tiles at house in Tring Buckinghamshire had been laid five years earlier and the original sealant had worn off especially around the high traffic cooker and fridge areas. This has led to dirt getting trapped into the pores of the tile and the whole floor becoming rather dull.

Slate Tiled Floor in Tring Bucks Before

Cleaning Riven Slate Floor Tiles

We started with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is an alkaline tile cleaner designed for use on tile, stone and grout. It was scrubbed into the tile and grout lines to give the floor a deep clean and then rinsed with clean water. To strip the remaining sealant we used Tile Doctor Remove and Go spread throughout the floor and then left for 45 minutes to soften the sealant, then with the use of an aggressive black pad fitted to a rotary machine the remaining sealant was stripped from the tile. The last step was to rinse the floor with clean water to remove any cleaning products and neutralise it before sealing, it was then left overnight to dry.

Sealing Riven Slate Tiles

The next day we came back to seal the floor, the customer had previously requested a matt finish for the floor so Tile Doctor Colour Grow was chosen as the sealer, this product provides the desired matt finish but also lifts the natural colours in the stone as well as providing the necessary stain protection going forward.

Slate Tiled Floor in Tring Bucks After
 

Cleaning and Sealing a Slate Tiled Floor in a London shop

Riven Slate Tiled Kitchen floor cleaned and sealed in Tring Bucks Read More »

Ceramic Tile Wendover After

Deep Cleaning Textured Ceramic kitchen floor tiles Wendover Bucks

We were asked to clean these textured ceramic floor tiles in Wendover Bucks which had become heavily soiled and ingrained with dirt leaving the tiles with a black appearance, the grout lines had also become stained and discoloured. Our customer had tried all types of cleaning agents but could never get the desired effect.

Ceramic Tile Wendover Washing Ceramic Tile Wendover Washing

Cleaning a Textured Ceramic Tiled Floor

A dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean alkaline tile cleaner was applied throughout the tiled floor and worked in with the aid of a scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine, a stiff hand brush was also used along the grout lines and this managed to lift most of the soiling from the floor.

Next step was to use our powerful truck mounted heated turbo system which jet washed the remaining particles out of the crevasses of the stone. This system uses high pressure heated water though a spinner tool, it’s an amazing tool that returns the dirty water directly back to a recovery tank leaving the floor chemical free and neutralised.

Before leaving I recommended to the customer that regular use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile cleaner would help to keep their tile and grout in better condition.

Ceramic Tile Wendover After Ceramic Tile Wendover After

 

Deep Cleaning Ceramic Tiles in Buckingham

Deep Cleaning Textured Ceramic kitchen floor tiles Wendover Bucks Read More »

Mosaic Tiled Floor and Basalt Tiles Before and After

Basalt and Glass Mosaic tiles in a wet room London N6

This property in London N6 had been rented out previously by the owners and they were now renovating it before moving back in, this work included a wet room which had glass mosaic floor tiles and a dark Basalt tile laid on the wall. The main problem had been a general lack of maintenance over the years which led to a major unsightly build-up of lime scale throughout the wet room. We agreed to do the work but had to explain to the client how difficult the work would be and set their expectation for only an eighty percent improvement. I must apologise in advance for the quality of some of the photographs on this page, the size of the room, low lighting a nature of the stone surfaces didn’t lend themselves well to being photographed.

Mosaic Tiled Floor and Basalt Tiles Before Mosaic Tiled Floor and Basalt Tiles Before

Day 1 -Cleaning Basalt and Mosaic Tiles

Having protected all the chrome furnishings within the wet room we started to soak the Basalt tiled walls with Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up followed by scrubbing and rinsing constantly with clear water. Grout Clean-up is an Acid based product so you do need to take care when doing this however it is particularly effective at shifting mineral deposits like Limescale. When we were satisfied this had removed the majority of soap scum and lime scale we proceeded to clean the Glass Mosaic floor tiles using the same method.

Day 2 -Polishing Basalt wall Tiles

The basalt tiled walls now needed to be restored back to their original factory condition using small diamond encrusted burnishing pads attached to a hand held polishing machine. We started with a coarse pad which removed any remaining Limescale which had impregnated the surface of the stone and moved onto the finer pads which polish the stone. Once this was complete the tiles were given a final clean with Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner which is an everyday cleaning product designed for regular use on stone or sealed tiled surfaces.

Day 3 -Sealing Basalt wall Tiles

We came back on the third day and after making sure the Basalt tiles had dried we gave it a final buffing to restore the stone to a deep high gloss shine. The last step was to seal the Basalt tile in order to protect it and make it easier to clean in the future and for this we applied three coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer that soaks into the pores of the stone.

Finally we used a rotary floor polisher fitted with a white buffing pad to buff the mosaic glass floor to a high shine.

Mosaic Tiled Floor and Basalt Tiles After Mosaic Tiled Floor and Basalt Tiles After

 

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Marble Floor Cleaned in Ealing

Marble Tiled Floor Cleaned and Polished in Ealing

These photographs were taken at a house in Ealing, West London where the customer had requested a deep clean and polish of the marble tiled floors installed in a kitchen and conservatory which had become dull and dirty over a period of time.

Marble Floor Cleaning in Ealing

Marble Tiled Floor Polishing

The first step was to give the Marble floor a thorough clean throughout with a medium dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is an industrial strength Tile Cleaner safe to use on natural stone floors, we also took this opportunity to use a stiff brush along the grout lines to get them nice and clean, the soiled cleaning solution was removed using a wet vacuum and the floor rinsed with clean water.

The next step was to use a set of diamond encrusted Twister Burnishing Pads fitted to a rotary buffing machine to polish the floor. The pads come in a set of four; you start with the Red pad together with plain water and this cuts through and removes surface grime and any surface seal. You then progress through one by one until you get to the final Green polishing pad which provides a high polish, we managed to complete most of this process before the end of day.

Marble Floor Cleaning in Ealing

Polishing and Sealing Marble Tile

The next day we completed the polishing process with the Green pad which really brought a deep shine to the floor. To protect the floor it was then sealed using Tile Doctor Colour Grow sealer which provides a natural finish whilst enhancing the natural colours in the tile. We waited for the sealer to dry before buffing it with a white buffing pad to bring up the shine further.

Marble Floor Cleaned in Ealing
 

Marble tiled floor cleaned and polished in Ealing

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Terracotta Tile in Denham Before and After

Terracotta Tiled Floor Maintained in Denham, Buckinghamshire

This terracotta floor installed in a house in Denham, at the southern end of Buckinghamshire, had become discoloured with ingrained soil and a mix of old sealers and wax coating leaving an unsightly looking kitchen floor that was in need of stripping, deep cleaning and reseal.

Terracotta Tile in Denham Cleaning

Cleaning Terracotta Tile

I started the job using a solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, which is a heavy duty alkaline product ideal for cleaning natural products such as Terracotta; this was scrubbed into the tiles quite aggressively with a black pad fitted to a rotary machine on slow speed. Once this had been completed we could see the remaining old sealers and wax layers and started to remove them using a strong tile stripper called Tile Doctor Remove and Go. Once we were satisfied we had removed all of the coatings we gave the floor a thorough rinse with clear water to remove any remaining residue and left it to dry overnight.

Terracotta Tile in Denham Cleaning

Sealing Terracotta Tile

The next day came back to do the sealing and checked the floor first for any spots we might had missed and also to ensure it had dried sufficiently. Tile Doctor Seal and Go was used to seal the floor, it’s a water based sealer so it doesn’t give off an odour when it’s drying and also offers durable stain protection together with a satin finish. Terracotta is very porous and in the end the floor actually took nine coats of sealer before it was fully sealed. Applying a sealer does takes a long time to apply as you have to wait for it to dry before applying the next coat.

Terracotta Tile in Denham After
The work took two days in all and you can see the difference for yourself, the floor is much cleaner and will be a lot easier to maintain going forward.

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Limestone Floor Before and After Cleaning

Cleaning and Polishing a Limestone tiled floor in High Wycombe

The photographs on the page come from the kitchen and dining area of a house in High Wycombe which had previously been rented out to tenants and the client wanted required the Limestone Tiled floor tiles to be cleaned and polished before the next occupant moved in.

Limestone Floor Before Cleaning Limestone Floor Before Cleaning

Cleaning a Limestone Tiled Floor

We started the project with a deep clean of the tiles and grout using a dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a heavy duty alkaline cleaning product specially designed for use on natural stone floors. This was left to dwell for a while and then agitated using a rotary machine fitted with a Black Scrubbing pad. The soiled solution was then removed using a wet vacuum and the floor was then rinsed down with fresh clean water; the process was repeated until a satisfactory result was obtained and we also treated the discoloured grout lines with more Pro-Clean and a stiff brush.

Limestone Tiled Floor Polishing

We used a set of diamond encrusted Burnishing Pads fitted to a rotary buffing machine to polish the Limestone floor. These pads are ideal for restoring the shine on hard stone surfaces such as Limestone and Marble, the come in a set of four and you start with the Red pad together with plain water and this cuts through and removes surface grime and any surface seal. The floor was then washed down again, this time with Tile Doctor Neutral cleaner which is an everyday cleaning product and then left to dry overnight.

Sealing Limestone Tiles

On the second day we gave the Limestone a polish using a Green burnishing pad which is a very fine pad that provides a high polish. The last step was to seal the Limestone which we did with two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is a colour intensifying sealer that brings out the colours in natural stone and provide lasting protection.

Limestone Floor After Cleaning
 

Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire

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Textured Marble floor in Chesham After

Polishing a Textured Marble Tiled floor in Chesham

A customer recently purchased a property the village of Chesham and hoped we could improve the appearance of her textured marble tiled floors which had over a number of years become dull and lost the polished marble look one would expect from a floor of this quality.

Marble Tile Cleaning and Polishing

For polished stone like Marble and Limestone the only way to restore the finish is to burnish the floor and this floor was no different. The burnishing pads are diamond encrusted and come in a setup of four seventeen inch pads for use with a heavy rotary machine, each pad having a different purpose.

So we started with the Red pad which is designed to remove sealers together with a little water, we then took the opportunity to clean up the grout by applying a dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and scrubbing it into the grout lines to get them clean. Next step was to remove the soiled cleaning solution and wash the floor down with water before moving onto the white burnishing pad which will grind off ingrained dirt and is the first step in polishing the floor. We then completed the floor polishing using the Yellow then Green polishing pads which smooth down the surface and produce a shiny finish.

Textured Marble floor in Chesham Before

Sealing Textured Marble Tiles

Once the floor was polished we applied Tile Doctor Shine Crystallising Powder to the marble tile using a rotary machine fitted with a white polishing pad. This last step gives a very deep high shine as well as a tough durable finish.

Textured Marble floor in Chesham After
When the customer returned she asked was it safe to walk on as the floor as at first glance it looked wet; we assured her this is the Tile Doctor high shine appearance and is perfectly ok.

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Ceramic Tile and Grout Before and After

Grout colour seal and Ceramic tile clean in Chalfont St Giles

We were asked to improve the appearance of this Ceramic tiled floor and Grout installed in a kitchen in Chalfont St Giles which over a few years had become difficult to keep clean and the grout lines had become stained and discoloured.

Ceramic Tile and Grout Before Ceramic Tile and Grout Before

Cleaning Tile and Grout

Our first task on day one was to clean the Ceramic tiles and Grout so we created a diluted 50/50 mixture of tile doctor Pro-Clean and Nanotech UltraClean, the two products combine to provide a very powerful tile friendly alkaline cleaner with tiny sized abrasive particles. This was left to soak into the tile and grout before being agitated and scrubbed with a scrubbing machine running on low speed. We also used stiff grout hand brushes along the grout lines. Once we were happy with the overall condition of the tile and grout it was washed down using clean water and the resultant soiled solution extracted from the floor using a wet vacuum. I’m pleased to say that using this method we were able to return the tile and grout back to its original colour.

Whilst this was a fantastic transformation the grout lines being porous would untreated soon become dirty and discoloured. The only answer to this problem is a permanent colour seal to the grout lines which not only aids the future floor cleaning, but improves the whole appearance of the floor.

Applying the Grout Colour

Before applying a Grout Colour it’s important to ensure the grout is clean of grease and dirt naturally we had just cleaned this floor so this was not a problem I only mention it in case you were considering taking on a similar task yourself.

Once the grout has dried you can start applying the colourant which is a relatively straightforward process of squeezing the product onto a toothbrush and running it onto the grout. Don’t be tempted to use an old toothbrush for this purpose as it may contaminate the colourant leading to discolouration in the finish.

We completed the project the next day using an Aqua Mix sand coloured Grout Colourant; the customer was extremely pleased and commented how whole clean and efficient the process was.

Ceramic Tile and Grout After Ceramic Tile and Grout After

 

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Limestone Floor with Slate Inlays After

Limestone Tiled floor cleaned and polished in Little Chalfont

This Limestone tiled floor with Slate Inlays was installed in a house in Little Chalfont, Buckinghamshire; the previous sealer had failed and was no longer offering any protection allowing dirt to become ingrained in the stone and become dull from soiling.

Limestone Floor with Slate Inlays Before

Cleaning and Polishing Limestone Tiles

To get the Limestone Tiled floor back to its original condition we used a set of diamond encrusted 17” Burnishing Pads fitted to a heavy rotary buffing machine. It’s important to give the floor a quick clean first to prevent grit from getting trapped in the pads and leading to deep scratches on the surface. You start off with the coarse red pad together with a little water which can remove sealers before moving onto the other pads.

At this point we gave the floor a deep clean using Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a heavy duty alkaline cleaning product that’s safe to use on Stone floors mixed 50/50 with NanoTech Ultra-Clean which adds tiny abrasive particles into the solution; this combination is especially effective on grout so we took the opportunity to get into the grout lines as well. The resulting soiled solution was removed using a wet vacuum and the floor washed down with clean water before continuing the burnishing process with the White cleaning pad followed by the Yellow Polishing pad which smooth’s the surface and finally the Green pad which gives that high shine finish.

Sealing Limestone Tiles

The floor was washed down to remove any particles left over from the polishing and left to dry before we set about sealing using three coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow. Colour Grow is recommended for a number of stone surfaces and does well to lift the natural colours in the stone as well as providing on-going surface protection.

Limestone Floor with Slate Inlays After
Before leaving we recommended that the customer use Tile Doctor Concentrated Tile & Stone Cleaner for cleaning going forward, like Pro-Clean it’s an alkaline cleaning product that will clean the stone without eating into the sealant. The house owner was very satisfied with the results and promised to recommend our services to family and friends.

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Travertine Floor Aylesbury After

Honed Travertine Tiled floor Re-Sealed in Aylesbury

Details below of a newly laid Travertine Honed & Filled floor in Aylesbury that needed stripping and re-sealing. The work was done at the request of a building company who had just completed a pair of semi-detached houses laid with Travertine tiles on the ground floor. Unfortunately the tiling contractor had failed to clean the tile surface properly before sealing and had trapped particles of dust and debris into the sealer, as a result the whole floor was as rough as sandpaper and needed to be stripped and re-sealed prior to their clients moving in the following week.

Travertine Floor Aylesbury Before

Cleaning Travertine Tile

To remove the existing sealer and to polish the stone we used the Tile Doctor diamond burnishing system. This involves burnishing the floor with diamond encrusted pads fitted to a heavy rotary machine, the system consists of a set of four seventeen inch coloured pads and you work your way through the pads from red (sealer removal) through to green (final polishing). This work returned the stone to its original condition ready for sealing.

Travertine Floor Aylesbury After

Sealing Travertine Tile

We sealed the floor with three coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which provides excellent stain protection whilst enhancing the natural colours in the stone. The building company was pleased that we had managed to resolve the problem before the owners moved in as it had avoided an embarrassing situation for them. Interestingly we have since completed three other jobs with this same type of problem.

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