stain removal

Limestone Table Polishing Burford Oxfordshire

Polishing a Limestone table in Burford, Oxfordshire

This client from Burford in the Cotswold hills contacted us to see if I could polish up a Limestone table which was now surplus to requirements, and they wanted to sell it. They realised though that the polished appearance was dull and unappealing, so if it was to achieve the best price if would need polishing first.

Limestone Table Before Polishing Burford

We discussed the project over the phone and I explained that although we are more used to polishing stone floors with large diamond burnishing pads there was no reason why the same technique wouldn’t work on the table. For this project we would use smaller six-inch pads that can be fitted to a hand-held buffer machine. Confident I could complete the work and get the table back to its former glory I agreed to call in and demonstrate the process.

Polishing a Limestone Tiled Table

Using a set of small diamond burnishing pads of increasing grits and water I was able to quickly polish a sample area of the table to a nice shine. This newly polished section really highlighted just how dull the rest of the table had become. Like any polished surface it will lose its lustre over time with regular use and potentially cleaning with the wrong products.

Happy my solution was effective, and the price was right, he asked me to continue and polish the whole table. I put tape around the edge of the table to prevent splashes and had a dust sheet on the floor.

Next using a flex polishing machine fitted a six-inch 200-grit pad the stone was lightly cut back to remove the staining and cup marks. A little water is used during this process to help lubricate and a sponge with more water is used afterwards to remove the slurry which is generated. This process was then repeated using 400, 800, 1500 and finally a 3000-grit pads until the Limestone was polished to a honed finish. Again, the slurry was sponged away after each pad.

Sealing a Limestone Table

Then to get a very deep durable Tile Doctor Shine Powder was applied which is ground into the stone using a White buffing pad. Once this had dried, I buffed the table with another White pad to leave table looking like new.

Limestone Table After Polishing Burford

The client was delighted with the finished result and considered keeping it for a moment! However, they were satisfied that they could now sell it for a good price. For the maintenance cleaning of polished stone tables and countertops we recommend Tile Doctor Stone Patina Spray which is very easy to apply and helps protect the polish.

Although we specialise in the maintenance of tiles, stone or grout, mainly involving floors, but from time to time we do get asked to do something different such as resurfacing stone tables or work surfaces. It makes a nice change to complete something different and is very satisfying when the results are as good as this.

 

Professional Restoration of a Limestone Table in Oxfordshire

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Tarmac Stains on Ceramic Tile in Long Hanborough After

Cleaning Tarmac Stained Ceramic Tiles in Long Hanborough

This was a rather unusual request we were asked to look at in the Oxfordshire village of Long Hanborough; they had recently laid a new Tarmac drive and unfortunately it had been walked into the Ceramic tiled kitchen floor leaving a lot of dark staining. After failing to clean the tiles with various supermarket floor cleaners she called in Tile Doctor. Tile Doctor cleaning products are industrial strength so when I arrived I gave her a demonstration on a couple of tiles to show I could clean them and she was amazed at how easy I made it look and booked the work with me.

Tarmac Stains on Ceramic Tile in Long Hanborough Before

Removing Tarmac Stains from Ceramic Tiles

To resolve the problem I scrubbed the floor with Tile Doctor Grout Clean Up which is an acid based product designed to remove grout smears and mineral deposits. Ceramic tiles are very durable however being acid based you can’t leave it on the surface too long so the process was to quickly work it into the stain with a stiff bristle brush, rinse with water and then remove using a wet vacuum.

Tarmac Stains on Ceramic Tile in Long Hanborough After
You can see the difference in the final photograph below where the dark staining has disappeared; the difference in tile colour was due to the lighting. The whole job was completed in one day and the customer was relieved that her floor was not ruined and left the comment below on the Tile Doctor feedback system.

He was thorough and excellent. Very grateful.
M. Rawlings, Long Hanborough

Tarmac Stained Ceramic Tiles Cleaned in Oxfordshire

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