Kent Archives - South Kent Tile Doctor

Victorian Tiled Balcony Floor Restored in Cranbrook Kent

Enclosed Victorian Tiled Balcony Foor Restored in Cranbrook

I was asked to provide a quotation for renovating a Victorian Tiled Floor at a flat in the town of Cranbrook. It was a large building that been subject to fire damage and the property developers needed help with one of the flats which had an enclosed balcony with a Victorian floor.

Victorian Tiled Balcony Floor Before Restoration Cranbrook

They contacted Tile Doctor and I went along to perform a survey. I could see the floor was in a poor condition from years of neglect. There were broken tiles, heavily ingrained dirt and paint splashes from the decorating.

Victorian Tiled Balcony Floor Before Renovation Cranbrook

I provided a detailed quote following the assessment and was awarded the job.

Cleaning and Repairing a Victorian Tiled Vestibule Floor

The first job was to replace the damaged tiles which involved breaking the out from the centre and carefully removing the debris. Once done they were replaced with matching replacements that had been sourced earlier. This work took most of the day although I did manage to complete this before the daylight went (there wasn’t a light available on the balcony!).

The next day with the tile adhesive set I was able to move onto the first step of the cleaning process using a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go that would remove the dirt and soften up the paint spots. I followed the usual process of allowing it to soak in for ten minutes before scrubbing it in with a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine. After extracting the soiling with a wet vacuum I could see I had managed to tackle the paint but more work would be needed to remove the ingrained dirt.

To further clean the tiles, I repeated the process using a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which was perfect for this job. It’s a powerful alkaline cleaner that’s designed to remove dirt from tile and grout. This time however I worked the solution in with a 200-grit burnishing pad. These pads are encrusted with industrial diamonds and usually used for polishing stone floors however they also work well on Victorian tiles.

The resultant slurry was extracted with the wet vacuum and I moved onto the last step in the cleaning process which was to treat the tiles to an acid wash using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up. This last process further cleans up the tiles by removing old grout smears and other mineral contaminates, it also neutralises the pH level of the floor following the application of alkaline cleaners used earlier.

My job was done for that day so I left, leaving the floor to dry overnight in readiness for sealing.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Vestibule Floor

The next morning, I arrived and tested the tiles for water content using a moisture meter. We don’t advise applying a sealer to damp tiles as it can affect the way it cures and affect the overall finish.

Happy that they were dry, I started applying a base coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow sealer, this is an impregnator that works by occupying the pores so dirt can reside there. This sealer leaves a matt finish but it also contains a colour intensifier that enhances the natural colours in the Victorian tiles.

I left that to dry for an hour and then followed up with three coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra. This is a compatible acrylic sealer that leaves the floor with a low sheen finish that looks good on Victorian tiles.

I was pleased with the finished result and confident that the new occupants would be too.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Balcony Floor in South Kent

Enclosed Victorian Tiled Balcony Foor Restored in Cranbrook Read More »

Travertine Kitchen Floor Renovation Paddock Wood

Travertine Floor Renovation Paddock Wood

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

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.

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/

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 »

Victorian Hallway Floor Tile Restoration Tonbridge

Victorian Tiled Hallway Repair and Restoration in Tonbridge

1 Comment / Tonbridge Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / April Davis

Many of our Southeast towns such as Tonbridge grew significantly in the Victorian era, especially with the arrival of the railways and so we come across original Victorian tiled floors a lot particularly in hallways and vestibules. Victorian tiled floors are very durable but over the years daily wear leaves them in poor condition, the good news is thought they respond well to restoration.

Here we have an entrance hallway which over the years has been butted with many different types of flooring and in the process had suffered. Additionally, there was a poor cement repair between the wooden floor and the Victorian tiles which was cracked, and the client wanted it removing and the area restored with matching tiles.

Small Victorian Tiled Vestibule before repair Tonbridge

Sourcing replacement Victorian tiles is not a problem with our contacts in the industry so once a plan was agreed I set about looking for reclaimed tiles to match the existing. Once a I had managed to track down suitable matching replacements a date was set for the work to commence.

Cleaning and Repairing a Victorian Tiled Vestibule Floor

Before I could start cleaning the floor it made sense to do the repairs first. This in itself took two days of intricate work and involved carefully removing the cement and damaged tiles, cleaning up the subfloor. Once done I was able to cut the replacement tiles and then rebuilding the tiles into what was essentially a jigsaw puzzle. It was important to match the existing tile pattern to ensure the repair is invisible and to the highest standard.

Small Victorian Tiled Vestibule during repair Tonbridge

Once that was done and the tile adhesive was set, I was able to clean the whole floor using a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go to remove the hundred years of worn in grime. I followed my usual process of allowing it to soak in for ten minutes before scrubbing it in with a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine. It is a very effective product particularly on heavy dirt build-up and removing old sealers as in this example. It wasn’t long before the cleaning solution turned black with the dirt released from the tiles. I was then able to use the pressure cleaning and extraction equipment fitted into my vehicle to remove the soiling whilst keeping the mess to a minimum.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Vestibule Floor

Due to the age of the property, there was no damp-proof membrane installed beneath the floor. This limits the choice of sealer that you can use on the floor to one which is fully breathable. Choosing a non-breathable sealer will trap moisture in the floor which can lead spread out to the walls resulting in rising damp.

Having previously discussed sealers with the owner I returned to seal the tiles the next day with Tile Doctor Colour Grow. This is a fully breathable impregnating sealer which soaks into the pores of the tile protecting it from with and enhancing the colours in the process. It’s a durable product that will protect the floor ingrained dirt and staining for many years to come.

Small Victorian Tiled Vestibule after repair Tonbridge

Even though it was a small area once it was fully restored it had a big impact on the overall feel of the property in a Grand Designs way. Needless to say, the client was very pleased with the result.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Vestibule in South Kent

Victorian Tiled Hallway Repair and Restoration in Tonbridge Read More »

Granite Worktop Limescale Restoration in Folkestone Kitchen

Removing Limescale from Granite Worktops in a Folkestone Kitchen

1 Comment / Folkestone Tile Cleaning, Work by Location, Work History / April Davis

Although expensive Granite makes the most beautiful and practical stone worktop you can install in your kitchen. It gives real wow factor to a room and this kitchen in Folkestone was no different. Normally granite needs little maintenance however Folkestone has very hard water (often referred to as limescale) containing high levels of calcium and over time the calcium in the water gets deposited on nearby surfaces. According to the Affinity Water website the water in Folkestone contains 287.5 mg of calcium per litre which is classed as hard.

Granite Sink and Counter top Before Limescale Removal Folkestone

The owner of the property contacted us explaining that due to this problem the build-up of calcium deposits had overtaken her sink and countertop to a degree that she couldn`t deal with it through normal cleaning and a restoration was required. There are several household products on the market that can remove limescale however you need to be very careful when using these on natural stone as they use acids to break down the calcium and this can etch stone making the problem worse (always read the label). I went and had a look at the problem and gave her a quote for resolving the problem, which she was happy to accept.

Removing Limescale from a Granite Worktop and Sink

Before starting the renovation, I protected the floor with dust sheets and the walls with a blue film that is easy to remove. Then to tackle the limescale I carefully went over each part of the Granite counter using a set of six-inch Tile Doctor Burnishing pads applying them in sequence from coarse to extra fine. To give extra cleaning power the coarser pads were applied with Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel which is an alkaline cleaning gel. The pads were fitted to a hand buffer and the soil generated by the abrasive pads was rinsed off between pads with water. For the finer detail such as the groves in the granite draining board, I used diamond encrusted handheld burnishing blocks of various grits. With the combination of diamond tooling and lots of elbow grease the job took around five hours to complete and the granite now has the polished look it deserves.

Granite Kitchen Worktop Aftercare

The granite worksurface does not require an actual sealer to be applied. However, maintenance is the key to keeping the stone in great condition so for aftercare I left the owner with a bottle of Tile Doctor Stone Patina Spray. This product is designed for cleaning stone worktops and contains a special ingredient that maintains the lustre. This should ensure the Limescale becomes manageable and can be cleaned more easily.

Granite Sink and Counter top After Limescale Removal Folkestone

I made a striking difference to the appearance of the Granite Worktop and the owner was over the moon with the result.

Professional Removal of Limescale Staining from Granite Worktop in South Kent

Removing Limescale from Granite Worktops in a Folkestone Kitchen Read More »

Limestone Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovated Tenterden Kent

Limestone Floor Refurbished in Tenterden Ready for Kitchen Installation

1 Comment / Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing, Tenterden Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / April Davis

The owner of this Limestone tiled floor in Tenterden was having a new Kitchen installed and called Tile Doctor to have it renovated beforehand. Consideration was given to replacing the floor, but this would have worked out to be far more expensive than renovation. Renovating natural stone floors such as Limestone involves deep cleaning, polishing and then sealing. Stone floors respond very well to this treatment so it’s an option well worth considering and is better for the environment.

Limestone Floor Before Polishing Tenterden

I was able to visit the property beforehand, inspect the floor and work out a quote for the work which would take two days. We then agreed a date do the renovation which would sit between the old kitchen being stripped out and the new one being installed. With the old kitchen removed it would be a perfect time to do the work as I would have full access to the floor and wouldn’t need to tape up the kitchen units to protect them.

Deep Cleaning Tumbled Limestone Tiles

The first part of the job involved giving the floor a thorough clean to remove what was left of old sealers etc that were still present on the floor. To do this a strong solution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go was applied to the floor and left to soak in for about ten minutes before being actively worked in with a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad. The solution soon darkened as dirt was flushed out of the pores of the stone, it was then rinsed off with water and extracted with an industrial wet vacuum.

Limestone Floor During Cleaning Tenterden

Following this, I moved on to a process known as burnishing that hones the Limestone to bring up the polished. This is done through the application of a series of diamond encrusted burnishing pads from coarse through to very fine.

The coarse 400-grit pad fitted to the rotary floor buffer and run over each tile at least three times using only water for lubrication. The water turns into a slurry as the pad does its job removing dirt and this is rinsed off the floor and extracted with the wet vacuum before applying the next pad. The process was then repeated with medium 800 grit pad for an initial polish followed by the Fine 1500 grit pad for the second polish using water for lubrication and rinsing and extracting in between each pad.

This process took up much of the day and so after a final rinse and extraction the floor was left to dry off overnight.

Sealing Limestone Tiles

The next morning I started with the application of the last pad in the four-pad set which is a very fine 3000 grit pad. The pad and is applied with only a little water sprayed onto the floor using a technique we call a Spray Burnish. This last pad really brings up the polished appearance of the stone.

To bring up the appearance of the stone even further and add a really durable polish Tile Doctor Shine Powder was applied. This is a crystallising powder sealer that ensures a very high shine and a tough, durable finish. This powder is applied directly to the tiles in combination with approximately ½ a litre of water and a soft white buffing pad.

Last step was to add to the protection provided by the Shine Powder with two coats of Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal which is a natural look sealer that doesn’t change the look of the stone and is applied to the stone and grout. This sealer works by seeping into the stone, occupying the pores and preventing dirt from becoming ingrained.

Limestone Floor After Polishing Tenterden

By the end of the 2nd day the Limestone floor had an amazing deep shine which was a massive improvement on how it looked when we started. For aftercare cleaning I recommended a product called Tile Doctor Stone Soap which will help maintain its appearance.

Professional Renovation of a Tumbled Limestone Tiled Floor in East Surrey

Limestone Floor Refurbished in Tenterden Ready for Kitchen Installation Read More »