Porcelain Tile Cleaning

Welcome to my Work History archive where you will find detailed examples of the cleaning and renovation of Porcelain tiles carried out in North West Yorkshire

Cleaning and Polishing Porcelain tiles

Harder than ceramic tiles modern production methods have allowed a growth in the availability and design of Porcelain tiles which are known for their durability and water resistance making them a popular option for floors. Like Ceramic, Porcelain tiles are generally very easy to clean and need little maintenance however some are micro porous and do require sealing, you will need to ask you supplier which type you have installed as it can be very difficult to tell.

If your Porcelain tiles are of the micro porous variety then they will need to be sealed to avoid a build-up of dirt in the pores of the tile. For this we recommend Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal which works by impregnating the pores to ensure dirt can’t become ingrained there without changing the appearance of the tile itself.

Apart from sealing the biggest issues with this type of tile are usually grout related. Either the adjacent grout discolours over time or the tiler has been unable to remove excess grout from the surface of the tile, an issue known as Grout Haze or Grout Smears. Modern grouts can be particularly susceptible to the grout haze issue due to shorter working times and polymers in the grout which make it difficult to remove once dry. If this sounds familiar do contact us so we can advise you on how best to remove it.

Below you will find detailed examples of work we have carried out in the past, it should give you some idea of what’s involved and what can be achieved with the right techniques and products.


Porcelain Tiled Shower Before After Grout Haze Removal Leeds

Grout Haze Removed from Textured Porcelain Shower Tiles in Leeds

These pictures show very fine textured porcelain tiles that had been installed in a shower cubicle at a property in Leeds that did not have the grout cleaned off properly. It’s worth knowing that we cover the whole city of Leeds which has one of the most diverse economies in the UK and is known as its second biggest legal and financial centre after London.

On arrival it was clear where the problem lay. Unfortunately, the tiler who had installed the tiles had not been very diligent in removing the excess grout afterwards leaving it to dry on the surface where it had become stuck in the surface of the textured tile. This is a problem commonly referred to as Grout Haze, the tiles are literally smeared in grout and once it has set no amount of household cleaner will remove the residue.

Textured Porcelain Tiles with Grout Haze Leeds

To add to the problem the situation with the grout haze had not been resolved after installation in-fact it had been fitted a few years prior and a build-up of soap scum and stains from the dyes in shampoo products had made the shower cubicle look worse.

Tile Doctors have a solution for every problem and I knew exactly how to remove the grout smearing and revamp the whole shower cubicle. Confident I could get them cleaned up in less than a day we agreed a price and booked the work in to be done.

Textured Porcelain Tiles with Grout Haze Leeds Textured Porcelain Tiles with Grout Haze Leeds

Cleaning Porcelain Tiled Shower Cubicle

Before tackling the Grout Haze, I needed to clean the tile and grout, so I started with an application of Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel which being a gel sticks well to vertical surfaces such as wall tiles allowing it dwell longer and really breakdown the dirt. I worked on one square metre at a time leaving it to dwell for ten minutes and then scrubbed in with a scouring pad. The area is quite small, so it was easiest to do the work by hand rather than using the rotary hand buffer. The area was then rinsed thoroughly to remove the soil and any remaining product.

Next while the tile was still wet l applied Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up to tackle the grout smears. Grout Clean-up is an acid, so you do need to be careful however it is the only thing that will remove grout once it’s dried, also I wouldn’t recommend using it on natural stone as it can etch the surface however these tiles were Porcelain. The process worked well although some tiles needed to be re-treated to get rid of all the smears.

I rinsed again with water and then dried with a heat gun to make sure no marks or stains came back when completely dry. Happy that the tiles and grout were now as clean as possible, and the area was fully dried out, all that remained was to strip out the old stained silicone sealer and replace with new.

Silicone Sealing a Porcelain Tiled Shower Cubicle

We do have a product called Duo-Clean that can clean up silicone but my preference in this case was to strip out the old with a sharp knife and replace with new. I find this really adds to the renovation of the cubicle completing the transformation. It also ensures the cubicle is left waterproof and less likely to have a leak develop in the old silicone in future.

Textured Porcelain Tiles after Grout Haze Removed Leeds Textured Porcelain Tiles after Grout Haze Removed Leeds

It is amazing the difference the clean-up made. The client now has the shower cubicle they had hoped for and are happy to use every day, they were very pleased with the results.

Textured Porcelain Tiles after Grout Haze Removed Leeds

 

Professional Shower Cubicle Renovation in North Yorkshire

Grout Haze Removed from Textured Porcelain Shower Tiles in Leeds Read More »

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

Renovating a Mouldy Porcelain Tiled Shower Cubicle in Osmotherley Read More »

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North West Yorkshire Tile Doctor

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