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Victorian Tiled Path Restoration Surbiton

Damaged Victorian Tiled Pathway Fully Restored in Surbiton

I was contacted in February last year by a homeowner in Surbiton regarding the Victorian Path at the front of their property which was in a really bad state. I’ve restored a number of these pathways in the past so I was more than happy to pop over and provide a quote for doing the work. I did mention though that February was not a good time to do the work due to the poor weather and that the work would be done in the spring at the earliest.

Victorian Pathway Before Restoration Surbiton

The path was indeed in a bad state as described so after survey the path and making detailed notes it took me some time to put the quote together. There was extensive damage in two areas and a large crack close to the house. Original vintage tiles are generally available though sometimes stock can run low. I took notes of size, colour, and number needed while the customer made me a cup of tea. Happy with the quote we agreed I would return in May for three days to do the work.

Victorian Pathway Before Restoration Surbiton Victorian Pathway Before Restoration Surbiton

Restoring a Damaged Victorian Tiled Path

This type of job takes lot of preparation, the two areas had to be totally cleaned out, broken tiles removed, mud and foliage disposed of. Once that was done, I set about cleaning up the path and removing old tile adhesive with a power chisel where needed.

Next up was cleaning the remaining existing tiles. Using a yard broom, I spread five litres of Tile Doctor Acid Gel over the whole length from door to pavement. This was left to soak in for thirty minutes so it could really get to work breaking down the ingrained dirt. While this was working, I introduced in my weighted buffing machine, attached a coarse 200-grit diamond burnishing pad, and added some iron bars to weigh the machine down. More weight means improved contact and therefore a better result. Working my way from road to the front door the machine was run over each tile slowly removing the grime and ingrained dirt in the process.

Once complete, all residue and dirt was rinsed off the path and removed with a wet vacuum cleaner. After a quick wipe over with warm water the tiles were left to dry in the sun.

Repairing a Victorian Tiled Pathway

The following day I returned to carry out the tiling of the two gaps. Since quoting for the work in February I had plenty of time to source replacements that were an exact match for the originals. Victorian tiles are still very popular and there are several companies in the UK where you can find a good match for your project failing that there’s always eBay.

Armed with a bucket of adhesive and a tile cutter I spent the whole day laying what is essentially a tile pattern jigsaw. The path was then left to dry overnight. I also taped the area off like a crime scene to ensure pedestrians would steer clear.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Pathway

The weather window held out and the next day I was able to move onto sealing the tiles with Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal. This is an oil-based sealer that is fully breathable sealer and will cope well with the ravages of the UK weather. The new sealer will protect the tiles for ingrained dirt going forward making the path very easy to clean. Also, the new sealer did a great job of blending in the new and replacement tiles.

Victorian Pathway After Restoration Surbiton Victorian Pathway After Restoration Surbiton

Once complete the path looked like it had only just been laid and was completely transformed by the work I had done. Needless to say, the owner of the property was very happy with the outcome and I bet the postman will be surprised the next time he visits.

Victorian Pathway After Restoration Surbiton

For aftercare cleaning I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner. Most tile cleaning products you find in supermarkets are simply too strong for the sealer and can degrade them prematurely.

 

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Travertine Tiled Shower Before After Reburb Oxshott

Mouldy Travertine Tiled Shower Cubicle Refurbished in Oxshott

I received a call from a customer in Oxshott regarding a Travertine Tiled Shower Cubicle which was grubby and needed refurbishing. As it turns out his wife was about to give birth to their first child and he wanted the bathroom shower cubicle cleaned asap.

Travertine Shower Cubicle Tiles Before Refurbishment Oxshott

The tiles were Travertine and apart from the usual staining from soaps etc I didn’t expect they would present too much trouble; however, the Grout was stained with dirt and mold and I could see this is where the focus would need to be.

Travertine Shower Cubicle Tiles Before Refurbishment Oxshott

Cleaning a Travertine Tiled Shower Cubicle

Focusing on the grout lines first I decided to apply a Tile and Grout cleaning product called Tile Doctor Duo Clean which comes with spray head for easy application. The spray mixes the solution with air making it lighter and sticks to the tiles more easily, it’s also good at breaking down mold.

With the dirt beginning to become loose and lifted out of the pores of the grout the next step was to apply a gel-based cleaner called Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel. Being a gel, it really sticks well to vertical surfaces allowing it to have a longer dwell time. Next step was to work the cleaning agents into the grout lines even further with a wire brush. After cleaning the dirt was rinsed off with water and the soiling removed with a wet vacuum.

The next step was to remove all the existing silicone mastic with a sharp knife from around the shower tray and along the verticals. Once mold gets a grip on the mastic sealant it’s very difficult to remove so easier to replace. Once all the rubbish was swept out, I dried any remaining dampness from the grout and tiles with a heat gun.

Travertine Shower Cubicle Tiles During Refurbishment Oxshott

Sealing a Travertine Tiled Shower Cubicle

The next step was to seal the Travertine tiles, they do have to be dry for that however it was such a small area I was able to speed up the drying process and it wasn’t long before I was able to start the application. For Travertine I like to use a sealer called Tile Doctor Colour Grow, as its name suggests it contains a colour enhancing formula which brings out the natural brown colours in the stone. Its also fully breathable and works by seeping into the pores of the stone protecting it from within.

Whilst waiting for the sealer to dry I also cleaned up the shower glass and replaced the mastic sealant I had stripped out after cleaning with an anti-mold product that should help prevent the problem in future.

Travertine Shower Cubicle Tiles After Refurbishment Oxshott

Before leaving I discussed the mold problem with my customer explaining that the best solution to that problem though is to increase ventilation as it thrives in humid conditions; other things you can do include leaving a window and door open afterwards to improve cross ventilation and you can also run cold water through the shower afterwards. With a sealed stone shower, you also must be careful what product you use to clean the tiles with afterwards, never use acidic products like limescale remover or bleach that can etch the stone. We recommend using Tile Doctor Aqua-Pro which is a mild but effective cleaner that can be applied after showering.

 

Travertine Tiled Shower Cubicle Cleaning and Grout Recolouring in Surrey

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Soiled Victorian Path Repair Restoration Esher

Neglected Victorian Tiled Pathway Repaired and Restored in Esher

This customer in Esher requested help renovating their Victorian tiled pathway which as you can see from the photograph below was looking very neglected and in a poor state of repair. As well as some damage and missing tiles, dirt had been come ingrained and, in some places, there was vegetation growing between the tiles.

Soiled Victorian Tiled Pathway before renovation Esher

When working on external Victorian tiles like this example you really do need to have warm weather and I will often put requests for restoration work like this one on hold until the spring on summer.

Restoring a Heavily Soiled Victorian Tiled Path

To remove all the vegetation and clean up the tiles, I applied a mixture of acid-based Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up and left it to dwell and soak in for a good thirty minutes. This product removes mineral deposits from the tile and will neutralise salt problems such as efflorescence.

The solution was worked into the tiles using a rotary floor buffer fitted with a coarse 100-grit diamond pad. The industrial diamonds in the pad skim the surface of the tile exposing its original colour. All dirt is washed away and removed using a wet vacuum. The tiles were then left to dry.

While drying I carefully removed all the broken tiles with a hammer and chisel. Old Victorian tiles are super tough but often brittle so care must be taken when removing a single tile as very often the one next to it will pop out as a result some tiles should just be left where they are or you end up replacing half the path. I do have to warn customers that due to the age of the installation an “as new” result is an unrealistic expectation. These paths are often over 100 years old and are susceptible to our weather. I often tell customers they can expect some “Characterful” features once the job is done.

Once the path was cleared of debris, I set about cutting and fitting replacement tiles which I had managed to source earlier. Victorian tiles are still very popular and there are several companies in the UK where you can find a good match for your project.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Pathway

The weather was excellent so it wasn’t long before I was able to move onto sealing the tiles with a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow. This is a fully breathable sealer that will cope with the weather and as its name suggests it enhances the colours in the tile, the new sealer will protect the tiles for ingrained dirt going forward making the path very easy to clean. Also, the new sealer did a great job of blending in the new and replacement tiles.

Soiled Victorian Tiled Pathway after renovation Esher

Once complete the path was completely transformed and looked so much healthier. Naturally there were some “Characterful” imperfections but as I mentioned earlier this just echoes the history of the property.

For aftercare cleaning I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner. Most tile cleaning products you find in supermarkets are simply too strong for the sealer and can degrade them prematurely.

 

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