Farnham Archives - West Surrey Tile Doctor

Slate Floor Tile and Grout Renovation Farnham Utility

Neglected Slate Tiled Utility Room Floor Cleaned and Sealed in Farnham

The Slate floor in this room at a property in Farnham was in quite a state. “Heavily soiled” is a polite description. The floor was situated in the utility room and hadn’t been cleaned properly since the house was constructed ten years ago.

The room was mainly used as a dumping ground for walking boots and was also where the dog slept. Being out of sight it was therefore out of mind but eventually they decided it was time to do something about it and reached out to Tile Doctor for help.

Slate Floor Before Cleaning Farnham Kitchen

I visited the property, surveyed the tiles and was confident the floor could be restored! From my survey I was also able to provide a quote for a deep clean and seal of the Slate tiles which was accepted and a date set for my return.

Cleaning a Slate Tiled Utility Room Floor

I cleaned the grout first with Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, this was done using the usual method of applying it directly to the grout and leaving it to soak in for ten minutes before using an abrasive wire brush to scrub the grout clean. The floor was then rinsed then the waste extracted with a wet vacuum. This was repeated until I was happy the grout was as clean as possible.

Slate Floor During Cleaning Farnham Kitchen

Next up, I sprayed a strong dilution of more Tile Doctor Pro Clean over the tiles and left it to dwell this time for twenty minutes. The surface gradually turned yellow indicating that the product was working. Then using a tough carbide brush attached to a handheld polisher I slowly cleaned the tiles. Slate has a riven surface with lots of nooks and crannies that the brush can get into. All the waste soil was removed again with a wet vacuum and I then neutralised the floor rinsing it twice with hot water.

Sealing a Slate Tiled Utility Room Floor

For the next hour or so I dried the floor with a heater and while waiting I cleaned the small brick patio by the front door which made the entrance look a lot more inviting!

Once the floor looked dry, I tested with the damp meter to make sure it was ready to seal. Satisfied the levels were good, I applied three coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra. This is a moder tough sealer that’s ideal for busy floors that leaves an attractive sheen finish.

Once dry the floor looked so much clear and appealing, much to the relief of my client who was very happy with the work we carried out- and so was the dog!

Slate Floor During Sealing Farnham Kitchen

For aftercare I recommended using Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner which is a Neutral pH tile and grout cleaner and will help ensure the floor stays in great condition for many years to come. It always worth readying the label of a Tile Cleaning product to check its suitable for use on a sealed floor as most household products are usually acidic and can trip a sealant off a floor with repeated use.

Professional Restoration of a Slate Tiled Utility Room in West Surrey

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Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Cleaning Sealing Farnham

Victorian Tiled Hallway Deep Cleaned and Sealed in Farnham

1 Comment / Farnham Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning / Rupert Mcloud

This client from Farnham had been in touch regarding their Victorian tiled hallway which needed deep cleaning and re-sealing. As usual I paid them a visit, surveyed the floor, and provided a quote for renovating it which they were happy to accept, there were no broken tiles to remove and replace so it was a straightforward clean and seal. It was a lovely floor which had been laid in a herringbone pattern with lovely black and gold floral inserts and a beautiful green border.

Whilst discussing dates it became apparent that they were planning on having some decorating done in the same area, so I recommended they book me in for a date after the decorators had left. It’s always good practice to get the floor cleaned after your last tradesperson has left, decorators especially have a habit of not covering floors properly.

Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

I turned up on the agreed date and was pleasantly surprised to see there were only a few paint splashes on the floor so I wondered if my comments to the owner must have been passed onto the decorators. The hallway led onto several rooms many of which had new carpets, so with my own advice in mind I made sure to cover them with a plastic sheet before starting work.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor During Cleaning Farnham

The first job was to remove any existing sealer from the tiles using Tile Doctor Remove and Go, this is brushed onto the tiles, left for ten to fifteen minutes, and then scrubbed in with a black pad fitted to a rotary floor machine running at slow speed. The resultant slurry was then rinsed off and extracted with a wet vacuum. It was a small floor so I planned to seal the floor later that day and so I only used a minimal amount of water and used the wet vacuum to remove as much moisture as possible.

Next, I gave the floor an acid rinse by carefully smearing Tile Doctor Acid Gel over the tiled surface. Leaving it to dwell for half an hour yet keeping it moist with water. I then introduced my weighted burnishing machine. Circling the floor, it slightly cuts the tile creating a slurry of tile and dirt. The pads can struggle to get right into the corners so once that was done, I scooted around the edges hand cleaning them with a scrubbing brush and ensuring any paint splashes the decorators had left were removed.

All the waste was extracted, and the floor given a rinse with hot water. I left a small heater on them while I had my lunch. As the gel doesn’t penetrate the tiles like fluid it didn’t take long for the floor to dry sufficiently enough for sealing.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

Finally, I applied three coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra. This is a hard-wearing colour enhancing sealer. Each coat takes twenty to thirty minutes to dry. After the final coat I ask that it’s not walked on for a good hour.

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor After Cleaning Sealing Farnham

Once done to the floor looked really clean and the new sealer should keep it that way for many years to come. Before leaving I took time to discuss maintenance cleaning and of course get their feedback which they gladly gave and is copied below:

“Great service. Rupert was professional, informative, friendly clean worker who made a great job of cleaning our original Victorian tiled floor. Tile Doctor were recommended to me by a friend, and I would definitely recommend them and Rupert for tile cleaning.”

For the aftercare of Victorian tiled floors, I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which due to its neutral ph makes it idea for the regular cleaning of sealed tiles. Many of the products you will find in supermarkets are simply too strong and will prematurely erode the sealer on a tile and so best avoided.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway in West Surrey

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Sandstone Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovation Farnham

Restoring a Sandstone tiled kitchen floor in Farnham

1 Comment / Farnham Tile Cleaning, Sandstone Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Rupert Mcloud

Laid six years ago at a house in Farnham this Sandstone tiled kitchen floor was routinely trampled on by two teenagers, gardening parents and two large dogs. All of this had taken its toll of the sealer which had worn off and without its protection the Sandstone tile and grout had turned an indistinguishable sea of brown.

Sandstone Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning Farnham

The floor now needed a deep clean and reseal to restore it appearance and get it looking its best for which I had planned should take two days, the first day for cleaning and drying, the second for sealing and quoted accordingly. My client was happy with the quote and we scheduled a date to do the work.

Farnham is a market town in Surrey and is largest town in the borough of Waverley. It is quite a historic town, with many old buildings, including a number of Georgian houses. With good access links to the A3 and London by train its popular with commuters and I often get requests to work here.

Cleaning a Sandstone Tiled Kitchen Floor

I began by taping up the wooden skirting and the plinths in the kitchen to protect them from splashing during the work. Then armed with Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and a stiff brush I set about cleaning up the grout. The dirt released was removed with a wet vacuum before it had a chance to dry then using more Pro-Clean and a 17” buffing machine fitted with a rotating black nylon pad I cleaned the tiles.

The unamused dogs had been banished to the garden. I love dogs but they were chasing my machine around, so I needed to keep them out of the way. The floor tiles were surprisingly dirty, and the client was quite shocked by the amount of dirt I manged to extract.

Once finished I left the floor to dry off fully overnight, sealing a damp floor is never recommended and can result in a patchy appearance.

Sealing a Sandstone Tiled Kitchen Floor

Returning the next day, I first checked for areas that needed further attention and then took several moisture readings with a damp meter to check the floor was dry. Satisfied that it was, I was ready to apply the sealer.

Sandstone Kitchen Floor During Sealing Farnham

We had discussed choice of sealer previously and for this floor I had recommended a Tile Doctor sealer called Seal and Go Extra which would be ideal for her traffic heavy floor. Sealing is an important step as it protects the tiles and grout from dirt becoming ingrained in the stone and improves the look of the stone. Seal and Go Extra is also super tough and should last for years if cleaned with the right product. It sets with a subtle sheen but not a shine which she definitely didn’t want. Three coats of sealer were applied which takes around two hours to be dry to the touch but really needs 24 hours for it to cure.

Sandstone Kitchen Floor After Cleaning Farnham

The sealer brought out the variety of colours in the stone floor and the family were happy with their new floor, now they just had to keep the dogs out of the way for 24 hours!

For aftercare I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner to keep the floor in great condition.

Sandstone Kitchen Floor After Cleaning Sealing Farnham

Professional Restoration of a Sandstone Tiled Kitchen in West Surrey

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Black Limestone Patio Before After Renovation Farnham

Cleaning and Sealing a Limestone Patio in Farnham

1 Comment / Farnham Tile Cleaning, Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing, Work History / Rupert Mcloud

This customer from Farnham called me with three requests. First, can you clean and seal our Black Limestone patio? Secondly can you remove some scratches? and finally, can you make it less slippery as my children have slipped a couple of times in the wet.

After discussing the problems over the phone, we agreed a convenient date and I went along to the property to have a look. I could certainly do the first and second but not the third. There are products on the market but most Anti-slip products I’ve come across contain acids which etch and roughen the surface. Her patio was made of dark limestone which is acid sensitive and applying an acidic product would ruin the look of the stone leaving it looking washed out. I discussed with her the options and the process and we agreed a price, booking the work in for later in the month.

Cleaning a Black Limestone Tiled Patio Floor

First, I cleaned the grout lines with Tile Doctor Pro Clean which was left to soak in for about ten minutes before being scrubbed with a nylon brush and being careful not to further scratch the stone.

The next step was to clean the stone with a series of burnishing pads starting with a coarse 400-grit lubricated with water then moving onto increasingly finer pads of 800 and 1500 grit. It’s important to rinse and extract the slurry after applying each pad. This process removes the existing sealer and slightly mills the tiles firstly opening the pores then slowly closing them as the process continues. I avoided the dark area in the picture where the table was situated as it had been protected from the weather, sun and small children. My aim was to get the same consistent colour across the whole patio.

Once I had used the three pads, I completed a final rinse and extraction with a wet vacuum. I then checked surveyed the floor looking for any areas that needed more work and to verify that the scratched had been removed as part of the process. The work went well, and I was happy to see that the scratches had been lifted and the appearance of the stone looked much better and more even.

Sealing a Black Limestone Tiled Patio Floor

It was a warm day, so it wasn’t long before the stone had dried and were dry enough to be sealed. I talked through the customers options for sealing and recommended the application of Tile Doctor Colour Grow as it contains a colour enhancer which would return the dark colour to the stone and match the original colour under the table. Colour Grow is also rated for external use.

Two coats of Colour Grow were applied, and this made a big improvement to the appearance of the stone resulting in a stunning transformation. The customer was over the moon and with the patio now ready for the summer she could not wait to get the patio furniture in place and enjoy the space.

Professional Renovation of a Black Limestone Patio in West Surrey

Cleaning and Sealing a Limestone Patio in Farnham Read More »