Pro-Clean Archives - West Cheshire Tile Doctor

Scratched Marble Floor Polishing Alvanley Helsby

Marble Hallway Floor Polished to a Deep Shine in Alvanley

We received an enquiry from the rural village of Alvanley near Helsby asking if we could remove scratches and etching from a Marble tiled hallway floor. Natural materials like Marble are very hard wearing but can become scratched especially in busy areas like hallways. The good news however is those scratches can be removed and Tile Doctor have developed numerous products and solutions to help with that.

Happy to assist I reassured the owner of the property that the issue could be resolved and organised a date to pop round to survey the floor and conduct a test to work out the best way forward.

The property was quite large and had a very impressive hallway, the Marble tiles still reflected the light and apart from some light scratches were generally in very good condition.

Scratched Marble Floor Before Polishing Alvanley Helsby

After discussing the floor, I ran a demonstration to burnish a small part of the floor using a set of six-inch Tile Doctor Burnishing Pads. These pads run from coarse to extra fine and work wonders on polished stone removing scratched and making a visible difference to the polished appearance of the Marble.

Happy with the test I was asked to quote for cleaning and burnishing the whole floor to a deep shine and then sealing. I email over a quote later that day which was accepted and a date set for my return.

Removing Scratches and Polishing a Marble Tiled Hallway Floor

Our first job was to wash the floor and grout lines with Tile Doctor Pro-Clean; I find scrubbing the grout by hand with a stiff brush to work in the cleaning solution is the most effective way. Once done the floor was rinsed with water and the soiling extracted with a wet vacuum.

The next step was to start burnishing the Marble using a 17-inch set of four diamond encrusted pads of increasing grits. These pads are run over the floor using a weighted buffing machine to increase traction and contact with the stone. The first two pads as 400 and 800-grit and are used with a little water to remove the scratches, etching and generally clean the stone. After each pad the dirty residue was removed with the wet vacuum and the floor rinsed with water. The process was then repeated using a finer 1500 grit pad which started to put the shine back onto the Marble tiles and after being run over each tile several times the floor was rinsed and extracted again.

Sealing a Marble Tiled Entrance Hall Floor

The floor was left to dry out overnight and work resumed the next morning to polish the floor using the last of the four burnishing pads which is a very fine 3500-grit. This last pad is applied dry with just a spray of water to create a high gloss finish.

Next step was to seal the Marble to protect it from ingrained dirt and staining. This was done using Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal which is a clear impregnator that works by soaking into the stone occupying the pores and ensuring dirt remains on the surface.

To give the floor the deeper shine the owner wanted a final product called Tile Doctor Shine Powder was applied. A tablespoon of shine powder is dissolved into a little water to make a paste and this is then worked into the Marble using a white buffing pad.

Scratched Marble Floor After Polishing Alvanley Helsby

After another rinse and extraction with the wet vacuum the last step was to further buff the floor with a white pad to bring up the deep shine. The finish was very impressive and the owner was very pleased with the improvement int the floor. 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 Hallway Floor Polished to a Deep Shine in Alvanley Read More »

Green Limestone Floor Renovation Grappenhall

Green Limestone Kitchen Floor Cleaned and Sealed in Grappenhall

1 Comment / Appleton Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing, Warrington Tile Cleaning / Alastair Robb

Recently I visited a farmhouse in Grappenhall to look at a kitchen floor that was laid with beautiful Green Limestone tiles. Grappenhall is a lovely Cheshire village which is better known as a period TV and film location.

Green Limestone Floor Before Cleaning Grappenhall

The owner of the property had sent in a request to have the floor cleaned and sealed. This is quite normal for natural stone floors as the protective sealer will wear off with use and once this happens dirt become ingrained in the stone and grout making it difficult to clean.

Whilst at the property I ran a quick test clean with Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is our go to Tile and Grout cleaner. The Limestone and Grout responded well to the cleaning and later that day I sent over a detailed quote for deep cleaning the whole floor and then sealing.

Green Limestone Floor Before Cleaning Grappenhall

Pleased with the test clean and happy with the quote we were given the go-ahead to clean and seal the whole floor.

Cleaning a Limestone Tiled Kitchen in Grappenhall

On the agreed date work started with clearing the room of furniture and adding protective film to the Kitchen units. Fortunately, the weather was favourable so the furniture was moved outside.

A strong dilution of Pro-Clean was sprayed onto Limestone tile and Grout and then left to soak in for ten minutes. This gives the Pro-Clean time to digest the dirt and breakdown what was left of the original sealer. All the grout lines and edges were then hand scrubbed before moving onto the main floor area. For this a buffing machine fitted with a Black scrubbing pad was run over the tiles with more water applied as required to improve lubrication. This process effectively lifted the ingrained stains and dirt from the tile and grout which was then removed using a wet vacuum.

Once done the floor was inspected and the process repeated were required to ensure the floor was as clean as possible. Finally, the floor was rinsed with more water to remove any traces of cleaning solution and then dried with the wet vacuum.

Sealing a Limestone Tiled Kitchen

The floor was left to dry overnight and the following morning several moisture readings were taken with a damp meter to verify the floor had dried sufficiently for sealing. Once the readings were correct, the floor was sealed using two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow, an impregnating colour-enhancing sealer. Floor fans were used to help dry the floor between coats.

Impregnators work by soaking into the pores of the Limestone preventing dirt from residing there and ensuring dirt remains on the surface where it can be easily cleaned away. The colour enhancing formula of the sealer always did a nice job of bringing out the natural green colour in the stone. The floor was then buffed with a white pad to remove any excess sealer and buff up the appearance of the stone.

Green Limestone Floor After Cleaning Sealing Grappenhall

The cleaning and sealing process successfully restored the appearance of the Limestone floor and the Grout looked much whiter and cleaner. We do take pride in our work and I’m please to say the customer was very happy with the result.

Green Limestone Floor After Cleaning Sealing Grappenhall

Before leaving I took time to provide some advice on how to maintain the tiles going forward and the importance of using Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner for day-to-day cleaning.

Professional Restoration of a Limestone Tiled Kitchen in Cheshire

Green Limestone Kitchen Floor Cleaned and Sealed in Grappenhall Read More »

Green Limestone Kitchen Floor Renovation Pickmere

Stained Green Limestone Kitchen Floor Renovated in Pickmere

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing, Wincham Tile Cleaning / Alastair Robb

We were contacted by a resident of the west Cheshire village of Pickmere about their 90m2 Green Limestone tiled kitchen floor which has been stained by washing up liquid. Although washing up liquid appears to be a harmless the product clearly contains some ingredients that upset the sealer and polish.

Stained Green Limestone before Cleaning Pickmere

Unfortunately patching up the floor up wasn’t really an option as the result would be equally patchy. The only option was to re-polish the tiles with a set of Tile Doctor burnishing pads and apply a fresh sealer. I worked out a quote which was agreed and a date set.

Burnishing and Cleaning a Limestone Tiled Floor

Before working on the Limestone, I set about cleaning the grout lines with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a strong Tile and Grout cleaner. The pads can struggle to reach into the grout lines so I find the best way to clean grout is by hand with stiff brush and extract the soiling with a wet vacuum.

Next step was to start cleaning the stone using the first of the burnishing pads. This first pad is a coarse 400-grit which cuts through and removes old sealers, scratches and dirt from the stone. The pad is attached to a weighted buffer machine and run over each tile using only water for lubrication. The water turns into a dark liquid which was rinsed with more water and removed using the wet vacuum.

This process was repeated with 800-grit pad and the floor was then inspected. Unfortunately, it showed several areas where the staining remained so I spot treated them using Tile Doctor Reduxa. This is a liquid that is sprayed on the stain and then warmed up with a heat gun which literally steams the stain out of the stone. This process has to be repeated several times for the stain to disappear

With the staining gone I finished off burnishing the Limestone with the remaining two pads which are a fine 1500-grit and then the extra fine 3500-grit which is applied using only a little water sprayed onto the stone. This last pad builds up a high-quality polish on the stone and really bring up the finish.

Sealing a Limestone Tiled Floor

The floor was left to dry off fully overnight and I returned the next day to seal the Limestone first checking with a damp meter that the stone was dry. To get the finish the customer wanted a coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow was applied with is an impregnating colour enhancing sealer. Impregnating sealers works under the surface by occupying the pores in the stone thus preventing dirt from becoming ingrained there. Any excess sealer was wiped off the tile before treating the stone to a gentle buff with a White pad to bring up the shine even further.

Green Limestone After Cleaning Stain Removal Pickmere

Once complete the staining was gone and the floor looked amazing much to the relief of the owner. For aftercare I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Stone Soap which is a pH neutral cleaner for the maintenance of polished floor that contains a patina enhancer.

Green Limestone After Cleaning Stain Removal Pickmere

Professional Renovation of a Stained Green Limestone Floor in Cheshire

Stained Green Limestone Kitchen Floor Renovated in Pickmere Read More »

Neglected 200-Year-Old Quarry Tiled Floor Renovation in Tiverton

1 Comment / Beeston Tile Cleaning, Bunbury Tile Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning / Alastair Robb

Here we have a Quarry tiled floor at a property in Tiverton which Is a small village in the West Cheshire countryside with many chocolate box cottages and listed buildings. The property which was built in the 1800’s had been inherited by a young couple who had decided to renovate it and this included the old flooring.

To get a better idea of what was needed I paid them a visit to survey the floor. The Quarry tiles were very old and I suspect originally to the property, they had been badly neglected and had clearly seen a lot of wear resulting in a loss of colour. Unfortunately, it was never going to look like new again however I advised on what could be done to clean them up and put some character back into the floor.

Later that day I sent over a full quote for doing the restoration work which included an itemised list of the products needed. I heard nothing back for five months then got a phone call asking if I could help them as they had been unsuccessful completing the floor themselves. Happy to help a date was arranged to start the restoration of the tiles which had seen more activity since my last visit and now had every kind of builder’s rubbish on them.

Quarry Tiled Floor Before Cleaning Tiverton Cheshire

Cleaning a 200-Year-Old Quarry Tiled Floor

The first job was to give the floor a good brush and scrape to remove as much of the plaster dust and other contaminates as possible. To do this a strong cleaning solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a strong alkaline cleaner stripper combined with Tile Doctor Nanotech HBU. This is a heavy build up remover with nano sized particles to help dissolve and lift the stains out.

The solution was left to dwell and soak into the floor for thirty minutes which gives the products time to breakdown the dirt. Then a small section of flooring was scrubbed with a black pad fitted to a weighted buffing machine. Unfortunately, this had very little effect and clearly something more abrasive was needed to cut through the mess.

To up the ante we decided to fit the buffing machine with a 60-grit carborundum brush and run this over the floor with more water to improve lubrication. This combination did the trick and soon made light work of removing the building plaster, paint and cement from the floor. This process generated a lot of soiling which was rinsed off the floor with more water and a wet vacuum.

Next the floor was given an acid rinse using a mild dilution of Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up, this further cleans up the tile and neutralises the pH level of the floor after the alkaline cleaning products used earlier.

Sealing a 200-Year-Old Quarry Tiled Floor

The floor was then left to dry out for two days before returning to seal with two coats of Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal to leave a wet look to the stone. This product is oil-based which soaks into the clay tile occupying its pores, this adds structure to the tile whilst preventing dirt from becoming ingrained there. X-Tra Seal is also fully breathable which is an important characteristic when select a sealer for older floors that won’t have the benefit of a damp proof membrane.

Quarry Tiled Floor After Cleaning Sealing Tiverton Cheshire

The work took three days to complete and by then end of the job the character had been restored to the floor. Naturally the tiles were never going to look perfect again but I think they suited the period cottage quite well.

Professional Renovation of Period Quarry Tiled Floor in West Cheshire

Neglected 200-Year-Old Quarry Tiled Floor Renovation in Tiverton Read More »

Sandstone Kitchen Floor Renovation Church Minshull

Incredibly Dirty Sandstone Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovation in Church Minshull

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Nantwich Tile Cleaning, Sandstone Tile Cleaning / Alastair Robb

We received an enquiry from a client in the sleepy village of Church Minshull, North of Nantwich, in the Cheshire countryside to ask if we could renovate a Sandstone tiled kitchen floor.

Availability was critical in this case as they were having a new kitchen fitted and they wanted someone who could work on the floor in between the old units being removed and the new ones being fitted. Happy to help if I could, I arranged a visit to survey the floor and discuss timings.

Sandstone Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning Church Minshull

Whilst at the property I conducted a test clean on a small section of flooring which revealed just how incredibly dirty the stone had become. It was clear to me that the sandstone was heavily ingrained with dirt and that any sealer that may have been present was now long gone. Sealers prevent dirt from dirt becoming ingrained into the pores of the stone which keeps the dirt on the surface where it’s much easier to remove.

Sandstone Kitchen Floor During Test Cleaning Church Minshull

Impressed with the difference I had been able to achieve so quickly and happy with my quote for renovating the whole floor the only thing outstanding was to work out if I could get the floor clean before the new kitchen was installed. Fortunately, I was able to move a few things around so it would work.

Cleaning a Sandstone Tiled Kitchen

To get the floor clean, work started with an application of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a strong alkaline tile and grout cleaner. I used a very strong solution diluting four parts Tile Doctor Pro-Clean to only one part water. This was then left to soak into the sandstone for twenty minutes to give it time to break down the dirt.

The grout lines were then scrubbed using a stiff grout brush before turning attention to the Sandstone which was scrubbed using a rotary floor machine fitted with a Black scrubbing pad and more water. All this scrubbing released a lot of dirt from the floor turning the cleaning solution into a dark slurry. The dirty residue was then removed by wet vacuum.

The floor was then inspected, and the process repeated where needed. Once I was happy the Sandstone and Grout were clear of all the dirt, I gave it a final rinse and extracted as much moisture as possible with the wet vacuum.

Sealing a Sandstone Tiled Kitchen

The floor was left to dry overnight, and work resumed the next day to seal the floor. First the floor was checked with a damp meter to make sure it was dry and ready to take a seal.
The results were fine and so the floor was sealed with two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating colour enhancing sealer. Large fans were used to speed up the drying process between coats.

Sandstone Kitchen Floor After Cleaning Church Minshull

Once done the floor looked incredibly different, the patterns and colours in the stone were now visible and it looked so much cleaner. The grout had also responded well and the floor was completely transformed by the work.

Sandstone Kitchen Floor After Renovation Church Minshull

For aftercare cleaning I recommended they use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is an effective pH neutral tile and grout cleaner that won’t impact the sealer.

Professional Restoration of a Sandstone Tiled Kitchen in West Cheshire

Incredibly Dirty Sandstone Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovation in Church Minshull Read More »

Travertine Kitchen Utility Floor Renovation Neston Wirral

Deep Cleaning a Filthy Travertine Floor Tiles in Neston Utility Room

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning, Wirral Tile Cleaning / Alastair Robb

This Travertine tiles in the Utility room of this property in Neston on the Wirral Peninsula had become filthy with ingrained dirt. Any sealer that was once present on the stone or grout has long since worn off and the grout especially had darkened with ground in dirt.

Travertine Kitchen Utility Floor Before Cleaning Neston Wirral

This is a common problem with stone floors as the sealer ensures dirt remains on the surface where it is easily cleaned away. Sealers however wear down with use and so they do need replacing every three to five years depending on use. This happens gradually over time and tends to go un-noticed until eventually you realise it no longer looks like it should.

To renovate the floor, I quoted for deep cleaning the stone and grout, strip off what was left of the old sealer, polish the stone and then re-seal to ensure easy maintenance in the future. Some of the Travertine tile also had small pitts that were dirt magnets so I offered to fill these in with a specialist stone filler as part of the work.

Happy with the price and relieved to have found someone who could renovate the floor a date was set for they work to start.

Deep Cleaning Travertine Tile and Grout

The best way to restore the appearance of honed stone is the application of diamond encrusted burnishing pads which come is a set of four pads with different grits. Work starts with the coarse 400-grit pad which is fitted to a rotary floor machine and run over each tile several times using only water for lubrication. This coarse pad cuts through the stone to remove dirt, old sealer, marks and fine scratches. The water turns into a dark slurry and this is rinsed off and extracted with a wet vacuum.

Pads can struggle to reach into the recesses of the grout line so the next step was to hand clean the grout using Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, scrubbed in with a stiff brush. Pro-Clean is a strong alkaline tile and grout cleaning product which is safe to use on all types of tile and grout. The soiling was then rinsed and extracted as before with the wet vacuum.

Next step was to fill in the small holes in the Travertine with a specialist stone filler which is colour matched to the stone. Once done its very difficult to detect and will prevent dirt from becoming lodged.

Once the filler had set work continued with the burnishing of the floor using the 800 and 1500-grit pads using the same process as before with water. These pads bring up the appearance of the stone building up a lovely finish. The floor was then left to dry out overnight.

Sealing Travertine Tiles

I returned the next morning and set about applying the last pad which is a very fine 3000-grit polishing pad. This last pad is applied dry with only a little water sprayed onto the Travertine; this is a process we call a “Spray Burnish”.

Last step was to seal the floor with an impregnating sealer that works by occupying the pores in the stone thereby preventing dirt from residing there and ensuring it remains on the surface where its easily cleaned away. The client loved the light appearance of the natural stone so Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal was applied which provides invisible protection and doesn’t darken the stone.

Travertine Kitchen Utility Floor After Renovation Neston Wirral

One the sealer had dried I gave the floor a quick buff with a White Pad and once complete the floor looked so much cleaner and lighter; the grout in particular was transformed by the treatment. For aftercare cleaning I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Stone Soap which will help maintain the patina on the stone.

Professional Cleaning and Polishing of Travertine Ties in the Wirral

Deep Cleaning a Filthy Travertine Floor Tiles in Neston Utility Room Read More »

Minton Hollins Victorian Floor Renovation Chester

Historically Important Victorian Hallway Floor Restored in Handbridge Chester

1 Comment / Chester Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning / Alastair Robb

I was first asked to restore the large Victorian tiled hallway floor at this mansion type property in Handbridge, Cheshire two years ago. The floors had a lot of history and had been used as a template for the famous Minton Hollins encaustic tiled floor at St George’s Hall in Liverpool that was built in 1854. Unfortunately, however my work was put on hold as other restoration works including repairing dry rot took priority.

Victorian Tiled Floor Before Renovation Handbridge Cheshire

I kept in touch with the owners whilst the other works progressed and kept a look out for 22 beige Octagon shaped tiles that were needed to replace some of the damaged tiles in the floor. In fact, it wasn’t until later in 2023 that I was called back to start the renovation work to the floor, by which time I had managed to source all the replacement tiles needed.

Handbridge is a district of Chester with a mixture of large Victorian mansion type properties on the South bank of the river Dee and workers cottages built to service the water powered factories that sprung up along the river.

Repairing and Cleaning a Victorian Hallway Tiles

Before starting the cleaning process my first task was to replace all the broken tiles. This needs to be done carefully so as not to dislodge any adjacent tiles and make more work for myself. Once removed the base is cleared of old cement and then the replacement tiles fitted using rapid set adhesive and cut to size where required.

Once the repairs were complete and the adhesive set, I began the cleaning process which is designed to remove and remaining protective sealer and flush out ingrained dirt from the pores of the tile. This is done by applying a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean with a mop and then leaving it to soak into the tile for ten minutes. The floor was then scrubbed using a buffing machine fitted with a black pad and lubricated with water. The cleaning alkaline cleaning solution soon turns black with the dirt and then floor is then rinsed with water and the residue extracted with a wet vacuum.

Attention then turned to the decorative historical piece of flooring at the entrance to the hallway. This only needed to be cleaned with Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is used for regular cleaning and maintenance of tiled floors. this was applied with a two-minute dwell time before cleaning by hand using soft scrubbing brush then wiped down with damp microfiber cloths then left to dry.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

The next day damp meter readings were taken from both floors to make sure they had dried and were ready to be sealed. The readings were within tolerance so work could begin on applying the first of what would be three coats of sealer.

Tile Doctor Colour Grow was chosen to seal the tiles, it’s an impregnating colour intensifier sealer which is fully breathable so it will allow for moisture to rise through tile, an important consideration for old floors that don’t have a damp proof membrane.

The sealer was applied using a paint pad and any excess is wiped off after five minutes with microfiber cloths before leaving it to dry for twenty minutes. I use air blowers around the floor to increase the drying speed.

Victorian Tiled Floor After Renovation Handbridge Cheshire

The owner of the property was over the moon with the work and pleased that the work to restore the property to its former condition was nearing completion after what had been four years of restoration.

Victorian Tiled Floor Before Renovation Handbridge Cheshire

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in West Cheshire

Historically Important Victorian Hallway Floor Restored in Handbridge Chester Read More »

Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor Before After Polishing Delamere

Polishing a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor in Delamere

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning, Winsford Tile Cleaning / Alastair Robb

This Travertine Polishing enquiry came from a homeowner in the village of Delamere which is in the middle of the Cheshire countryside, West of Winsford. The customer had recently moved to the area and was unhappy with the dull appearance of their Travertine tiled kitchen floor, there were also small holes in the tiles which needed filling.

Travertine is a natural stone and holes or pitting can appear as thin layers of surface stone break down to reveal a cavity underneath. This is a common problem and can be made worse by the use of strong acidic cleaning products that eat away at the surface over time.

The solution was to fill the holes using a matching epoxy filler, deep clean the grout and then burnish the tiles to remove the dirt and bring up the polish. Happy with my quote we agreed a date for the work to commence.

Travertine Floor Tiles Before Polishing Delamere

Grout Cleaning and Filling Pitts in a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor

The first job was to fill the holes/pitts in the Travertine using a purpose made product called Tenax which comes in a variety of colours and is described as an adhesive filler that sets hard.

Travertine Floor Tiles During Filling Delamere

Step two was to get the grout clean so I applied a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is an alkaline tile and grout cleaner. I left this to soak in and breakdown the dirt for roughly ten minutes before scrubbing it in by hand. Once done the floor was rinsed with water and the soil now released from the stone extracted using a wet vacuum.

Polishing a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor

To bring back the polished appearance of the Travertine I applied a set of four diamond burnishing pads of different grades in sequence from coarse to extra fine. The first two pads take off any remaining sealer and dirt, the floor is then washed down and the residue removed by wet vacuum. We then go onto the third pad which is a 1500 grit which starts to put a shine back on the stone. The floor is then washed down again with clean water and the slurry removed with the wet vacuum.

The floor is then forced dried by large fans and once dry the last pad is applied which is a 3000-grit pad that puts a high shine on the floor. A small amount of water is sprayed onto the tiles during this process which we refer to as a spray burnish.

Sealing a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor

Spray burnishing also leaves the floor dry and ready to be sealed. The owner wanted the Travertine to look as natural as possible so two coats of Tile Doctor Ultra Seal were applied. This is an impregnating sealer which is recommended for use on polished stone and for use in kitchens. To finish and to remove excess sealer the floor was then buffed with a White pad.

Travertine Kitchen Floor Tiles After Polishing Delamere

I mentioned at the beginning of this post not to use strong cleaning products on Travertine and this advice is especially relevant if the stone is sealed as strong products including bleach can also erode the sealer. For the regular cleaning of sealed Travertine, I would recommend using Tile Doctor Stone Soap which is a gentle but effective cleaner that also helps maintain the patina.

Professional Renovation of a Dull Travertine Kitchen Floor in Cheshire

Polishing a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor in Delamere Read More »

Travertine Kitchen Floor Renovated in Thurstaston Wirral

Polishing Travertine Kitchen Floor Tiles in Thurstaston

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning, Wirral Tile Cleaning / Alastair Robb

Although the Travertine tiles in this beautiful kitchen floor in Thurstaston were in fair condition the Grout had turned black with dirt. This normally happens when the stone is sealed but the grout has been left unprotected, then when cleaning the floor dirt is washed off the stone into the grout line where it gets trapped in the rough surface of the grout. Overtime the dirt builds up and the grout lines turning it black and completely changing the appearance of the floor.

Travertine Kitchen Floor Before Renovation Thurstaston Wirral

After visiting the property, I could see the polished appearance of the Travertine had faded and the sealer was wearing thin, so I recommend not only cleaning the grout but also burnishing the stone to deep clean it and restore its polished appearance.

Burnishing and Cleaning a Travertine Kitchen Floor

To get the best from a stone floor, we apply a set of Diamond encrusted burnishing pads of different grades starting with a coarse 400 grit pad run over the tiles using a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. Once the pad had been run over each tile at least three times attention was turned to the grout lines which was scrubbed with more Pro-Clean and a stiff brush. Afterwards the floor is rinsed down with water and then the dirty residue is extracted with a wet vacuum.

The 400-grit pad was followed by the application of a medium 800-grit pad using only water this time to add lubrication. Again the floor is rinsed with water after use and the soiling extracted with the wet vacuum. The next two pads are a Fine 1500 grit and Extra Fine 3,000 grit which really build up a high-quality polish on the stone. Before applying the 3000-grit I spent some time filling in the larger pits (holes) in the Travertine with an epoxy filler. Travertine is notorious for having this problem and being an acid sensitive stone it very important not to use even a mildly acidic cleaning product as this can make the problem worse.

Sealing a Travertine Tiled Floor

The floor was left to dry off fully overnight and I returned the next day to seal the Travertine first checking with a damp meter that the stone was dry. The customer wanted a natural look finish to the Travertine, so to seal the tiles I applied two coasts of Tile Doctor Ultra Seal which is an impregnating sealer doesn’t change the look of the stone in anyway. Ultra-Seal is an impregnating sealer that works under the surface by occupying the pores in the stone thus preventing dirt from becoming ingrained there.

Travertine Kitchen Floor After Renovation Thurstaston Wirral

Once the sealer had dried the floor was treated to a gentle buff with a white pad to bring up the shine even further. Once complete the stone looked a lot healthier and the grout looked so much cleaner.

Professional Travertine Floor Polishing in Cheshire

Polishing Travertine Kitchen Floor Tiles in Thurstaston Read More »

Limestone Tiled Restaurant Floor Renovated Chester

Cleaning a Limestone Floor in a Chester Restaurant Ready for Reopening

1 Comment / Chester Tile Cleaning, Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Alastair Robb

We were asked to clean and seal a large Limestone floor at a restaurant on the outskirts of Chester. The large hostelry and Steak House was reopening after being closed since lock down and the floor had not been cleaned since.

Limestone Floor Before Cleaning Chester Restaurant Cheshire

I arranged a visit to survey the floor and could see that although the Limestone tiles were still stained with beer, wine, and other detritus they were in good condition for a busy commercial floor. On the back of that visit, I was able to provide a detailed quote and at the request of the manager agreed to do the work three days before it was due to open.

Although this did not leave much time in the way of contingency it made a lot of sense for the manager as the floor would be pristine for the grand opening. I had calculated that the work should take two days and that left them a day for final preparations, including setting out the furniture and last-minute staff training.

Cleaning a Limestone Tiled Restaurant Floor

To get the limestone floor clean I sprayed the area with a mixture of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean (a multi-purpose degreaser tile cleaner) and Tile Doctor Remove and Go (a multi-purpose stripper and coatings remover). The cleaning cocktail was left to soak into the stone for a good twenty minutes to allow it time to break down ingrained dirt and marks in the old polish from around the fixed furniture and skirting boards that had been applied by the cleaners over the years.

To help the process of taking the stains out of the limestone the cleaning mixture was worked into the tile using a coarse 400-grit diamond encrusted burnishing pad. The pads are fitted to a rotary buffer machine applying weights were required to maintain a better contact with the stone. The cleaning solution turns into a dark slurry as the dirt is released from the floor and once the pad has been over each tile at least three times as vet vacuum is used to extract it.

This process was then followed up with the application of a finer 800-grit pad but applied only with water which helps lubricate the process. Again, the slurry was removed with a wet vacuum and the floor rinsed with water which is vacuumed off once more. This process is then repeated with a 1500-grit burnishing pad which starts putting the polish back on the floor. These large 17-inch pads can struggle around the edges of the floor so small six-inch burnishing pads fitted to a hand polisher are used. Once the whole floor had been treated in this manner it was rinsed down once more and dried with the wet vacuum before being left to dry out fully overnight.

Sealing a Limestone Tiled Restaurant Floor

The next day the last burnishing pad in the series was run over the floor, this is a very fine 3000-grit pad which completes the polishing process and leaves the Limestone with a healthy shine. This final pad is applied dry with only a few squirts of water applied to the surface, a process we call spray burnishing.

Lastly to protect the floor it was sealed using two coats of Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal which is a premium natural look penetrating and durable sealer. The sealer prevents dirt from becoming trapped in the pores of the stone and allow it to be easily cleaned off the surface. Once the last coat of sealer was dry the floor was dry the floor was buffed with a White buffing pad to improve the sheen and remove any excess sealer.

Limestone Floor After Renovation Chester Restaurant Cheshire

I am pleased to say we didn’t encounter any complications during cleaning, so the timings worked out beautifully and the owner was able to open on schedule.

For future maintenance I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Stone Soap cleaner which is a pH neutral that will gently cleans the tile whilst improving patina. Many commercial tile cleaning products are simply too strong for sealed floors and can degrade the sealer prematurely.

Professional Cleaning of a Limestone Floor in a Cheshire Restaurant

Cleaning a Limestone Floor in a Chester Restaurant Ready for Reopening Read More »