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Terracotta Tiled Utility Floor Renovation Richmond-upon-Thames

Terracotta Tiled Utility Room Floor Deep Cleaned and Sealed in Richmond

These are terracotta tiles installed 28 years ago in the utility room of a property in Richmond KT2. A new owner moved into the property a year ago and were going to pull the tiles up to replace with vinyl. They assumed the tiles were too far gone for restoration but decided to give me a call first to see if there was anything that could be done.

Terracotta Tiled Utility Floor Before Cleaning Richmond

I visited the property and conducted some tests and established that we could in fact work with the tiles. They were dark with dirt, but I was confident they would come up really well and provided the owners with a quote to deep clean the tiles and then re-seal to protect them.

Terracotta Tiled Utility Floor Before Cleaning Richmond

Deep Cleaning a Terracotta Tiled Utility Floor

The work began by deep cleaning the tiles and removing what was left of the original sealer. It was clear from the start that multiple coats of a protective coating of some kind had been applied and as this broke down with use, dirt had become deeply ingrained into this sealer and not the tile. Deep cleaning of the tiles could only commence once this coating was gone so I started by mopping Tile Doctor Remove and Go stripper diluted with water onto the floor and leaving it to soak in for fifteen minutes. The solution was then agitated with a brush and and the process repeated several times.

It was a small area, so a DeWalt handheld rotary machine fitted with an 80-grit carbide brush was then used to scrub the floor in an attempt to take the sealer off. I soon realised that due to the numerous coats that had been applied the process would need repeating several times. Each application and scrub improving the state of the tiles gradually giving me confidence that I was in fact on the right path.

Once the sealer had been removed, I decided to use Tile Doctor Heavy Build-Up Remover to help with the cleaning process. This was applied to the Terracotta and Grout and then left to soak in for twenty minutes before scrubbing the floor with the Dewalt machine fitted with the carbide brush. The resultant slurry was vacuumed away with a Hyundai wet vacuum. The work was done this way in small sections to ensure the Terracotta was as clean as possible.

Once I was satisfied, the tile and grout was cleaned to its best possible condition the floor was given an acid rinse using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up. The acid in this product does several things including dissolving any salts that may be in the tiles, further cleaning up the tiles and neutralising the PH level of the floor following the use of alkaline cleaners. After being brushed into the tiles and left for five minutes the solution was removed with the wet vacuum and the floor mopped lightly with clean water.

Terracotta is made of clay, which is very porous, so I decided it was best to leave the floor over the weekend to dry out. This allows for any water vapour to completely evaporate before sealing and allowed time for any remaining salt issues to appear so they could be dealt with before sealing.

Sealing a Terracotta Tiled Utility

On my return, I sealed the floor using Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra and a paint pad, it took four applications of the sealer before I achieved the correct level and resulted in a fully sealed surface.

Terracotta Tiled Utility Floor After Renovation Richmond

The result was a completely transformed floor; the dark and dirty red colour had gone and was replaced with a fresh orange Terracotta. My client was delighted with the result and left the following feedback:

Daniels standard of work is outstanding. Our tiles came out better than we ever imagined. He arrived on time and was very professional and explained the complete process. He was also very tidy. I would not hesitate to use him again and would thoroughly recommend him.

Terracotta Tiled Utility Floor After Renovation Richmond

Before leaving I took time to explain the importance of using Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner to maintain the floor going forward. This is a mild but effective Tile and Grout cleaner that won’t impact the sealer.

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Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovation Worcester Park

Renovating a Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor in Worcester Park

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

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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 / London Tile Doctor

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.

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