Work by Category Archives - South West London Tile Doctor

Professional Restoration of Kitchen Quarry Tiles in Twickenham

Neglected Quarry Tile and Grout Professionally Cleaned in Twickenham Kitchen

This Quarry tiled floor was installed in the kitchen of a property in Twickenham thirty-eight years prior. The tiles had never been professionally cleaned or sealed since installation and as you can see from the photograph both the tile and grout were in need of restoration.

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor Before Professional Tile Cleaning Twickenham

Having visited the property to inspect the floor I recommended giving the tile and grout a deep clean to remove the years of ingrained dirt and then sealing with a breathable sealant that would improve the appearance of the tiles. The main function of the sealer is to prevent dirt from becoming lodged in the porous clay tile, this keeps it on the surface where it can be easily cleaned away. Whilst at the property I also discussed potentially colouring the grout as it was badly stained and may not respond as hoped.

I worked out a quote for the restoration which was accepted and a date agreed for the work to start.

Deep Cleaning a Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor

The first part of this job was the restoration of the tiles themselves; stained with years of ingrained dirt they needed a deep clean with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. For the best results this is sprayed onto the tile and grout and then left to soak in for ten minutes before scrubbing with the black pad fitted to a buffing machine.

The grout was also hand scrubbed at this point with a wire brush and more Pro-Clean, I find the pads can struggle to reach into the recesses of the grout line, so this ensures a better clean. Once done the soiled cleaning solution was then extracted using a wet vacuum.

Next the floor was given an acid rinse with Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up which was mopped onto the floor and then brushed in. This further cleans up the tiles and removes old grout smears, it also neutralises the floor following the use of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a strong alkaline.

The floor was then given a thorough rinse to remove any trace of product and dried as much as possible with the wet vacuum. Once done the floor was left to dry out for a few days.

Upon my return I noticed that as the floor dried several areas of efflorescence (White salts) had appeared, probably due to the amount of water needed during cleaning. This will have pushed salts up to the surface as the moisture in the tiles evaporated. To resolve this, I gave the floor a further clean with a weak solution of Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up which being an acidic dissolved the salts.

Applying White Grout Colourant to a Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor

The floor was then inspected, and it was agreed that although the grout lines were much cleaner than before they were still stained in places, and this was bringing down the overall appearance of the tiles. So, it was decided to implement my contingency plan and colour the grout using a Tile Doctor Grout Colourant in White.

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor During Grout Colouring Twickenham

The colourant is painted onto the grout any excess is wiped off the adjacent tile as you progress. It doesn’t take long to apply however there were a lot of grout lines to cover due to the small size of the tiles.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor

With the cleaning complete and the grout issues resolved it was time to move onto the final part of the floor restoration by sealing the tiles. Having discussed the required finish earlier the customer had chosen Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra for this. This product provides a lovely low sheen finish and due to the porosity of the clay Quarry tiles it took seven coats before the floor was fully sealed.

Once complete the work really lifted the appearance of the quarry tiles which were more colourful and brighter. Also, the new sealer along with the protection provided by the Grout Colourant will make maintenance cleaning much easier.

Overall, the floor came out well and my client was very happy, leaving positive feedback and more work booked in for a later date.

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor After Professional Tile Cleaning Twickenham

Before leaving I recommended, they use Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner for cleaning going forward, this product is safe to use on sealed tiles and won’t harm the sealer.

Professional Restoration of a Quarry Tiled Kitchen in Southwest London

Neglected Quarry Tile and Grout Professionally Cleaned in Twickenham Kitchen Read More »

Black Slate Kitchen Floor Renovation Richmond London

Cleaning and Sealing a Black Slate Kitchen Floor in Richmond KT2

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Richmond Tile Cleaning, Slate Tile Cleaning / Daniel Connelly

This is a black slate floor in Richmond that had been stripped of its natural oils and sealer due to the client using a steam mop repeatedly over the years. The floor also had missing grout that needed replacing before cleaning could commence.

Black Slate Floor Before Cleaning Richmond KT2

The flat wasn’t on the ground floor so there was a concern that the missing grout may result in water getting under the tile causing damage to the floor and not to mention the ceiling of the property below.

Repairing Grout and Cleaning a Black Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor

The first thing I did was to protect all the Kitchen units by covering them in a drop cloth. Once that was done work started on the grout lines which involved raking out the loose grout and replacing with a fast-setting grout in matching grey.

Once the grout had set attention moved onto to cleaning the Black Slate tiles which without the protection of a sealer contained a lot of ingrained dirt. To clean the tiles a medium strength dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean was sprayed onto the floor and left to soak in for ten minutes. The floor was then scrubbed with a carbide brush fitted to a handheld De Walt polishing machine, I then used a Hyundai wet vacuum to hoover up the water and sediment that had come up during cleaning.

Next, I scrubbed the grout with a mixture of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, water and a wire brush. To finish I gave the tiles a light acid wash using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up diluted with water. I vacuumed this off, washed the tiles down with water and gave it a final vacuum to get it as dry as possible.

Black Slate Floor After Cleaning Richmond KT2

The floor was then left to dry out, leaving a floor dryer with the client to run for a few hours more before turning off and leaving the floor overnight.

Sealing a Black Slate Tiled Kitchen in Richmond-Upon-Thames

On my return, after establishing the stone had completely dried out, I applied two coats of Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal. The sealer was worked into the floor with a cloth using small amounts at a time polishing off the excess as I went along. It’s important to do this with this sealer otherwise it can get slightly tacky if too much is left on the surface.

Tile Doctor Xtra Seal was chosen for this floor as it’s an oil-based sealer and that add structure to the stone and works well to bring out its features and colour. It’s also extremely durable and leaves a nice low satin finish.

Black Slate Floor After Renovation Richmond KT2

The floor was transformed by the work and my client was extremely pleased with the result. For aftercare I recommended the use if Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner, it has a pH neutral formula that won’t impact the newly applied sealer. Typical household cleaning products tend to be bleach based and will strip off the sealer protecting the stone from ingrained dirt and so best avoided.

Professional Renovation of a Black Slate Tiled Kitchen in South London

Cleaning and Sealing a Black Slate Kitchen Floor in Richmond KT2 Read More »

Bathroom Floor Tile Grout Renovation Lampton

Grout Recolouring of a Ceramic Tiled Bathroom Floor in Lampton

1 Comment / Ceramic Tile Cleaning, Feltham Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning / Daniel Connelly

This client from Lampton near Hounslow was unhappy with the appearance of the grout in their Ceramic tiled bathroom floor and wondered if anything could be done to improve it. The grout was originally white to match the wall tiles and over the years it had darkened. This is quite a common problem with grout, especially in conjunction with glazed ceramic tiles; the glaze makes the tile impervious to water resulting in dirt being washed into the grout lines during cleaning. The rough cementitious surface of the grout traps the dirt eventually causing it to darken.

Bathroom Floor Before Grout Colouring Lampton

I asked for some photographs, and we discussed the various options over the phone. I’m not a fan of replacing grout as it takes a long time, generates a lot of dust and you risk chipping the tiles in the process, also there is every chance the problem will come back. I therefore recommended cleaning the grout and then applying a Tile Doctor Grout Colourant in White.

Grout Colouring is much quicker than re-grouting and you have the additional advantage of the colourant forming a waterproof barrier over the grout thereby making it much easier to keep clean and protecting the grout underneath. The Tile Doctor range of grout colourants come in eleven different colours with White being the most popular.

I asked for some dimensions and the size of the tile. From that I was able to work out an accurate quote for doing the work including the replacement of mastic sealant where needed. Happy with my quote we agreed a date for the work to start which should take less than a day to complete.

Cleaning the grout in a Ceramic Tiled Bathroom

Work started by stripping out the silicone between the floor and wall tile, then cleaning up the grout with Tile Doctor Grout Colourant Pre-Treat cleaner. This is an acidic cleaning solution that is sprayed onto the grout and then scrubbed in. This cleans the grout joints, and the acidic nature of the cleaner helps prepare the grout to achieve a better bond with the colourant. Once done the grout was wiped with a wet sponge to remove the dirt and then dried ready for the colourant.

Sealing the grout in a Ceramic Tiled Bathroom

Once the grout was dry a White grout colourant was painted onto the grout using a small colourant applicator that screws onto the top of the bottle, wiping off any excess from the tile as I went.

With the grout colouring complete I ran a bead of fresh White silicone sealant around the perimeter of the floor and the job was complete. A fairly simple process but very effective and in this case, it transformed the appearance of the bathroom making it far more inviting.

Bathroom Floor After Grout Colouring Lampton

Professional Restoration of Grout in a Ceramic Tiled Bathroom in Southwest London

Grout Recolouring of a Ceramic Tiled Bathroom Floor in Lampton Read More »

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovation Worcester Park

Renovating a Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor in Worcester Park

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Surbiton Tile Cleaning / Daniel Connelly

I was asked to renovate a Quarry tiled floor in the Kitchen of an older property in the South London suburb of Worcester Park . I was informed the Quarry tiled floor was in fact 130 years old Quarry floor and had not been professionally cleaned for 45 years.

I went over to the property to survey the tiles and could see the tile and grouting had experienced a lot of staining over the years. The floor had layers of old sealer, which I suspect was a wax-based product, as well as paint, adhesives and cement. All of which would need to be removed

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor Before Renovation Worcester Park

I worked out a quote that would involve stripping the floor, deep cleaning the tiles and then re-sealing with a modern sealer. The client was happy with my quote, and so we scheduled a date for the work to start.

Deep Cleaning and Restoring a Quarry and Quarry Tiled Floor

To strip the floor of old sealers etc. I applied a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go and left it to soak into the Quarry tiles for a good ten to fifteen minutes. The solution was then worked in with a Carbide Brush fitted to a weighted rotary floor buffer. The resultant slurry was rinsed away and then extracted with a wet vacuum. The floor was then inspected and repeated with stubborn areas spot treated with hand tools until I was happy all the old sealer was gone.

The grout lines also need attention so these were scrubbing by hand using Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and a wire brush. I find this is the best way to clean grout as pads can struggle to reach into the recesses of the grout. Some of the grout was badly stained however so short of replacing it the best I could do was to get it as clean as possible. Once done I rinsed the floor with water again and extracted the soiling with a wet vacuum as before.

Last step in the cleaning process was to treat the floor to an acid rinse using a medium dilution of Tile Doctor Grout-Clean-up. This is an acidic product that will dissolve old grout smears, efflorescence and other mineral deposits left of the tiles, it also neutralises the pH level of the floor following the use of Remove and Go which is a strong alkaline. The product is brushed into the tiles and then removed as before with more water and a wet vacuum.

After a final rinse the floor was dried as much as possible using the wet vacuum and left to dry off overnight.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled Barn Conversion Floor

Returning the next I started by taking several readings with a damp meter. It’s not a good idea to apply a sealer to a damp floor as the results can be inconsistent so I always like to check. The readings were within tolerance so I was able to apply the first of what would be six coats of Tile Doctor’s Seal and Go Extra which I felt was the best choice for sealing this floor. The floor looked patchy for a while and I was slightly concerned however the sealer eventually filled the tiles up and was left with a nice finish.

I chose Seal and Go Extra because it’s a fully breathable sealer that adds a nice subtle sheen to the tiles which matches the customers’ expectations. It was important to choose a breathable sealer as these old floors don’t have the benefit of a damp proof membrane and any moisture under the floor will be able to rise through the tile and evaporate at the surface un-hindered.

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor After Renovation Worcester Park

Once completed, the floor looked fantastic, not only was the Quarry Tile and Grout looking so much cleaner the sealer had enhanced the orange colour in the Quarry tiles. Needless to say, my customer was very happy with the result.

For aftercare I recommended Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is designed for the safe and effective cleaning of sealed floors without impacting the sealer.

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor After Renovation Worcester Park

Professional Cleaning of a Quarry Tiled Floor in South London

Renovating a Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor in Worcester Park Read More »

Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovation Richmond

Deep Cleaning a Filthy Terracotta Tiled floor in Richmond

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Richmond Tile Cleaning, Terracotta Tile Cleaning / Daniel Connelly

This Orange and Red Terracotta tiled floor at property near Richmond was absolutely filthy and proved to be a real challenge to get clean. It clearly hadn’t been professionally cleaned for some time and when I went to do the survey, I could see a build-up of grease and old sealer throughout.

Due to its porosity Terracotta is particularly vulnerable and to keep its appearance the sealer needs to be maintained correctly as it will wear in the busiest areas with use. In this case I was able to re-assure the homeowner that I would be able to strip off all the old layers of sealer, deep clean the tiles and re-seal to leave it looking like a new floor.

Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning Richmond

Happy with my quote I got the go-ahead and we agreed a date to start the work which should take two days, one to strip and clean and the other to seal.

Removing Sealer and Cleaning a Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor

To strip the sealer off the Terracotta floor I applied a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go which is a powerful alkaline coatings remover that’s safe to use on Tile and Stone. The solution was sprayed on to the kitchen floor and then left to soak in for fifteen minutes to give it time to break down the sealer and soils.

I then inspected the floor and could see a lot more work would be needed to get it completely free of old sealer and dirt. As a result, there was nothing for it but to get down on my knees scrapping everything off the tiles with more Remove and Go. I found most of the old sealer and grease just flaked off but some areas were difficult. I had some assistance from a DeWalt handheld buffing machine fitted with a stiff brush but it was still very hard work, especially around the edges of the kitchen as my hands barely fit underneath the units.

After about six hours I was satisfied everything was removed and I could turn my attention to the grout. For this I hand scrubbed the grout lines using a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean rinsing and extracting as I went.

Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor During Renovation Richmond

Last step in the cleaning process was to treat the tiles to an acid wash which will further clean the tiles and equalise the floors pH level after the use of alkaline cleaners earlier. I used Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up for this which was first scrubbed in, then rinsed with water and extracted as before. The floor was rinsed down again two more times with water to remove any trace of product. I used the wet vacuum used to extract as much moisture from the floor as possible so it can have a better chance of drying out overnight.

Sealing a Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor

When I called back seal the Terracotta, I first checked the moisture readings in several areas with a damp meter to verify the floor was nice and dry. All was well so several coats of a Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra were applied to the floor allowing forty minutes drying time between coats.

The new sealer left the now clean Terracotta tiles with an attractive mid satin finish and
looked fantastic and was doubly improved by the grout cleaning which had responded well to the Pro-Clean. The customer was very pleased with the transformation in their floor which now looked clean and bright.

Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor After Renovation Richmond

Before leaving we left the customer with a bottle of Tile Doctor Neutral cleaner for aftercare. To get the best from their Terracotta tiles it’s important that customers use the correct product for regular maintenance cleaning from the start, stronger products will reduce the life of the sealer.

Professional Clean and Seal of a Mexican Terracotta Tiled Kitchen in South London

Deep Cleaning a Filthy Terracotta Tiled floor in Richmond Read More »

Dull Marble Kitchen Countertop Polishing Surbiton

Restoring the Polish to a Marble Kitchen Countertop in Surbiton

1 Comment / Marble Tile Cleaning, Surbiton Tile Cleaning / Daniel Connelly

Whilst I was working on a stone floor at a property in Surbiton I was asked if I could do anything about the Marble Countertops in the Kitchen. The Marble had almost completely lost its shine and the owner was keen to have those re-polished to finish the kitchen renovation.

Dull Marble Kitchen Countertop Before Polishing Surbiton

Fortunately, the methods and products we use to renovate stone floors can also be used to restore stone worktops as well. The only difference being we can’t use 17” floor buffers on worktops and countertops so for those we source smaller 6” pads.

The countertop had been worked on before by a different company previously but they had done a horrible job. Bu the time I was asked to look at it the Marble was very dull and covered in different marks, staining from acidic food and lots of etching.

Dull Marble Kitchen Countertop Before Polishing Surbiton

Polishing a Marble Kitchen Countertop

First thing we did was to cover the kitchen in drop cloth and grey blankets to stop the slurry that’s generated during polishing dripping onto the stone floor below.

I then worked through a set of Diamond encrusted Burnishing pads fitted to a handheld DeWalt machine. The pads are applied to the Marble in sequence from 400 to 1500 grit using water for lubrication and then the waste is extracted after each pad using a small Numatic wet vacuum. I inspected the stone after the first pass through the pads and decided it could be better so started again working my way back up through the pads. You can see from the photographs there was a lot of Marble worktop to cover so this did take some time.

Sealing a Marble Countertop

I then left the stone to dry overnight and returned the following day to finish the job starting with a damp test on an electronic moisture meter which showed the Marble was dry.

To bring up a deep shine on the Marble the countertop was given a final polish with a very fine 3000 grit pad using a little water sprayed onto the surface. This final pad adds a nice deep shine to the stone and although it leaves the surface dry, I left an air blower running for a while to make sure.

Later that day I applied a few very fine coats of Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal and gave the surface another buff with a microfiber cloth. This sealer is an impregnator that soaks into the pores of the Marble preventing contaminants from becoming ingrained there and ensuring they remain on the surface where they can easily be cleaned away. Being an oil-based sealer, it really helped to bring out the beauty and colour of the Marble.

Dull Marble Kitchen Countertop After Polishing Surbiton

For the aftercare of stone worktops, we recommend the use of Stone Patina Spray which is a spray-and-buff cleaner that is designed to enhance the natural beauty and lustre of polished stone as it cleans.

Dull Marble Kitchen Countertop After Polishing Surbiton

Professional Restoration of a Marble Kitchen Worktop in South London

Restoring the Polish to a Marble Kitchen Countertop in Surbiton Read More »

Large Limestone Floor Cleaned, Polished and Sealed in Surbiton

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing, Surbiton Tile Cleaning / Daniel Connelly

This large Limestone tiled floor at a property in Surbiton had been recently maintained by a cleaning company who didn’t do a thorough job. They hadn’t done anything to improve the polish on the Limestone and unfortunately stripped off the original sealer during cleaning leaving it vulnerable to ingrained dirt.

Limestone Floor Before Cleaning Surbiton

The stone floor now looked very flat and lifeless and I was asked to do the job properly, including deep cleaning the grout, polishing the stone and finally replacing the sealer.

Stripping and Polishing Tumbled Limestone Tiles

I started work by focusing on the grout which had become darkened with dirt. For this I applied a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean along the grout lines, left it to soak in for a few minutes and then worked it in with a wire brush. This process turned the grout from Black back to White and the dirt was rinsed off with water and extracted with a wet vacuum.

Limestone Floor During Cleaning Surbiton

Limestone Floor During Grout Cleaning Surbiton

The next step was to burnish the stone using a set of Diamond encrusted pads of increasing grits that range from a coarse 400-grit to a very fine 3000-grit. The pads are fitted to the rotary machine and are run across the whole floor lubricating with water which darkens as the dirt is lifted out of the stone. Each pad is moved slowly across the floor with the machine leaving small rings on each pass. The floor is then rinsed and all the slurry with a wet vacuum after each pad.

It was a large floor that extended from the hallway into the Kitchen so it took some time to cover every section thoroughly. I stopped one the 1500-grit pad had been applied and after another rinse and extraction left the floor to dry off overnight.

Sealing Limestone Tiles

I returned the next morning and set about sealing the floor with Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal which is an impregnating natural look sealer that soaks into the pores of the Limestone protecting it from within. The sealer will ensure any dirt remains on the surface where it can be easily cleaned away.

I left the sealer to dry for an hour before polishing the floor with the last in the set of burnishing pads which is a 3000-grit pad. I covered every angle of light to make sure I’d left no smudges anywhere. This pad is applied with only a little water sprayed on to the stone as its run over the surface, this technique is known as a spray burnish and leaves the floor dry.

Limestone Floor After Polishing Surbiton

Before leaving I took time to discuss aftercare cleaning which for polished stone floors, I recommend Tile Doctor Stone Soap which not only cleans but also help maintain the patina on polished stone.

Limestone Floor After Polishing Surbiton

Professional Renovation of a Large Polished Limestone Floor in South London

Large Limestone Floor Cleaned, Polished and Sealed in Surbiton Read More »

Bathroom Floor Grout Restoration in Tooting SW17

Bathroom Floor Tile Grout Restoration in Tooting SW17

Ceramic Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning / Daniel Connelly

A client was renovating a house in Tooting and wanted to see what could be done to improve the Ceramic floor tiles in the bathroom without the expense of a major overhaul. Having discussed the floor over the phone I was confident it could be improved and agreed a date to come over and survey the tiles and provided a quote for their renovation.

Bathroom Floor Grout Before Restoration in Tooting SW17

Except for one cracked tile, the tiles were in good condition and I could see it was really the grout that was bringing the bathroom down. The grout was generally discoloured and some had cracked and become loose. This cracking issue is indicative of using an inflexible grout when tiling on a wooden floor as these floors tend to have a bit of movement in them.

I discussed my renovation plan with the customer and provided a quote for carrying out the work which was accepted.

Renovating Bathroom Floor Grout

On the first day I set about raking out the cracked grout and stripping out the silicone between the tile and the bath. Silicone seems to attract mould and although it can be cleaned to some extent, I usually find its more effective to simply replace it. I then tidied up the bathroom to remove the waste grout and silicone, so the area was ready for grouting. I used a flexible White grout for this in order to match the original, although most of that was no longer White due to the staining.

I left the grout to set overnight and returned the next day to complete the job starting with the re-application of the silicone sealant, again in White but this time using an anti-mould variety. My attention then turned to the floor tile grouting which of course was now a mixture of fresh new grout and stained grout. I had realised this would be the result, so I had come prepared and was ready to apply Tile Doctor Grout Colourant in white to make everything uniform.

Before applying the colourant, I prepped the grout joint with Tile Doctor Pre-treat cleaner that is an acidic cleaning solution that is sprayed onto the grout and then scrubbed in. This cleans the grout joints, and the acidic nature of the cleaner helps prepare the grout to achieve a better bond with the colourant. The grout was then wiped with a wet sponge to remove the dirt and then dried ready for the colourant. Although the cleaner had helped to clean the grout and remove surface dirt it can’t do anything about deep seated staining, so colouring was still necessary.

Once the grout was dry the White grout colourant was painted onto the grout using a small brush wiping off any excess from the tile as I went. The Tile Doctor range of Grout Colourants come in eleven different colours and form an epoxy barrier over the grout preventing dirt from reaching the grout line and making it much easier to keep clean.

Bathroom Floor Grout After Restoration in Tooting SW17

Once the colourant had dried, I gave the floor a quick clean with Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner to get the ceramic tiles clean and the job was complete. The refreshed grout now has a consistent white appearance, and it really lifted the appearance of the bathroom.

Professional Restoration of a Bathroom Floor Grout in South London

Bathroom Floor Tile Grout Restoration in Tooting SW17 Read More »

Porcelain Tile Bathroom Grout Cleaning Wandsworth

Porcelain Tiled Bathroom Grout Renovation in Wandsworth

Grout Cleaning, Porcelain Tile Cleaning / Daniel Connelly

This is a great example of how easy it is to improve the appearance of a tiled bathroom. In this case the property was in Wandsworth and the tiles were Porcelain. My client had originally asked if I could re-grout their bathroom tiles which included the shower, wall and floor tiles in a room that was around 5sqm.

Porcelain Bathroom Tile Before Grout Renovation Wandsworth

We discussed the bathroom, and I pointed out that if we re-grout the tiles it would only get grubby again at some point. The problem is that the grout is cementitious which leaves it rough and attracts dirt easily. I recommended cleaning up the grout and then applying a grout colourant which would seal the grout in making it much easier to clean. I also offered to remove the silicone sealant between the edges of the bath and tiles. Unfortunately, once mould gets into the silicone, you’re fighting a losing battle, and it is best to just replace it.

Re grouting a Porcelain Tiled Bathroom Floor

Before colouring the grout, it needs to be prepared with an acidic cleaner that will not only remove any dirt but also etch the surface of the grout to improve the bond. Tile Doctor Pre-Treat Cleaner is the product we use for this purpose, but I decided in this case to go with a different product as the floor tiles had some old silicone on them which had been left to dry out. To resolve this, I used a different product in the range called Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up which is primarily designed for removing grout haze.

Porcelain Bathroom Tile During Grout Renovation Wandsworth

It was only a small area, so I worked the Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up into the tiles and grout by hand and then rinsed it off with water and extracted with a wet vacuum. The grout was then dried, and I started applying the Tile Doctor Grout Colourant in white with a small brush wiping off the excess as I went. The colourant is available in a range of eleven colours so there is usually a match for most situations. The colourant adds an epoxy barrier over the grout; this then prevents dirt from going into the grout line and means the floor is much easier to keep clean.

The last step in the renovation involved carefully stripping out the old silicone and replacing it with a new anti-mould variety. This last step really finished off the bathroom giving the impression it was a new installation.

My clients were very happy with the result, the bathroom was transformed, and they were relieved that the problem was solved so easily.

Porcelain Bathroom Tile After Grout Renovation Wandsworth

For aftercare cleaning I recommended regular use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a mild yet effective tile and grout cleaning product that would help keep the bathroom looking good going forward.

Professional Restoration of a Porcelain Tiled Bathroom Grout in South London

Porcelain Tiled Bathroom Grout Renovation in Wandsworth Read More »

Acid Damaged Marble Tabletop Renovated in Putney

Restoring the Appearance of a Marble Coffee Tabletop in Putney

Marble Tile Cleaning / Daniel Connelly

The photographs below are from a client in Putney, and show what will happen to a Polished Marble tabletop if you try and clean it with Viakal. Marble is made from calcium and magnesium carbonate which makes it acid sensitive, Viakal on the other hand is an acid cleaner blended from Formic and Citric acids resulting in a pH level of 2.2. This product uses the acid to dissolve the calcium and magnesium deposits in Limescale.

Acid Etched Polished Marble Table Before Renovation Putney

To be fair to Viakal the label does state not to use it on natural stone, but who reads the label, certainly my clients cleaner hadn’t. The result was the acid had etched the lovely, polished Marble surface and it appeared to be ruined.

I was happy to re-assure my client that the etching could be removed, however, to do this the table would need to be burnished with a set of diamond pads of different grades. This process cuts into the stone with a coarse pad to remove the etching and then slowly builds back the polished appearance using finer grades of pad. The table was very heavy however so the work would need to be done on-site.

Polishing a Marble Tabletop

Due to the weight of the stone table, it couldn’t really be moved so my first job was to relocate nearby furniture, roll up the rug and cover everything in blankets and a drop cloth. The last thing I wanted was any other possessions getting splashed during the burnishing process.

When polishing Marble floor tiles, I would normally use large 17-inch diamond pads fitted to a rotary floor buffer, however that simply wouldn’t work on a table, so I ordered a set of 6-inch burnishing pads from Tile Doctor instead. These smaller pads fit nicely on a hand-held buffer that would be perfect for this situation.

The burnishing process involves working through the pads in sequence. I started with the coarse 100, 200 and then 400-grit pads applied with a little water, these coarse pads were able to remove the etching and ingrained dirt. The table was rinsed down and then the 800-grit medium pad was applied which is the first step in the polishing process. Again, this pad is applied with water to lubricate, and the table was rinsed down afterwards.

Acid Etched Polished Marble Table During Renovation Putney

The process was repeated with the 1500-grit fine pad and then the 3000-grit very fine pad to bring up a really nice shine to the Marble table, I should mention the last pad is applied dry with only a tiny amount of water sprayed onto the surface.

Sealing a Marble Table

The last step was to seal the stone to protect it going forward. I used Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal for this, it’s an oil-based impregnator and I figured the oil in the sealer would mask any marks that I wouldn’t be able to remove, however I actually ended up removing all the etching so the sealer just gave the stone a really nice colour and gloss.

Acid Etched Polished Marble Table After Renovation Putney

My customer was very pleased with the work and said that the table looked better than it ever had before. NB. For the aftercare cleaning of a polished Marble coffee table like this I recommend the use of Tile Doctor Stone Patina Spray which has been especially formulated for the regular cleaning of stone worktops.

Professional Restoration of a Marble Tabletop in South London

Restoring the Appearance of a Marble Coffee Tabletop in Putney Read More »