Pro-Clean Archives - Stirling Tile Doctor

Limestone Kitchen Floor Renovation Crianlarich

Heavily Soiled Limestone Kitchen Floor Renovated in Crianlarich

Earlier this year I attended a home in Crianlarich to work on a Limestone Kitchen floor. The stone floor was pretty grubby and proving difficult to keep clean. It was clear to me that the sealer that had once protected the stone had been worn away leaving it vulnerable to ingrained dirt. This process happens so slowly you don’t really notice it.

Limestone Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning Crianlarich

I carried out a small test clean to demonstrate just how bad the problem was and the improvement made by the cleaning was quite a contrast. Impressed by this and now looking forward to a transformed floor I was asked to provide a price for the renovation.

I worked out a quote which included deep cleaning the tile and grout, polishing the Limestone and then sealing the whole floor with a hard-wearing sealer. They were happy to go ahead, and we scheduled a date in for the work, it was only a small area so would not take too long.

Cleaning a Limestone Tiled Kitchen Floor

To get the tile and grout clean I started with a 1 to 4 dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which was sprayed onto the floor and left to soak in for ten minutes. The dwell times gives the product time to breakdown the dirt and old sealer before being worked into the floor using a Black Scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary buffer machine. The pads are run over each tile multiple times to lift the dirt from the pores of the stone.

After rinsing the tiles and extracting the soiling with a wet vacuum it was time to refine the appearance of the Limestone using a set of diamond burnishing pads of different grits. This process starts with a coarse 400-grit burnishing pad and then repeated with a medium 800-grit pad and a fine 1500-grit pad. The floor is rinsed and extracted after each pad to remove the slurry generated during the process.

The next step was to scrub the grout lines using more Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. I find this is best done manually, as the pads can struggle to reach the recesses of the grout lines. Once complete, the floor was rinsed and extracted multiple times to neutralize it and remove any remaining product.

The floor was then left to dry off overnight.

Sealing a Limestone Tiled Kitchen Floor

On my return the next day work started with the application of the last of the four burnishing pads which is a an extra-fine 3000-grit. This pad further refines the stone and is applied dry to the floor, with only a light misting of water sprayed onto the tile – a process we call a “Spray Burnish”. This leaves the floor nice and dry, and ready for the final step of sealing.

Having discussed sealers and the difference finishes that can be achieved with the customer earlier we had decided upon Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal. This is an almost invisible sealer that leaves the Limestone looking very natural. It works by seeping into the stone, occupying the pores and thereby preventing dirt from becoming ingrained there. This ensures dirt remains on the surface where it can be easily cleaned away. Only two coats of Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal were needed to fully seal the stone, leaving around 30 minutes of drying time between coats.

Limestone Kitchen Floor After Cleaning Sealing Crianlarich

I think you will agree from the photographs the Limestone floor was transformed by the renovation process and now looks so much cleaner and lighter in colour. The Kitchen now looks much more appealing and inviting much to the delight of my customers.

For the ongoing care of this polished stone floor, we recommend using Tile Doctor Stone Soap. It is a gentle yet effective cleaner that helps maintain the patina without damaging the sealer, ensuring the floor’s finish lasts for a long time.

Professional Cleaning and Polishing of a Limestone Tiled Kitchen Floor in Stirling

Heavily Soiled Limestone Kitchen Floor Renovated in Crianlarich Read More »

Ceramic Tiled Floor Grout Restoration in Cumbernauld

Discoloured and missing Grout Restored on a Ceramic Tiled Floor in Cumbernauld

These clients in Cumbernauld had recently moved into a new home with light grey ceramic tiles covering the kitchen, dining area, and lounge floors. Whilst the tiles were mostly in good condition and the clients wanted to keep them, the grout was a problem. The grout was discoloured throughout the installation and in some places, it was damaged or completely missing.

Ceramic Tiled Floor Before After Damage Repaired Cumbernauld

Discoloured grout is one of the main problems we find with ceramic or porcelain tiled floors, this is because the tiles are impervious, and any dirt tends to get washed off into the grout line. The surface of grout is porous and so it will attract dirt over time and unless its sealed it will start to stain and discolour.

Having reviewed the floors, I recommended deep cleaning the tiles paying particular attention to the grout lines, replacing grout where required and then applying a grout colourant to achieve a consistent appearance throughout. Grout colourants seal in the grout thereby making it as impervious as the adjacent tiles and much easier to keep clean.

Happy with my quote we set a date for my return to do the renovation.

Deep Cleaning and Recolouring Grout on a Ceramic Tiled Floor

To thoroughly clean the tiles and grout I applied a 5 to 1 dilution of Tile Doctors Pro-Clean and left it to soak into the tiles for ten minutes. Then using a stiff bristle brush the solution was worked over the tiles and the soiling removed using a wet vacuum. The grout was then cleaned separately using the same approach with a grout brush. The floor was rinsed with clean, cold water and dried as much as possible with the wet vacuum.

Once the cleaning was complete, the damaged grout was removed and repaired using a light grey flexible grout, matching the desired recolouring.

Ceramic Tiled Floor During Grout Repairs Cumbernauld

The recolouring process had to be done carefully in small sections to prevent the solution from drying on the tile surfaces and causing staining or damage. We selected to use Tile Doctor Grout Colourant in light grey. This product is available in eleven shades. This is a slow process, but the results are well worth the time spent.

Ceramic Tiled Floor During Grout Colouring Cumbernauld

The recoloured grout gave the entire floor a lighter, refreshed appearance. It’s a cost-effective way to renew the space and certainly much quicker than regrouting.

The clients were very pleased with the result, which is evident in the before and after photos showing the repaired tile at the doorway, regrouting the floor and the lounge floor showing the difference between recoloured grout and old grout.

As the tiles are ceramic there is no requirement to apply a sealer, they are sealed with a glaze at the factory. For aftercare cleaning I recommend Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a pH neutral product that won’t impact the grout colour. The stronger floor cleaning products you find in supermarkets can be too strong and often contain bleach.

Ceramic Tiled Floor After Grout Repair and Colouring Cumbernauld

Professional Grout Restoration on a Ceramic Tiled Floor

Discoloured and missing Grout Restored on a Ceramic Tiled Floor in Cumbernauld Read More »

Terracotta Tiled Conservatory Floor Renovation Bannockburn

Cleaning and Sealing Terracotta Tiled Flooring in Bannockburn

1 Comment / Bannockburn Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Terracotta Tile Cleaning / Chris Munro

This cottage in Bannockburn had 70m2 of Terracotta tiled flooring in various rooms across the property including the conservatory, kitchen, utility room and porch. The tiles had not been sealed since they were laid 30 years previously and now needed renovation, including removing what was left of the old sealer, deep cleaning then and resealing.

Terracotta Tiled Conservatory Floor Before Renovation Bannockburn

Without an active sealer protecting the porous Terracotta had no protection from ingrained dirt and were heavily soiled in the busier areas, also some of the tiles were loose and wobbly.

I worked out a quote for the renovation and due to the size of the area I planned on splitting the work into three sections. This would make the job more manageable and has the advantage of minimising the impact on the homeowner’s movement around their home. Happy with my plan the quote was accepted and we worked out a schedule for the job to start.

Cleaning a Terracotta Tiled Ground Floor

Before starting work in a section all the moveable furniture was removed and the rest was protected from the cleaning and resealing process. To tackle what was left of the old sealer and deep clean the Tile and Grout a strong dilution of 2 parts water to 1 part Tile Doctor Pro-Clean was applied to the floor.

The strong dilution makes an extremely effective as a stripper and cleaner and was applied with a cloth and then left for ten minutes. This gives the product time to breakdown the dirt and old sealer. The floor was then scrubbed using a black pad and then once complete the soiled solution was removed with a wet vacuum. The floor was then rinsed with clean water and extracted again.

The next stage of the process was to neutralise the floor as it would be alkaline after the clean. To do this I used an acid to rinse the floor called Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up. This product not only neutralises the floor preventing the build-up of efflorescence which can be a problem for old floors. It also provides a better bond between the floor and sealer. During this process a grout brush was used to ensure all the grout had been reached during the cleaning process. The Tile Doctor Grout Clean Up solution was then extracted with the wet vacuum and then the floor is thoroughly rinsed.

While the floor area that had just been stripped and cleaned was left to dry before sealing, I repaired the “wobbly” tiles which will prevent them from cracking and becoming a hazard. Small holes were drilled into the grout around the moving tile and then injected with a filler. The tiles were then left for 24 hours for the filler to cure and then the tiles were tested to ensure the issue has been fixed.

Terracotta Tiled Conservatory Floor During Renovation Bannockburn

Sealing a Terracotta Tiled Ground Floor

When the tiles had been thoroughly cleaned, rinsed and given time to dry, they were tested with a damp meter to ensure they were dry and ready for sealing. The readings were fine and I had selected two different sealers to protect the floor. Two were needed to match the clients finish requirements which were to enhance the colour of the tiles and for them to have a slight sheen finish.

First the tiles were given a coat of Tile Doctors Colour Grow sealer which as the name states enhances the natural colours in terracotta tile. The coat was given 30 minutes to dry before the second sealer was applied.

The second sealer was Tile Doctors Seal and Go which is a topical sealer and works well with Tile Doctor Colour Grow. Tile Doctor Seal and Go leaves a slight satin sheen on the tiles and six coats were needed to complete the process. This did take some time as each coat needed time to dry before the next coat was put on.

Terracotta Tiled Conservatory Floor After Renovation Bannockburn

For aftercare cleaning I recommend the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a mild but effective Tile and Grout cleaner that won’t upset the sealer which can be the issue with the stronger products you find in supermarkets.

Professional Restoration of a Terracotta Tiled Ground Floor in Stirling

Cleaning and Sealing Terracotta Tiled Flooring in Bannockburn Read More »