Grout Colourant Archives - South West London Tile Doctor

Severe Mould Stained Marble Tiled Bathroom Restoration Twickenham

Mould-stained Marble Tiled Bathroom Restoration in Twickenham

As you can see from the photographs below this Marble tiled bathroom at a property in Twickenham had a very bad case severe case of mould staining. The client was trying to decide if the tiles were too far gone for restoration after letting a property for the past 4 years, the tenants unfortunately didn’t let him know the state of things.

Severe Mould Stained Marble Tiled Bathroom Before Cleaning Twickenham

Keen to have the problem resolved quickly I managed to move some things around called into the property the following day. I was confident that the mould could be removed however you do need to be careful with Marble as its acid sensitive, also I could see the tiles had a factory seal so proceeded with caution and was able to demonstrate that the problems could be rectified.

Severe Mould Stained Marble Tiled Bathroom Before Cleaning Twickenham

Happy with the proposed solution and keen to get the property back on the rental market I was immediately booked to return the following week.

Cleaning Mould from Marble Bathroom Tiles

Day one for this job was to remove all mould from the tiles. To do this I lightly rubbed Tile Doctor Acid-Gel into small sections of the tiles until I could see the clean surface and then immediately washed off with clean water, making sure I got every part of the tiles to avoid any runoff.

Work proceeded in this manner until all the tiles free of mould and dirt. With the mould staining removed I noticed some of the tiles were effected by grout haze which happens when the tiler fails to polish off all the grout during installation. It wasn’t part of the initial quote however I felt obliged to deal with it so more Acid Gel and elbow grease was applied until that was removed allowing the details of the Marble tiling to come through.

Next step was to treat the grout lines using a similar process with Acid Gel but for this I used a wire brush to remove surface staining leaving the grout clean and returning the grout lines to their original colour.

To bring up the appearance of the Marble tiling a six-inch 1500-grit burnishing pad fitted to a handheld machine was run over each tile several times using only water for lubrication. This was then followed with a very fine 3500-grit pad to bring up the polish.

Once I was happy that the finish on the Marble tiles was as good as it could get, I then re-inspected the grout and decided to replace some areas of grouting that had suffered deep staining. I used a coloured grout to match what was originally there.

Last step before leaving for the day was to strip out all the silicone sealant from the wall verticals and along the bath and allowed the joints to dry overnight.

Applying a Grout Colourant to Marble Bathroom Tiles

The next day I returned the next day to finish the project off starting with an inspection to ensure nothing had been missed. At this point I felt the grout could still be improve so all grout lines were coloured with a Tile Doctor Grout Colourant to ensure a consistent appearance. I was hoping to avoid this but I felt it was the best solution to bring the bathroom to an “as new” appearance. The colourant also acts as a barrier over the grout making it much easier to keep clean.

Last step was to apply new mould resistant silicone sealant to the verticals and along the bath which finished off the project nicely. They still had some work to do including painting the ceiling but from my point of view I was very happy with the way the Marble tile and grout had responded to the treatment.

Severe Mould Stained Marble Tiled Bathroom After Cleaning Twickenham

My work was done so I called the client who was keen to come over and look. To say they were shocked is an understatement, they were considering ripping all the tiles out and replacing but luckily, we saved them a small fortune. For aftercare I advised increasing the ventilation and using a mild cleaning product such as Tile Doctor Aqua Pro.

Severe Mould Stained Marble Tiled Bathroom After Cleaning Twickenham

Professional Restoration of a Marble Tiled Bathroom in Southwest London

Mould-stained Marble Tiled Bathroom Restoration in Twickenham 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 »

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 »

Shower Tile and Grout Cleaned and Renovated in Battersea Shower Cubicle

Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle Refreshed in Battersea

Work History / Daniel Connelly

I was contacted by a customer in Battersea who was concerned about the state of their Ceramic Tiled shower cubicle. Ceramic tiles are glazed so usually very easy to keep clean however grout has a rough surface and attracts dirt easily. Where this happens it best to keep on top of the problem with regular cleaning as once you get a deep-seated stain on grout it’s very difficult to get it clean again.

The photograph below shows the worst of the problem where dirt had collected behind a wire basket that was fixed to the wall. The basket allowed dirt to build-up behind it and had deposited rust on the tile and grout.

Ceramic Shower Before Tile Cleaning Battersea

Maintaining grout is a large part of the work Tile Doctor does and we have several tried and tested products and processes for doing this. Having spoken to the client over the phone and having been sent photographs via email I created a quote for the work which should only take a few hours. My customer was happy with the quote and we agreed a date to do the work.

Cleaning a Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle

To begin, I cleaned the grout lines using our acidic cleaning product, Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up. The product is decanted into a spray bottle and sprayed onto the tile and grout where it was left to dwell for ten minutes before being scrubbed in with a handheld scrubbing brush. Spraying the solution onto the wall mixes it with air to make it lighter and more able to stick to the wall.

Being a concentrated phosphoric acid cleaner, Grout Clean-Up effectively removes mineral deposits including rust and old grout smears from the tile surface to leaving it looking much fresher, it also prepares the grout for a superior bond with the grout colourant that was to be added later.

Following this, I rinsed down the tile and grout with water to remove the dislodged dirt. The next step was to remove all the existing silicone mastic with a sharp knife; the mastic sealant stained with mould and much in need of replacement. Once all the rubbish was swept out, I dried any remaining dampness from the grout and tiles with a heat gun.

I then moved onto to recolouring the grout using a Tile Doctor Grout Colourant which is simply painted onto the grout lines using a small brush and any excess wiped of the tile before it dries. There are eleven colours available in the Tile Doctor colourant range and in this case, we chose a colour to match the tiles.

Ceramic Shower After Tile Cleaning Battersea

The application of Grout Colourant not only colours the grout joints – it also seals the grout in so dirt can’t become stuck in its rough surface, this also makes it very easy to clean going forward.

Once the restoration was finished, I resealed the shower base with fresh mould resistant silicone mastic to match the tile and grout. Tile Doctor don’t sell this but there are many makes available from local DIY stores.

Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle Cleaning and Grout Recolouring in South London

Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle Refreshed in Battersea Read More »

Black Slate Kitchen Floor Renovation Tooting

Black Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovated in Tooting

Grout Cleaning, Slate Tile Cleaning / Daniel Connelly

The photos below are of a Black Slate Kitchen floor at a property in Tooting SW17, which as you can see had lost all its colour and character. I went over to survey the floor and discussed a renovation plan with the owner.

One of the problems was the grout which like the tile hadn’t faired very well over the years and being in the Kitchen was subject to staining. I explained that like all stone floors the Slate needed to be sealed in order to keep the dirt out of its pores and keep it looking its best. Sealers however wear down with use and in this case the floor hadn’t been deep cleaned and sealed for some time.

I costed out a renovation plan which included deep cleaning the Slate tile removing any remaining sealer in the process, renovating the grout, and then re-sealing the whole floor to bring back the appearance of the stone and protect it going forward. Happy with the quote we agreed a date to start the work.

Deep Cleaning a Natural Black Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor

Normally I would use a Tile Doctor product called Remove and Go to remove the sealer, however in this case testing had shown that what was left of the sealer could be removed with Pro-Clean which is also our go to Tile and Grout Cleaner.

I used a strong dilution of Pro-Clean to do this, spraying it onto the floor and leaving it to soak in for ten minutes and break down the dirt etc. Then using a black scrubbing pad fitted to a heavy rotary buffer machine it was worked into the Slate to release the dirt and old sealer. The floor was then rinsed with water and the soiling extracted with a wet vacuum.

The pads can struggle to get into the corners and edges of the floor and the recesses of the grout line. So, to complete the cleaning a handheld scrubbing brush was used and a wire brush run along the grout lines, again with more Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. After another rinse and extraction with the wet vacuum the floor was left to dry aided with a couple of floor blowers.

Grout Colouring and Sealing Black Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor

Once dry the grout was coloured with a Black Tile Doctor grout colourant which is basically painted onto the grout with a small brush and any excess wiped off the tile. This grout colourant gives the grout a uniform appearance and adds an impenetrable barrier over the grout sealing it in and keeping it safe from further staining. Keeping grout clean in a kitchen is always a problem so the colourant will protect it and make it very easy to clean.

Black Slate During Cleaning Grout Colouring Tooting

The last step was to seal the Slate for which I used Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal. This was chosen because it’s an impregnating oil-based sealer that will restore the beautiful dark colour in the stone. Impregnators work by occupying the tiny pores in the stone thereby forcing dirt to remain on the surface where they can easily be cleaned away.

Black Slate During Sealing Tooting

In the subject of maintenance cleaning, I recommend the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a gentle but effective cleaner that won’t harm the sealer. Many of the floor cleaning products you find in supermarkets etc are not for use on sealed stone, they contain strong chemicals such as bleach etc which will strip off the sealer prematurely so best avoided.

Black Slate After Renovation Tooting

Professional Renovation of Black Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor in South London

Black Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovated in Tooting Read More »