Lancashire

Flagstone Kitchen Floor Resurfaced Blackburn Lancashire

200-Year-Old Flagstone Floor Resurfaces and Restored near Blackburn

This house in Blackburn used to be used as an Old Mill 200 years ago and given the poor condition of the flagstone floor I suspect it was the same age. You can see from the photos below the rough state the Flagstone was in and I could see even a deep clean and seal wouldn’t do them justice.

Flagstone Floor Before Restoration Blackburn Flagstone Floor Before Restoration Blackburn

High pressure water cleaning on an old floor like this without a damp proof membrane in place would have caused damp issues especially in the winter months. The client has considered having the floor sand blasted but they had a young baby, and the dust would have got everywhere.

Flagstone Floor Before Restoration Blackburn

Clearly another option was required and fortunately we had the solution.

Resurfacing a 200-Year-Old Flagstone Kitchen Floor

Our plan was to resurface the stone by grinding away the top layer with very coarse pads to reveal an uncontaminated surface underneath. We call this process milling and it requires a special set of Diamond pads fitted to a weighted rotary machine using only water for lubrication. The water also captures the dust that is generated as the stone is resurfaced and makes cleaning much easier.

It is however hard work and starts with the application of a very coarse 50-grit DRB pad and then moving onto a 100 and 200-grit DRB pad slowly refining the stone’s appearance until you are left with a smooth fresh surface. The water turns into a slurry due to the dust and is vacuumed off the floor after the application of each pad. On this occasion I used applied a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go as the last pad was run over the floor to make sure the surface was free of any contaminates that may have soaked into the stone over the years.

Flagstone Floor During Restoration Blackburn

Following the milling process the old loose lime-based pointing was carefully knocked out and then replaced with a new breathable flexible pointing product which adheres well past standard grout and holds fast without cracking.

Sealing a 200-Year-Old Flagstone Kitchen Floor

The next day the floor was dry and ready to be sealed. For this we used two coats of a fully breathable sealer called Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal which brings out the colour and transforms the stone, it adds a little bit of a sheen to the stone as well. X-Tra seal is a very modern oil-based sealer penetrates the pores of the stone and copes very well on floors that have no damp proof membrane, its even recommended for external applications.

Flagstone Floor After Restoration During Sealing Blackburn

You can see the results for yourself, the stone is a lot smoother to the touch and easier to clean and even if it was sandblasted it would still be a rough finish so milling the stone was the best option for an old flagstone floor like this one.

Flagstone Floor After Restoration Blackburn Flagstone Floor After Restoration Blackburn

Once finished the floor was transformed and our client was very happy with the work we had done.

Flagstone Floor After Restoration Blackburn

One last point when caring for a sealed floor like this is it’s important not to clean the floor using strong bleach based cleaning products, even washing up liquid is too strong. It should be washed with a mild pH neutral cleaning product such as Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner only that way will the sealer last the duration.

 

Professional Restoration of a Flagstone Kitchen Floor in Lancashire

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Sandstone Tiled Kitchen Floor Before and After Cleaning Burscough

Deep Cleaning a Sandstone Flagstone Floor in Burscough

This customer had just moved into a lovely property in the small Lancashire town of Burscough and wanted to have the Sandstone Kitchen floor professionally renovated as it was not looking its best.

I arranged an appointment to visit the property after discussing the floor over the phone, some customers like to get a quote over the phone and although I’m happy to give someone a ball park figure I really need to see the floor in order to give them an accurate price as you simply don’t know what your going to find.

Upon inspecting the floor inspect the floor I could see the previous owner had sealed the floor with multiple layers of Varnish which is not a suitable agent for protecting Sandstone floors. The stone was the riven variety and was trapping dirt across its veins and was now proving difficult to clean, the grout had also gone black with dirt. Undeterred I did a test clean on part of the floor and the results proved promising, so we agreed a price and date to return and complete the job.

Sandstone Floor Before Renovation Burscough

Deep Cleaning a Sandstone Kitchen Floor

To deep clean the floor the sandstone flagstones were covered in a strong 1:3 dilution of Tile Doctor NanoTech HBU Remover which stands for Heavy Build-Up Remover. It was left to dwell and soak into the stone for ten minutes before being scrubbed clean using a rotary buffing machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad. The now dirty cleaning solution was then removed using a wet vacuum and then the whole floor rinsed with water.

Sandstone Floor During Renovation Burscough

I had to repeat the process on stubborn stains assisted with a steam cleaner to lift the dirt out of the pores of the stone. Once I was happy with the floor I gave it a final rinse to with water to neutralise the floor and remove any trace of cleaning products. It was then dried as much as possible with a wet vacuum and then left to dry off fully overnight.

Sealing a Sandstone Kitchen Floor

I returned the next day to seal the floor first checking it for dampness using a damp meter, the flagstones were dry, so I was able to proceed as planned. To seal the stone, I used multiple coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go Extra which is a breathable acrylic sealer that can be used on internal and external Sandstone flagstone floors and does a nice job of lifting the appearance of the stone.

Sandstone Floor After Renovation Burscough

You can see from the final photograph that the Sandstone flagstones and grout now looks so much better. My Customer was amazed with the transformation and the floor now looks brand new, they even left the following comment on the Tile Doctor feedback system.

Extremely happy with the end result. Kamila was knowledgeable & professional. We cant recommend her enough. Paul B., Burscough

 

Deep Cleaning a Sandstone Kitchen Floor in Lancashire

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Flagstone Hallway Floor Before and After Cleaning and Sealing Haslingden

Old Flagstone Tiled Kitchen Floor Refurbished in Haslingden Rossendale

This client had contacted us for help renovating their Flagstone hallway floor as nothing they did was helping to keep them clean. The problem with the tiles was due to the pores of the flagstone being ingrained with dirt and once this happens they are really difficult to clean effectively. This is why we always recommend stones floors are sealed after cleaning.

After a successful survey that included measuring background moisture levels and testing different products for stain removal I was able to work out the best process for cleaning the floor and a day to clean and seal the tiles was scheduled.

Flagstone Hallway Floor Before Cleaning Haslingden

Deep Cleaning Flagstone Hallway Tiles

I’d established during my earlier testing that I would need a very strong cleaning product to get the floor clean and deal with the stubborn staining that was present and with that in mind I applied Tile Doctor NanoTech HBU. HBU stands for Heavy Build-Up and is a problem solving tile cleaner and stain remover that adds nano-sized abrasive particles to the mix. This was left to dwell on the floor for a few hours and additionally was covered with a plastic sheet to prevent it from drying out. I then gave the floor a scrub using a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary floor machine and a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean for good measure.

Once happy with the result the soiled cleaning solution was extracted using a wet vacuum and the floor given a thorough rinse with water to remove any trace of cleaning products. Again the wet vacuum was used to remove the fluids and extract as much moisture from the stone as possible. The floor was then left to dry out fully overnight assisted with a floor dryer to help accelerate the process.

Flagstone Hallway Floor After Cleaning Drying Out Haslingden

Sealing a Flagstone Tiled Kitchen Floor

We came back the next day and tested the floor with a damp meter in a few different locations to make sure no dampness remained in the stone. The air mover had done its job and the Flagstones were dry so we proceeded to seal the floor with a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which penetrates into the pores of the stone protecting it from within and enhancing the natural colours of the stone.

Flagstone Hallway Floor After Cleaning and Sealing Haslingden
It’s difficult to appreciate from the photographs but the customer was amazed at how much of a difference our process had made and at how much dirt we were able to remove. The flagstones were probably more then 100 years old and more aggressive machinery and cleaning products were the only things that would shift the old dirt. The fresh sealer will also ensure the floor is much easier to clean in future.

Old Flagstone Hallway Floor Cleaned and Sealed in Rossendale

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Victorian Tiles Before and After Renovation Burnley

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Renovated for a Property Investor in Burnley

A property investor contacted Tile Doctor to see if we could help renovate a property that was to be sold in few weeks’ time. To get maximum value from the investment she wanted to preserve the character and period features of the house including the Victorian Tiled Hallway floor, which as you can see from the photograph below was in need a bit of TLC!.

Victorian tiled floors and other period features have become very popular in recent years and are often discovered under hallway carpets covered in years of dirt. Fortunately, they are very resilient and with the right techniques and products can be restored back to their former glory.

Victorian Tiles Before Renovation Burnley
On our initial visit I conducted a survey of the floor to check its condition and work out the most suitable products and methods to employ to restore it. One of the main concerns we have with these old floors is damp as damp-proof membranes were not invented until relatively recently. I have a damp meter to check for this and it did indicate high moisture levels which isn’t really an issue for cleaning the floor but would restrict our choice of sealer to those which are fully breathable and allow moisture to rise-up through the tile. We agreed a price and schedule with the customer and within two weeks we were able to start the work.

Cleaning an Original Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

The floor was in quite a state, made worse I suspect by recent restoration work by other contractors who unfortunately didn’t take as much care with the floor as the could have done.

After protecting the skirting boards and carpets with film work got underway starting by applying a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go to the floor to strip away old sealers and other coatings. This product also helps to break down the paint stains on the surface of the tile, though I also used a handheld scraper, as well as a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad, to speed up the process. The resultant slurry was rinsed off the floor with water and extracted using a wet vacuum.

With the floor clean of coatings, the next step was to deep clean the tiles with a medium dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is an effective Tile and Grout cleaning product that deeply cleans away ingrained stains. Again, we used a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine to make the job easier. Corners were tough to tackle with a machine, so we had to do them by hand.
The floor was given a final rinse to remove any soil and trace of cleaning product and the wet vacuum was used a final time to extract as much moisture out of the floor as possible. Upon finishing the cleaning, we left the floor for a few days, so it could dry out fully.

Dealing with Efflorescence

When we came back to seal the floor we noticed problems with white salt deposits coming to the surface of the tile a problem known as efflorescence. I had suspected this might become an issue but there was no indication of it happening before so was not overly concerned at the time. However, it meant I could not seal the floor as planned until the efflorescence had been dealt with. Fortunately salts like these can be treated and to resolve the problem I gave the floor a wipe with a solution of Tile Doctor Acid Gel which is a blend of phosphoric and hydrochloric acids in a gel form, formulated to remove grout haze (grout smears) and treat efflorescence. Once this was done the floor was given a light rinse and dried again.

Sealing an Original Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

I left the floor to dry again for a few more days and on my return, I was pleased to see the problem had not resurfaced and I was able to complete the restoration with the application of a sealer.

To seal the tiles, I used a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow, which is a penetrating sealer designed to soak into the pores of the clay thus preventing dirt from becoming ingrained whilst additionally enhancing the colours in the tile. The sealer really deepened the colours in the tile bringing them to life and with Colour Grow being fully breathable there shouldn’t be any issues with damp becoming trapped under the tile and causing issues later.

The customer was delighted with the results (see feedback below) and the work we did should more than pay for itself when the house goes on the market.

“Thoroughly impressed with Kamila, she was so lovely, professional and thorough! Our tiles look amazing and I was especially happy with how quick she sorted that floor out from the first email I sent. Janice M., Burnley”

Victorian Tiled After Renovation Burnley
 

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Old Flagstone Tiled Kitchen Floor Before and After Renovation in Stacksteads Backup

Old Flagstone Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovated at a Stacksteads Cottage near Backup

The pictures below were taken in the Kitchen of a charming cottage situated in the village of Stacksteads near the town of Backup, North of Manchester in the district of Rossendale. The flagstone floor was over 100 years old and the customer was unhappy with their appearance. They had tried to clean/mill and seal themselves a few years ago and had found the process hard work and very time consuming. This time round they decided to ask professional applicator at Tile Doctor for help.

Old Flagstone Tiled Kitchen Floor Before Renovation in Stacksteads Backup
We had conducted a small patch test so we could show possible results to the customer. They had also advised us that they felt the stained areas of grout was beyond cleaning and would probably need replacing. However replacing the grout would have been quite an expensive option so instead of replacing we suggested deep cleaning the grout lines during the renovation process.

Old Flagstone Tiled Kitchen Floor Before Renovation in Stacksteads Backup
The customers were happy with the results of the patch test so the job was booked in.

Deep Cleaning Old Flagstone Flooring

On our return visit we set about deep cleaning the flagstones using a strong dilution Tile Doctor Pro-Clean worked in using a Black Scrubbing pad fitter to a rotary cleaning machine. This action certainly gave the floor a good clean and removed the old sealer but some stains were proving stubborn to shift so we tried a stronger product called Remove and Go combined 50/50 with NanoTech HBU which add nano-sized abrasive particles to the mix.

We left the resulting formula to soak into the stone for a while and then scrubbed it into the floor with a stiff brush paying particular attention to the grout lines. This did the trick and so we then removed the now soiled and dirty cleaning products with a wet vacuum and washed down the floor with clean water to remove any trace of product and neutralise the floor before sealing. We then left for the evening so the floor could dry out fully overnight.

Old Flagstone Tiled Kitchen Floor During Renovation in Stacksteads Backup

Sealing a Flagstone Tiled Kitchen Floor

We came back the next day and tested the floor with a damp meter in a few different locations to make sure no dampness remained in the stone. The Flagstone was dry so we proceeded to seal the floor with a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which penetrates into the pores of the stone protecting it from within and enhancing the natural colours of the stone.

Old Flagstone Tiled Kitchen Floor After Renovation in Stacksteads Backup
The beautiful colours of blue and dark sand were showing after sealing with Colour Grow which is the best sealer for stone floors. Certainly the customer was very happy with the results and left the following 5 star review!

We could not praise Kamila enough. Our flagstone floor was in desperate need of some TLC. She was punctual, thorough and completely professional. Throughout the whole process she invited me to see the progress and to keep me informed of what she was doing. She also gave us good advice on how to clean and care for our stone floor. The end result is fabulous and we are absolutely delighted. We would definitely recommend Kamila to anyone.
Jo H, Bacup

Old Flagstone Tiled Kitchen Floor After Renovation in Stacksteads Backup
 

Old Flagstone Kitchen Floor Cleaned and Sealed in South Lancashire

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