Ramsbottom Archives - South Lancashire Tile Doctor

Limestone Floor Cleaning Polishing Sealing Ramsbottom

Ten-Year-Old Limestone Kitchen Floor Cleaned and Polished in Ramsbottom

A homeowner from Ramsbottom who had used Tile Doctor before asked if we could quote for renovating their Limestone tiled floor. The floor was extensive and had been laid throughout their large Kitchen, Dining and Garden Room.

The limestone tiles had been down around ten years and were now dull and due some maintenance which was not unexpected as inevitably the sealer wears down with use and without its dirt becomes ingrained in the pores of the stone.

Limestone Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning Ramsbottom

I went over to measure up the floor and produce a quote for cleaning, polishing and then resealing the floor. The tiles were laid with a cream grout which had darkened in some areas with dirt and would also need cleaning. Whilst there, the owner confirmed they had been using Tile Doctor’s pH Neutral Tile Cleaner to maintain the floor which was good to see as it does help the sealer last longer. There were no other issues except a few stubborn stains that would need some extra attention.

Limestone Floor Before Cleaning Ramsbottom

Having surveyed the floor and noting it had become dull we quoted to restore the honed finish and seal using a clear sealer. This was accepted and dates agreed.

Cleaning a Limestone Tiled Kitchen

To restore the appearance of the limestone a weighted rotary buffing machine running at a slow 150 rpm was used to apply a set of Tile Doctor Diamond Burnishing Pads. The extra weight ensures good contact with the stone and is used to run each pad over the floor using only water for lubrication. The coarse pad removes dirt and old sealers whilst the finer pads restore the honed finish of the stone and build up a polish.

A wet vacuum is used after each pad to remove the soiling and then the grout lines were scrubbed using Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and a power brush.

Limestone Floor During Cleaning Ramsbottom

Sealing a Limestone Tiled Kitchen

Once fully dry, the last pad in the set which is a super fine 3500-grit was run over the floor to complete the honing. This last pad is applied dry with only a little water sprayed onto the tile to give the finished polished look.

Limestone Floor During Sealing Ramsbottom

Once complete, the next step was to protect the floor by applying a natural look breathable sealer called Tile Doctor Ultra Seal. The sealer works by occupying the pores in the stone thereby ensuring dirt remains on the surface where it can be easily cleaned away.

Limestone Kitchen Floor After Renovation Ramsbottom

I’m pleased to say my client was very happy with the result and left the following five-star feedback:

“Amazing, my limestone floor looks like it did when laid the process from start to finish was first class, Kevin explained everything then just got on with the job brilliant would definitely recommend him.”

Limestone Floor After Renovation Ramsbottom

Professional Restoration of a Limestone Tiled Kitchen in South Lancashire

Ten-Year-Old Limestone Kitchen Floor Cleaned and Polished in Ramsbottom Read More »

Sandstone Flagstone Kitchen Floor Restoration Ramsbottom

Sandstone Flagstone Floor Milled and Restored in Ramsbottom

1 Comment / Ramsbottom Tile Cleaning, Sandstone Tile Cleaning / Kevin Parry

I was invited to this 300-year-old building in Ramsbottom, Lancashire to look at restoring a Sandstone Flagstone floor. Despite some minor repairs over the years, it was now in very poor condition and after renovating the property outside and in the owners felt it was now time to tackle the floor. Having done their research, they decided to call Tile Doctor in to do the renovation.

Sandstone Flagstone Floor Before Restoration Ramsbottom

Having visited the property, I recommended milling the floor to remove years of wear and to reveal the new stone underneath. With old rough flagstones like this it is the only way to retain the character yet have a more serviceable floor that won’t shred mops.

Sandstone Flagstone Floor Before Restoration Ramsbottom

Happy with my recommendation and quote I was given the go-ahead to do the work.

Cleaning a Sandstone Flagstone Tiled Kitchen

I started work by taking notes of moisture readings from various areas, these base reading will be used later to understand if the floor has dried sufficiently for sealing.

To mill the floor, I started with the application of a very coarse 50-Grit DRB pad which was fitted to a weighted buffing machine and run over each flagstone several times using only water for lubrication. Once that step was completed the floor was rinsed with more water and the slurry extracted using a wet vacuum. The coarse pad removes a very thin layer of stone off the top of the flagstone leaving it smooth.

The floor was then cleaned using Tile Doctor Remove and Go which was scrubbed in using a 240-grit carbide brush. Again, the floor was rinsed and the slurry extracted as before.

The 50-Grit pad is very coarse, so the next step was to refine the appearance of the stone using finer grit milling. Using the same process as before a 100-grit milling pad was applied to the stone with water, rinsed off and then the floor vacuumed. Then the process repeated with the 200-Grit milling pad.

The final step of the restoration was to give the floor an acid rinse using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up worked in with a 200-grit soft pad. Again, the floor was rinsed and vacuumed afterwards.

With the sandstone flagstones now cleaned I turned my attention to the old pointing which was also in bad shape and crumbling in many areas. This was removed and re-pointed with a modern breathable pointing product.

The floor was left to dry out and I returned a few days later to seal the floor which will protect it going forward from staining and ingrained dirt etc.

Sealing a Sandstone Flagstone Tiled Kitchen

Before applying any sealer, I took several moisture readings for the floor and compared them with the base readings I had taken at the start of the job. There were a few areas of concern, but I was able to resolve this with floor fans until the readings were acceptable.

I was then able to proceed with the final step of sealing the floor for which I used Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal. This sealer is a fully breathable oil-based sealer which improves the appearance of the stone and being breathable will cope with any moisture rising through the floor. It’s very important to use a breathable sealer on an old floor as it won’t have the benefit of a damp proof membrane. The sealer was left to dry and then the process repeated with a second coat.

Sandstone Flagstone Floor After Restoration Ramsbottom

The Sandstone Flagstones were completely transformed by the process and my clients were over the moon with their new floor, they even left the following feedback:

“Kevin has just completed our very tired stone flags. The restoration was faultless from the first consultation to the hard work he put into it and the aftercare advice was amazing. We can’t thank Kevin enough for his professionalism, fantastic knowledge, hard work and friendly manner. Our floor looks as a 300 year old stone floor should look, really really pleased, price was also reasonable and knowing Kevin used the best products too! We would highly recommend!!”

Sandstone Flagstone Floor After Restoration Ramsbottom

Before leaving I took time to discuss aftercare which for Sandstone, I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is pH neutral and ideal for cleaning sealed stone.

Professional Restoration of a Sandstone Flagstone Tiled Kitchen in South Lancashire

Sandstone Flagstone Floor Milled and Restored in Ramsbottom Read More »

Stained Victorian Tiles Before After Renovation Ramsbottom

Restoring Badly Stained Victorian Floor Tiles in Ramsbottom

1 Comment / Ramsbottom Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Work History / Kevin Parry

A customer from Ramsbottom contacted us to see if we were able to help with the renovation of a small section of Victorian tiling in their hallway. Another company had already tried to treat them chemically but without making any progress in removing the stains.

Stained Victorian Tiles Before Cleaning Ramsbottom

I visited the property to survey the problem tiles and recommend a way forward. In most cases we like to carry out a site visit to get an accurate idea of the problems before quoting for the work. Whilst there I ran a test clean on part of the tiles and slowly but surely, they responded to the treatment and they condition visibly improved. Impressed with the initial results I was asked to continue, fortunately my schedule was light that day, so I was able to work though without too much impact to my schedule.

Cleaning/Repairing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

My initial thought for cleaning was to try using Tile Doctor Remove and Go which is a cleaner and stripper which is safe to use on tiles and stone. The previous company had used a chemical product, but it wasn’t clear what they had used. Tile Doctor Remove and Go usually works well in these situations but it was clear my result would not have been enough of an improvement so a different solution would be needed.

Stained Victorian Tiles During Cleaning Ramsbottom

To resolve this, I tried hand-held abrasive diamond blocks, first 400-grit without improvement, then 200-grit without improvement, 100-grit no improvement and then eventually 50-grit and I started to see a result. It was clear only a very abrasive 50-grit pad would improve these tiles. It was a small area, so I set about using a combination of small coarse 50-grit pads and followed up with 100, 200 and 400-grit pads and blocks to remove scratches and renovate the tiles following the use of the very abrasive grits. The tiles were also rinsed repeatedly during this process to remove the slurry generated. The waste was extracted using the wet vacuum. It took forever to get the tiles clean, but the results were brilliant.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

Once I was happy all the Victorian tiles were as clean as they could I gently speed dried them using a heat gun. The last step in restoring the tiles would be to apply a sealer and so it was important the tiles were dry first. Once I was happy the tiles were dry, they were sealed them with a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow. This is an impregnating sealer that protects from within by occupying the pores in the tile where dirt can become ingrained. The sealer gave the tiles a nice sheen without being too shiny, this product also allows the floor to breath, which is vital on a floor of this age where no damp proof membrane will have been installed. Whilst I was there I also did some work re-grouting the adjacent York Stone floor which was of a similar age and needed some TLC.

Stained Victorian Tiles After Cleaning Ramsbottom

The pictures really speak for themselves. The customer was beginning to think it couldn’t be done so I was glad to be able to get them in such a nice state, especially considering the previous company could not lift their appearance.

The customer was very happy and left the following feedback.

“Kamila was a very professional and friendly person who has done an amazing job on my floor! Both cleaning and grouting! They look amazing!! I still have no idea how she managed it with little mess leaving the rooms clean and tidy! Thank you Kamila! I have already recommended her to friends!!”

Professional Restoration of Stained Victorian Tiles in South Lancashire

Restoring Badly Stained Victorian Floor Tiles in Ramsbottom Read More »