Ipswich Tile Cleaning Archives - Suffolk Tile Doctor

Sandstone Kitchen Floor Renovation Ipswich

Sandstone Floor Renovated in Ipswich Kitchen and Sunroom

This Sandstone tiled floor was in the Kitchen and Sunroom of a house in Ipswich. The protective sealer had clearly worn off and now the floor was really grubby due to the owner being in a wheelchair and the tyres tracked dirt in from the garden.

Sandstone Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning Ipswich

It had been some time since the floor was last sealed and it was clear to me now that the sealer had failed thereby allowing years of dirt and grime to lodge in the pores of the stone leaving it looking permanently dirty. Cleaning with a mop simply won’t make any difference to a floor once it gets in this state which is where Tile Doctor comes in. Also, we often find owners of sealed stone floors don’t realise that most of the tile cleaning products you find in supermarkets are simply too strong for use on a sealed floor and will strip the sealer from the tiles thereby leaving it vulnerable to ingrained dirt.

The solution I quoted for including deep cleaning the sandstone tiles and grout and then resealing the whole floor over two days. Unhappy with the floor and keen to have it renovated I was asked to do do the work and so we scheduled a date.

Cleaning/Repairing a Sandstone Tiled Kitchen and Sunroom Floor

To get the Sandstone clean I sprayed the floor with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and allowed it to soak in for about ten minutes. The floor was then scrubbed using a 120-grit carborundum silicon carbide brush fitted to a rotary machine. This is a special pad that works really well on riven stone. The resultant slurry was rinsed off with water and extracted with a wet vacuum.

I then turned my attention to the grout which often needs extra attention as the pads can struggle to reach into the recesses of the grout lines. For these I used more Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and hand scrubbed where required with a stiff brush. I also used this time to inspect the floor and spot clean any stubborn areas of dirt on the sandstone that needed more attention.

Sandstone Kitchen Floor During Cleaning Ipswich

After a final rinse and extraction, the stone and grout were looking much cleaner however I needed it to be completely dry before applying the sealer so after extracting as much moisture as possible I left it to dry off overnight. The cleaning has taken the whole of the first day and had used two litres of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean.

Sealing a Sandstone Tiled Kitchen and Sunroom Floor

On day two I started by checking the floor was dry using a damp meter; the moisture readings were fine, and this confirmed the floor was ready to accept a sealer. The sealer chosen for this floor was Tile Doctor Seal & Go Extra, I applied four coats allowing each coat to dry before applying the next consuming three litres of sealer in the process.

Sandstone Kitchen Floor After Cleaning Ipswich

The floor is now clean and has a nice, easy to maintain sheen. The new sealer will prevent dirt becoming lodged in the pores of the tiles allowing the floor to keep its looks for many years to come. For cleaning I recommended they use Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner which is a gentle but effective product recommended for use on sealed stone.

Professional Restoration of a Sandstone Tiled Kitchen and Sunroom in Suffolk

Sandstone Floor Renovated in Ipswich Kitchen and Sunroom Read More »

Limestone Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovated in Ipswich Suffolk

Dirty Limestone Kitchen Floor Deep Cleaned, Polished and Sealed in Ipswich

1 Comment / Ipswich Tile Cleaning, Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing / Bruce Copping

This limestone tiled floor was installed in the kitchen of a house on the outskirts of Ipswich in Suffolk. The protective sealer had broken down over the years with use, and the limestone was now unprotected and had lost its lustre, it was now absorbing dirt giving it a permanently dirty and dull appearance. Natural stone is porous and without the protection of a sealer its appearance will degrade as more dirt becomes ingrained in its pores.

Limestone Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning Ipswich

I visited site to have a look at the job, I carried out a test on a small sample area, which came up well; the client was happy to proceed with my quote so we arranged a date to complete the work later in the month.

Cleaning a Limestone Tiled Kitchen Floor

To remove the ingrained dirt and improve the limestone I spent a day applying different grades of diamond encrusted floor pads, worked into the tiles with only water to help lubricate the scrubbing action. These pads are called burnishing pads and to up the pores of the stone so the dirt can be released you need to start with a coarse 400-grit pad.

Once the pad has been run over each tile at least three times the floor is rinsed with water and the soil is extracted with a wet vacuum. Before starting with the next pad in the series a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro Clean was run into the grout lines and scrubbed in by hand with a stiff brush before another round of rinsing and extracting.

The burnishing process was then repeated with a finer 800-grit pad and then a 1500-grit pad. The pads remove any remaining sealer and dirt and start building up the polish on the tile. At the end of the first day the floor was given a final rinse and dried with a wet vacuum. The floor was then left to dry off completely overnight.

Sealing a Limestone Tiled Kitchen Floor

Returning on the 2nd day I began by applying a very fine 3000 grit pad to close the pores up and add a nice subtle shine to the limestone. The floor was checked with the damp meter just to check it was dry enough to seal. The client wanted a slightly matt finish but wanted to ensure the natural colours of the floor came through with just a slight sheen. We selected to use Tile Doctor Colour Grow. It was then sealed with 3 coats, applying each coat after the previous one had soaked in and dried. It took 3 litres of sealer to fill up the stone with sealer which will now prevent dirt from becoming ingrained there.

Limestone Kitchen Floor After Cleaning Ipswich

The floor now has a nice, easy to maintain shine and the Colour Grow sealer provided a very durable finish. I recommended to the client to use Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner, this is pH neutral cleaner so nice and gentle on the floor, it will ensure the integrity of the newly applied sealer is not compromised.

Professional Restoration of a Limestone Tiled Kitchen in Suffolk

Dirty Limestone Kitchen Floor Deep Cleaned, Polished and Sealed in Ipswich Read More »

Porcelain Tiled Floor Before and After Renovation Ipswich

Renovating Porcelain Tile with Stained Grout in Ipswich

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Ipswich Tile Cleaning, Porcelain Tile Cleaning, Work History / Bruce Copping

The pictures below detail the renovation of a Porcelain Tiled Floor I completed at a property in Ipswich. Installed throughout the Kitchen and into the adjacent WC the porcelain tile and grout were in a very dirty state and the client was desperate to get them clean. The situation wasn’t helped by their two dogs with grubby paws. She had tried all the usual household cleaners she could find, and nothing seemed to work. Unfortunately, household cleaners can make the problem worse due the strong chemicals they contain.

Porcelain Tile Grout Before Renovation Ipswich

I visited the property to survey the floor and was able to reassure the client that although the grout was heavily stained it could be renovated by recolouring it with a Tile Doctor Grout Colourant. I was confident we would soon be able to get the floor looking great again and demonstrated the process I would use on a small part of the floor. The demonstration went well and happy with the result we agreed a date for my return the following week to complete the work which should be completed in a single day.

Cleaning a Porcelain Tiled Hallway and Kitchen Floor

Returning on the agreed date we started by protecting the by applying a clear silicone sealant to the MDF skirting boards and kitchen base units. We left this to dry for an hour before proceeding with the cleaning.

The Porcelain tile and grout was cleaned with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean using 3 parts cleaner to 5 parts water. The solution was applied to the tile and grout and then left to soak in for ten minutes before being worked in using a rotary machine fitted with a Black Scrubbing Pad. Tile Doctor Pro-Clean is a concentrated, multi-purpose high-alkaline cleaner which is designed for deep cleaning tile, stone and grout of dirt and grease and can also remove sealers.

Pads can struggle to reach into the recesses of the grout line so once I was finished with the tile, I hand scrubbed the grout with a wire brush. The floor was then rinsed with water and the resultant slurry extracted off the floor with wet vacuum.

The floor took about three hours to deep clean which was just the right timing for us to have lunch whilst the floor dried. The grout was much improved by the cleaning process but as suspected there were too many deep-seated stains to be able to guarantee a consistent finish. So as previously agreed with the client we set about colouring the grout using a light grey colourant. This took most of the afternoon as there was a lot of grout.

The Porcelain tiles were the non-porous type that won’t take a sealer and the colourant acts as a barrier over the grout protecting it and making it easy to clean so once I was done colouring there was no need to apply a sealer.

Porcelain Tile Grout After Renovation Ipswich

My client was relieved to have the floor looking clean and presentable again. For aftercare I recommended that moving forward it would be best to use Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a pH neutral cleaner. This will ensure that with regular cleaning the floor will keep clean and the grout won’t be compromised by overly strong products.

Professional Renovation of a Porcelain Tiled Kitchen Floor in Suffolk

Renovating Porcelain Tile with Stained Grout in Ipswich Read More »

Quarry Tiled Floor Before After Cleaning Levington

Restorative Clean of an Old Quarry Floor in a Levington Gamekeepers Cottage

1 Comment / Ipswich Tile Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Work History / Bruce Copping

The Quarry Tiled Floor pictured below was located in a wood on the outskirts of the pretty coastal village of Levington, just East of Ipswich. The client had recently purchased this old Gamekeepers cottage and they were looking to redecorate and refurbish the property including the floors.

Quarry Tiled Floor Gamekeepers Cottage Before Cleaning Levington

The floors in the house were all very dirty and the new owners wanted them cleaned in time for Christmas. I visited site and conducted a demonstration on a small section of Quarry tiles which covered the whole of the ground floor. The demonstration went well, and the client was very pleased to see the kind of result they could expect. We agreed a price for the work and arranged a suitable time to return.

Cleaning a Quarry Tiled Floor

I knew from the age of the cottage it very unlikely to have a damp-proof membrane present under the floor so I had to consider damp and efflorescence issues could become factors during cleaning. Efflorescence occurs when salts trapped in water from the ground rise through the porous Quarry tiles and are left on the surface of the tile as white deposits when the moisture evaporates.

Before starting with the cleaning process, we set about taping up the wooden skirting and doorways to protect them. Then because of the lack of a DPM I decided to clean the floor with Tile Doctor Acid Gel which would require less water and counter any alkaline salts trapped in the floor. It was applied to the floor and then worked in using a rotary machine fitted with a scrubbing pad. The grout was then scrubbed by hand using a wire brush and the resultant slurry vacuumed using our wet vacuum.

Once I was satisfied the floor was as clean as possible the floor was rinsed with warm water using the least amount of water possible. This removed any trace of cleaning product and the floor then dried using the wet vacuum and microfibre cloths. The floor was then inspected, and any stubborn areas were spot treated before leaving the floor to dry off fully overnight.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled Floor

The following morning, I conducted a damp test with a moisture meter to ensure the floor was dry enough to take a sealer. Sure enough, due to the cleaning method used, the floor was dry, and I was able to move on to applying the sealer which for this floor I used Tile Doctor Seal & Go Extra.

I selected Seal & Go Extra as it has a special acrylic-based formula which allows moisture vapour transmission making it partially breathable and well suited for floors without a damp-proof membrane. This is important as to use non-breathable sealer can result in damp building up in the tiles and under the floor where it can cause damage and spread out to the walls resulting in rising damp. Six coats of sealer were applied to the Quarry tiles to ensure the floor was fully sealed and this left a nice low sheen finish.

Quarry Tiled Floor Gamekeepers Cottage After Cleaning Levington

The clients were extremely happy with the result, as you can see from the the pictures the floor looked in much better condition.

For aftercare I recommended the use of the Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner to keep the floor in the best condition and make maintenance easy for them. This would ensure the newly applied seal stayed put.

Professional Renovation of Quarry Tiled Flooring in Suffolk

Restorative Clean of an Old Quarry Floor in a Levington Gamekeepers Cottage Read More »

Cleaning and Sealing a Pamment Tiled Floor in Ipswich

1 Comment / Ipswich Tile Cleaning, Work History / Bruce Copping

I was contacted by a client living in Ipswich, the county town of Suffolk, who had a dirty Pamment tiled floor that needed some attention. The sealer had pretty much worn off the surface of the tiles which had allowed dirt to become ingrained in the pores of the stone, making it difficult to clean for the homeowner.

Pamment Tiled floor Ipswich Before Cleaning

Pamment tiles are very popular in Suffolk homes; they are made locally from clay and, like Terracotta, are porous and therefore need to be sealed. Pamments are quite versatile, and can be used for internal floors and external surfaces like patios.

Cleaning a Pamment tiled floor

To remove the remaining sealer and clean the tiles I decided to apply Tile Doctor Remove & Go, which was diluted with water to form a medium strength solution. I applied a layer of this solution to the floor, leaving it to soak into the pores of the stone for approximately ten minutes. I then worked the solution into the tiles using a scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine. Remove & Go is versatile cleaner, suitable and safe to use on many natural stone floors, ceramic tiles, grout and more.

I rinsed the solution off the floor with water once it had worked its magic, and extracted the resulting soiled residue with a wet-vac machine. In order to tackle the particular stubborn stains, I repeated this process until I was satisfied that the floor had been cleaned to the highest standard possible.

Pamment Tiled floor Ipswich During Cleaning

The floor was then left to dry overnight before returning the next day to complete the seal. It is imperative that a tiled floor is given at least 24 hours to dry completely. This is because any excess moisture left on the floor can potentially damage the performance of the sealer. However, in this case I installed a dehumidifier to speed up the drying process.

Sealing a Pamment tiled floor

To seal the Pamment tiles I used a total of six layers of Tile Doctor Seal & Go, which provided a robust, durable surface seal along with an aesthetically pleasing, low-sheen finish (as you can see from the photos). Seal & Go is the go-to sealer for internal, unsealed porous surfaces such as Terracotta, Sandstone, Slate, and more.

Pamment Tiled floor Ipswich After Cleaning

Refreshing Pamment floor tiles floor in Suffolk

Cleaning and Sealing a Pamment Tiled Floor in Ipswich Read More »

Restoring a Poorly Sealed Limestone Patio in Ipswich, Suffolk

1 Comment / Ipswich Tile Cleaning, Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing, Work History / Bruce Copping

This Limestone patio had been poorly sealed, resulting in a lack of protection from weather and the general wear and tear of nature. As such, the patio was in need of a thorough clean, and any remaining sealer stripped off and replaced. In addition, the pointing between the Limestone tiles was crumbling, and in places the stone was marked by oil spots. The patio was installed at a house in Ipswich, Suffolk which incidentally is considered to be one of, if not the oldest town in England. I knew the Limestone tiles would be difficult to clean, especially after being exposed to dirt and wear for so long so I figured this would take some time to resolve.

Limestone patio before renovation in Ipswich

Removing tough stains and dirt from a Limestone patio

My first step was to give the patio an initial rinse with clean water in order to remove any loose debris. Following this, I mixed up an equal cleaning solution of Tile Doctor Pro Clean and NanoTech HBU. Pro-Clean is a versatile, high alkaline cleaner which can be used on a variety of natural stone floors, whilst NanoTech HBU (formerly known as Ultra Clean) is specifically designed to tackle the heavy build-up of dirt and stains. It does this by using nano-sized particles to penetrate beneath tough stains to dissolve and lift them out.

As you can see from the photographs, the combination of the two cleaning products was highly effective. After completing the cleaning, I left the house for two days to allow plentiful time for the patio to dry completely, and therefore ready to be sealed.

Sealing a Limestone Patio with Stone Oil

Fortunately the weather held and I was able to call in as planned and applied Tile Doctor Stone Oil, an easy-to-apply product that adds colour to the stone. I left the floor for a further two days and then returned again to protect the Limestone using a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Ultra Seal.

After cleaning and sealing the patio, my final task was to deal with the pointing issue. I replaced any missing pointing and fixed the loose pieces, before colouring the grout using a dark colourant to provide uniformity. This was difficult, but highly rewarding work, as the patio now looks bold and inviting.

Limestone patio after renovation in Ipswich

My customer was certainly pleased with my work, and left the following comment on the Tile Doctor feedback system:

“I couldn’t have been more pleased with the service I received from Bruce Copping. He communicated well, was reliable and managed to breathe life back into my very unattractive limestone garden patio that had been excruciating badly sealed by my original contractors…The whole area, which is around 30ft square, now looks fantastic.”

New life breathed into Limestone Patio in Suffolk

Restoring a Poorly Sealed Limestone Patio in Ipswich, Suffolk Read More »

Quarry tiled floor restoration in Ipswich

Ipswich Tile Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Work History / Bruce Copping

This old quarry tiled floor was in the dining room of a Victorian terrace house in central Ipswich, Suffolk. The tiled floor had been covered by carpet for the previous 12 years and the owner wanted it restoring back to its original condition.

Quarry Tile Cleaning

The carpet backing had been glued to the quarry tiled floor and it took two days of hard graft using 2 litres of Remove & Go to remove the backing followed by 2 litres of Pro-Clean to clean up the tile. Once we had finished cleaning we washed down the floor to remove any remaining cleaning products and left it to dry overnight. We find a Wet and Dry Vacuum helps a lot when doing this; it’s a great tool for removing liquids from floors.

Quarry Tile Sealing

We came back the next day and sealed the floor with five coats of Seal & Go, about 1 litre, which brought out the beauty in the floor, you can see the remarkable difference in the photographs.

Quarry Tile Floor Restoration in Ipswich

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