Guiseley Archives - North West Yorkshire Tile Doctor

Soot-Stained Limestone Fireplace Renovated in Guiseley

Detailed below is the cleaning of a Limestone Fireplace surround and hearth at a property in Guiseley near Yeadon on the outskirts of Leeds. Soot

The fireplace had been installed approximately five years prior and was now badly stained with soot and smoke from the wood burner and this readily stood out against the pale Limestone. Having decided to do something about it the owner tried cleaning it but was unhappy with the result and decided to call in some professional help.

Soot-Stained Limestone Fireplace Before Cleaning Guiseley Yeadon

Happy to oblige I was able to provide a quote based on photographs which was accepted and a date scheduled for the renovation which would only take a few hours.

Cleaning a Limestone Tiled Fireplace

Work started by adding protection to the surrounding carpets and the metal work of the log burner. Then to get the Limestone clean I decanted a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean into a spray bottle and sprayed it on to the stone. The spray mixes the solution with air making it lighter and more able to stick to the vertical surface. You can also use Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel for this which is a similar gel-based product. After leaving it to soak in for ten minutes the solution was worked in, using handheld diamond blocks of increasing grits.

Soot-Stained Limestone Fireplace During Cleaning Guiseley Leeds

Sealing a Limestone Tiled Fireplace

Once dry, the fire surround and hearth were sealed with Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal sealer to help protect from more soot. This is an invisible sealer that works by soaking into the pores of the Limestone protecting it from within. This keeps dirt and contaminants on the surface where they can be easily cleaned away with a product such as Tile Doctor Stone Soap. It’s important to use a pH neutral product for the regular maintenance cleaning
of sealed stone as stronger products will erode the sealer prematurely.

Soot-Stained Limestone Fireplace After Cleaning Guiseley Leeds

Once complete the Fireplace looked like new again much to the delight of the homeowner who left the following 5 Star feedback for me:

“Limestone Fireplace in the lounge is very badly stained with soot and smoke. Got in touch with Chris Allen and he did a splendid job bringing it back to its original state. Excellent craftsmanship and kept us informed of what was going on and how to care for the Fireplace in future. Very knowledgeable and lovely gent to have done the work.”

Professional Renovation of a Limestone Fireplace in Northwest Yorkshire

Botched Yorkstone Tiled Floor Instalation Resolved in Guiseley

1 Comment / Leeds Tile Cleaning, Sandstone Tile Cleaning, Work History / Nigel Stoker

In an interesting turn of events, I was recently contacted again by a homeowner from Guiseley, near Leeds, with whom I had been in touch with two years prior. At that time, I had quoted for cleaning and maintenance work to be carried out on a Yorkshire Stone, or ‘Yorkstone’ tiled floor, but the customer had opted to go with a different company. Yorkstone is a variety of Sandstone that it unique to the quarries of Yorkshire.

When the customer called me again, she explained that the previous work – most likely carried out by inexperienced cowboy builders – had been disastrous. The stone evidently had not bene properly cleaned and very little sealer had been used to protect it against wear and tear. The result was a very dirty and dusty floor – and the only solution was to start the restoration process over again, this time with the help of a true professional!

Here’s a photo of what the floor looked like before the restoration:

Yorkshire Stone Floor Guiseley Leeds Before Cleaning

Cleaning Dull and Dirty Yorkstone Tiles

Since the floor had not been cleaned properly to begin with, there were several unsightly paint stains on the stone in addition to general dirt and stains. To remove these, I applied Tile Doctor Pro Clean, which is a reliable alkaline cleaner, liberally across the floor and left it dwell for a short period. I then used a wire brush to scrub away the muck.

The customer had asked the builder to grout the tiles to reduce the likelihood of trapped dirt and make the floor feel complete. For whatever reason, builder either wouldn’t or couldn’t oblige, so I grouted the whole floor as well, much to the customer’s delight.

Sealing Yorkstone Tiles

Once the floor was fresh and clean, it was left to dry completely so it could subsequently be sealed.

My choice of sealer was Tile Doctor Seal and Go, a topical sealer which provides both a stain resistant surface seal and a durable and aesthetically-pleasing low-sheen finish to really enhance the character of the stone. Four coats of sealer were used in total to ensure maximum protection.

Here’s what the floor looked like after the restoration:

Yorkshire Stone Floor Guiseley Leeds After Cleaning

After cowboy builders had botched the job, the customer was exceptionally happy that the situation had finally been put right. The floor is now in top shape and will be protected against wear and tear for a long time to come.

Professional Restoration of a Dirty Yorkstone Tiled Floor in North Yorkshire

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