Author name: Alastair Robb

Covering West Cheshire, Alastair Robb is your local specialist for tile cleaning, stone cleaning, grout cleaning and tile, stone and grout sealing covering the restoration of all types of stone and tiled flooring including Ceramic, Limestone, Marble, Porcelain, Quarry, Sandstone, Slate, Terracotta, Terrazzo, Travertine and Victorian tile.

Welsh Slate Floor Before and After Renovation Holywell

Welsh Slate Kitchen Floor Renovated in Holywell

We were contacted by a client from the Welsh market town of Holywell asking for assistance with the renovation of a Welsh Slate floor. The stone floor was in their Kitchen and adjacent dining area and had not been professionally cleaned and resealed for several years. To prevent dirt from becoming ingrained in the pores of natural stone its important to maintain the sealer which does wear off with use.

Slate Floor Before Cleaning in Holywell

I visited the property to survey the floor and identify any potential issues and could instantly see that the Slate tiles in the large kitchen and dining area had lost their appearance and were now looking very dull indeed. It was clear the sealer had worn away and the stone now needed some love and care to get it looking as it should. To prove to the point, I ran a small cleaning demonstration on part of the floor and straight away they could see an improvement. Happy with my quote to deep clean the Slate and Grout and then reseal the job was booked in.

Slate Floor Before Cleaning in Holywell

Deep Cleaning Welsh Slate Tile Floor Tiles

The first job was to mop the floor with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro Clean which is a strong cleaner, stripper, and degreaser. A strong dilution is best for treating heavy soiled areas and after application it was left to dwell for ten minutes before being scrubbed in with a black pad fitted to a rotary machine and water. This combination released the dirt and old sealer from the pores of the Slate. It normally works on grout lines too but in this case the grout was so dirty I had to use a wire brush to get it clean.

The manual scrubbing is of course a slower process than using a machine but was the only way to get the grout clean. The dirty residue was removed with a wet vacuum and the process was repeated until we were satisfied the Slate and grout was as clean as it could be. After a final extraction with the wet vacuum the floor was then left to dry out naturally overnight.

Sealing a Welsh Slate Kitchen Floor

Returning the next morning the floor was tested with a damp meter to make sure it was ready to seal. The readings were good, so a coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow was applied which is an impregnating and colour intensifying sealer. This was left to soak into the tiles for ten minutes before rubbing the excess off with a microfibre cloth. This brought out the different natural colours out in the slate and being an impregnator offers a great defence against ingrained dirt.

Once the sealer was dry it was followed by the application of Tile Doctor Seal and Go to give the floor a nice gloss finish which the client had requested. I found it took five coats of Seal and Go to fully seal the floor but as you can see from the final photographs on this page it made an incredible difference.

Slate Floor After Renovation in Holywell Slate Floor After Renovation in Holywell

On their return from work, they were over the moon with the finished result, the floor really had been transformed and fully revived. For aftercare cleaning I recommended they use Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner which will keep the floor clean without damaging the sealer.

Slate Floor After Renovation in Holywell

 

Professional Restoration of a Welsh Slate Tiled Floor in Flintshire

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Marble Tiled Hallway Floor Renovation Grade II Listed Building Tattenhall

Marble Entrance Hall Floor Polished in Tattenhall Listed Building

This Black and White Marble tiled hallway floor at a Grade II listed property in the village of Tattenhall has quite a history. The building was constructed in 1865 and at one time it has been the home to the high sheriff of Cheshire, and the family home of Edith Wignall the daughter of Sir Henry Tate the founder of the sugar company Tate and Lyle.

In more recent years the property had been used as a council building and even a nursing home for the elderly. After a long history of decline it has now been restored to a lavish family mansion however the marble floor had suffered over the years and still need attention. The current owner had been in touch as they wanted it restoring and basically brought back to life.

Marble Tiled Floor Before Renovation Grade II Listed Building Tattenhall

As it turns out I had already planned to go to Tattenhall the following week to work on another listed building which was formerly the village bank. After discussing the Marble floor over the phone, I agreed a date and time to pop over from the bank and inspect the floor in detail. I can provide a rough quote from photographs, which has been especially useful recently, but it’s far better for all concerned if I’m able to properly survey the floor first.

The Marble floor consisted of Black and White Mable tiles laid in a diamond pattern, it wasn’t a very large area perhaps 9 square metres in total. The tiles were well worn as described but also stained and scratched. I would see they would need a deep burnish and polish to bring them back to life and then protected with a fresh sealer. Following on from that visit I was able to provide an accurate quote which was accepted, and a date agreed for my return.

Marble Tiled Floor Before Renovation Grade II Listed Building Tattenhall

Removing Scratches and Stains from a Marble Tiled Entrance Hall Floor

The first job was to protect the surrounding heavy wooden panelling with masking film. The floor was very heavily stained yellow with deep scratches, to remove these I would have to grind the marble back until a clean fresh tile was left. To start I used a 200-grit coarse pad fitted to a weighted buffing machine, the abrasive action of the pad was lubricated with water. After inspection I found that the staining and scratches were still there, so I needed to use stronger pads, so I worked my way through a set of very coarse milling pads starting at a 50, 100 and finishing with a 200-grit pad. Again, water was used to lubricate, and the resultant slurry was removed by a powerful wet vacuum and washed down between each pad.
The milling pads had the desired effect, and I was then able to bring back the polished appearance of the Marble surface using a set of finer burnishing pads with the same process. The 400 and 800-grit pads helped to clean and remove the fine scratches left by the milling pads and then the next 1500-grit pad started to build the shine back on the marble tile.

After finishing with 1500-grit pad I washed the Marble with Tile Doctor Stone Soap and vacuumed up the residue with the wet vacuum. I left an industrial blower in place overnight to dry out the floor ready for the next morning when it would be sealed.

Sealing a Marble Tiled Entrance Hall Floor

The next morning, I used the last of the four burnishing pads which is a very fine 3000-grit to polish the floor further. This last pad is applied dry with just a spray of water to create a high gloss finish.

When I was happy, I sealed the floor with two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer that soaks into the fine pores of the Marble to protect it from within. This product also improves colour and after application it was left to soak into the tile for five minutes before polishing off and then leaving it to dry.

Marble Tiled Floor After Renovation Grade II Listed Building Tattenhall

The last step was to I buff the floor with a white pad. The finish was impressive, and the family were very happy with the work we had carried out. For aftercare I recommended they use Stone Soap as its designed for the regular cleaning of sealed and polished stone, as well as cleaning it also helps build the patina.

 

Professional Restoration of a Mable Tiled Hallway in West Cheshire

Marble Entrance Hall Floor Polished in Tattenhall Listed Building Read More »

Quarry Tiled Floor Renovated Northwich Cheshire

Original Quarry Tiled Floor Renovation at Lock Keepers Cottage in Northwich

The client from Northwich got in touch regarding their Quarry tiled floor which ran throughout the ground floor and was in a bit of a sorry mess after renovations. Clearly in need of some attention it required a deep clean and new sealer to restore the colour and its general appearance.

Quarry Tiled Floor Before Renovation Northwich Quarry Tiled Floor Before Renovation Northwich

I went over to do a site visit and discovered that although the location was rather idyllic it was going to present a challenge due to its location; this former lock-keepers cottage on the River Weaver had no vehicle access to it. The nearest road was a quarter of a mile away across two narrow footbridges and then a towpath. In the end I worked out the best way to get our equipment to the cottage would be in two wheelbarrows!

None the less, were always up for a challenge so after survey the floor I worked out a price for the work which would take two days. Happy with my quote we agreed a date for the work to commence and I organised the wheelbarrows.

Cleaning a Quarry Tiled Ground Floor

We loaded up the wheelbarrows on the first day and set off across the footbridges to the cottage. We must have looked a little odd doing this as we got a few funny looks on the way. I guess with Tile Doctor you never know what the next job will be, but the effort was appreciated by the owner who had a nice coffee waiting when we arrived at the front door.

Quarry Tiled Floor Lock Keepers Cottage Northwich Quarry Tiled Floor Lock Keepers Cottage Northwich

We gave the floors a good brush removing the builders rubbish and plaster and then working in sections sprayed the Quarry tiles with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go. This product is a multipurpose alkaline stripper/cleaner specifically designed for use on tile and stone. It was left to dwell and soak into the dirt for twenty minutes before being mechanically scrubbed into the the tiles using a buffing machine fitted with a black stripping pad running at slow speed. This removed the dirt, plaster dust and traces of old red tile paint from the tiles. The slurry generated was then removed using an industrial wet vacuum.

After the initial clean the floor was inspected and any stubborn areas were retreated using a repeat of the cleaning process, hand scrubbing where needed. Finally, the floor was given an acid wash with a dilution of Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up to help further clean-up the tiles and neutralise any salts in tile which can be a problem on old floors like this that do not have a damp proof membrane. The floor was then left to dry over night before returning the next morning.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled Ground Floor

The next day we returned and started by testing the floors with a damp meter to make sure the floor was dry and ready to seal; if the floor is damp the sealer will not cure properly and can result and in a patchy appearance.

The sealer which we selected to use on this floor was Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra which is a breathable low sheen sealer which will allow any moisture in the sub floor to rise unimpeded up through the tile and not become trapped underneath where it can spread to the walls and lead to rising damp.

After a few coats, the floor looked transformed, and our client was over the moon with their restored original floor which was a great period feature. Cleaning up took a short while as we had to transport all our equipment back in the wheelbarrows, but we took a moment to admire the lovely view on the way out.

 

Professional Restoration of a Quarry Tiled Ground Floor in West Cheshire

Original Quarry Tiled Floor Renovation at Lock Keepers Cottage in Northwich Read More »

Listed Victorian Tiled Floor Before and After Restoration Great Budworth

Listed Victorian Floor Restoration at Aston Park House Great Budworth

Earlier this year were contacted by the The Vintage Floor company who have supplied me with reclaimed tiles in the past to see if we could help one of their customers restore a Victorian floor at Aston Park House in Great Budworth. A section of flooring in the mansion house had been ripped out by a property developer along with most of the other features in the building. According to Cheshire Live news the developer was taken to court and fined for the “reckless vandalism” of a rare Grade II listed building.

Aston Park House Great Budworth Northwich Cheshire

The property dates to 1715 and at one time was part of the nearby Arley Hall Estate which has been used for many film locations including Peaky Blinders and War of the Worlds. English Heritage were now keeping a close eye on the renovation work, so needless to say the standard had to be high.

On the first day of work a person from English Heritage met me with old plans of the floor and how it was to be restored. Fortunately, half the floor was still there so that section just needed a good clean and seal, but there was a twelve-foot section of the floor missing which needed to be replaced to English Heritage standards.

Victorian Floor Before Installaton and Restorattion Aston Park House Great Budworth Northwich Victorian Floor Before Installaton and Restorattion Aston Park House Great Budworth Northwich

Rebuilding a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

English Heritage had arranged to have a new sub-base installed so I was able to get straight onto tiling the floor. I used a modern flexible adhesive to lay the tiles which alone took two weeks as there were 2,450 tiles of different sizes. Keeping the tiles butted up to each other level and smooth and following the correct pattern is meticulous work. Once the new tiles were laid it was left for three days to set before I returned to grout the floor. With part one of the project done English Heritage returned to check my work which was a nerve-racking experience.

Victorian Floor During Installaton and Restorattion Aston Park House Great Budworth Northwich Victorian Floor During Installaton and Restorattion Aston Park House Great Budworth Northwich

English Heritage has specified that the floor needed to be levelled so to ensure the tiles were completely flat I applied a system that Tile Doctor use called Milling. This involves the application of a coarse 200-grit DRB pad to take out any lippage and flatten the tiles. DRB stands for Diamond Resin Block which refers to the segments in the pad that do the heavy lifting of milling the tiles. The pads are applied using a rotary machine which is fitted with extra weights to make better contact with the tile and is run at a slow speed. Water is used as a lubricant and the fine slurry generated is removed with a wet vacuum.

Deep Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

Next step was to get both floors clean using a 200-grit pad (without segments) followed with a set of burnishing pads from 400, 800 and finally 1500-grit to restore the surface. Again, each pad is applied with water for lubrication and is rinsed and extracted after each pad. This process really gets the floor clean and reduces any noticeable difference between the new and old floors.

After completing the burnishing, the floor was treated to an acid wash using Tile Doctor Acid Gel. This is applied to the floor and left to soak for ten minutes before being rinsed off with water and extracted with a wet vacuum. Old floors don’t have a damp proof membrane so this neutralises any efflorescent salts in the tile which could cause a problem later, it also ensures grout smears are removed. The floor was then left to dry out for seven days.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

On return we tested the floor to check it was dry enough to seal, this is important as any moisture in the tile can affect the sealer leading to an inconsistent finish. One coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow was applied to start, this is a colour intensifying breathable impregnator that soaks into the tile improving its appearance and adding protection from within. Any excess sealant was removed by wiping the floor with a microfibre cloth and then it was left to dry for an hour.

We then applied four coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra which is an acrylic sealer and breathable. This is an important feature when choosing a sealer for old floors where moisture needs to be allowed to rise through the tile, otherwise it can become trapped under the floor and reach out to the walls causing rising damp.

Victorian Floor After Installaton Aston Park House Great Budworth Northwich

We returned two days later for a final inspection with English Heritage which thankfully we got the nod that the floor had passed!

Victorian Floor After Installaton Aston Park House Great Budworth Northwich

 

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in West Cheshire

Listed Victorian Floor Restoration at Aston Park House Great Budworth Read More »

COVID-19 Symptoms

Working Through COVID-19

Due to the impact of the Covid-19 Coronavirus it’s become necessary to change our working practices in-line with government guidelines and to take action to minimise health risks to you and our team.  At present, none of our team are showing any symptoms of the virus so we are continuing home visits for quotes and to complete scheduled works should it be safe to do so.

All Tile Doctors are aware to look out for the known symptoms of High Temperature and New Continuous Cough. We are aware of the need to self-isolate should it be necessary and should this be the case we will contact you to postpone. We also ask you monitor your own health and contact us should it be necessary for you to postpone for the same reason. Should you be in a high-risk group we recommend contacting us to re-arrange a visit to later in the year.

Naturally the situation could change very quickly and therefore we will no longer ask for any official notice should you wish to postpone or cancel a booking, however we would appreciate a phone call.

Our Tile Doctors are aware of the guidelines and will carry out a risk assessment at every premises they visit. They also understand the importance of observing the following whilst on site:

  • Avoiding Physical Contact
  • The importance of Social Distancing
  • Wearing single use Gloves and Overshoes
  • Regular hand washing and use of liquid sanitiser
  • Cleaning Equipment with Detergent after use

We are monitoring Government guidance and will ensure we continually adjust our working practices as required and endeavour to keep you informed. These are challenging times that are impossible to predict, the key is to stay safe and accepting of late changes should they occur.

Regards

Alastair Robb
West Cheshire Tile Doctor
#TileDoctorUK #weareinthistogether #pulltogether #staystrong

For more information about Covid-19 virus we recommend the following sources:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-list-of-guidance
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-track-coronavirus-cases

Working Through COVID-19 Read More »

Vinyl Shop Floor Before and After Renovation in Stockton Heath

Commercial Vinyl Shop Floor Stripped and Polished in Stockton Heath

We were contacted by an optician in Stockton Heath who had decided it was time their wood effect Vinyl showroom floor was renovated. Stockton Heath is only a couple of miles away from our base in Warrington and has become very popular due to its trendy cafés and restaurants.

Opticians Vinyl Floor Before Cleaning Stockton Heath

I visited site to survey the wood effect Vinyl floor which was looking grubby in the high traffic areas and it was clear that the polish protecting the Vinyl from dirt had worn down and dirt was now accumulating. The Vinyl flooring ran throughout the premises including the shop floor and all the side rooms totalling 90m2.

Opticians Vinyl Floor Before Cleaning Stockton Heath Opticians Vinyl Floor Before Cleaning Stockton Heath

I was confident the floor could be significantly improved and gave them a quote for stripping the old polish off the floor and applying new, I was aware that the work would need to be carried out when the shop was shut. They were happy with my price and a date was booked for a Sunday when the shop would be closed giving plenty of time to complete the work before reopening on Monday morning. In these situations, we try to be as flexible as possible.

Cleaning an Opticians Vinyl Tiled Floor

On arrival the first job was to clear the rooms of its many fittings and chairs. As the area was so large, we were able to do this and then tackle the floor in stages. Once this was done, we got started by applying Tile Doctor Vinyl Strip and left it to soak in for twenty minutes. This product softens the old polish that had built up on the floor allowing it to be removed. All the polish would have to be removed in order to get back to the surface of the Vinyl and a fresh polish applied.

To help remove the old polish the Vinyl Strip was scrubbed into the floor using a buffing machine fitted with a red buffing pad which is softer than a black stripping pad. The floor was sprayed with water which acts as a lubricant for the red pad and it made short work of removing the old polish. The resultant slurry was removed with a wet vacuum, keeping the mess to a minimum. We then placed two big air blowers around the building to speed up the drying process.

Applying Polish to a Wood Effect Vinyl Tiled Shop Floor

Once the vinyl floor was dry, we applied another Tile Doctor product developed by Tile Doctor called Vinyl Shine which is designed to seal and add polish to Vinyl floors. It uses a high solids polymer formula that suitable for commercial floors where you get high foot traffic. It leaves a subtle wet look gloss finish, yet it actually increases slip resistance. Once the polish had dried, we returned all the furniture back in place so they would be ready to open the following morning.

Opticians Vinyl Floor After Cleaning Stockton Heath Opticians Vinyl Floor After Cleaning Stockton Heath

The client was impressed with his new looking floor and he asked if he could sign up for a maintenance contract every three months which will ensure the floor is regularly maintained and ensure the shop floor is always well presented.

Maintaining Polished Vinyl Flooring

One of the problems we find often occurs with shop floors like this is with the cleaner using the wrong product to clean the floor, often they use something bought in bulk from a local wholesaler. It’s worth checking what they are using as many products are too strong for polished floors and will result in the polish breaking down prematurely.

For this customer we recommended Tile Doctor Neutral cleaner, it has a pH neutral formula that will clean the floor effectively without damaging the polish. They can leave this for their cleaner and it will ensure the floor is kept in the best condition between our maintenance visits and it smells nice and fresh too!

 

Professional Restoration of an Opticians Vinyl Tiled Floor in West Cheshire

Commercial Vinyl Shop Floor Stripped and Polished in Stockton Heath Read More »

Old Brick Floor Renovation in Church Preen

Old Brick Floor Renovated in Church Minshull Wash House

We were contacted by an existing client who lives in the lovely Cheshire village of Church Minshull regarding a Brick tiled floor. We had already worked on restoring floors at their property before and on this occasion, they wanted us to improve the appearance of the bricks that comprised the floor in their old wash house.

Brick Tiled Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning Church Minshull

Like the village in which it’s situated the property was pretty old, and they were not sure when the floor had been laid. You can see from the photographs however it was stained, dull and now well overdue a facelift. Having used our services previously, they knew how we worked and were happy with the quote which would take two days to complete. Although it wasn’t a particularly large floor it was an awkward shape, tight to work in and would result a lot of manual work.

The village of Church Minshull is approximately 5 miles north west of Crewe, just West of the River Weaver and Shropshire Union Canal. The modern village centre is a designated conservation area which contains many houses of Tudor style architecture so it really is a lovely place to visit and to work in.

Cleaning a Brick Tiled Kitchen Floor

The first task was to give the floor a good sweep to remove any debris. After this I applied a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a high alkaline cleaner/coatings striper and left it to soak in. This product gets to work on ingrained dirt and grime as well as removing any existing sealers.

The solution was left to dwell on the brick floor for about twenty minutes before being scrubbed in with a Black pad fitted to a slow speed rotary machine and by hand. This process lifted the dirt out of the brick nicely and the resultant slurry was then removed with assistance of a wet vacuum.

After rinsing the remaining residue off the floor, it was given a thorough inspection. I noticed there were a few stubborn areas so the process was repeated until I was satisfied the floor could be as clean as it possible could be. After a final rinse with water the floor was dried as much as possible with the wet vacuum and left to dry off fully overnight.

Sealing a Brick Tiled Kitchen Floor

The next morning, I was on site early and the first job was to test the floor with a damp meter to make sure it was dry enough to start sealing. The results were good, so I set about sealing the brick floor starting with a single coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer that enhances colour. Once this had dried, I applied four further coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra which adds a subtle sheen that enhances the appearance of the old bricks even further.

Old floors like this don’t have a damp-proof membrane under the floor so it’s important to use breathable sealers that allow the moisture to rise through the brick and evaporate. Using a non-breathable sealer could lead to damp building up below the floor where it can spread to the walls and cause rising damp.

Brick Tiled Kitchen Floor After Cleaning Church Minshull

The floor looked much healthier after I had finished, and the new sealer will make it so much easier to keep clean going forward. For aftercare I recommended they use Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner to maintain the floor. It’s a pH neutral product which won’t prematurely erode the sealer like some of the stronger tile cleaning products you find in supermarkets which are only for use on Ceramic tiles and Vinyl flooring. It comes in a concentrate, so you only need to dilute a small amount in a bucket of warm water.

 

Professional Restoration of a Brick Tiled Floor in Cheshire

Old Brick Floor Renovated in Church Minshull Wash House Read More »

Victorian Tiled Porch Before After Cleaning Liverpool

Victorian Tiled Porch Deep Cleaned at Cressington Parks Liverpool

Cressington Parks is a 19th Century gated private estate built for wealthy merchants who needed easy access to the city of Liverpool. Cressington has been designated a conservation area with many examples of period street furniture including gas lamps, gates and railings along with all the period buildings. In fact, the streets have been used for many television and film sets.

As you can see from the picture below this small but impressively intricate Victorian Tiled floor was in need of some love and care after being covered in carpet for many years and we were asked to do the renovation. We have restored several period floors in the conversation area where we find the properties are popular with younger family’s buying the homes for restoration.

Victorian Tiled Porch Floor Before Cleaning Cressington

Cleaning/Repairing a Victorian Tiled Porch Floor

This particular floor was at the servants’ entrance to the main house and required deep cleaning and a few repairs to be carried out. Given the small size of the floor we were aiming to complete the job within a day by using low moisture cleaning techniques.

The first task was to remove as much of the old coatings which included carpet glue, paint and varnish using very sharp scrapers. Once this was done, we covered the floor with Tile Doctor Acid Gel. Being in gel form it’s very easy to control and means it will stay in in place where a liquid treatment would just run away. After leaving the gel to dwell for ten minutes, we used a slow speed buffing machine fitted with extra weight and a black scrubbing pad to work the product into the tiles. This now soiled gel was then rinsed off with a little water and extracted using a wet vacuum. When we use this cleaning method the acid gel cleans the floor and helps counter alkaline salts inherent in the floor.

Whilst the floor was drying, we turned our attention to the damaged tiles which we replaced with matching tiles that we had sourced earlier. It takes some time to do this as you need to scrape out the surrounding grout, lever out the broken tile and then scrape out the adhesive. The new tile is then set in place with rapid set adhesive and matching grout.

Once that had set the rest of the floor was encouraged to dry out faster with the use of heat guns for about twenty minutes before letting the floor cool down. At this stage the floor was looking much improved!

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Porch Floor

After a further twenty minutes we did a damp test using a damp meter to make sure the floor was ready for sealing. The minimal use of liquids and added heat had worked well and we were able to move on and seal the tiles starting with a single coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating fully breathable sealer that brings out the colour in the tile.

The first coat was left to dry for forty minutes before following with three coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra. This is also a breathable sealer and is ideal for situations where no damp proof membrane. The Sealer left the floor with a lovely sheen and the colourful tiles really shone through. The floor was back to its’ former glory.

Victorian Tiled Porch Floor After Cleaning Cressington

Our customer was over the moon and has asked us if we could return to restore the outside pathways, what better feedback can you get.

 

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Porch in Liverpool

Victorian Tiled Porch Deep Cleaned at Cressington Parks Liverpool Read More »

Grade II Listed Mosaic Flooring Before After Cleaning Sealing Warrington Cheshire

Restoring Mosaic Floors in the Warrington Treasury Building

Around five years ago Tile Doctor was asked to quote for restoring the Mosaic tiled floors in the former Warrington Technical College which is a Grade II listed building that was built in 1901. Tile Doctor are the biggest restorative tile network in the UK and we often get asked to quote for restoring old floors like these. Although we quoted for the work, nothing happened, and it now appears the local borough council had put the work on hold until they could come up with a fully costed plan to fully restore it.

It took some time, but I’m pleased to report that a plan did evolve and a joint venture between the council and a developer has now restored the building to its former glory and is now home to several restaurants and bars spread across its three floors.

The Treasury Building Palymra Square The Treasury Building Palymra Square

The restoration plan included preserving the main stair enclosure along with the original features which includes oak panelling and thankfully the beautiful Mosaic floor tiles. Having previously quoted for the latter and with the main building works complete we were asked to return and restore the floors ASAP at what has since been renamed as “The Treasury Building of Palymra Square”.

On the first day I was given a large vase full of mosaic tile pieces which the developers had collected during the building works and figured would come in handy later.

Mosaic Tile Collection

Day 1 – Preparing and Cleaning the Mosaic Flooring

Starting at the top of the building my first job was to remove the builders rubbish and sweep both floors. I then washed both Mosaic floors with Tile Doctor Pro-Clean using a strong 1:3 dilution with water. After leaving the cleaning solution to soak in for a few minutes it was scrubbed in using a black scrubbing pad fitted to a weighted buffing machine.

Cleaning Mosaic Flooring Warrington Treasury Building Cleaning Mosaic Flooring Warrington Treasury Building

This process brought out the dirt and dust that had been ingrained in the tiles turning the cleaning solution into a grey slurry which was then removed with a wet vacuum. It was a large floor and I had to repeat the cleaning process a couple of times to remove the layers of dirt, but the result was worth it and by the end of the first day the colours and design of the floor was really standing out.

Cleaning Mosaic Flooring Warrington Treasury Building Cleaning Mosaic Flooring Warrington Treasury Building

Day 2 – Replacing Missing Mosaic Tiles on the Top Floor

On day two I started work to repair the floor where the mosaic pieces were missing using the collection of mosaic tiles the builders had kindly left me at the start of the restoration. It was quite a jigsaw that involved looking through the hundreds of pieces that had been collected, finding a suitable piece and if necessary shaping it with a grinder so it could fit in the pattern. I used a flexible tile adhesive and then left them to set overnight.

Repairing Mosaic Flooring Warrington Treasury Building Repairing Mosaic Flooring Warrington Treasury Building

Replacing the missing mosaics on the first floor was a slow process which ended up taking up much of the second day.

Day 3 – Replacing Missing Mosaic Tiles on the Top Floor

My plan on day 3 was to continue the restoration work on the top floor and ensure the repaired areas were level with the rest of the floor. I attempted to use a 50-grit milling pad fitted to weighted floor buffing machine for this but found the segments on the pad would catch the edge of the replaced pieces and knock them out of place. Clearly this was not going to work so I changed tack and smoothed them down using a set of graded hand-held Diamond burnishing blocks. Again, there was lot to do so this work took up much of the day; some might say I could have worked around this but I’m a bit of a perfectionist and I like to ensure a job is done right.

Day 4 – Burnishing Mosaic Tiles on the Top Floor

The next step was to use a set of Tile Doctor Burnishing Pads to clean and restore the finish of the mosaics. The pads which are encrusted with industrial diamonds are applied with a rotary floor buffer in sequence from coarse to extra fine. The first pad is a coarse 400-grit and is applied with only water for lubrication, it removes minor scratches, sealers, and the top surface dirt.

Cleaning Mosaic Flooring Warrington Treasury Building Cleaning Mosaic Flooring Warrington Treasury Building

Working in sections, I applied the pad across the floor, rinsing with water in between and picking up the soiled solution with the wet vacuum. I then repeated this same procedure with the medium 800-grit pad which is the first stage polishing pad again rinsing with water after use. The next two pads are a fine 1500-grit and extra fine 3000-grit which really build up a high-quality polish on the stone. This last pad is applied at the very end of the process when the floor is dry and is run over the floor using a small amount of water which is sprayed onto the floor.

Day 5 – Restoring Mosaic Flooring on the Ground Floor

The next day we started on the ground floor which consisted of a large main lobby and hallway running off it. The mosaic pattern in the lobby featured an impressive oval zodiac design with two restaurants looking on to it behind wood and glass panelling. It must have taken a long time to lay back in 1901 and we were quite often stopped by people that worked there saying how nice it was seeing the wonderful floor being restored to its former glory.

Cleaning Mosaic Flooring Warrington Treasury Building Repairing Mosaic Flooring Warrington Treasury Building

The ground floor Mosaics had the same issues as the first floor however the experience gained restoring the first floor meant I was able to crack on quite quickly and completed the repairs in a single day.

Day 6 – Burnishing Mosaic Tiles on the Ground Floor

On the sixth day I proceeded to burnish the Mosaic flooring on the ground floor and hall using the same system as before

Burnishing Mosaic Flooring Warrington Treasury Building Cleaning Mosaic Flooring Warrington Treasury Building

With two large areas to cover I found the burnishing of the ground floor and hall using the 400, 800 and 1500-grit pads as before took up the whole day. After finishing the floor was given a final rinse to remove the slurry and then left to dry out overnight.

Day 7 – Sealing Mosaic Flooring

I returned early the next day to complete the polishing process using the 3000-grit burnishing pad which further builds the polished appearance of the floor. Once this was done the floor was sealed using two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer that adds stain protection to the floor and enhances colour. With two floors to do I was able to work on one floor as the sealer on the other dried.

Sealing Mosaic Flooring Warrington Treasury Building Sealing Mosaic Flooring Warrington Treasury Building

The owners were very pleased with the work we did and have asked us if we can come back every two months to maintain the floor and keep it in tip top condition. Having a maintenance plan in place for busy tiled areas like these are a good idea if you want to keep your floor looking its best.

Polishing Mosaic Flooring Warrington Treasury Building Polishing Mosaic Flooring Warrington Treasury Building

 

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Travertine Tabletop Before and After Polishing Heswall

Polishing a Travertine Table Top in Heswall

One of my customers for who I recently polished their Marble floor was over the moon with the results and wondered and if I could achieve the same effect with a Travertine table which had many scratches to the top. The table was at his house in Heswall which is located on the Wirral, on the Eastern side of the Dee Estuary with lovely views across the river towards North Wales.

Travertine Tabletop Before Polishing Heswall Wirral

The table was a lovely piece of stone furniture, but I could see it was badly marked, scratched and had lost much of its surface sheen. Whilst this was a slightly unusual request, the polishing process works equally well on any type of stone so apart from the physical issue of working on a raised surface, I couldn’t see a problem with working on the table and anticipated that it would come up quite well. We agreed a cost and I arranged a time to come back and complete the job.

Travertine Tabletop Before Polishing Heswall Wirral

Cleaning and Polishing a Travertine Table

When polishing floor tiles, I would normally use large Tile Doctor 17-inch diamond encrusted burnishing pads fitted to a rotary floor buffer, naturally that simply wouldn’t work on a table however, I do have a small hand-held buffing machine that’s perfect for getting into small spaces and polishing stone wall tiles which would be perfect for this situation.

To restore the polished finish on the table I was able to use the hand buffer together with a set of four 6-inch diamond encrusted burnishing pads of different grits from coarse to very fine. The process involves working through the pads in sequence. I started the polishing with the coarse 400-grit pad and a little water, this coarse pad removes the scratches and ingrained dirt. The table was rinsed down and then the 800-grit medium pad was applied which is the first step in the polishing process. Again, this pad is applied with water to lubricate and the table was rinsed down afterwards. The process was repeated with the 1500-grit fine pad and then the 3000-grit very fine pad to bring up a really nice shine to the Travertine table, I should mention the last pad is applied dry with only a tiny amount of water sprayed onto the surface.

Sealing a Travertine Table

The last step was to seal the stone to protect it going forward for which I used two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow. The sealer is rubbed into the top then the excess polished off after ten minutes. Once the sealer was dry the table surface was then buffed with a white pad to bring up the finish even further.

Travertine Tabletop After Polishing Heswall Wirral

The client was really pleased with the result, the table looked like new; he was so glad he had asked me to look at it following the work on his floors. Before leaving I talked to him about the best way to look after his table in the future and recommended for regular cleaning that he use Tile Doctor Stone Patina Spray which has been especially formulated for the regular cleaning of stone worktops.

Travertine Tabletop After Polishing Heswall Wirral

 

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