Rochdale Tile Cleaning Archives - South Lancashire Tile Doctor

Flagstone Kitchen Floor Restoration Syke Rochdale

Flaking Flagstone Floor Kitchen Restored to New in Syke Rochdale

A homeowner from the Syke area of Rochdale contacted us with some pictures of their Flagstone kitchen floor. Unhappy with the appearance of the flagstone and having seen some of the work we had done previously he was keen to see if they could be restored, especially as many of the flags had flaked over the years on their upper surface.

Flagstone Kitchen Floor Before Restoration Syke Rochdale

Another factor was that he was planning to have a new kitchen installed and quite sensibly felt it would be best to deal with the floor first. He wanted to retain the flooring as it was in keeping with his home which was a very old and lovely terraced cottage.

Flagstone Kitchen Floor Before Restoration Syke Rochdale

Keen to explore the options I was asked to come over, survey the floor and come up with quotes for sprucing up the flags and making them a little easier to live with. After discussing the condition, requirements and budget we agreed to survey the floor with a view to milling the surface, cleaning, repointing and sealing the floor.

Following the survey, we booked in dates to mill approx. 25m2 of flagstone flooring in the kitchen using coarse grit diamond milling pads. The date was timed to fit in with the old kitchen being removed and before the new kitchen was to be installed.

Restorative Cleaning of Flagstones

The process to get the floor clean started with running a 50-Grit flexi milling pad over each flagstone several times using only water for lubrication. This very coarse pad cuts into the surface of the flagstone removing a thin layer of stone and revealing fresh untainted stone underneath, this also removes any flaking. After this the floor was rinsed with more water and the soiling extracted with a wet vacuum.

The floor was then deep cleaned using a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go scrubbed in with a silicon carbide brush which works well on rough floors as the brush gets into all the crevices and grout lines. Once the whole floor had been treated in this way the solution was rinsed off with water and extracted again using the wet vacuum.

This milling process was then continued using a variety of gritted pads. Gradually the finer pads slowly improved the surface of the stone.

Next the remaining old, loose mortar was removed, this was a slow process as you have to be careful not to chip the adjacent stone, however it was helped by the fact that a lot of the grouting was cracked anyway.

A lot of water was used cleaning the floor so to counter any latent efflorescence the floor was given an acid rinse using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up worked in with 200-grit soft burnishing pad. This was then rinsed off the floor and extracted with the wet vacuum.

To further improve the condition of the flagstone the floor was then burnished using a 400-grit burnishing pad lubricated with water. After another rinse and extraction, work started on repointing the floor using a modern permeable epoxy joint mortar.

Sealing a Flagstone Tiled Kitchen

Once the floor was dry, protection was added using Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal which is an oil-based fully breathable sealer that enhances the appearance of the flagstone. Using a breathable sealer is important on old floors of this type as they don’t have a damp proof membrane that will prevent moisture rising through the foundation. Excess sealer was then removed from the floor using a white buffing pad which also further brought up the appearance of the stone.

Flagstone Kitchen Floor After Restoration Syke Rochdale

The new sealer will prevent dirt from becoming ingrained in the pores of the stone, keeping it on the surface where it can be easily cleaned away. Once complete the floor was looked transformed by the process and my client was over the moon with the difference and left the following feedback:

“I’m amazed at the transformation to my flagged kitchen floor (I thought it was a lost cause). Kevin gave me top drawer service, explaining what he was doing and what I needed to do going forward. ”

Flagstone Kitchen Floor After Restoration Syke Rochdale

For aftercare cleaning I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a mild yet effective cleaner that won’t affect the new sealer.

Professional Restoration of a Flagstone Tiled Kitchen in South Lancashire

Flaking Flagstone Floor Kitchen Restored to New in Syke Rochdale Read More »

Quarry Tiled Fireplace Before After Candle Wax Cleaning Rochdale

Cleaning Candle Wax Staining from Fireplace Quarry Tiles

1 Comment / Fireplace Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Rochdale Tile Cleaning, Work History / Kevin Parry

A lady from Rochdale contacted us with what she had thought was irreparable damage to the Quarry tiles surrounding her brick fireplace. They used to have a lovely glossy finish but due to small accident with candle wax that happened whilst removing the candle the were now dull and patchy. The fireplace and tiles were 17 years old and as far as the customer was aware, they had never been sealed in the past.

Wax Damaged Quarry Tiled Fireplace Surround Before Cleaning Rochdale

Unsure of how to resolve the problem they decided to give Tile Doctor a call. As it turns out they had also called their insurance company and were considering replacing the whole fireplace if no one could help resolve it! But the brick fireplace suited the design of the house which also had lovely wooden beams in the same room so that was not their first choice. They certainly did not want the disruption of replacing it.

Wax Damaged Quarry Tiled Fireplace Surround During Cleaning Rochdale

I went over to survey the tiles and carried out a small patch test, the test went well, and I was confident that the tiles could be restored to their former glory! Happy and relieved with the results the customer booked me in to complete the work.

Cleaning Candle Wax from a Quarry Tiled Fireplace

First, we ensured the area around the fireplace was covered and taped up, to ensure no spills onto the nearby carpet and surrounding area. To clean the quarry tiles and remove the candle wax I applied undiluted Tile Doctor Remove and Go which was left to dwell for fifteen minutes before being scrubbed in.

The space around the fireplace was tight so to scrub the product into the tile I used a small six-inch black scrubbing pad fitted to a hand buffer. The soil was extracted with our wet vacuum and then the tiles rinsed with water to ensure the mess was kept to a minimum.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled Fireplace

Normally I would wait for the tiles to dry naturally overnight before sealing, however given the small size of the area involved I was able to dry it using some gentle warmth from a heat gun. This meant I would be able to complete the job in the same day thus saving time and expense for the customer.

To seal the Quarry tiles, I applied a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go, which gives a nice durable low sheen that works well on Quarry tiles. Seal and Go is also water based so it doesn’t give off a smell as it dries.

My customer was very happy with the results which were astonishing! “It’s like having a whole new brick installation ” they explained after we finished! Further they left the following comment on the Tile Doctor feedback system.

“After trying to claim on my “accidental” house insurance with an extortionate policy excess, I contacted the Tile Doctor. My tiles were renovated to an excellent standard. The lady who renovated the tiles represented the company in a professional way and was very respectful of my home and the work carried out far exceeded my expectations. My fireplace tiles look brand new. I would definitely recommend this company. Donna B, Rochdale”

Wax Damaged Quarry Tiled Fireplace Surround After Cleaning Rochdale

Professional Restoration of a Quarry Tiled Fireplace in South Lancashire

Cleaning Candle Wax Staining from Fireplace Quarry Tiles Read More »

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Accrington Tile Cleaning, Blackburn Tile Cleaning, Bolton Tile Cleaning, Burnley Tile Cleaning, Bury Tile Cleaning, Ceramic Tile Cleaning, Chorley Tile Cleaning, Encaustic Cement Tile Cleaning, Fireplace Cleaning, Flagstone Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Heywood Tile Cleaning, Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing, Marble Tile Cleaning, Nelson Tile Cleaning, Oldham Tile Cleaning, Porcelain Tile Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Ramsbottom Tile Cleaning, Rochdale Tile Cleaning, Sandstone Tile Cleaning, Skelmersdale Tile Cleaning, Slate Tile Cleaning, Terracotta Tile Cleaning, Terrazzo Floor Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Vinyl Tile Cleaning, Wigan Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Kevin Parry

South Lancashire Tile Doctor

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