Quarry Tile Renovation

Quarry Tiled Floor Renovation Woking

Small Quarry Tiled Floor Stained with Adhesive and Paint Renovated in Woking

This client has lived in the same Woking property for thirty years and had recently decided to lift the linoleum by the back door to the property. Underneath was a small rectangle of Quarry tiles and the decision was made to lift all the lino and see what could be done to restore the original floor.

Quarry Tiled Floor Before Renovation Woking

My job was to fully remove the linoleum and adhesive, paint splashes and to seal the floor in what was a high traffic area. Although small, I was aware there would probably be a lot of adhesives to remove, and the tiles may be damaged underneath.

I’ve been a Tile Doctor for many years and if you look at my website, you will see I’ve tackled all sorts of Tile, Stone, and Grout situations. So confident I could restore the floor to their satisfaction and optimistic that the job would not take too long I provided a quote for the work which they were happy to accept, and a date was scheduled for my return.

Cleaning a Quarry Tiled Hallway Floor

The first task was to protect the surrounding skirting boards and door; then a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go was applied and left to dwell for 20 minutes. This product is a strong alkaline coatings remover designed for use on Tile that breaks down adhesives and other coatings such as paint spots and sealers. Using a coarse 100-grit diamond pad fitted to a rotary buffer machine I set about scrubbing the adhesives from the surface of the Quarry tile.

This is an effective method that not only removes the glue but also cleans up the tile taking away what was probably thirty years of ingrained dirt in the process. Once done the glue and soiling was rinsed and extracted. Stubborn areas and corners were treated by hand using a 60-grit diamond block until I was satisfied the whole floor was as clean as it could be.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled Hallway Floor

As we were in the middle of the July heatwave, I was able to dry the tiles quickly, and is it was a small area there was no need to leave the floor to dry off overnight. Wet tiles mustn’t be sealed as the seal will not cure so before moving onto the next step, I took several moisture readings with a damp meter. The floor was soon within acceptable range, so I was able to apply the sealer later that afternoon.

As it was an old house and a high traffic area, I suggested sealing the floor with Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra. This offers a very strong seal with a nice sheen. It’s not too shiny for an elderly house and will last years, it’s also breathable which is an important consideration when sealing old floors that don’t have a damp proof membrane. I applied two coats, letting them dry in-between.

Quarry Tiled Floor After Renovation Woking

My client was over the moon with the transformation and very pleased to see the back of the linoleum floor which really had seen better days. A light mop using Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner would ensure the nice sheen would stay put and the rich colour of the quarry tiles would be maintained. Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner is pH neutral so it is not harsh on the floor and will not damage the newly applied seal, like stronger household cleaners might.

 

Professional Restoration of a Quarry Tiled Hallway in West Surrey

Small Quarry Tiled Floor Stained with Adhesive and Paint Renovated in Woking Read More »

Painted Quarry Tiles Before After Renovation Cranleigh

Renovation of Painted Quarry Tiles in a Cranleigh Vicarage

A Vicar from Cranleigh contacted me earlier this year about a Quarry tiled floor. It turns out he had lifted the carpets in the hallway of the Vicarage and found that the previous tenant had painted red tile paint around the tiles up to the edges of the carpet. With the carpet removed the floor looked very unattractive and he was looking to have the original appearance of the Quarry tiles restored.

Painted Quarry Tiled Floor Before Renovation at Cranleigh Vicarage

I went to Cranleigh to survey the problem and you can see from the pictures the floor wasn’t looking great, the paint looked as if it had been applied without any preparation and had peeled off in places. I discussed my plan to renovate the floor with the Vicar which would involve stripping all the paint off the tiles followed by deep cleaning and then applying a sealer. He was very pleased to hear this and was happy with the quote that I produced which would take two days. We arranged a time to return the following month to complete the work.

Painted Quarry Tiled Floor Before Renovation at Cranleigh Vicarage

Stripping Paint from a Quarry Tiled Hallway Floor

On day one I started by protecting the skirting and other woodwork with decorative tape. Once this was done, I spent time removing the paint with paint stripper and a sharp blade. It was messy and tedious work but necessary to achieve the requested result. The waste was then rinsed off the floor with water and extracted using a wet vacuum.

Once all the paint was removed, I cleaned the tiles with a coarse 400-grit diamond encrusted burnishing pad fitted to a rotary machine and lubricated with water. This was followed with an 800-grit pad. The former opens the tiles pores allowing dirt to be extracted and the 800-grit pad closes them ready for sealing. Quarry tiles are particularly porous, so I left the floor to dry off for 48 hours days before returning to seal the tiles.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled Hallway Floor

Returning a few days later I started with tidying up any areas that needed further attention. The floor had dried out nicely however I wanted it to be clear of any dirt or dust since I cleaned it so I gave it a light mop and left the floor to dry off again. Once the floor was completely dry, I sealed the area with several coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra.

Painted Quarry Tiled Floor After Renovation at Cranleigh Vicarage

I selected this product as it is a super tough sealer that once applied has a sheen effect while offering a very strong protective surface to the floor. This was important as hallways receive a high level of foot traffic and even more so in a Vicarage with parishioners coming and going. Seal and Go Extra is also breathable and this is an important consideration when choosing a sealer for use on old tiled floors that don’t have damp proof membrane installed.

The vicar was very pleased with the finished floor, I discussed with him the best way to keep it clean and maintained would be to use Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner, which is pH neutral and so won’t prematurely degrade the integrity of the sealer like stronger products.

Painted Quarry Tiled Floor After Renovation at Cranleigh Vicarage

 

Professional Renovation of a Quarry Tiled Hallway in Surrey

Renovation of Painted Quarry Tiles in a Cranleigh Vicarage Read More »

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