Fareham Tile Cleaning Archives - Tile Doctor Hampshire

Limestone Patio Before After Levelling Wickham

Levelling an Uneven Limestone Kitchen Floor in Wickham

The client in the small village of Wickham had recently had a new Limestone tiled floor laid in his kitchen/conservatory on top of electric underfloor heating or UFH as its commonly known. Although the Limestone looked great the tiler had not laid the tiles very level and there were many tiles with 2 to 5 mm lippage between them. Not only was this unsightly it also created a tripping hazard. It was unacceptable to the client and they were very disappointed with the new floor.

Uneven limestone tiled floor Wickham before levelling

Wickham is a small village close to Fareham and actually only ten miles from our base in Portsmouth, so it wasn’t long before I was able to head over and survey the floor and come up with solutions.

As I saw it, we had three options,

Live with it as is.
Rip it all up and damage the electric underfloor heating matt, which would then also need replacing.
Mill the stone with abrasive pads to grind down the lippage.

We discussed all three options and the cost implications; they really were not happy to live with it so that option was out and taking the floor up was going to cause huge disruption and cost. He chose wisely and went for option 3! We confirmed the price and arranged a time to return to carry out the work.

Levelling an Uneven Stone Floor with Milling Pads

We returned a few weeks later to carry out the work. We used two technicians who very slowly they started grinding the floor level with a heavy rotary machine fitted with milling pads. The pads are applied in sequence with water from 50-grit, 100-grit, 200-grit, 400-grit, 800-grit and then finally 1500-grit. The floor is rinsed with more water in between each pad to remove the fine slurry that is generated. This can be a messy job, but we make use of a wet vacuum to extract the slurry and try hard to keep the dust created to a minimum.

The 50, 100 and 200 grit milling pads are very coarse and grind down the stone flattening the lippage difference between the tiles, the 400, 800 and 1500 grit burnishing pads then refine and hone the stone bringing back its polished appearance. Once we were satisfied that the floor had been milled successfully and the level of the floor was now acceptable, we gave the floor a final rinse and extraction, then left it to dry out.

Sealing a Limestone Tiled Kitchen Floor

After a couple of days, we came back to seal it with Tile Doctor Colour Grow. The floor was checked before sealing with a moisture meter to ensure it was nice and dry. The seal would not cure property otherwise.

Three coats of the Tile Doctor Colour Grow product were applied to the Limestones. This product is an impregnating sealer that works by occupying the pores in the stone thus preventing dirt from becoming ingrained there. Colour Grow enhances the natural colours in the stone and works well on Limestone where it brings out the cream and brown shades and really enhances the appearance of the stone.

Uneven limestone tiled floor Wickham after levelling

After completion the floor was completely level and it looked lighter and cleaner. You can see the results in the pictures, the floor was transformed, and the kitchen now looks stunning. The client was ecstatic and recommended Tile Doctor to the shop where he had purchased the stone as they had felt he would never get the finish he had hoped for. He also left the following testimonial on the Tile Doctor feedback system.

We had a new limestone floor installed in a large and difficult area but the result was not satisfactory in that there was too much “lippage” from stone to stone in many parts of the floor. All the advice we received was that it would not be feasible to mill the floor level and that we would either have to live with it or lift and replace it – a terrible prospect. However, Charles persuaded us that it could be done and his team managed to mill it and polish it such that it now looks superb. The process was relatively quick and very clean. The team was thorough, professional and a pleasure to have around. We are delighted with the result and would recommend them strongly for any similar work
Philip G., Wickham

Professional Milling of a Limestone Tiled Kitchen in Hampshire

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Travetine Tiles in Fareham Before and After Polishing

Travertine Tiled Floor Maintenance in Fareham

1 Comment / Fareham Tile Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning, Work History / Charles Okwechime

Travertine is a beautiful natural material which due to its hardness makes a fantastic flooring material. To get the best out of it though it does need to be polished as it does dull over time depending of the amount of wear it receives. I also recommend sealing it as well as this will protect the stone from staining and if you have the right sealer it can enhance the look of the stone even further.

Travetine Tiles in Fareham Before Cleaning

Cleaning Travertine Kitchen Tiles

This Travertine tiled floor in Fareham was due a polish so I gave the floor a quick clean using Tile Doctor Pro-Clean paying particular attention to the grout with a stiff grout brush. The dirty solution was then removed using a wet vacuum and I moved onto burnishing the Travertine to bring up the polish.

Burnishing requires a set of four diamond encrusted pads with different grits from coarse to extra fine and are applied to the floor using a little water to help lubricate the process. It’s also necessary to rinse the floor between each pad to remove the slurry that is generated in the process. Burnishing took most of the day so once finished I give the floor a final rinse and left it to dry off overnight.

Sealing Travertine Tiled Floor

I came back to seal the floor the next day using two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer that soaks into the pores of the stone providing protection from within the stone and also enhancing the natural colours of the stone.

Travetine Tiles in Fareham After Cleaning

On reflection I can see I probably should of taken more photographs of this floor, hopefully you can appreciate the difference which was quite remarkable.

Polishing a Travertine Floor in Hampshire

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Polished Granite Floor After Cleaning and Polishing Fareham

Cleaning & Polishing Granite Floor Tiles in Fareham

1 Comment / Fareham Tile Cleaning, Work History / Charles Okwechime

Granite is as you would imagine a very hard surface that looks beautiful when polished; in this case however it the floor had been abused by workmen who had been working at this commercial premises in the market town of Fareham and trailed all sorts of building materials and dirt onto the floor during renovation work. The once beautiful Granite floor tiles were now looking in a sorry state and the site manager was keen to have them restored to their former glory.

Polished Granite Floor Before Cleaning Fareham

Cleaning Marble Floor Tiles

The floor a quick sweep and wash down with a dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean partly to ensure any surface grit etc. was removed but also so we could get a stiff grout brush in along the grout lines and give them a clean. Next the floor was rinsed down with water which was removed with a wet vacuum. The next step was to burnish the Granite with a set of four diamond encrusted burnishing pads which come in different grits and are applied in sequence working from coarse which removes old sealers and dirt through to medium, fine and super fine pads which build up the polish on the floor. The floor needs a rinse with water in-between each pad to remove any slurry and water is extracted from the floor using the wet vacuum, after the super fine pad we removed as much water from the floor as possible and left it to dry overnight ready for sealing the next day.

Sealing Granite Floor Tiles

Being a commercial floor I was concerned about the foot traffic wearing down the polish on the tiles so Tile Doctor Shine Powder was sprinkled onto the Granite and ground in using a little water to help lubricate the process and another pad at slow speed. Once this was complete the floor was buffed using a white buffing pad and now it looks transformed.

Polishing Granite Floor Tiles in Hampshire

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Travertine Tiled Floor Maintenance in Fareham

1 Comment / Fareham Tile Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning, Work History / Charles Okwechime

I do like a beautiful Travertine Tiled floor however they do need regular maintenance to keep them looking good. This travertine floor installed in the kitchen of a house in Fareham was no different as the tiles were looking dull and the grout was tarnishing.

Cleaning Travertine Kitchen Tiles

To protect the kitchen units from water a protective tape was applied around the base and once done we gave the tiles a quick clean using Tile Doctor Pro-Clean working it in with a scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine and then into the grout lines with a stiff hand brush. The dirty solution was then removed using a wet vacuum and we moved onto burnishing the whole tiled floor.

Farnham Travertine Floor Cleaning in Progress

We stated the burnishing process with a red fitted to a rotary machine with a little water. The burnishing pads are encrusted with diamonds and are very good at removing dirt and sealers from hard stone including Travertine and Marble; the surface water and loose dirt was removed used a wet Vacuum. There are four pads in the burnishing system and they are applied to the stone floor in sequence starting with a course pad with a little water and then moving onto the finer polishing pads one after the other until we were left with a high shine finish.

Sealing Travertine Tiled Floor

We left the floor to dry overnight and came back the next day to seal the floor. The floor must be dry before sealing otherwise the results can be unpredictable. Once we were happy the floor was dry we proceeded to seal the Travertine tile using two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Ultra-Seal which provides a natural look to the stone as well providing excellent stain protection. Two coats of sealer were sufficient to seal the floor.

Farnham Travertine Floor Finished 4

Travertine Floor Tiles Cleaning and Sealing in Fareham

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Terracotta Tiled Floor Maintained in Fareham, Hampshire

1 Comment / Fareham Tile Cleaning, Terracotta Tile Cleaning, Work History / Charles Okwechime

This Terracotta tiled floor was installed in the kitchen of a house in Fareham. The floor was in need of a deep clean especially in the high traffic areas where the sealer had worn down and on the tiles near the kitchen units there were some stubborn stains from spillages.

Cleaning Terracotta Tile

I started the job using a solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, which is a heavy duty alkaline product ideal for cleaning natural products such as Terracotta, this was scrubbed in with a black pad fitted to a rotary machine. The cleaning process was repeated a couple of times and a stiff hand brush was used along the grout lines to clean up the grout. To treat the suborn stains we mixed Pro-Clean 50/50 with Tile Doctor NanoTech UltraClean which adds tiny abrasive particles to the cleaner making it even more effective; its best to leave the resultant solution to soak into the tile for half an hour before working it in with a scrubbing brush. Once happy the floor was clean it was given a thorough rinse to remove any remaining chemical and left it to dry overnight.

Sealing Terracotta Tile

The next day came back to seal the Terracotta but first checked the floor for any spots we might had missed and also to ensure it had dried sufficiently. Tile Doctor Seal and Go was used to seal the floor, it’s a water based sealer so it doesn’t give off an odour when it’s drying and also offers durable stain protection together with a low sheen finish. Terracotta is very porous and in the end the floor actually took seven coats of sealant before it was fully sealed. Applying a sealer does takes a long time to apply as you have to wait for it to dry before applying the next coat.

The work took two days in all and you can see the difference for yourself, the Terracotta tile and grout look wonderful and have lifted the overall look of the Kitchen.

Terracotta Floor Cleaned and Sealed in Fareham

Terracotta Tiled Floor Maintained in Fareham, Hampshire Read More »

Quarry Tile Restoration in Fareham

Fareham Tile Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Work History / Charles Okwechime

Details below of a Quarry Tiled kitchen floor that were cleaned and sealed for a customer in Fareham. The main problems were that the tiles were becoming increasingly difficult to clean so they looked dull and tired and the grout had become stained.

Cleaning Kitchen Quarry Tiles

A solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean was applied to the floor and left to soak for a short while before being scrubbed in with a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad. The grout was also in need of attention and this had to be scrubbed by hand using a stiff brush along the grout lines, which as you can imagine took some time. The soiled cleaning solution was then removed using a wet vacuum and the floor thoroughly rinsed with water and then left to dry overnight.

Sealing Kitchen Quarry Tiles

When we returned the next day we could see there were a few areas in need of some further attention so we set about cleaning those up. Once we were happy with the floor and it had managed to dry off we sealed the floor using six coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go which is a water based sealer (so no smell) that provides surface stain protection to the quarry tile and grout and also leaves a nice deep low sheen on the tile surface.

Quarry Tile Cleaning in Hampshire

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Cleaning & Sealing Slate Flagstone Tiles in Fareham

Fareham Tile Cleaning, Flagstone Tile Cleaning, Slate Tile Cleaning, Work History / Charles Okwechime

These Slate flagstone tile were installed in a conservatory in the town of Fareham. The flagstones and grout were reasonably clean and in good condition but the previous sealer had all but worn off and they were looking dull and in need of revamp.

Slate Flagstone Cleaning

As the previous sealer had all but worn off I decided not to apply a dedicated coatings remover product such as “Remove and Go” but instead use a strong cleaning solution to remove the remaining sealer and clean the floor in one go. For this I choose a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean mixed with 50/50 with Nanotech Ultra-Clean which adds tiny abrasive particles to the mix. The cleaning solution was applied to the floor with a mop and then left to dwell for 20 minutes before being agitated with a buffing machines fitted with a black Scrubbing pad and stiff brushes along the grout lines.

The soiled solution was then removed using a wet vacuum and the floor rinsed with clean water and left to dry. We could see at this point that the job was a success and we had successfully managed to clean the floor and remove the sealer in one go.

There was no history of what had been used to seal the floor previously so it’s important to ensure all the old sealer had been completely removed as the old sealer could have been incompatible with the sealer we wished to use and resulted in an unexpected finish.

Sealing the Slate Floor

We sealed the slate flagstones with a single coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which really helps bring out the deep colour from within the slate. To finish and build up the lustre and richness of the colour we then applied seven coats of Seal & Go which add a nice low sheen to the surface of the tile.

For general cleaning and to get a long life out of the sealer we recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner, diluted 1:30 with water and applied with a microfibre flat mop, rinse with water and then remove with a clean microfibre flat mop.

Restoring a Slate Flagstone Tiles in Fareham

Cleaning & Sealing Slate Flagstone Tiles in Fareham Read More »

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Andover Tile Cleaning, Basingstoke Tile Cleaning, Beaulieu Tile Cleaning, Ceramic Tile Cleaning, Eastleigh Tile Cleaning, Encaustic Cement Tile Cleaning, Fareham Tile Cleaning, Farnborough Tile Cleaning, Fireplace Cleaning, Flagstone Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Hamble Tile Cleaning, Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing, Lymington Tile Cleaning, Marble Tile Cleaning, Porcelain Tile Cleaning, Portsmouth Tile Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Sandstone Tile Cleaning, Southampton Tile Cleaning, Terracotta Tile Cleaning, Terrazzo Floor Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Vinyl Tile Cleaning, Waterlooville Tile Cleaning, Winchester Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Charles Okwechime

Hampshire Tile Doctor

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