Yorkshire

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Renovation York

Carpet Covered Victorian Tiled Hallway Renovated in York

The photos below are of a Victorian tiled floor at a property in York, which was found under the hallway carpet and underlay. The carpet had been secured with glue which had left a lot of stains on the tile as well as the usual marks and plaster left on the surface from building works. The carpet had done a good job of protecting the tiles, but I could see there was a lot of ingrained dirt in the tile itself which would need removing.

Victorian Hallway Floor Tile Before Cleaning

The owners were keen to have the floor restored however It was a busy household and with the hallway being in constant use the work would have to be done in sections to allow for access and completed quickly to minimise impact. I worked out a quote which was accepted, and a date set for the work to be done.

Cleaning Victorian Tiles Tiles

To soften the plaster staining and breakdown the ingrained dirt I sprayed the floor with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean mixed with Remove and Go and left it to soak into the section of tiles. This is a strong combination of products which combine to produce an effect tile and grout cleaner and coatings remover which will not only clean the tile but also strip off what was left of the original sealer as well as any contaminates.

After ten minutes the solution was scrubbed into the tiles using a coarse 100-grit diamond burnishing pad. The pad scrubs away at the tile and opens the pores in the tile allowing the dirt to be flushed out. The cleaning solution soon turns black with the dirt which is then removed using a powerful industrial wet vacuum. This process was then repeated using a 200-grit pad which further cleans the Victorian tiles and improves their appearance and removed years of dirt and stains.

Victorian Hallway Floor Tile During Cleaning Victorian Hallway Floor Tile During Cleaning

The floor was then treated to an acid rinse using a dilution of Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up worked in with a Black scrubbing pad. This treatment further cleans the tiles and will counter any efflorescent salts which can build up in an old floor like this that doesn’t have a damp-proof membrane installed. These old floors need to breathe so moisture can rise through the tile and evaporate at the surface however carpet and underlay prevents this so efflorescence is always a concern. The acidic nature of the product also neutralises the pH level of the floor following the use of the strong alkaline cleaning products earlier.

After a further rinse the floor was dried with the wet vacuum and then left to dry off fully overnight ready for sealing the next day.

Sealing Victorian Tiles Tiles

Upon my return to the property, I took several moisture readings from the tiles which confirmed they had dried and were ready to be sealed. Sealing protects the tiles from ingrained dirt ensuring that dirt remains on the surface where it can be easily removed.
The sealer chosen for this floor was Tile Doctor Colour Grow which was chosen because its fully breathable thereby allowing moisture to pass through the tile, it also contains a colour enhancer that brings out the red colours in the clay tile.

Victorian Hallway Floor Tile During Sealing Victorian Hallway Floor Tile During Sealing

The hallway tiles now looked clean and much brighter, needless to say my customer was very happy with the transformation and by working in sections I was able minimise disruptions.

Victorian Hallway Floor Tile After Cleaning Sealing

 

Victorian Tiled Hallway Renovation in Yorkshire

Carpet Covered Victorian Tiled Hallway Renovated in York Read More »

Brazilian Slate Floor Before During After Renovation Harrogate

Renovating a Brazilian Slate Floor in a Harrogate Kitchen

Pictured below is a Slate tiled kitchen floor that had been installed in the kitchen of a property in Harrogate around fifteen years prior. I discovered that the tiles had never been cleaned and resealed since installation and this explained why they were now looking dull and un-interesting. They had lost all character and it wasn’t until I started cleaning them that I realised the must be of the multicoloured Brazilian Slate variety.

Slate Floor Before Cleaning Harrogate Kitchen

As well as looking dull and unattractive, there was also some water damage to some tiles caused by a leak, this had resulted in some shaling and efflorescence staining. This had occurred some time ago and the floor had now dried out fully, so I was not expecting any further efflorescence issues going forward.

Brazil, I understand is the world’s 2nd biggest producer of Slate, it is also exceptionally durable and reasonably priced so its not surprising you see a lot of it over in the UK. Like any natural stone however it is porous and without a sealer to protect it and bring out those natural colours it soon ends up like the example on this pad.

Cleaning a Brazilian Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor

I cleaned the floor with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean using my usual method of spraying the cleaning solution onto the Slate and grout and then leaving it for a ten minutes to soak in and get to work breaking down the dirt and old sealers. Although I doubted there was much sealer left on the floor after all this time you need to be sure to remove all of it to get the best result. The floor was then scrubbed with a rotary floor buffer fitted with a black scrubbing pad, then after rinsing with water and extracting the soil I inspected the floor.

I detected there was still some sort of sealer present in some of less used parts of the floor, it was proving stubborn to remove so I suspect it may have been an old fashioned wax based product that was used. Not a problem though we Tile Doctors have a solution to every problem, so I spot treated the stubborn areas with Tile Doctor Wax Away to see if I was right. After scrubbing that in followed by another rinse and extraction with the wet vacuum I was pleased to see I was right and was happy all the old seal had now been removed. I gave the floor another rinse at the end of the day and dried it as much as possible with the wet vacuum, then left it to dry off fully overnight.

Slate Floor After Cleaning Harrogate Kitchen

Sealing a Brazilian Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor

I came back the next day and checked the floor was dry with a damp meter. The readings were good, so I was able to crack on and seal the tiles using several coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go. Each coat was applied leaving time to dry between each layer. This gave the floor a uniform appearance which disguised the damaged tiles. It will also help to stop more cracking and reduce the appearance of the efflorescence. The sealer really brought out the natural colours in the Brazilian Slate and the floor looked transformed.

Slate Floor After Sealing Harrogate Kitchen

I’m sure you will agree it was a vast improvement, certainly my client was very happy and couldn’t believe the difference I had managed to achieve. Before leaving I recommended, they should invest in some Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which would ensure the newly applied seal was prematurely eroded away which is a problem with many of the stronger products you find in supermarkets.

 

Professional Restoration of a Slate Tiled Kitchen in North Yorkshire

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Victorian Floor Before and After Cleaning Sealing York

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Deep Cleaned and Sealed in York

This client had just moved into a property in York and having pulled back the old carpet revealed a lovely old period Victorian tiled floor she didn’t know existed when she bought the house!

I went over at the beginning of this year to survey the floor and could see that fortunately, no glue or carpet grips had been used to secure the carpet; additionally the floor was in good physical condition considering its age with no cracks or loose tiles. The tiles were however very dusty and dirty with ingrained dirt and so had probably been covered with carpet for a very long time. The hallway was quite dark I’m afraid with little natural light so apologies for the photographs.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Before Cleaning York

With old houses like this you never know what you are going to find so whilst I was there surveying the floor, I took some moisture readings with a damp meter on the floors and walls. The readings came back low so no sign of damp which was a relief to the owner.
We agreed a price for the work, and I arranged to come back the following week.

I must admit I do like York, its steeped in history and famous for its Cathedral and Viking museum. The houses in the city have loads of character and period features like this floor are quite common.

Deep Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor in York

I deep cleaned the floor with a strong 1:3 dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean worked in with a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine. Initially the solution was left to soak into the tile before being agitated by the machine. The soil was then rinsed off with minimal water and then extracted with a wet vacuum.

I followed this up with an Acid Wash using Tile Doctor Acid Gel to further clean up the tiles and help inhibit any potential efflorescent salt issues which are common in floors of this age due to the absence of the damp proof membrane. The floor was given a further rinse and extraction and allowed to dry out fully overnight. I needed the floor to be dry for the next day so it could be sealed.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

I came back the next day and started by taking more damp readings which showed similar readings to the day before. Given the low readings I was able to move straight onto sealing which was done using four coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go. This product works really well on old Victorian Tiles like these and being water based it doesn’t leave a smell as it dries.

Once the final coat of sealer had dried there was a significant improvement in the appearance of the floor which was much appreciated by client who was very happy with the end result.

Victorian Tiled Hallway After Cleaning York

For aftercare I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner to maintain the floor, it has a nice fresh smell and can be used regularly due to its pH neutral nature which won’t prematurely erode the sealer like stronger bleach based cleaners.

 

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in Yorkshire

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Deep Cleaned and Sealed in York Read More »

Mosaic Tiled Floor Before and After Renovation in Ilkley

Grade 1 Listed Mosaic Tiled Floor Renovated at Ilkley Manor House

Dating back to the 14th century, the Ilkley Manor House is a Grade 1 listed building with an original Italian mosaic floor, laid when the house was re-built 500 years ago. The property is maintained by charitable trust run by local volunteers with the aim of preserving and transforming the building into a community asset and they were keen to preserve the floor.

It was an honour to be asked by the Trust to work on the mosaic floor, I’ve worked on a lot of old building in my time and understand how to go about cleaning and preserving old floors such as this. The floor was about 8m2 and had stood the test of time but was now in need of a sympathetic deep clean and renovation.

I visited site to take a closer look at the floor and decide on the best course of action for cleaning. I knew I had to be very careful with the floor as some pieces were slightly loose, and some were crumbling. I was satisfied that I would be able to improve the floor and I gave them a quote for the works which they were happy to accept. We arranged to carry out the work the following month.

Cleaning a Mosaic Tiled Hallway Floor

As with all Victorian and Mosaic floors if you take a few out the surrounding tiles can become loose and before you know it 50 tiles need re-laying. As a result, I decided not to use a floor buffer and cleaned the whole floor by hand, I didn’t even use a wet vacuum in case the suction was too strong. This meant the process took a lot longer than usual, but I would rather be on the safe side than risk damaging the floor any further.

Mosaic Tiled Floor During Renovation Ilkley

Working in small sections I applied a combination of Tile Doctor Pro Clean combined with Tile Doctor Remove and Go and left it to soak in for ten minutes. Then using a white scouring pad instead of a brush, I carefully scrubbed each tile until it was clean. The difference in the floor was very noticeable as you can see from the before and after pictures.

The mosaic floor needed to be dry before sealing so I arranged to return two day later.

Sealing a Mosaic Tiled Hallway Floor

On returning the floor looked dry but I tested it with a moisture meter to be sure. I don’t recommend applying sealer to damp floors as it can comprise the effectively and lead to inconsistent results. Once I was satisfied, I applied three coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow, each coat was allowed to dry before I applied the next one. Colour Grow was an ideal choice for this floor, not only does it enhance the colour in the mosaics its also fully breathable which is important on old floors that don’t have a modern damp proof membrane installed.

Mosaic Tiled Floor After Renovation Ilkley

As you can see from the picture the floor looked great. The sealant had given the floor back its lustre and would now make it easier for them to maintain. For aftercare I suggested they use Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner, it’s a pH neutral product so it will be nice and gentle on the floor and ensure the newly applied seal last a lot longer.

 

Professional Restoration of a Mosaic Tiled Hallway in North West Yorkshire

Grade 1 Listed Mosaic Tiled Floor Renovated at Ilkley Manor House Read More »

Riven Slate Tiled Floor Renovation Horsforth

Cleaning and Sealing Riven Slate Floor Tiles in Horsforth

The pictures below are of a Riven Slate floor at a house in in the Leeds suburb of Horsforth which had been laid ten years prior. It’s probably difficult to appreciate from the images but the sealer on this floor was well worn through in the high traffic areas making it patchy in places. Without the protection of the sealer dirt was now ingrained in the pores of the stone leaving it looking dull. Riven slate is always tricky to clean thoroughly due to the rough surface and that combined with the ingrained dirt was making it very difficult to keep clean.

The floor now needed to be stripped of old sealer and then resealed and although I can provide a price for this over the phone my preference is to visit the property and survey the floor. In the case the owner had sent me some photographs via email however they were not too clear and so I felt it would be best if I paid the customer a visit to ensure I could give them an accurate price.

Slate Floor Before Cleaning Horsforth Leeds Slate Floor Before Cleaning Horsforth Leeds

The floor was indeed overdue a clean and seal, as suspected dirt was ingrained into the areas where the seal had worn off. The house was home to a very busy family, so the area was subject to the significant traffic. I carried out a test clean on a small area and they were surprised by the results, when you live with a floor for so long you don’t notice the very slow decline in its appearance. They agreed to my quote and we arranged a time to return and carry the deep clean out.

Cleaning a Riven Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor

When I arrived, I started off by protecting the skirting and surrounding woodwork. Given the rough surface of the floor I first applied Tile Doctor Wax Away which is a very effective coatings remover that is designed for removing wax but works very well in these situations. The product was left to dwell for a round ten minutes so it could get to work breaking down the old sealer and then scrubbed in using a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine.

This process removed most of the dirt and old sealer, but some stubborn patches remained. To treat these, I replaced the black pad with a coarse 200-grit burnishing pad and finally some handheld diamond burnishing blocks for the edges and corners where more intricate work was required, and the circular pads struggle to reach.

I gave the floor a rinse, and extracted the soil with a wet vacuum, the floor was then left to dry off overnight.

Sealing a Riven Slate Tiled Floor

The next day I returned, first the slate floor was checked for moisture using the moisture meter. Once I was happy it was within the correct parameters, I then sealed with four coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go. This is a modern water-based blend of acrylic polymers that provides both a stain resistant surface seal and a durable low-sheen finish also being water based there’s no smell as it dries.

Slate Floor After Cleaning Horsforth Leeds Slate Floor After Cleaning Horsforth Leeds

The sealer really brought the stone to back to life and the lovely colours in the natural stones were now evident. The patchy appearance of the floor was gone, and the customer was happy.

I discussed with them how they should maintain the floor and advised them to use Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner. This is pH neutral cleaner that won’t prematurely erode the new sealer like the stronger products you find in Supermarkets which are only for use on Vinyl and Ceramic floors.

 

Professional Renovation of a Riven Slate Tiled Kitchen in North West Yorkshire

Cleaning and Sealing Riven Slate Floor Tiles in Horsforth Read More »

Multicoloured Sandstone Floor After Cleaning East Keswick

Renovating a Multi Coloured Sandstone Hallway Floor in East Keswick

The pictures below are of a multi coloured sandstone floor installed at a property in East Keswick which is a village approximately halfway between Harrogate and Leeds. (Not to be confused with the more famous Keswick in the Lake District)

Multicoloured Sandstone Floor Before Cleaning East Keswick Multicoloured Sandstone Floor Before Cleaning East Keswick

The stone floor had not been cleaned professionally for ten years and although the grout looked clean It was clear that any sealer that was once present had long since worn off leaving the stone unprotected. The result was dirt had become deeply ingrained in the Sandstone leading causing the stone to darken and hide its true beauty and rich colouring. The client had tried lots of different products to clean the floor but had not had any luck.

I visited the property and carried out a few successful patch tests resulting in the floor becoming much cleaner. They were happy to go ahead with my quote and we arranged a time to return and complete the work.

Deep Cleaning a Multi-Coloured Sandstone Hallway Floor

I prepared the area before starting, taping up the skirting boards and doors to protect them from the splashing that can happen during the intensive cleaning process.

To get the sandstone clean I applied a medium dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean to the floor and allowed it to soak in for ten minutes. The solution was then worked into the Sandstone using a rotary floor machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad. More Pro-Clean was applied with a hand-held scrubbing brush to get deep into the grout lines and to reach into the corners.

Once done the floor was rinsed with water and the soil extracted with a wet vacuum. The floor was inspected, and the process repeated until I was satisfied that the stone and grout had released all the trapped dirt. After a final rinse, the wet vacuum was used to get as much moisture out of the stone as possible and then the floor left to dry out fully overnight.

Sealing a Multi Coloured Sandstone Tiled Hallway Floor

Returning the following morning, I first checked that the floor was dry using a damp meter. The sealer won’t cure if there is any moisture in the stone and I’ve been known to reschedule sealing a floor if the readings are too high. On this occasion I was satisfied that the floor was within acceptable levels, so I was ready to seal the floor.

I used three coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow to seal the floor, this is an impregnating sealer which intensifies natural colours whilst providing durable protection against stains, an essential feature in an area such as a hallway which is subject to constant foot traffic.

Multicoloured Sandstone Floor After Cleaning East Keswick Multicoloured Sandstone Floor After Cleaning East Keswick

As you can see from the photos the transformation was quite impressive, the floor became much lighter and almost unrecognisable, the natural colours of the stone were now visible, and the floor looked beautiful. The client was very happy with the end result and has said they would not hesitate to recommend me to others.

 

Professional Restoration of a Multi Coloured Sandstone Tiled Hallway in North West Yorkshire

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Shower Tile Grout Before After Cleaning Osmotherley North Yorkshire

Renovating a Mouldy Porcelain Tiled Shower Cubicle in Osmotherley

The pictures below are of a Porcelain tiled shower cubicle at a property I was asked to survey in the village of Osmotherley on the Western edge of the North York Moors national park. It had been tiled in two different types of Porcelain to achieve an impressive effect. Unfortunately, the tiles had now become discoloured with the usual build-up of soap dyes, soap scum and mould. To make things worse there were layers of silicon sealant that were more black than clear, making it look really dirty and unpleasant.

Mouldy Porcelain Shower Cubicle Before Cleaning Osmotherley

The client had contemplated trying to replace this themselves but recognised they could not achieve a good finish. We discussed the work to be done and agreed a price and a suitable date.

Mouldy Porcelain Shower Cubicle Before Cleaning Osmotherley Mouldy Porcelain Shower Cubicle Before Cleaning Osmotherley

Cleaning a Porcelain Tiled Shower Room

I first spayed the grout with Tile Doctor Pro-Clean in a 1:3 dilution with water to loosen the soap scum. Dependent on the situation and how soiled the tiles we will dilute the product accordingly. This was left to dwell for a short time, scrubbed and rinsed off. I then applied Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel to small 2 square metres areas of tile at a time and left for ten minutes before scrubbing it in to remove the grime. This process was repeated until all the walls were scrubbed down. It was amazing how much dirt and grime was removed. The resultant slurry was then rinsed off thoroughly with water and removed with the wet vacuum.

I then spent nearly four hours carefully removing the layers of silicone sealant, the sealant had been reapplied before on top of the existing by the previous owners. It was a tedious part of the job, but essential to remove all the sealant so we could get a nice finish when we came to reapply it. Also, to make sure there was no moisture trapped between the tile and tray l force dried it with a heat gun.

Sealing a Porcelain Tiled Shower Cubicle

Then a thin coat of quality mould resistant clear silicone was applied to provide a water proof barrier around the edges of the shower cubicle. This ensures that no water can escape from the cubicle and get behind the tiles or worse still leak through the ceiling. It is critical that this is water tight.

Mouldy Porcelain Shower Cubicle After Cleaning Osmotherley Mouldy Porcelain Shower Cubicle After Cleaning Osmotherley

You can see from the pictures a massive transformation in the appearance of the shower, it now looks a lot more inviting and appealing to use!

For aftercare I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Duo Clean which is an effective double action grout cleaner and mould remover designed for use in bathrooms.

Mouldy Porcelain Shower Cubicle After Cleaning Osmotherley

 

Professional Restoration of Porcelain Tiled Shower Room in North West Yorkshire

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Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Before and After Cleaning York

Dirty Victorian Tiled Hallway Deep Cleaned and Sealed in York

As promised below are the photographs from the second floor I cleaned recently at a house in historic city of York. If you recall the first floor was Mexican Terracotta which proved pretty tough to clean as the rotary floor scrubber I use struggled to cope with the bull nose edges. You can find the article I created for that floor via the link below:

Mexican Terracotta Tiles Deep Cleaned in York.

The second floor was a Victorian tiled hallway which like its neighbour was dull, lifeless and now overdue a deep clean to remove ingrained dirt, part worn sealer and then reseal.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Before Cleaning York

Cleaning Victorian Tiles Tiles

As with the Terracotta tiles I cleaned the floor using a strong 1:3 dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean with water. This is a strong dilution ratio which will not only clean the tile but also strip off what was left of the original sealer. You need to do this as the sealer will wear off first in the most commonly used part of the floor first which in this case is down the middle of the hallway. I left the solution it to soak into the tile for about ten minutes before scrubbing it in with a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary floor machine. I the scrubbed along the grout lines with more pro-clean and a stiff narrow brush by hand to ensure the grout was also clean.

The floor was rinsed with water and the soiled cleaning solution was extracted using a wet vacuum. I could then see those area’s that needed more work and re-treated them with more Pro-Clean until I was satisfied all the previous sealer was gone and the tile and grout was as clean as it could be.

The tiles were given a final rinse with water and the wet vacuum used again to extract as much moisture off the floor as possible. The next step would be to seal, however the Terracotta floor tiles needed a longer drying time so I left both floors to dry out for two days before returning.

Sealing Victorian Tiles Tiles

Upon my return to the property I ran some quick damp tests, which revealed the tiles were ready to be sealed. I then applied four coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go which provided a beautiful satin finish that really improved the look of Victorian Tile.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor After Cleaning York
The hallway tiles now looked clean and much brigher, needless to say my customer was very happy with the transformation.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Deep Cleaned and Resealed in Yorkshire

Dirty Victorian Tiled Hallway Deep Cleaned and Sealed in York Read More »

Mexican Terracotta Floor Before and After Cleaning York

Dirty Mexican Terracotta Tile and Grout Deep Cleaned and Sealed in York

A few months back I posted a story about cleaning Catalan Terracotta tiles where I mentioned that Terracotta tiles are made all over the world. To prove the point I thought you might be interested to read about this Mexican Terracotta Tiled floor I cleaned recently at a house in York.

The customer actually had two floors they wanted me to clean, the other was a Victorian Tiled floor which is cleaned using a similar process but I’ll post about that separately. Both floors looked a bit tired but especially the Mexican Terracotta which looked dull and lifeless additionally the Grout had gone black when it should have been a Sandstone colour.

Mexican Terracotta Floor Before Cleaning York Mexican Terracotta Floor Before Cleaning York

Mexican Terracotta tiles are invariably hand made and made to the same standard as other makes such as Spanish, as a result the porosity levels between each tile can vary greatly which makes them harder to maintain.

Cleaning Mexican Terracotta Tiles

I cleaned the floor using a strong 1:3 dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean with water which is an effective alkaline Tile and Grout cleaner that will clean and strip old sealers from tiles when used in a strong dilution such as on this occasion. I left it to soak into the tile for about ten minutes before scrubbing it in with a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary floor machine. This process made a different but the machine couldn’t cope with the “Bull Nose” edges to I had so spend a lot of time cleaning the old fashioned way using a scrubbing brush and a lot of elbow grease. I had the same issue with the grout which being slightly recessed wasn’t cleaned sufficiently by the machine; however I have narrow scrubbing brush that works well for this purpose.

Mexican Terracotta Floor During Cleaning York
The floor was rinsed with water and the soiled cleaning solution was extracted using a wet vacuum. I could then see those area’s that needed more work and spot cleaned them with more Pro-Clean until I was satisfied all the previous sealer was gone and the tile and grout was as clean as it could be.

The tiles were given a final rinse with water and the wet vacuum used again to extract as much moisture off the floor as possible. The next step would be to seal, however the tiles would need to be dry for that to happen and given Terracotta is notoriously porous and absorbs water quickly l decided after I’d leave the floor to dry out for two days.

Sealing Mexican Terracotta Tiles

Upon my return to the property I ran some quick damp tests, which revealed the tiles were ready to be sealed. I then applied four coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go which provides a satin finish and really improves the look of Terracotta.

Mexican Terracotta Floor After Cleaning York Mexican Terracotta Floor After Cleaning York

My customer was very happy with the transformation that had occurred to their floor and I think you will agree from the photographs the floor looks much healthier.

Mexican Terracotta Tile and Grout Renovated in Yorkshire

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Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Before and After Cleaning Halifax

Dirty Catalan Terracotta Tiles Restored at a Halifax Farmhouse

Terracotta tiles are made all over the world and not surprisingly are very popular around the Mediterranean which is where these Catalan Terracotta Tiles were imported from.

Catalan Terracotta Before Cleaning Halifax Farmhouse Catalan Terracotta Before Cleaning Halifax Farmhouse

They had been installed in a large former farmhouse outside of Halifax in West Yorkshire about twenty years earlier and had never really been subject to an effective maintenance regime. They were now looking very tired and dirty indeed and well overdue a deep clean and reseal.

Cleaning Spanish Terracotta Tiles

I cleaned the floor using a 1:3 dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean with water which is an effective alkaline Tile and Grout cleaner that will clean and strip old sealers from tiles when used in a strong dilution such as on this occasion. I left it to soak into the tile for about ten minutes before scrubbing it in with a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary floor machine. This process got most of the dirt off but the pad didn’t have good contact with all the tiles as many were convex in shape as Catalan tiles often are. This became apparent after rinsing the soiled cleaning solution off the floor with more water and extracting the soil with a wet vacuum.

To make sure all the missed areas were cleaned I applied more Pro-Clean and scrubbed them by hand with a scrubbing brush. I also took the opportunity to clean the grout as well which was a long job as the tiles were only 6 inches square so there was a lot of grout to do.
The little white tile inserts between the Terracotta tiles are called Tacos and they came up particularly well during cleaning.

Catalan Terracotta During Cleaning Halifax Farmhouse

Sealing Spanish Terracotta Tiles

Once the clean had been completed I left the tiles to dry off for two days before returning to seal them. It’s important that the tiles are bone dry before applying a sealer as any moisture can cause unexpected results.

Upon my return to the property I ran some quick damp tests, which revealed the tiles were ready to be sealed. I then applied four coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go, our topical sealer which provides a satin finish and really improves the look of Terracotta floor.

Catalan Terracotta After Cleaning Halifax Farmhouse Catalan Terracotta After Cleaning Halifax Farmhouse

My customer was very happy with the finished result and I think you will agree the floor looks so much brighter and healthier.

Professional Terracotta Tile Maintenance in Yorkshire

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