Ultra-Seal

Marble Floor Tile Polishing in Bourne

Dull Marble Tiled Kitchen Floor Polished and Transformed in Bourne

We recently undertook a truly remarkable transformation of a tired and weathered Marble floor at a home in Bourne in South Lincolnshire. Once the pride of the property, the surface had dulled over the years—its natural sheen muted by time, foot traffic, and improper maintenance products.

Dull Marble Floor Before Polishing in Bourne Dull Marble Floor Before Polishing in Bourne

There were no physical issues with the Marble tiles, it was simply a case of the polished appearance being worn down with use, the grout had also darkened with dirt. The solution would be to hone the polish back onto the Marble using a set of burnishing pads, cleaning the grout and then re-sealing to protect the stone from ingrained dirt. I quoted for completing the work which was accepted and a date set.

Cleaning and Polishing a Marble Tiled Kitchen Floor

The renovation began by adding protection to the adjacent carpeting and plinths with silicone; water ingress can cause damage especially to MDF so this step is always worth doing. Once done the floor was given a meticulous deep clean using a rotary buffer to remove surface dirt.

Next, to restore the deep polish and natural beauty to the stone a series of Tile Doctor Diamond Burnishing Pads were run over the tiles in sequence from coarse to extra fine. The coarse pad removes layers of ingrained dirt, residues and fine scratches that mask the floor’s character. Water is used to lubricate the process, and this turns into a dark slurry as the work progresses. Once each tile has been burnished several times with the pad, the floor is rinsed to remove the slurry.

The pads can struggle to reach into the recesses of the grout line so at this point I ran a medium dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean along the grout lines and scrubbed it in with a wire brush to get the dirt out.

After another rinse and extraction, the coarse pad was then changed on the buffer for the first of the three finer pads. These finer pads gradually hone the stone and restore the deep polished appearance. With each pass, the marble reveals more of its hidden depth and clarity. Again, these are applied with water and the floor rinsed and extracted afterwards to remove the slurry.

The last pad is a very fine grade and is applied dry with only a little water using a process we call a spray burnish and leaves the marble smooth with a deep light-reflecting finish.

Marble Floor During Polishing in Bourne

Sealing a Marble Tiled Kitchen

On day two, the Marble was finished with the application of the sealer which for this floor we had decided upon Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal. This is Tile Doctor’s premium impregnating natural look sealer that penetrates deep into the stone protecting it from within.

The sealer occupies the pores in the stone ensuring dirt cannot reside there, keeping it on the surface and thereby providing long-lasting protection from spills, stains, and moisture. With Tile Doctor Ultra Seal, the Marble’s surface was not only radiant but now ready to resist the rigours of daily life.

Marble Floor After Polishing in Bourne Marble Floor After Polishing in Bourne

The result? A floor that shimmered with elegance—its rich shine and warm tones brought back to life, glowing under the natural light like a polished sculpture. The homeowners were overjoyed, and we were proud to have revived a floor that now looks as luxurious as the day it was laid.

For aftercare I recommended Tile Doctor Stone Soap which is a gentle yet effective cleaning product that contains a patina enhancer and won’t impact the sealer.

 

Professional Restoration of a Marble Tiled Kitchen Floor in Lincolnshire

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Limestone Floor Renovation Grantham

Dull Limestone Floor and Wall Tiles Polished and Sealed in Grantham

I was contacted by a homeowner near Grantham who was having trouble keeping his Limestone floor clean. The floor was installed throughout much of the ground floor and over the years it had become dull, and the grout had become darker in main walkway areas.

They wanted a quote for renovating the whole floor, so I visited the property to survey the tiles and grout and discuss the options. I could see that the floor needed some TLC to restore it to its former shine and so I recommended honing the Limestone with a set of diamond encrusted burnishing pads to fully restore the polished appearance and then protecting it with one of our quality sealers.

Limestone Floor Before Polishing Grantham Limestone Floor Before Polishing Grantham

While we were there the client also asked if we could sort his limestone shower cubicle that needed some similar work. We agreed the price and dates over email and booked in the work for both areas.

Burnishing Limestone Floor Tiling

Upon arrival silicone mastic was run under the woodwork in the Kitchen including the kickboards and end panels to protect from water ingress during cleaning. Moving onto to cleaning the first pad in the diamond pad system which was a coarse 400-grit was fitted to a rotary buffer machine. The machine is fitted with extra weights to improve traction and the pad run over each tile several times using only water for lubrication.

Limestone Floor Before Polishing Grantham

Once each tile had been cleaned the floor was rinsed with more water and the slurry extracted with a wet vacuum. The pad was then changed to an 800-grit and the process repeated and then again with a 1500-grit pad. This higher grit pads slowly refinish the stone after the coarse bad and add polish.

The floor was then inspected and any stubborn stains in the grout treated with a manual scrub of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean.

Burnishing Limestone Wall Tiling

To restore the shower area, a hand-held polisher fitted with 6-inch pads was used. Basically, it’s the same system as the flooring but scaled down for wall tiles. Some grouting was also replaced where cracked and once done the silicone sealant between the wall tile and shower tray was stripped out and replaced with new.

I used fans in all areas to help speed up drying.

Sealing a Limestone Tiled Ground Floor and Shower Cubicle

Day two started by checking the tiles were reasonably dry and then proceed to dry polish the stone with a 3000-grit burnishing pad which brings out the best shine.

The client wanted the stone and grout to stay as light as possible so Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal was selected. This is an impregnating sealer which is virtually invisible and won’t darken the stone. The sealer was applied to both the floor and wall tiles allowing thirty minutes drying time between coats.

Limestone Floor After Renovation Grantham Limestone Floor After Renovation Grantham

The end result was very satisfying for both the flooring and shower tiles. The client was delighted and left a top review which I’ve copied below:

“I was very impressed with Phil’s quality of work, our kitchen limestone floor is as clean and bright as it must of been when first laid over 20 years ago. Phil gave regular communication throughout the process, arrived on time, and was polite and informative. Nice one tile doc.”

For aftercare cleaning of the floor tiles, I recommended Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a gentle yet effective tile cleaning product designed for use on sealed tiles. For the shower tiles I recommend Tile Doctor Aqua Pro which is a similar product but comes in a spray bottle for easy use.

Limestone Shower Tiles After Renovation Grantham

 

Professional Restoration of a Limestone Tiled Ground Floor and Shower Cubicle in South Lincolnshire

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