Quarry Tile Cleaning Archives - Oxfordshire Tile Doctor

Quarry Tiled Shop Floor Renovation Henley-on-Thames

Quarry Tiled Shop Floor Renovation in Henley-on-Thames

If you want an example of the improvement that we can make to a Quarry tiled floor, then pop into the Farrow & Ball Paint shop in Henley-on-Thames. They were in touch in August this year about renovation of their very well-worn Red and Black quarry tiled floor, which after many years of commercial foot fall was now in need of deep cleaning and sealing.

I visited the property to survey the floor and discuss with them the work that needed to be done. I was confident we could make a big improvement to the floor and would soon have the shop looking very much more welcoming.

Red Black Quarry Tile Before Renovation Henley-on-Thames Paint Shop

Being a shop, the work had to be done out of hours, so we discussed the options and decided on starting work at 5pm on a Sunday evening and working through the night. I provided a quote for the work which they were happy to accept, and a date set for the work to begin.

Cleaning a Quarry Tiled Paint Shop Floor

The first process was to remove what was left of the old sealer and soiling by putting down a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. I left this to dwell and soak into the tile and grout for ten minutes before scrubbing it in with a a rotary machine fitted with a silicon carbide brush.

Once all the tiles had been scrubbed, the floor was rinsed with water and the soiling extracted using an industrial wet vacuum. The floor was then expected and the process repeated on those areas that needed more work.

Next, the floor was treated to an acid rinse using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up which is a mild acidic product that removes old grout smears, alkaline salt deposits and further cleans up the tiles. This process also neutralises the pH level of the floor following the use of the strong alkaline cleaner used earlier. Again, this was then rinsed off the floor with water and removed with the wet vacuum.

Once the tile and grout were clean and free of old sealer the wet vacuum was used to get the floor as dry as possible. Several air movers were placed around the floor to speed up the drying of the floor.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled Paint Shop Floor

After waiting some time for the floor to dry it was then sealed with a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go Extra which is a hard wearing acrylic based sealer that leaves a mild sheen and will protect the tiles for many years to come.

I finished at 4am.

Red Black Quarry Tile After Renovation Henley-on-Thames Paint Shop

As you can see the floor looked fantastic, the owners were over the moon with the improvement. I left them a small bottle of Tile Doctor pH Neutral Cleaner and recommended they purchase some. This is a pH neutral cleaner which can be used every day by their cleaner and it will keep the newly applied sealer in place. It has a lovely fresh smell, so will be very welcoming for their customers. I also recommended our Tile Doctor Maintenance Plan which means will return annually and give the floor a deep clean and seal.

Professional Restoration of a Quarry Tiled Paint Shop in Oxfordshire

Quarry Tiled Shop Floor Renovation in Henley-on-Thames Read More »

Old Quarry Tiled Pub Floor Restoration Chiselhampton

Quarry Tiled Floor Restoration at 400-Year-Old Listed Inn Chiselhampton

1 Comment / Oxford Tile Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Wallingford Tile Cleaning / Barry Woodward

This picture below is of an old Quarry Tiled floor at a pub in Chiselhampton called the Coach and Horses Inn which dates to the late 1600’s. The building is listed and has undergone a restoration work by the new owners who called me to look at the Quarry tiled floor.

Old Quarry Tiled Pub Floor Before Restoration Chiselhampton

I paid a visit to the site to survey the tiles and provide a quote, it was immediately clear the floor was in a very bad state, in fact the site foreman said to me “I don’t suppose you can do anything with this, we’re gonna cover it up”. I love a challenge and I carried out a test and found under the rubble, bitumen, plaster and paint was a lovely red floor. Well, they were a little surprised I took it on but I was delighted and got the job!

Restoring and Replacing Old Quarry Tiles

First, I went around with a floor scraper to remove as much of the dusty surface as I could.
I then covered the floor in Tile Doctor Acid Gel and scrubbed it with a 100-grit diamond pad, this revealed that patches of the floor had missing tiles and had been back filled with concrete. I managed to source some replacement tiles from a reclamation yard and replaced the concrete with the tiles. The floor was starting to look great again.

I then covered the floor with Tile Doctor Acid Gel for a second time, but this time scrubbed with a 200-grit diamond pad. The floor was then rinsed with water and a sponge so as not to get the floor too wet. Old floors like these don’t have a damp proof membrane so can take a long time to dry and excess moisture in the floor can increase problems such as efflorescence leaving salty deposits on the tiles. Using gel cleaning products and a minimal amount of water gets around this problem. The floor was then left to dry overnight.

Sealing Old Quarry Tiles

The next day I returned to seal the floor and started by confirming the tiles were dry by taking several moisture readings with a damp meter. All was well and I was able to move onto the next step.

To seal the floor, I used two coats of Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal which brought out the red colour. This is a breathable impregnating sealer; it has an oil-based resin formula so it provides great water repellence and stain protection properties. It’s perfect for internal areas which have moisture issues and can also be used externally.

The first coat revived the colour of the red quarry tiles and the second coat, added a nice subtle sheen. To finish I buffed the floor with a 1500-grit burnishing pad attached to a high-speed buffing machine which produced a natural looking sheen.

Old Quarry Tiled Pub Floor After Restoration Chiselhampton

By the time I had finished the floor was completely transformed and looked great much to the surprise of the foreman. For aftercare I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner to ensure the floor remained in this condition for the long term. The product is pH neutral so mild enough to use daily without compromising the newly applied seal.

Professional Restoration of a Quarry Tiled Pub Floor in Oxfordshire

Quarry Tiled Floor Restoration at 400-Year-Old Listed Inn Chiselhampton Read More »

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor Restored in Old Marston

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor, Old Marston

1 Comment / Quarry Tile Cleaning, Work History / Barry Woodward

I received a call from this client in Old Marston around two miles north east of the centre of Oxford. They had lifted a lino floor in their kitchen and found an old Quarry Tiled floor underneath and decided to see if they could have it restored.

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor Before Restoration Old Marston

I went over to survey the floor and could see that the tiles had been covered with a thin layer of levelling screed to ensure the lino didn’t sink into the recesses. I ran some tests to demonstrate how the screed could be removed which worked well and it was apparent that the tiles underneath were intact and could be renovated. I submitted a quotation for removing all the screed, deep cleaning the Quarry tiles and then sealing the tiles to protect them. The client was really pleased that we could restore the floor and the quote was accepted, with a date booked to do the work.

Removing Screed and Cleaning Kitchen Quarry Tiles

To start the work, I applied undiluted Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up worked in with a small carbide brush attached to a hand-held rotary buffer. The combination of the acid in the Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up combined with the scrubbing action of the brush were effective at removing most of the screed. The small bits of remaining screed were carefully removed by hand, using a floor scraper. The floor was then rinsed with water and the soil removed with a wet vacuum.

For the second phase of the cleaning process I applied Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel which was scrubbed into the floor with a stiff brush rinsing after with water and the soil extracted again using the wet vacuum. After cleaning the floor to remove the dirt I could still see some evidence of the screed on the tiles, so I decided to give the floor an Acid Wash using Tile Doctor Acid Gel which was scrubbed into the floor and rinsed off as before. Tile Doctor Acid Gel is of course an acidic product so once it was removed, I decided to rinse the floor with Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner to neutralise the pH levels in the floor. The wet vacuum was used again to remove as much moisture from the Quarry tiles as possible before leaving the now clean floor to dry off fully overnight.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor

I returned to seal this floor the next day. First, I checked the floor was fully dry with the damp meter, it was within the recommended range, so I was ready to complete the sealing process.

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor After Restoration Matt Sealer Old Marston

The client was not too sure if they wanted a matt or sheen finish, so I first put a coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow on the floor to show them the matt finish. Colour Grow is an impregnating sealer that enhances natural colour and protects from within by occupying the pores in the tile. After reviewing the floor, they decided it was not for them, so I followed up by applying several coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go which adds a nice sheen finish and is compatible with Colour Grow.

The combination of sealers worked very well together, and they were very satisfied with the final result and of course that we had been able to restore the Quarry tiles.

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor After Restoration Gloss Sealer Old Marston

Professional Restoration of a Quarry Tiled Kitchen in Oxfordshire

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor, Old Marston Read More »

Salt Stained Quarry Tiled Porch Cleaned Sealed Sutton Courtenay

Victorian Style Quarry Tiled Porch Sutton Courtenay

1 Comment / Quarry Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Work History / Barry Woodward

The photograph below is of a Large Quarry Tiled porch laid out with a classic Victorian pattern inlay at a house I worked on recently in Sutton Courtenay, Oxfordshire. Sutton Courtenay is a pretty village of on the River Thames to the south of Abingdon and to the northwest of Didcot. Historically it was previously part of Berkshire, but it has been administered as part of Oxfordshire since 1974 when the boundaries changed.

The client was unhappy with the floor, it looked very tired, it had lost all its’ sheen and was covered in large areas of dirty white marks. I discussed with the client what Tile Doctor could do to improve the floor and showed them an example of the cleaning process I would use on part of the floor. They were very happy with the test patch and could see that we could vastly improve the look of the floor. We agreed a price for the work and scheduled in some time in the diary to complete the work for them.

Large Victorian Quarry Tiled Porch Before Cleaning Sutton Courtenay

Cleaning a Victorian Quarry Tiled Hallway Floor

First, I cleaned the floor with a weak dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a highly concentrated, multi-purpose alkaline Tile cleaner, stripper and degreaser. It is a very effective cleaner that removes grease from areas that have been neglected or subjected to heavy use. I scrubbed the product into the floor with a rotary floor scrubber fitted with a soft brush, I then rinsed with cold water and vacuumed up the slurry produced with the wet vacuum.

I then gave the tiles an acid wash using Tile Doctor Acid Gel scrubbed in this time with a black pad, then rinsed with a small amount of water and vacuumed again. This process is designed to counter any alkaline salts known as efflorescence, that may be present in the tiles which is quite a common problem on old floors like this where no damp proof membrane exists under the floor. This action deal with the appearance of white salt staining as moisture rises through the tiles from the subfloor.

I then left the floor to dry which only took a few hours due to the location of the tiles and the usually warm and windy for the time of year.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

Returning in the afternoon, I checked the floor was dry with my moisture meter and I was satisfied the floor was ready to be sealed. I chose to seal the floor with Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating colour enhancing sealer which will protect the floor from staining from within by occupying the pores in the tile. Critically this sealer is also fully breathable thereby allowing moisture to pass through the tiles and not become trapped under the floor where it could spread to the walls leading to rising damp. I applied two coats initially and then after an hour, I applied a third coat. The floor was then buffed with a white pad to remove any excess and buff up the appearance of the tiles.

Large Victorian Quarry Tiled Porch After Cleaning Sutton Courtenay

The floor looked superb and the client was very happy with the finish, the vibrancy of the colours in the tiles which were enhanced by the sealer was now very intense and the floor looked as it should.

Professional Restoration of a Victorian Quarry Tiled Hallway in Oxfordshire

Victorian Style Quarry Tiled Porch Sutton Courtenay Read More »

Quarry Tiled Hallway Floor Before After Renovation Didcot

Quarry Tiled Hallway Floor Renovated in Didcot

1 Comment / Didcot Tile Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Work History / TileProf

This quarry tiled hallway at a house in Didcot had not been renovated for many years and any sealer that was once present on the tiles had long since worn off leaving it vulnerable to dirt which then became ingrained in the tile.

Quarry tiled Hallway floor before renovation in Didcot

I went over to the property in Didcot to survey the floor and could see that although the floor was in good physical condition it was now long overdue a deep clean. The floor had a lovely black and white border around the terracotta coloured tiles and I was confident that this floor would look really good once fully cleaned and resealed.

Deep Cleaning a Quarry Tiled Hallway Floor

The first process was to scrub the floor with Tile Doctor Pro-Clean using a rotary machine fitted with a silicon carbide brush. This is a multi-purpose cleaner which is high-alkaline, it acts as a stripper and degreaser too so is perfect for this situation. The highly concentrated solution is left to dwell on the floor for a short time which helps it to work on the stubborn dirt. Once the floor had been scrubbed the residue was rinsed off with clean water. Finally removing the slurry produced with a wet vacuum.

To counter the strong alkaline products used on the floor and further clean the tile the floor was given an Acid Wash using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up. It was scrubbed into the tile and grout using a soft brush and then rinsed off with water. I then scrubbed the floor with Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner to neutralise and remove the acidic cleaner again using a wet vac to remove all the liquids from the floor. Once, I was satisfied that the floor was as clean as possible I left the floor to dry overnight.

Quarry tiled Hallway floor during renovation in Didcot

Sealing a Quarry Tiled Hallway Floor

On day two I returned to seal the floor. The first job of the day was to test it with a damp meter first to make sure it was dry. We don’t recommend applying a sealer if the floor isn’t dry as we know from experience that the results can be patchy. Happy that we were good to go ahead I sealed the floor with several coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go. This is a specially formulated water-based blend of acrylic polymers that provides both a stain resistant seal and a gives the floor a durable attractive low-sheen finish.

The customer was very happy with the results and left the following feedback:

“Barry was brilliant! Has made a lovely job of our hall. We had one small problem (our fault) which he rectified promptly. Would happily recommend him.”

Before leaving I discussed with the client the best way to maintain the floor going forward. Many homeowners don’t realise this but many of the tile cleaning products sold in supermarkets are designed for cleaning Ceramic or Vinyl tiles and are not recommended for use on a sealed surface as they will prematurely erode the sealer away over time. We recommended using the Tile Doctor concentrated Neutral Tile and Stone cleaner. It has been especially formulated for the regular cleaning of sealed tile and stone surfaces.

Quarry tiled Hallway floor after renovation in Didcot

Professional Cleaning of a Quarry Tiled Hallway in Oxfordshire

Quarry Tiled Hallway Floor Renovated in Didcot Read More »

Heavily Stained Quarry Tiled Floors Restored in Oxford Shop Conversion

1 Comment / Oxford Tile Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Work History / Barry Woodward

This ground floor flat in the City of Oxford had been converted from a shop which as you can imagine, was quite complex. One significant element involved in the conversation was the restoration of an old Quarry tiled floor which ran through the main hallway and had for many years been covered in a commercial linoleum covering.

When the linoleum covering was removed, the sheer amount of glue which had been used to affix it had completely ruined the appearance and condition of the Quarry tiles. There was also a lot of concrete in the bathroom, and our client was keen to have this removed in the hope that the tiles beneath were salvageable.

Quarry Tiled Floor Oxford Before Restoration

Removing Concrete and Glue Stains from a Quarry Tiled Floor

My first task at the property was to deal with the adhesive. I covered the entire floor area with Tile Doctor Remove and Go and then covered it with a plastic sheet and leaving it to soak into the glue and break it down overnight. Remove and Go is powerful stripper with a long-dwell time, formulated to break down adhesives and paint stains, amongst other coatings.

I returned the next day and, removing the plastic sheeting, I scrubbed the floor with a carbon brush attached to a rotary floor scrubber to remove the huge glue deposits. I worked in sections, rinsing each area of the floor with water after it had been scrubbed. Once I had finished the entire floor there was still some glue remaining, so I covered it again with a solution of Remove and Go combined with Tile Doctor HBU Nanotech, which utilises nano-sized particles to get underneath tough stains, dissolve them, and lift them out. I left this solution on the floor for about two hours to dwell and scrubbed it again.

During the next day of work, I used a very coarse 100 grit diamond burnishing pad to manually grind away the remaining stubborn bits of glue. Paying attention to the bathroom, I used a 50-grit coarse milling pad followed up with a 100-grit diamond burnishing pad to do the same to the area of concrete.

The next part of the process was to use Tile Doctor Grout Clean Up to acid wash the floor. This was successful in removing the last bits of cement and the remaining residue of the glue. To complete the cleaning process, I then rinsed the floor with plenty of water and vacuumed up any soiled solution.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled Floor

I opted to leave the floor alone for a couple of days to fully dry off so that it could be sealed upon my return. This is crucial as any moisture or damp issues can damage the performance of the sealer and expose the floor to further ingrained dirt and staining.

To seal the floor, I used Tile Doctor Colour Grow. This is an impregnating sealer that also enhances the natural reddish shades in the Quarry. I applied two coats of the sealer, giving the floor the natural look matte finish the customer desired.

Quarry Tiled Floor Oxford After Restoration

The customer was very impressed with the results of this thorough restoration. She even left the following feedback:

“I cannot recommend this service enough. The Oxford Tile Doctor (Barry) was a superstar: he cleaned up the tiles in my hallway, which were covered in a very thick layer of glue, and removed concrete from the tiles. They now look superb and I’m really happy with the outcome. Barry was always on time, considerate, and kept me up to date. The quote for the job was exactly right. I would not hesitate to recommend him.”

Professional Quarry Tiled Floor Restoration in Oxfordshire

Heavily Stained Quarry Tiled Floors Restored in Oxford Shop Conversion Read More »

Restoring Dull and Dirty Quarry Tiles in Thame

Dirty Black and Red Quarry Tiles Rejuvenated in Thame

1 Comment / Quarry Tile Cleaning, Thame Tile Cleaning, Work History / TileProf

Sometimes it isn’t until you’ve deep cleaned your tiles that you realise just how dirty they were to begin with. This was the case with my customer in Thame, in the south of Oxfordshire where I worked on a classic red and black Quarry tiled floor which was far from being in its best condition.

Quarry Tiled Floor Before Cleaning Thame

Cleaning Dirty Quarry Tiles

My starting point in the cleaning process was to mix a strong solution of Tile Doctor Pro Clean, which is the reliable, multi-purpose alkaline cleaner that is safe to use on tile, stone and grout. The solution was left to soak into the tiles for ten minutes before being scrubbed into the floor with a rotary floor machine fitted with a stiff brush.

Following this, I rinsed the floor with clean water and then proceeded to wash it with Tile Doctor Grout Clean Up. This is a concentrated phosphoric acid cleaner designed to remove efflorescence and other mineral deposits such as grout smears.

Finally, I rinsed the tiles again with water and Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner, which is a pH neutral solution, to neutralise the chemicals and leave the floor fresh and clean, ready to be sealed. The floor was left to dry overnight.

Sealing Quarry Tiles

The next day I returned to seal the floor after checking the tiles were dry. I opted to use two different sealers. The first was Tile Doctor Colour Grow, which is an impregnating sealer with the added effect of enhancing the natural colour in the stone. The second was Tile Doctor Seal & Go, a topical sealer that adds the high quality, durable sheen finish to the floor that the customer had requested.

I took the photograph below after sealing half the floor, it really shows the difference a sealer can make to a tiled floor.

Here’s the photo of theQuarry tiled floorafter sealing the whole floor. As you can see, they now have a new lease of life, and they’ll be much easier for the customer to keep looking great in the future.

Professional Cleaning and Sealing of a Dirty Quarry Tiled Oxfordshire

Dirty Black and Red Quarry Tiles Rejuvenated in Thame Read More »

Removing Carpet Glue from Quarry Tiles in Banbury

1 Comment / Banbury Tile Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Work History / TileProf

This Quarry tiled floor at a house in Banbury had previously been covered in carpet which had been stuck to the floor with an adhesive when once removed left a stain of white marks all over the floor. The customer had taken the floor as far as they could so I got the call to complete the restoration.

Quarry Tiled Floor Banbury Before Cleaning

Restoring Quarry Tiles

The first process was to tape the newly papered wall to protect them from any splashes during the cleaning process. I then scrubbed in a dilution of Tile doctor Pro-Clean with the assistance of a rotary floor machine fitted with a black pad and then rinsed off the resultant slurry.

This process defiantly made an improvement but I can see more work would be needed so I then applied a mixture of Pro-Clean and HBU (Heavy Build-up Remover) to the floor and scrubbed this with a carbon brush attached to a rotary floor machine. This proved to be more effective removing the carpet glue marks so I then rinsed the floor with water and used my wet vacuum to remove the slurry. I then gave the floor a thorough rinse with water again using the wet vacuum to extract the solution afterwards.

To finish the cleaning of the floor and remove any grout smears and other minderal deposits I applied Tile Doctor Acid Gel to the floor; this was left to dwell for a short time before scrubbing in with a stiff brush and then rinsed away with more water and extracted again using the wet vacuum.

The last job of the day was to fill in some holes in the tiles with a colour matching resin filler.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled floor

I returned two days later and confirmed the floor was dry ready for sealing. To seal the floor I first applied a coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating seal that also enhances the colour of the stone. This leaves a Matt finish and I showed the client this as they was not sure what finish they wanted, after seeing this that wanted more shine to the floor so once dried I applied a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go which is a topical sealer that gives a sheen finish to the floor.

Quarry Tiled Floor Banbury After Cleaning

The client was very pleased with the end result leaving this as feedback.

Our options were a completely new floor or renovate the existing quarry tiles. We were glad we chose renovation; the results are amazing and a lot less messy and expensive than a new floor!

Restoring a Quarry tiled floor in Oxfordshire

Removing Carpet Glue from Quarry Tiles in Banbury Read More »

Quarry & Marble Floor Tiles Renovated at a 12th Century Church in Wantage

1 Comment / Marble Tile Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Wantage Tile Cleaning, Work History / TileProf

Did you know that Wantage, the town in Oxfordshire where I completed this job, is the birthplace of Alfred the Great? The town is certainly a historic area – in fact, I was contacted by the warden of a church dating back to the 12th century, who asked Tile Doctor Oxfordshire to help restore the building’s flooring, consisting of Quarry and Marble tiles.

This is an interesting mix of hard wearing and high end tiles, and while the floor was in
dire need of a deep clean, it could be restored back to looking fantastic once again.

12th Century Church Tiled Floor Wantage Before Renovation

The church has recently undergone a complete refurbishment with the help of a grant from lottery money. We were called after the builders had finished their work, to restore the floor to the finish required by the church warden.

His specification was to provide the Marble with a Matt finish and the Quarry tiles with a sheen finish. The floor was, at one point in its history, covered in carpet which had been taken up, no doubt exposing many years’ worth of muck.

Cleaning Dirty Quarry and Marble Tiles

My first task was to clean the floor with a diluted solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, a high alkaline cleaner safe to use on tile and stone. This was left to dwell for a short period to seep into the tile, before being scrubbed in to remove the initial layers of muck. The resulting residue was promptly vacuumed away.

To tackle the tougher areas of soil buildup, I opted to use Tile Doctor Nanotech HBU which was spread over the floor and left to dwell for about 30 minutes. This product differs from most cleaners in that it uses nano-sized cleaning particles to deal with difficult to reach dirt ingrained in the stone. I then rinsed the area with water and vacuumed this up.

Due to the substantial size of the church floor I had to work in multiple sections, and so the cleaning process took three days to complete. After finishing, I left the church for a few days to allow the floor time to dry.

Sealing Quarry and Marble Tiles

When I returned to the church I checked the floor with a damp meter and was satisfied that it was dry enough to seal.

First, I sealed the Marble tiles with Tile Doctor Colour Grow, which is a colour enhancing impregnating sealer suitable for use on high end stone such as Marble and Limestone. I applied two coats, leaving a few hours between coats; this brought the colour back without a high shine, as per the church warden’s request.

12th Century Church Tiled Floor Wantage After Renovation

The next day I returned to seal the Quarry tiles, this time using Tile Doctor Seal & Go Extra which is a topical sealer specially formulated to lea e a nice sheen as requested. I applied several thin coats of the sealer to build up solid protection on the floor.

The warden was extremely pleased with the finished floor, leaving the following feedback:

“We found the Tile Doctor online and watched some of the very helpful slideshows on YouTube. The Victorian Quarry tiles in our 12th century church had been covered with carpet for many years and needed a thorough clean and polish at the end of our major restoration project. Barry was very quick to respond to our enquiry and over the course of a week he did a brilliant job on our tiles. We’re delighted with the results, just in time for our reopening service with our bishop and MP.”

Professional Church Floor Restoration in Oxfordshire

Quarry & Marble Floor Tiles Renovated at a 12th Century Church in Wantage Read More »

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor Deep Cleaned and Sealed in Milton

1 Comment / Quarry Tile Cleaning, Work History / Barry Woodward

Not too long ago I visited a client who had just moved into a lovely old cottage in Milton, Oxfordshire. She wanted to restore many of the antique features of the building, including a fantastic Quarry tiled floor in the kitchen.

Quarry is typically a robust, hard wearing stone, but in a high traffic area like a kitchen, the tiles will need regular maintenance. These tiles clearly hadn’t seen a thorough clean and fresh seal in a long time, and so I was called in to provide just that.

Quarry Tiled Kitchen floor Before Cleaning Milton

Deep cleaning an old Quarry tiled floor

On the first day of work, I gave the Quarry tiles a deep clean using a strong solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and water. Pro-Clean is a versatile alkaline cleaner that also helps to break down any old and no longer effectual sealer remaining on the tiles.

The solution was applied evenly to the floor and left to dwell for half an hour, allowing time for it to seep into the stone to get underneath and lift out the ingrained dirt. I then removed the dirt by agitating the solution with a scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary floor scrubber. I worked in small sections at first, and gradually finished the entire floor.

After completing the initial clean, I rinsed away the soiled solution and vacuumed up the excess moisture using a wet-vac machine. I then scrubbed the floor an acid wash using a dilution of Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up to remove grout smears and other mineral type deposits. The resulting solution was then removed in a similar fashion using a wet-vac.

The final step in the cleaning process was to rinse the floor with Tile Doctor pH Neutral Cleaner to remove any trace of product helps to tackle any remaining dirt and reset the pH balance of the tiles before sealing.

Sealing a Quarry tiled floor

After leaving the floor to dry overnight, I returned the next day to the house to seal the floor with Tile Doctor Seal & Go, a water-based topical sealer which gives the floor an aesthetically pleasing sheen and a robust surface seal.

Quarry Tiled Kitchen floor After Cleaning Milton

The photos demonstrate the results better than this short account can, needless to say the floor is now transformed.

Professional tile cleaning and sealing of an old Quarry tiled floor in Oxfordshire

Quarry Tiled Kitchen Floor Deep Cleaned and Sealed in Milton Read More »

Quarry Tiles After Restoration in Banbury

Quarry Tiled Floor Restoration Banbury

1 Comment / Banbury Tile Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Work History / TileProf

This house near Banbury was the tied accommodation for an old village police station from the days when the local bobby would live in the house next door. I’m sure the Quarry tiled floor had a rich history which no doubt contributed to its poor state and was eventually was covered up with linoleum which had been stuck to the tiles with adhesive. Recently however the house had been sold and redecorated and the new owner wanted the floor restoring to its former glory.

Quarry Tiles Before Restoration in Banbury

Restoring Quarry Tiles

I started by covering the floor with a dilution of Tile Doctor Remove & Go which was left to dwell for 20 minutes taking care to ensure it didn’t dry out; it was then scrubbed into the floor with a black pad attached to my Rocky floor machine. This process removed most of the glue on the floor so after removing most the slurry and inspecting the floor I could see it would be necessary to repeat the whole process again and get down on my hand and knees to scrape off the thicker parts of the glue.

Once the glue had been removed the floor it was rinsed with clean water which was then removed using a wet vacuum. The next process was to clean the dirt out of the pores of the tile using a dilution of Tile Doctor Pro Clean and warm water. Again the solution was left to soak into the tiles before scrubbing, rinsing and removing with the wet vacuum.

After a lunch break the surface of the floor was drying and I noticed that the tiles we’re going white which would need to be dealt with before sealing. Older floors tend not to have a damp proof course which can lead to damp rising up through the tile depositing white salts on the surface in the process. This problem is called efflorescence and to resolve the tiles needed to be treated with Tile Doctor Grout Clean Up which was scrubbed into the tiles and washed off as before. The floor was then vacuumed dry and then left so it could dry out completely.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled floor

I returned a couple of days later and the floor was dry and clean but looking rather dull; to put some life back in the floor it was going to need to be sealed. I first put a coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow down which brought the colour back into the tiles plus this is a good sealer on its own as it impregnates the pores of the tile and makes a terrific base seal. To complete I followed up with a number of coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go which Is a topical sealer that provided the shiny finish the customer wanted.

The quarry tiled floor is now restored from what was once a very old neglected floor to a nice clean easy to maintain surface.

Restoring a Quarry tiled floor in Oxfordshire

Quarry Tiled Floor Restoration Banbury Read More »

Quarry Tiles After Cleaning in Watlington

Quarry Tiled Floor Restored in Office at Watlington

1 Comment / Quarry Tile Cleaning, Work History / Barry Woodward

A company based in the 17th century market town of Watlington were renovating their office space and decided to replace the carpet which had been glued to the floor below. Upon further inspection this turned out to be a Quarry Tiled Floor and they were keen to restore it and so we got the call.

Quarry Tiles Before Cleaning in Watlington

Restoring Quarry Tiles

I first covered the whole floor with Tile Doctor Remove and Go, leaving this to dwell for a while whilst I fitted a scrubbing pad to my rotary machine. Once the machine was ready the whole floor was scrubbed followed by a rinse with water; the resultant soil was then extracted from the floor using a wet vacuum. This process removed most of the glue so I repeated the process until satisfied all the glue had gone. Remove and Go lives up to its name and although normally used to remove sealers it will remove most other coatings as well. This process took up most of the day so after the final and thorough rinse I left the floor to dry aiming to come back the next day to seal it.

When I returned the next day the floor had white patches of effervescence on it where salts had been forced up through the tile as the water evaporated; this had to be dealt with before the tiles could be sealed so I spent the second day scrubbing the entire floor with Grout Clean Up to remove it, after finishing the floor was given another thorough rinse to remove any product from the floor and used the wet vacuum again to get it as dry as possible.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled floor

I returned the third day to a nice dry and most importantly clean floor. To seal Quarry tiles I usually go for Tile Doctor Seal and Go as it’s water based (so no smell) and it adds a nice shine to the floor; however in this case being an office environment with a lot of heavy traffic I decided to go with Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer that soaks into the pores of the tile and is likely to be more durable, it also enhances the natural colours in the tile leading to a very nice finish.

I think you will agree the final result was a remarkable transformation

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Victorian Quarry Tiled Floor after Restoration in Oxford

Victorian Quarry Tiled Basement Floor Restored in Oxford

1 Comment / Oxford Tile Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Work History / Barry Woodward

This old Victorian Quarry Tiled Floor was discovered in the basement of a large house in Oxford where they had been covered up for years. There were a couple of dead tiles that have had the tops taken of for some reason but the rest were in a reasonable condition given their age.

Victorian Quarry Tiled Floor before Restoration in Oxford

Restoring Victorian Quarry Tiles

On the first day I used a mixture of Tile Doctor Remove and Go combined with Nanotech UltraClean which adds an abrasive element to a powerful coatings remover. I spread this on the Quarry tiled floor and left it for about an hour so it could soak into the tile and breakdown old sealers and soil etc.; I then used a commercial steamer on the floor to aid the cleaning process and bring the dirt and old sealant to the surface. When that was done I rinsed the floor with clean water which was then removed along with the soil using a wet vacuum. The next step was to give the floor a mild acid rinse using Tile Doctor Grout Clean Up to remove any mineral deposits from the surface of the tile and then rinse down again with clean water so all the chemicals were removed. The floor was quite damp at this stage and need to be dry so it could be sealed so I left a dehumidifier there and a damp meter so the customer could test the floor.

Sealing Victorian Quarry Tiles

After a couple of days I got the call from the customer that the floor was now dry so I went round to seal it with five coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go which is a recommended sealer for Quarry tiles providing good stain protection whilst adding a nice sheen.

This floor was 120 years old and the customer had no expectation of any significant improvement and had even considered covering it with wood before giving us a call; I was pleased therefore that we managed to exceed their expectations and breathe new life into this old floor.

120 year old Quarry Tile Renovation in Oxford

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Oxfordshire Tile Doctor

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