Mosaic Tiled Floor Before and After Restoration Lincoln College

1880 Mosaic Tiled Floor Fully Restored at Lincoln College

1 Comment / Lincoln Tile Cleaning, Marble Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Phil Barrs

Pictured below are photographs I took recently whilst restoring an original 1880s Mosaic tiled floor at Lincoln College. The floor was 60m2 in size and located in the main entrance of the college. After searching around for someone who could restore the floor back to its original state, they found Tile Doctor and as their local representative I was asked to survey the floor and provide a quote.

Mosaic Tiled Floor Lincoln College Before Restoration

The work would involve removing concrete screed, repairing cracks, filling holes, deep cleaning and then sealing the floor to protect it. Time was a factor as I would only have the space to myself between the end of the summer term and before the freshers arrived at the end of September. Happy to get involved I was pleased to be awarded the work.

Repairing and Deep Cleaning a Mosaic Tiled Floor

Rather than restore the floor a decision had been taken in the past to level it and cover it, probably in some sort of carpet. As a result, my first action was to carefully remove the concrete screed, glue, and bitumen. This was pain staking work as I didn’t want to damage the mosaic tiles hidden underneath. To do this I needed to use a chisel and a set of diamond encrusted burnishing pads fitted to a heavy floor buffer and lubricated with water. Each pad generates a fair amount of slurry which needs to be rinsed off with more water and extracted using an industrial wet vacuum.

Mosaic Tiled Floor Lincoln College During Restoration

With the screed and other coverings removed to reveal the whole Mosaic floor I was then able to move onto deep cleaning up the tiles using a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a tile and grout cleaning product scrubbed in with a black pad. Again, the wet vacuum and more water was employed to remove the dirt and soil generated during the cleaning process.

The appearance of the Mosaic tiled floor had now fully to revealed itself and I was able to move onto the next stage which was to fill in the cracks and holes using a filler coloured to match the tile and grout. I also painted matching colours onto the surface of the cracks and holes to camouflage them and ensure the repairs would match the general pattern of the floor and make the repairs invisible.

Due to the large size of the floor and with other contractors working in the building I worked in cordoned off sections and used an industrial turbo dryer speed up the during times.

Sealing a Large Mosaic Tiled Floor

The main restoration took two days to complete, and I returned for a third and final day to finish the floor with the application of a protective sealer. For this I chose Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer that protects by soaking into the pores of the tiles and protecting it from within. This sealer also enhances the natural colours of the tiles making them stand-out better, three coats were applied.

Mosaic Tiled Floor Lincoln College After Restoration

The building managers were over the moon with the transformation and draw quite a crowd from the staff as they came to see the 140-year-old floor renovated to its original condition. Not only did we manage to save this historic part of the building but also save them thousands on a replacement.

Historic Mosaic Tiled Floor Restored in Lincoln

1880 Mosaic Tiled Floor Fully Restored at Lincoln College Read More »

Slate Kitchen Floor Tiles Cleaned Sealed Lincoln

Extended Multi-Coloured Riven Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor Given New Lease of Life in Lincoln

1 Comment / Lincoln Tile Cleaning, Slate Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Phil Barrs

This customer in Lincoln had a new kitchen fitted but the footprint of the new kitchen was different and so they had some new tiles installed to match the original Multicoloured Slate floor. The new tile and grouting stood out against the original floor, something needed to be done to get the flooring to blend in together, so she called Tile Doctor.

I popped over to survey the floor and could see the real problem was that the sealer on the original Slate tile and grouting had worn off was letting dirt in making it difficult to keep clean. I recommended deep cleaning all the Slate and especially the grouting and then sealing the whole floor. The new sealer would bring the old and new sections together and once complete you wouldn’t be able to tell the new from the old.

Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning Lincoln

Cleaning Dirty and a Dull Riven Slate Tiles

First job was to protect the new kitchen at ground level where needed including the removal of the kickboards. This was followed with the application of a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean to the tile and grout where it was left to soak in for about fifteen minutes.

Whilst the Pro-Clean was getting a head start on breaking down the soils and what was left of the original sealer, I set up a Rotovac machine which that scrubs the floor with soft brushes whilst rinsing and extracting all at the same time. It an expensive piece of kit but it’s very efficient and makes a very clean job of restoring the floor with two or three passes.

The vacuum extraction build into the Rotovac also means most of the water is removed from the floor. I was therefore able to inspect the tile and grout and repeat the process where required. I could see that some grout needed some more attention, so I hand cleaned those areas with Pro-Clean and a grout brush. At the same time the floor was being speed dried with a blower and fans.

Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor During Cleaning Lincoln

Efficient drying was especially important here due to the amount of water used in the cleaning process. We know from experience that for best results it’s important not to apply a sealer to damp tiles, so I always make sure the floor is dry using a damp meter beforehand.

Sealing Multicoloured Slate Kitchen Tiles

Once the cleaning phase was complete the new and old tiles matched perfectly. Eight years of grime had been removed and with the help of the fans and the sunny warm weather the floor was drying out quickly. In-fact I tested the tiles with a damp meter shortly after lunch and it confirmed the floor was dry and ready for sealing.

To seal the tile, I applied four coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go. This adds a robust layer of protection to the floor, lifting the natural colours and adding a subtle finish that complements the natural stone. The new sealer also brought the new and old sections of tiling together making it impossible to determine the old from new.

Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor After Cleaning Lincoln

Looking at the photos of the floor before and after my work you can really get an idea of the transformation achieved in a short space of time. Certainly, my customer was delighted with the results and left the following review.

“Amazing work, the slate floor looks better than I imagined it could look. Who knew there were all these amazing colours under all that old sealant? Phil did amazing work, even hand-scrubbing the grout to make it look as new. Would happily recommend to friends and family who want to refresh their tiles.”

For the aftercare cleaning of Slate floors its important to remember not to use a product that isn’t too strong as it will prematurely erode the sealer on the tiles. Personally, I always recommend Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner which is purpose made for the regular cleaning of sealed floors.

Professional Riven Slate Tiled Floor Restoration in Lincolnshire

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Travertine Kitchen Floor Before and After Cleaning and Sealing Lincoln

Travertine Kitchen Tiles Deep Cleaned and Sealed in Lincoln

1 Comment / Lincoln Tile Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning, Work History / Phil Barrs

Travertine is a lovely beige and brown stone that looks fantastic when it’s first laid but needs work to maintain the appearance. This was exactly the problem my customer who lives near the historic Cathedral City of Lincoln had experienced. The sealer on their Travertine Kitchen floor was becoming worn in the more commonly used parts of the floor letting dirt become ingrained into the pores of the stone and the grout was also becoming darker where it was getting dirty. They also had pets that spent a lot of time in the Kitchen which didn’t help and there were also small holes in the Travertine that were trapping dirt and would need filling.

Travertine Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning Lincoln

Cleaning and Burnishing a Travertine Tiled Floor

To deep clean the stone and grout I applied a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, left it to soak in for ten minutes and then worked it into the floor using a scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary floor machine. Pro-Clean is a strong reliable alkaline product which is safe to use on stone and grout including Travertine and Limestone.

I also ran a stiff grout brush along the edges of the floor and especially along the grout lines to get the grout as clean as possible; the scrubbing pad struggles to reach into the recesses of the grout so it’s best to do this by hand. The now dirty cleaning solution was extracted from the floor using a wet vacuum and rinsed with water to ensure the tile and grout was now clean and any stubborn stains spot treated.

Travertine Kitchen Floor During Cleaning Lincoln

After the deep clean we filled the holes as required using flexible filler which gives a really smooth look to the flooring. We then left our turbo dryer system on overnight to thoroughly dry out the floor before returning to seal the tiles on day two.

Sealing a Travertine Tiled Floor

The next day I returned to the property and proceeded to seal the Travertine tiles using two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow sealer to protect the tiles and also really enhance the natural colours in the stone. As an impregnating sealer, Colour Grow penetrates into the stone and fills its pores to safeguard it against ingrained dirt and stains from within.

Travertine Kitchen Floor After Cleaning Lincoln

As you can see from the photographs, the combination of a deep clean, high quality polish and fresh seal really transformed the appearance of the floor from dull and lifeless to a really asset to the kitchen. The customer was so happy with the results she has booked us in to carry out the same work to other flooring in the property.

Travertine Kitchen Floor After Cleaning and Sealing Lincoln

Professional Maintenance of a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor in Lincoln

Travertine Kitchen Tiles Deep Cleaned and Sealed in Lincoln Read More »

Travertine Tiled Floor Near Woodhall Spa Before and After Cleaning

Mucky Travertine Tiled Floor Restored Near Woodhall Spa

1 Comment / Lincoln Tile Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning, Work History / Phil Barrs

Quite often our customers will be new property owners who have inherited fantastic tiled floors that are in need of smartening up. Typically the previous owners struggled to maintain the floor which is not unusual when it comes to high quality natural stone such as Travertine and this was the case with this Travertine tiled floor that I recently restored at a property near Woodhall Spa, on the southern edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds.

Travertine Tiled Floor Near Woodhall Spa Before Cleaning

The customer not only needed a deep clean for the tiles and grout which had become dirty and discoloured over time, but also needed for many of the small holes caused by the natural process of pitting to be filled to give the Travertine tiles a smooth and polished finish. Finally, the floor would need a fresh seal to protect it and make it easier to cleangoing forward.

Cleaning and Repairing a Pitted Travertine Tiled Floor

To begin the restoration, I applied Tile Doctor Pro-Clean to the floor, which is our reliable high alkaline cleaner designed for use on stone floors, left it to soak in and break down the dirt and then used our hot pressure Rotovaccleaning system to clean the tiles. The Rotovac is an expensive machine but makes light work of the job by deep cleaning and scrubbing the stone whilst rinsing and extracting away all of the soiled cleaning residue at the same time. It allows us to get deep into the pores of the tile and grout to eradicate ingrained dirt and stains.

I then worked through our four-stage diamond encrusted burnishing pad system which hones and polishes the surface of the tiles with excellent results. Each of the four pads is applied in turn, moving from a coarse grit all the way to a Very Fine grit.

Once I was happy with the condition of the floor it was time to deal with the holes in the Travertine by applying a two-part colour matched resin to fill the small and large holes mentioned earlier.After completing the cleaning and filling was completed I left the tiles to dry off completely overnight aided with air movers to speed up the drying process.

Travertine Tiled Floor Near Woodhall Spa After Cleaning

Ensuring the floor is bone dry before sealing is important as I needed to seal the tiles the next day, and a small amount of excess moisture can cloud the sealer and damage its performance.

Sealing a Travertine Tiled Floor

When I came back the next day I tested the floor for moisture to confirm it was dry before applying two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow, which is an impregnating sealer that intensifies and enhances the natural shades in the Travertine while also providing it with protection against dirt and stains.

With the restoration complete I left the customer with a bottle of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner for regular future maintenance, along with an aftercare leaflet. We recommend this product for the regular cleaning of sealed tiles as the neutral pH will help to maximise the life of the sealer and not erode it like many acid cleaning products.

I think you will agree the floor now looks much better, certainly the customer was very happy with the work and left the following feedback:

“Phil and his colleague worked their magic to transform our tired looking, grimy Travertine floors into bright, shiny new look floors. Thank you so much.”

Professional Restoration of a Pitted Travertine Tiled Floor in Lincolnshire

Mucky Travertine Tiled Floor Restored Near Woodhall Spa Read More »

Sealing Marble Tiles Woodhall Before and After

Removing Scratches from Marble floor tiles in Woodhall SPA

1 Comment / Lincoln Tile Cleaning, Marble Tile Cleaning, Work History / Phil Barrs

This Marble Tiled floor was installed in the conservatory of a house in Woodhall Spa who had asked if we could remove the scratches from their inherited marble tiles around the door area and where furniture had been dragged across the tile as shown in the photos. Interestingly our customer is a chief engineer on cruise ships all over the world and knew what this floor could look like if restored professionally.

Burnishing Mable Tiles

Other than the scratches the majority of the floor had been well maintained so the solution was to burnishing the marble back to its original condition using a set of diamond encrusted pads fitted to a slow speed machine and lubricated with a little water. The burnishing pads come in a set of four and applied to the floor with a little water one by one using a rotary machine running at slow speed.

The process starts with the coarse pad which strips back the top layer and removes sealers and dirt from the surface of the stone. The pads then become finer and finer with the last pad being a final polish that takes the tile back to near it’s originally intended shine. You can see from the photographs that we actually managed to resurface the marble, remove the scratches and we also filled in some small holes and then allowed the floor to dry overnight helped by our turbo drying system allowing for minimal drying times.

Marble Tile Sealing

The next day we applied two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow sealer to the tiles, the sealer fills the pores of the stone protecting it from stains and this particular sealer also lifts the natural colours in the stone.

As you can see the scratches were removed and the tiles now shine and are protected and polished to a stunning finish that the customer was over the moon with and couldn’t thank us enough for the professional and excellent job on time and budget.

Marble Tiled Floor resurfaced and polished in Woodhall Spa

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Victorian Floor Before and After Cleaning and Sealing

Victorian Floor Tile Restoration in Lincoln

Lincoln Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Work History / Phil Barrs

We asked to restore a hallway of very dull Victorian floor tile at a house in Lincoln. The customer had already called in another company and paid to have the floor acid cleaned and then sealed with a type of polish, you can see from the before photograph below the results were not very satisfactory and did not achieve the finish the client wanted.

Victorian Floor Before Cleaning

Victorian Tile Cleaning

Adding a new sealer on top of an existing product simply wouldn’t work and so we had to remove the old sealer first, this we managed to do with a strong 2 to 1 dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean with water (2 Parts water); it’s a flexible yet effective alkaline product that can be used for stripping sealers, degreasing as well as cleaning.

Victorian Floor Tile Sealing

To seal the Victorian Floor tile we recommend Tile Doctor Seal and Go, it’s a breathable water based product which gave a much deeper shine to the tiles; also being water based it doesn’t give off any chemicals vapours and so it’s much nicer to work with. Victorian Tiles usually require around 4 to 5 coats, so it can take time to apply as you need to wait for it to dry before applying the next coat.

Victorian Floor After Cleaning and Sealing

The client was delighted with the results and has in fact booked us in to re-do their Quarry tile floors which they were happy with previously until they realised the results possible from our Tile Doctor Sealer.

Restoration of Victorian floor tile in Lincoln

Victorian Floor Tile Restoration in Lincoln Read More »

Slate Floor Before and After Cleaning and Sealing

Riven Slate Floor Cleaning in Lincoln

Lincoln Tile Cleaning, Slate Tile Cleaning, Work History / Phil Barrs

Riven Slate Floor Cleaning in Lincoln

Slate floors especially riven slate can be a nightmare to keep clean as the uneven surface of a riven tile traps dirt and makes it difficult to clean. Our client in Lincoln had this issue, however as you will see from the pictures below we managed to get it looking like new again.

Slate Floor Cleaning

The Slate Floor Cleaning process involved a good cleaning with Tile Doctor Pro-Clean Tile and Grout cleaner, it’s an alkaline rather than acidic product that doesn’t harm the surface of the stone but is very effective at cleaning. We left the product to dwell for a while before giving the tile a good scrub to lift the soil and dirt trapped into the pores of the riven slate floor tile. Once the slate tile and grout were looking clean we gave the floor a good wash down to remove any remaining chemical and neutralise the floor.

Slate Floor Before Cleaning and Sealing

Sealing the cleaned Slate Floor

We left the floor to dry overnight and came back the next day to seal it using Tile Doctor Pro-Seal which is gives the floor a natural look and really lifts and reveals the colours in the slate. You can see from the photographs the difference and how amazing the colours are.

Slate Floor After Cleaning and Sealing

The client was so pleased he has booked us in to return and do some more work for him.

Slate Floor Cleaning in Lincoln

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