Grout Cleaning

Welcome to my Work History archive where you will find detailed examples of the cleaning and renovation of Grout carried out in South Kent

Cleaning and Renovating Grout

The top layer of grout is porous and can absorb grease, dirt and limescale. Spillages such as wine, lemonades or greasy substances will cause marks and patches in the joints in the floor. Grout between wall-tiles particularly in damp areas like bathrooms will become dirty and unattractive as a result of Mould, Mildew and Limescale.

Mould is one of the most unsightly problems, which usually starts off in the wettest area of the room, this could be the bottom of the shower or bath, then starts to spread and if left unchecked could cover a large area of the wall.

Another common issue we find is a problem known as Grout Haze or Grout Smearing where a thin layer of grout has been left to set on the surface of the tile. Once grout has set it is difficult to remove.

Discolouration of grout joints in bath or shower areas due to continued use of acid formulated shampoos and soaps. This causes yellow orange and pink stains to the grout over even a short period of time. Whilst Grout Joints can be cleaned, badly stained grout may need to be re-coloured.

Protecting your grout in advance with a sealer will prevent most of these issues and although relatively unknown in the UK, protection awareness is growing. Sealing forms an invisible barrier between the grout and the surface, this will then protect your investment for years to come.

We have solutions for all the problems listed above and below you will find detailed examples of work we have carried out in the past to resolve many of these issues. It should give you some idea of what’s involved and what can be achieved with the right techniques and products.

Quarry Tiled Floor Deep Cleaned and Sealed Dover

Deep Cleaning and Sealing Quarry Floor Tiles in Dover

1 Comment / Folkestone Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning /

I was asked to look at Quarry tiled floor in the Kitchen of an old, thatched cottage in rural Dover. The owner was keen to have it deep cleaned and sealed and so I agreed to call in, survey the tiled floor and provide a quote for the work.

Quarry Tiled Floor Before Deep Clean and Seal Dover

Kitchens and Hallways are the busiest floors in a house and this floor had clearly been in constant use due to the considerable levels of ingrained dirt, especially in the wide grout lines. I completed my survey and discussed all options open to the customer and I agreed to put together a quote.

Quarry Tiled Floor Before Deep Clean and Seal Dover Quarry Tiled Floor Before Deep Clean and Seal Dover

The client was happy with my quote, and I was given the go ahead so we scheduled a date for the work to start which would take two days, one day to clean and one to seal.

Deep Cleaning and Restoring a Quarry and Quarry Tiled Floor

I turned up promptly on day 1 and started by protecting any areas susceptible to water damage. Once done, I applied a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean to the grout lines and set about scrubbing them by hand. I find this is the best way to clean grout as pads can struggle to reach into the recesses of the grout and it certainly paid off as it came up really well. To finish I rinsed the floor with water and extracted the soiling from the grout cleaning process with a wet vacuum.

Next it was time to turn my attention to the quarry tiles this time using a medium dilution of Pro-Clean. The solution was applied to the floor and left to soak in for ten minutes before being worked in with a coarse burnishing pad fitted to a rotary buffing machine fitted with a Black scrubbing pad and plenty of water. This process pulls the dirt out of the tile and the water soon turns into a dark slurry.

The slurry was removed with the wet vacuum as I progressed across the floor and the process repeated on stubborn areas. Finally, the floor was dried as much as possible using the wet vacuum and a mop to get rid of the last vestiges. The floor was then left to dry out for two days over the weekend.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled Barn Conversion Floor

Returning on Monday I started by taking several readings with a damp meter. It’s not a good idea to apply a sealer to a damp floor as the results can be inconsistent so I always like to check. The readings were within tolerance so I was able to apply the first of what would be three coats of Tile Doctor’s Seal and Go Extra which I felt was the best choice for sealing this floor.

I chose Seal and Go Extra because it’s a fully breathable sealer that adds a nice subtle sheen to the tiles which matches the customers’ expectations. It was important to choose a breathable sealer as these old floors don’t have the benefit of a damp proof membrane and any moisture under the floor will be able to rise through the tile and evaporate at the surface un-hindered.

Quarry Tiled Floor After Deep Clean and Seal Dover

Once completed, the floor looked amazing, not only was the Quarry Tile and Grout looking so much cleaner the sealer had enhanced the orange colour in the Quarry tiles. Needless to say, my customer was very happy with the result.

For aftercare I recommended Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is designed for the safe and effective cleaning of sealed floors without impacting the sealer.

Quarry Tiled Floor After Deep Clean and Seal Dover

 

Professional Cleaning of a Quarry Tiled Floor in South Kent

Deep Cleaning and Sealing Quarry Floor Tiles in Dover Read More »

Travertine Kitchen Floor Renovation Paddock Wood

Travertine Floor Renovation Paddock Wood

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Paddock Wood Tile Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History /

We were called out to a property in Paddock Wood to look at renovating a large Travertine tiled floor. Travertine floors, if finished correctly, can look as good as its Marble counterpart however with it being a being a much softer material you will find the factory finish dulls rapidly.

Travertine Floor Paddock Wood Before Renovation Travertine Floor Paddock Wood Before Renovation

The polish had certainly worn off in this case and the floor also had many unsightly cracks that needed rectifying. There can be many reasons for cracking including poorly laid tiles and, on this occasion, I suspect it due to the constant expansion and contraction of the based due to under floor heating.

Travertine Floor Paddock Wood Cracked Tile Before Renovation

It had been a while since the floor had been professionally maintained and it was now looking very tired and unloved, after all as we say your floor is as much a piece of furniture as your beloved chesterfield sofa! After taking all the problems into account I worked out a thorough restoration plan and provided a quote for doing the work. Happy to accept a date was scheduled to do the work.

Deep Cleaning and Polishing Travertine Tile

The first step was to give the Travertine and adjacent grout a good scrub with Tile Doctor Remove and Go. The product is diluted with water, sprayed on the tile, let to soak in for ten minutes and then scrubbed in with a black pad fitted to a rotary machine. To remove the soiled solution and get an extra deep clean I use a high-pressure system that if built into my van. It applies water to the floor at high pressure and extracts the soil to a waste tank in the van which has the added advantage of leaving it reasonably dry.

Travertine Floor Paddock Wood During Renovation

To restore the appearance to stone floors such a Travertine and Limestone they have to be cut back and polished with diamond encrusted burnishing pads of various grits. It’s a similar process that you use on wood where you start with coarse sandpaper first and moving on to a finer grade towards the end.

Tile Doctor have developed several burnishing pads for this which start with a coarse red 400-grit pad applied with a little water to help lubricate. The coarse pad cleans the tiles and removes any topical sealers, scratches, and deeply ingrained dirt. Next comes the white then yellow pad which are a finer grade again applied using nothing but a little water. I use the high-pressure extraction system mentioned earlier after each pad to remove the soil that is generated. The last pad is a 3000-grit green polishing pad, and this really brings up the surface shine, this pad is applied using a little water sprayed onto the tile.

Filling Cracks in Travertine Tile

To deal with the cracks I use an epoxy resin putty which can be colour matched to the floor tile. I use a special colour matching card for this that gives you the exact formula you need to recreate the required colour and tone.

Travertine Floor Paddock Wood Touchup Palate

After removing any loose particles from the crack, the paint is then mixed in with the resin using the specified proportions and the crack filled with the resin. Using this system, I can get a very close colour match and once the floor has been finished the crack becomes unnoticeable.

Travertine Floor Paddock Wood After Renovation

Achieving a Durable Seal on Travertine Tiles

The next step was to further polish the floor using a white pad and Tile Doctor Shine Powder crystals. The crystals add a deep shine and durable protective surface. We use a rotary buffer as before to do this but run I over the floor at a slow speed.

Travertine Floor Paddock Wood After Renovation

Last step was to seal the Travertine by applying a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal which is an impregnating sealer that seeps into the stone occupying the pores and thereby protecting it from ingrained dirt from within. Ultra-Seal is a colourless sealer that is almost invisible leaving the stone in its most natural state.

Finally, I ran over the floor using a fresh white buffing pad to remove any excess sealer and buff the polish up on the stone.

With clean grout lines, invisible cracks, and deep polish the floor transformation was complete. My client was overwhelmed with the result and his and many other satisfied clients have left their reviews of our work and can be seen here https://south-kent.tiledoctor.biz/customer-testimonials/

Travertine Floor Paddock Wood After Renovation Travertine Floor Paddock Wood After Renovation

For the aftercare of a polished stone floor, I recommended Tile Doctor Stone Soap, its designed for cleaning polished stone tiles and will help maintain the patina and existing sealer. Additionally, it’s PH Neutral formula is environmentally friendly containing no acids, alkalis, or bleaches.

 

Professional Renovation of a Cracked Travertine Tiled Floor in Kent

Travertine Floor Renovation Paddock Wood Read More »

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1 Comment / Ashford Tile Cleaning, Ceramic Tile Cleaning, Encaustic Cement Tile Cleaning, Fireplace Cleaning, Flagstone Tile Cleaning, Folkestone Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Hawkinge Tile Cleaning, Hythe Tile Cleaning, Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing, Marble Tile Cleaning, New Romney Tile Cleaning, Paddock Wood Tile Cleaning, Pembury Tile Cleaning, Porcelain Tile Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Royal Tunbridge Wells Tile Cleaning, Sandstone Tile Cleaning, Slate Tile Cleaning, Southborough Tile Cleaning, Tenterden Tile Cleaning, Terracotta Tile Cleaning, Terrazzo Floor Cleaning, Tonbridge Tile Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Vinyl Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History /

East Surrey Tile Doctor

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