Remove and Go Archives - North West Yorkshire Tile Doctor

Flagstone Floor Restoration Kirkstall Leeds

150 Year Old Carpet Covered Flagstone Floor Transformed in Kirkstall Leeds

The new owners of this property in Kirkstall near Leeds discovered this 150 years old Flagstone floor under carpet shortly after moving in. Keen to have it restored as an original feature I was asked to quote for restoring it back to its original condition, or as close to that as possible given its age.

As you can see from the photos, the stone itself was very dirty and had lost all of its character. Other problems included the removal of the old glues used to secure the carpet, and the latex screed that had been used to level it and even some nails.

Flagstone Floor Before Renovation Kirkstall Leeds

To restore the appearance of the floor I recommended milling the floor with a set of very coarse diamond pads that would remove a thin layer of stone off the top and reveal new stone underneath. I would use water to help lubricate the process and keep the dust down, but it would still be a messy a job, the advantage however would be the stone would be transformed by the process.

Although difficult to comprehend I was able to show them some examples of similar floors that had received this treatment. Happy with the potential outcome the quote was accepted, and a date set for the work to begin.

Cleaning a Flagstone Tiled Living Area

The first job was to remove as much of the adhesives and latex screed as possible from the floor. This was done using Tile Doctor Remove and Go to soften them before being scraped off manually and with the help of a coarse 50-grit diamond pad. The floor was then rinsed to remove the slurry that was generated and then extracted using a wet vacuum.

Flagstone Floor During Renovation Kirkstall Leeds

A set of milling pads were then attached to a weighted floor buffer and run over each slab several times to cut through the stone surface. Water was used to lubricate the process, however as mentioned earlier this process generates a lot of stone dust so a lot of rinsing and extracting needs to happen to remove it.

Flagstone Floor During Renovation Kirkstall Leeds

I used a lot of water during the milling and It’s important that the floor is dry before sealing so I left the floor for a few days before returning to apply the sealer.

Sealing a Flagstone Tiled Living Area

Old floors like this don’t have the benefit of a damp proof membrane so it is important to use a fully breathable sealer that will allow moisture to rise through the floor so it can evaporate at the surface. Failing to observe this can result in damp building up under the floor where it can reach out to the walls resulting in rising damp.

With this in mind I chose to seal the floor using two coats of Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal which is a fully breathable impregnator. It’s also oil-based so it adds structure and colour to the stone really bringing it to life.

Flagstone Floor After Restoration Kirkstall Leeds

The work not only restored the flagstones but completely transformed the floor, the flagstones now have an impressive depth of colour that was simply unimaginable at the start, needless to say my client was extremely happy.

Flagstone Floor After Restoration Kirkstall Leeds

For aftercare cleaning I recommended Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a gentle but effective tile cleaner that won’t impact the longevity of the sealer.

Professional Restoration of a Flagstone Floor in North Yorkshire

150 Year Old Carpet Covered Flagstone Floor Transformed in Kirkstall Leeds Read More »

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Restoration Thirsk

Damaged 135-Year-Old Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Fully Restored in Thirsk

This Victorian tiled hallway floor at a property on the outskirts of Thirsk was approximately 135 years old and was in need of deep cleaning and repair. As far as the owners were aware it had never been professionally cleaned but was sealed many times before with some type of varnish/linseed oil.

Unsurprisingly for its age the tiles were fairly worn and unfortunately had some suffered damaged due to the installation of heating pipework that was run under the floor. This area had simply been backfilled with cement and my client asked for this to be replaced with tiles that match the existing type and pattern. The was floor was then to be restored to the best condition possible given its age.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Before Restoration Thirsk

I’ve worked on these sorts of issues before so more than happy to take on the project. It took a little time to track down the replacement tiles but once I had everything costed, I was able provide an accurate quote to the owner who gave the go ahead to start the work.

Cleaning and Repairing a Victorian Tiled Hallway

To start I gave the whole floor a deep clean with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go combined with Tile Doctor Pro-Clean to remove the several coatings from the tiles worked in with coarse 100 and 200-grit diamond pads fitted to a rotary machine. I also used hand-held diamond blocks around the edges. The soiling was then rinsed off with water and extracted with a powerful wet vacuum.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor During Cleaning Thirsk

Next, I turned my attention to the damaged areas where the tiles had been dug out and backfilled with cement. This cement was at the same height as the floor, so it had to be carefully removed and then replaced with a lower screed mix with protection over the pipes to stop any corrosion.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor During Repair Thirsk

Once the screed had set the area was re-tiled using the replacements I had managed to source earlier making various cuts as required to achieve the original geometric pattern.

The repaired and cleaned floor was then left for approximately four days until it was dry enough to seal. These old floors don’t have the benefit of a damp proof course and sealers work best when applied to dry tiles, so it is always worth waiting if there is any doubt.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway

On my return I used a moisture meter to confirm the floor was dry and ready to be sealed.
The hallway is above ground level and away from the problems of rising moisture, however it is important to use a breathable sealer on these old floors that will allow any moisture to evaporate at the surface and not get trapped underneath where it could cause problems.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor During Sealing Thirsk

So, for this floor we used Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra which is breathable and results in a nice shine finish which the client requested. Four coats where needed before the tiles were fully sealed.

The client was very pleased with the result and even added a tip to their payment.

“Thanks Chris, all paid. – I added something extra for some beers or a meal down at Piece Hall as a thank you!”

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor After Restoration Thirsk

The new sealer will keep the dirt on the surface of the floor where it can be easily cleaned away. For which I recommend using Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner, it’s a gentle but effective product that won’t impact the sealer.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor in North Yorkshire

Damaged 135-Year-Old Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Fully Restored in Thirsk Read More »

Salt Stained Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovated in Green Hammerton York

Removing Staining from a Terracotta Floor Due to a Leaking Dishwater in Green Hammerton

1 Comment / Terracotta Tile Cleaning, York Tile Cleaning / Chris Allen

These photos came from a property in the village of Green Hammerton on the outskirts of York. The terracotta floor tiles were fairly old, we believe around 30 years and had been the victim of a leaking dishwasher which had resulted in staining and efflorescent salt deposits. You can see this next on the tiles next to the kitchen kick boards in the photograph below.

Stained Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning Green Hammerton York

The client wanted the staining removed and the tiles restored to their original condition, however they were happy with a large part of the floor and so only wanted the impacted section cleaning. I was happy to do this however, I did raise a concern that the section I would be working on wouldn’t blend in with the rest of the floor.

Cleaning a Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor

I first treated the tiles with Tile Doctor Remove and Go to clean and remove the old sealers. This was applied in the usual way of spraying the affected section with a strong dilution, letting it soak in for ten minutes and then scrubbing it in with a black pad fitted to a rotary machine. The resultant slurry was then removed using a wet vacuum.

To cure the efflorescent salt problems the tiles was then treated to an acid rinse using Tile Doctor Acid Gel. The gel was applied to the floor and scrubbed in with a deck brush before being rinsed off and extracted as before. Being a gel its is very easy to control allowing the acid to dissolve the alkaline salts in the floor and further cleans the Terracotta to remove old grout stains.

Sealing a Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor

I let the tiles dry out for a few days, then used a handheld polishing machine to remove any residues and prepare the surface for a fresh sealer. I used a few coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow as a base and then a light coat of Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra for the finish to match the rest of the floor. This saved the client the expense of having all the floor stripped, deep cleaned and re-sealed. My client was happy with the result which had solved their problem.

Stained Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor After Renovation Green Hammerton York

For aftercare cleaning I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner to keep the floor in great condition. This is a pH neutral product which means it ill not strip the newly applied sealer like an acidic household cleaner would. It is mild enough to use daily if needed and has a lovely fresh fragrance. It is therefore perfect for a heavy traffic area such as the kitchen.

Professional Renovation of a Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor in North Yorkshire

Removing Staining from a Terracotta Floor Due to a Leaking Dishwater in Green Hammerton Read More »