London Archives - North West London Tile Doctor

Weathered Limestone Patio and Steps Restored in Wembley

Here we have a Limestone garden patio and set of steps at a property in Wembley which had become heavily affected by lichen, mould and general outdoor soiling. The stone was in good physical condition but had spent the winter in a shaded position where it slowly turned green. The patio had lost its original appearance and the owner was keen to make use of it again and so I was asked to make it presentable again.

External Limestone Patio and Steps Before Cleaning Wembley

It was clear that the Limestone needed a thorough deep clean and then sealing to protect it going forward so I worked out a detailed quote for its renovation which would take two of our technicians two days to compete. Fortunately, we were in the middle of a heat wave at the time so I wasn’t worried about rain interrupting the work.

Cleaning Limestone Patio and Steps

The first stage was to treat the Limestone with Tile Doctor Nanotech HBU remover which would tackle the mould and lichen. HBU stands for Heavy Build-Up and left to dwell on the surface for approximately 15 minutes to break down the organic growth before being scrubbed in. This was mostly done by hand due to the location of the capping stone and steps. The area was then rinsed with fresh water and the resulting slurry and soiling removed using a wet vacuum.

Next, a dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean was applied and worked into the Limestone using a slow-speed orbital machine fitted with fine burnishing pads. This provided a deeper clean, removing the ingrained dirt and organic staining without being overly aggressive on the limestone.

After cleaning, the stone was thoroughly wet vacuumed and rinsed with fresh water before being left to dry in preparation for sealing.

Sealing Garden Limestone

Once the Limestone had been allowed to dry overnight, it was sealed with two applications of Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal. This helped protect the porous stone from future staining and makes the patio and steps easier to maintain. This product is an invisible impregnator that soaks into the stone, occupying the pores and ensuring dirt remains on the surface where it can be easily cleaned away.

External Limestone Patio and Steps After Renovation Wembley

Apologies for the photographs only some of these had to be taken from within the property itself to get the best angle.

Limestone Patio Aftercare

To help maintain the appearance of the restored limestone, the customer was left with a bottle of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner, together with cleaning and maintenance guidelines.

The combination of the correct cleaning method, tried and tested Tile Doctor products and professional equipment has restored the appearance of this shaded limestone patio and its steps, giving the customer a much cleaner and better-protected outdoor space.

Professional Restoration of a Limestone Terraced Patio and Steps in Northwest London

Weathered Limestone Patio and Steps Restored in Wembley Read More »

Restoring Stained Black Slate Tiled Floor at Acton House Renovation

We received an enquiry from a property developer who had been renovating a property in Acton and needed our help to renovate the Black Slate tiles that had been installed throughout the ground floor. The slate floor had been down over 20 years and ran throughout the downstairs living space. Due to all the work being carried out the black slate had become very dirty with building material and had turned white with staining in many areas. They were uncertain if the floor could be restored but were reluctant to consider relaying it due to the expense.

Slate Floor Before Renovation Acton

As usual I went over to the property to understand the nature of the staining and work out the best products and processes for the renovation. There were multiple floors that needed attention so I measured up and worked out a detailed quote that included all the materials that would be needed. After reviewing the quote, I was given the go ahead and a date agreed for the work to start.

Cleaning a Slate Tiled Kitchen

To clean the floor, a strong solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean was applied to the floor and then scrubbed in with a black buffing pad fitted to a rotary machine. These pads can struggle to reach into the grout lines so they were given an extra clean using handheld scrubbing brushes. This combination brought the dirt out of the floor to the surface where it could be extracted with a wet vacuum.

Slate Floor During Renovation Acton

Tougher stains on the tiles were spot treated using more Pro-Clean and some of the grouting had to be scrubbed harder with wire brushes until the whole floor was consistently clean throughout.

Slate Floor During Renovation Acton

Once done the floor was rinsed with a very weak dilution of Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up to further clean the floor and neutralise it following the use of Pro-Clean which is a strong alkaline. The solution was then extracted with a wet vacuum and floor left to dry.

Sealing a Slate Tiled Kitchen

Once dry it was time to seal the floor which will protect it from ingrained dirt and enhance the finish. For this Tile Doctor Stone Oil was applied which being oil-based really improves the texture and dark colour of the stone.

The sealer is applied using a microfibre cloth and any excess product is wiped off before buffing with a white buffing pad on the rotary machine. This left a nice sheen to the tile and a consistent look throughout.

Slate Floor After Renovation Acton

Our client was very happy with the finish, the Slate and Grout had been transformed and the sealer had really enhanced the look of the slate. For aftercare we recommended using Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner which will provide effective cleaning whilst not impacting the seal.

Slate Floor After Renovation Acton

Professional Restoration of a Slate Tiled Kitchen in Northwest London

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Porcelain Tiled Floor Cleaning in Pinner

Deep Cleaning Grout-Stained Porcelain Tiled Floor in Pinner

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Northolt Tile Cleaning, Porcelain Tile Cleaning / Matthew Voyce

This customer from Pinner contacted us regarding their Porcelain tiled floor which hadn’t been professionally cleaned for a couple of years. As well as deep cleaning the tile and grout they were keen for us to remove some staining and grout marks that must have been there since the floor was laid.

Removing stubborn grout from tiling is a common problem known as Grout Haze and fortunately there is a solution, in that it can be removed by giving the tiles a scrub with an acidic tile cleaner called Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up. Also, it’s worth bearing in mind that Porcelain tiles are generally impermeable but the top layer of grout being rough does trap dirt. As a result, we often find that pale or white grout appears to darken quite quickly. This is often exacerbated during cleaning as the dirty water from the tile gets washed into the recesses of the grout line.

Porcelain Tiled Floor Before Cleaning in Pinner

Happy to assist I arranged to carry out a test clean at their property which would then form the basis of a quotation. For the test we carried out an acid wash on the grout staining and gave the darkened grout lines a good scrub with the same product. This worked really well along with a magic eraser sponge to complete the clean and remove any residue. A heat gun was used to dry the grout lines in order to show the customer what the result would look like. The couple were amazed at the instant change and how well the tile and grout lines cleaned up. We also tested an area where grout had not been fully removed when they were laid and left to dry on the tile, using the same process, we were able to remove it.

Keen to have the whole floor treated in the same way I worked out a quote which was accepted and a date scheduled.

Removing Grout Haze from Pale Porcelain Kitchen Tiles

When we returned to complete the whole floor we used same process as before with various dilutions of Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up depending on the nature of the staining. Before starting though plastic wrap was used to cover and protect any areas that could be affected by the cleaning product which is acidic. The customer had an amazing built-in wine cellar in the floor of the living room with a glass door so was important to ensure that was well protected.

Porcelain Tiled Floor During Cleaning in Pinner

The cleaning involved decanting the diluted Grout Clean-up into a spray bottle and then spraying the tile and grout. The solution was then left to soak in for a good ten minutes (sometimes longer) before using a black pad fitted to a rotary machine to scrub the floor. In some areas the grout haze was quite thick, so it was necessary to use a single edge steel blade to scrape the bulk of the grout off first. The grout was hand-scrubbed as the recessed grout line can be difficult to reach with a pad; the floor was laid with large format tiles however so the grout lines were minimal.

Porcelain Tiled Floor Grout Haze Removal in Pinner

Once we had completed the clean through the Kitchen, living room, entrance hall, toilet and utility we used a steam mop to ensure there was no chemical residue on the floor. Finally, we used our buffing machine with a white buffing pad to ensure there were no streak marks left on the tile, and to bring up the finish.

Porcelain Tiled Floor During Steam Cleaning in Pinner

The customers were really pleased with the finish throughout and commented how well it had cleaned up. We discussed maintenance going forward and suggested using Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner for regular cleaning.

Porcelain Tiled Floor After Cleaning in Pinner

Professional Renovation of a Porcelain Tiled Floor in Northwest London

Deep Cleaning Grout-Stained Porcelain Tiled Floor in Pinner Read More »

Edwardian Hallway Floor Restoration Perivale

Carpet Covered Encaustic Cement Tiled Hallway Floor Rescued in Perivale

1 Comment / Perivale Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning / Matthew Voyce

Detailed below is the major restoration of an Encaustic Cement tiled floor at an Edwardian property in the West London suburb of Perivale. At some point in its history this beautiful and practical floor was covered up with cement screen and then carpeted. The current owner who was aware of the tiled floor underneath contacted us to see if that could be removed and the floor restored to its original condition.

I paid a visit to the property to survey the floor and get a better idea of the work involved. Naturally with the floor covered in carpet it’s impossible to know what condition the floor was in however having done this work before we had a good idea of what would be needed.

Edwardian Hallway Floor Before Restoration Perivale

During our visit a section of the carpet was peeled back and we ran a small cleaning test to understand how difficult it would be to remove the cement leveller. The floor responded well to this and we were able to reveal a small section of intact tiled floor in reasonable condition.

Naturally without the whole floor exposed it would be difficult to provide a quote for its restoration however we were able to give the owner an estimate which was accepted.

Cleaning and Repairing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

The first step was to carefully remove the carpet and gripper rods which had been fixed in place with adhesive. Free of its covering work then moved onto the chipping away of the self-levelling cement which was done carefully by hand. Our fingers were crossed that we wouldn’t reveal or cause for that matter any major damage.

Edwardian Hallway Floor During Cement Removal Perivale

Thankfully the floor was intact and with no repairs required work progressed onto cleaning. To do this the floor was first scrubbed using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up which is an acidic product that we normally use for removing excess grout however in this case it proved useful in removing the excess cement. A strong dilution was brushed onto the tiles and then left for ten minutes before scrubbing in with a coarse 100-grit diamond pad. More water was used to rinse the soiled solution off the floor before extracting with a wet vacuum.

< Edwardian Hallway Floor During Machine Cleaning Perivale.JPG>
This process was then repeated using a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is an alkaline Tile and Grout Cleaner. As before it was brushed onto the floor, left to soak in and then scrubbed in with a diamond pad, this time using a finer 200-grit.

Edwardian Hallway Floor After Cleaning Perivale

During the cleaning, we had noticed a few cracked tiles that needed replacing. Replacements were sourced and with the cleaning complete and the damaged tiles were carefully removed and replaced. Once grouted in and set the floor was given a final rinse and extraction with the wet vacuum.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

To seal the floor, we first used a consolidator primer seal, Tile Doctor Colour Grow, followed by five applications of a protective acrylic seal Tile Doctor Seal and Go, which gave the floor a durable rich satin finish. Both these products are breathable which is an important consideration when dealing with and old floor that won’t have the benefit of a damp-proof-membrane.

Edwardian Hallway Floor After Sealing Perivale

Edwardian Hallway Floor After Restoration Perivale

The restoration involved three experienced Tile Doctor technicians working over a period of three consecutive days. Once complete the floor was completely transformed and really lifted the hallway. Period features like this are very sought after and add a lot of value to old properties.

Following the completion of the floor we have advised the customer to maintain the tiles using Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner which has a neutral pH and so will not impact the sealer.

Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in Hertfordshire

Carpet Covered Encaustic Cement Tiled Hallway Floor Rescued in Perivale Read More »