Camberley Archives - West Surrey Tile Doctor

Victorian Tiled Hallway Restoration Camberley Surrey

Express Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway floor in Camberley

A lady from Camberley had been asking me to restore her Victorian tiled hallway for over a year. This was not due to me I should mention, she’s a shift worker so it had been difficult to schedule a time to visit the property and survey the floor, also she didn’t want her husband to be there as the restoration of the floor was to be a surprise.

We did however mange to get that organised and I was able to inspect the floor. It was very dirty and well overdue a deep clean and seal, however, before that could happen it would be necessary to replace several broken tiles. Fortunately, she had a stash in her garden shed that were in reasonable condition which would do the job very nicely.

Happy with my quote the next hurdle was to agree a date for the work, so we had to delay until such time when the husband would be away.

Repairing and Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Hallway in Camberley

When I finally came to do the work, I started by removing all the broken tiles. I used a serrated edge power chisel for this work taking care not to disturb the adjacent tiles. The holes that are left have to be totally cleared out so the new tiles can slot straight in. Annoyingly the replacement tiles were slightly thicker than the existing ones, so I had to dig down a couple of millimetres to ensure a level floor.

Victorian Tiled Hallway During Restoration Camberley Surrey

The next step was to clean the floor using Tile Doctor Acid Gel. This is an excellent product that removes ingrained dirt. I brushed it over the floor with a soft brush and left for twenty minutes while I had my lunch in the van. Being a gel it is very easy to control and more importantly you don’t use much water during the process, this means the floor dries quicker and it won’t exacerbate any potential damp issues. This is always a consideration with old Victorian tiled floors as they don’t have a damp proof membrane underneath.

I then sprinkled a covering of water to keep it damp while I introduced a weighted buffer machine to scrub the floor. Attached to the machine was a 100-grit diamond pad. This removes surface dirt leaving a very clean tile. A small amount of water is used to help lubricate the process and all waste was removed with a wet vacuum cleaner.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway

The work needed to be done in a day, so I used floor fans and a heater to get the floor dry and ready for sealing.

During this time the replacement tiles were slotted into place sticking them down with rapid set adhesive. Another little job that needed doing was to address a gap between the skirting board and the tiles which the client asked my advice over. Always happy to help, I agreed to fill it with transparent mastic.

Once the tiles were dry, I sealed them with Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra. This gives a sheen finish that enhances colour and last years.

Victorian Tiled Hallway After Restoration Camberley Surrey

Before leaving I took time to discuss aftercare cleaning and recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner, it is a gentle but effective product that won’t harm the sealer.

I never got to find out what her husband thought of the the floor, but my client was certainly happy with the transformation once I had finished.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in West Surrey

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Reviving a Multi-Coloured Slate Floor in Camberley

This was a relatively straightforward job renovating a multi-coloured Slate floor in the kitchen and adjacent dining area of a house in Camberley. I can quote from a photograph, but I prefer to visit the property, survey the floor and carry out a test clean so I can be 100% confident in my quote. I cover all the towns and villages in West Surrey so it usually isn’t long before I’m passing in the direction of a client and can usually call in on the way to or from a nearby job.

The client had recently had a new kitchen fitted where a lot of plastering had been taking place. It seems very little dust sheeting was used, and the result was the stone absorbed a lot of plaster dust which completely flattened its appearance. The Slate floor now looked very uninviting and it was really bringing down the appearance of the new kitchen.

I discussed with the client the process we would follow to get the flooring back in shape. We agreed a cost for the work and booked in a suitable date to carry out the work, it would take a day to renovate the stone floor.

Deep Cleaning a Multi-Coloured Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor

I first sprayed the floor with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro Clean. The product was left on the surface to dwell then after around ten minutes I scrubbed the product into the floor using a black pad attached to a rotary floor buffer. The Slate tiles were slightly riven so overtime as the machine passed over the ridges the pad became torn, so I went through a few pads cleaning this floor.

The abrasive action of the pads combined with the Pro-Clean proved to be very effective causing the cleaning solution to turn black as the dirt was lifted out of the stone. The now soiled cleaning solution was extracted using a wet vacuum and the floor inspected to make sure it was clean.

Sealing a Multi-Coloured Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor

Now I don’t usually recommend sealing a floor on the same day as cleaning, however it was a warm day and only a small floor so after a couple of hours of encouraged drying the floor was ready for sealing.

I suggested three coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra for this floor. It’s a super tough sealer, perfect for a kitchen with lots of through traffic and an owner with a large dog. The formula improves the look adding a subtle sheen that transforms their appearance and brings out the variety of natural colours in the stone.

The client was very happy with the result, the floor was looking so much more inviting and in keeping with the new kitchen. Before leaving I discussed with them the best way to keep the floor looking in great condition. In this case I recommended a Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a pH balanced cleaner. It’s perfect for the regular cleaning of sealed stone as it won’t compromise the sealer like many household products, it leaves a fresh and minty smell and being concentrated a small amount goes a long way.