floor cleaning Archives - North West Yorkshire Tile Doctor

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Renovation York Guesthouse

Renovating Carpet Covered Victorian Tiled Floors at a York Guesthouse

A guesthouse in the popular city of York contacted Tile Doctor regarding a couple of original Victorian tiled floors in the ground floor hallway. The property was approximately 150 years old and at some point, in the past the tiles had been covered with carpet secured with gripper rods around the edges that were fixed to the tile with a strong adhesive.

The guesthouse had been undergoing renovations and the floors were understandably the last item on the list. The request was to restore the original Victorian floor as close as possible to their original condition and create an impressive period feature at the same time.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Before Cleaning York Guesthouse

After inspecting the tiles, I could see both floors needed repair work however due to the time pressure in getting the guest house open again the request was reduced to a deep clean and then protecting with a hard-wearing sealer. I was happy to do that in fact I find old floors like this example look more authentic when they show some age.

I worked out a quote to do the work which was accepted and was able to find a gap in my diary that suited their timescales.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Before Cleaning York Guesthouse

Cleaning Victorian Tiles Tiles

To get the floor clean a free of adhesive a strong combination of Tile Doctor Remove and Go and Pro-Clean was applied to the tiles and left to soak in for fifteen minutes. This gives the solution time to breakdown the adhesives and dirt trapped in the floor. Then the floor was scrubbed with a 100-grit diamond pad attached to a rotary machine that had added weights to increase traction. We often find when tiled floor have been covered for a long time that patterns in the carpet/underlay imprint themselves onto the tile and a diamond pad will remove it. Once a section of flooring had been cleaned in this the soiling was extracted using a powerful industrial wet vacuum and the process repeated with a 200-grit pad.

To complete the cleaning of the old Victorian tiles they were treated to an acid wash using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up which further cleans the floor. It will also counter any salts that may be present in the floor which can appear as white efflorescence as the floor dries. The product was applied to the tiles and then scrubbed in with a black pad before a through rinse and extraction to remove any trace of cleaning product.

The floor responded well to the treatment and was then left to dry so it would be ready for the next step of sealing.

Sealing Victorian Tiles Tiles

To achieve a durable protective finish that can stand up to the constant traffic of a guest house several coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow were applied leaving 30 minutes drying time between coats. This sealer is a hard-wearing impregnator that soaks into the pores of the tile protecting it from within and ensuring dirt remains on the surface where it can be easily cleaned away.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor After Renovation York Guesthouse

The customer was extremely happy with the results and gave us the following five star review:

“Great work by Chris and Zak, they restored our very old Victorian tile floor that we discovered under the carpet and did an amazing job. The colour has returned and the hallway now looks incredible. Very friendly people and easy to communicate with. 100% recommended.”

To get maximum longevity out of the sealer I recommend using Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a mild yet effective cleaner. Stronger products that are often used in commercial environments usually contain bleach and will degrade the sealer so best avoided.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor After Renovation York Guesthouse

Victorian Tiled Hallway Renovation in Yorkshire

Renovating Carpet Covered Victorian Tiled Floors at a York Guesthouse Read More »

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

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

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 »

Dirty Victorian Tiled Hallway Deep Cleaned and Sealed in York

1 Comment / Victorian Tile Cleaning, Work History, York Tile Cleaning / Nigel Stoker

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 »

Quarry Tiled Floor Cleaned and Sealed in Great Ouseburn

1 Comment / Knaresborough Tile Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Work History / Nigel Stoker

This Quarry tiled floor was in the hallway of a residence in Great Ouseburn near York, the tiles were in a dreadful state with plaster, carpet glue and what appeared to be one hundred years of dirt. Were often being asked to restore old tiled floors that have been hidden under carpet since the 1970 when taste’s changes and this one seemed no different.

Quarry Tiles In Great Ouseburn Before Cleaning

Cleaning Hallway Quarry Tiles

To tackle the glue the floor was covered with a dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go which was left to dwell on the floor for an hour to soften before being scrapped off with a paint scrapper. I should mention Remove and Go is a powerful coatings remover which is safe to use on tile and stone. Once happy with that all traces of the glue had been removed the floor was washed down with clean water and the solution was removed using a wet vacuum.

The plaster was then attacked with Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up which is an Acid based product that we normally use for removing grout smears from tiles however it works just as well with plaster and can also remove mineral deposits and rust stains. You have to be quick with an acid on tile though as prolonged exposure can damage the tile, once done the tiles were washed down again.

The next step was to scrub the whole floor using a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad and a strong one to one dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean to ensure we have removed all the dirt and grime for the tile, again once done the floor was rinsed with clean water to neutralise the tile before sealing. The wet vacuum was used again to remove the soiled cleaning solution and reduce the drying time of the floor.

Sealing Hallway Quarry Tiles

We returned the next day to seal the floor which we did using four coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go which will provide protection going forward and also leaves a beautiful satin finish on the surface of the tile. The customers were very surprised and happy with the results, it’s a great bonus when you exceed a customer’s expectations.

Quarry Tiles In Great Ouseburn After Cleaning

Old Quarry Tiles Restored in Great Ouseburn near York

Quarry Tiled Floor Cleaned and Sealed in Great Ouseburn Read More »