Renfrewshire

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Renovated in Johnstone

Dirty Victorian Hallway Floor Tiles Renovated in Johnstone

This is another Victorian hallway floor we deep cleaned in Johnstone which is located to West of Paisley. Before quoting I visited the property to survey the Victorian tiles and ensure I had a complete idea of what would be needed to fully renovate floor.

Victorian Tiled Floor Before Cleaning Johnstone

After inspecting the floor, I could see there were no surprises such as loose or cracked tiles that would need replacing and that the main issue was it was just incredibly dirty. All that it needed would be deep cleaning including stripping of any remaining sealer, then cleaning and ultimately sealing.

This is a typical Tile Doctor job for us to carry out and having worked on many Victorian floors before I was very confident of a great result. The client was happy to go ahead with the quotation and we arranged to return a few weeks later.

Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

The floor was given a pre spray of Tile Doctor Remove and Go diluted 50:50 with water and then left to soak in for10 minutes to give it time to break down the dirt and any previous coatings that may have been present on the floor. Then the floor was scrubbed using a rotary bonnet machine fitted with a silicon carbide brush. This is an effective brush that in combination with the Remove and Go released a lot from the pores of the tile to the surface where it could be extracted with a wet vacuum. The floor was dirtier than anticipated and the process was carried out three times to ensure floor was as clean as possible.

Once the chemicals had done as much as they could the Victorian tiles were resurfaced using Tile Doctor 100 and 200 grit milling pads that remove stubborn ingrained dirt and staining. This process was carried out twice rinsing with water and extracted the soiling with a wet vacuum afterwards.

Last process was to give the tiles a mild Acid wash using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up. This was scrubbed in using soft brushes fitted to the bonnet machine and then extracted as before. This process further cleans up the tile and will counter any efflorescent salts that can build up in floors of this age which won’t had a modern damp proof membrane in place.

The floor was left to dry out for a few days with a fan left in place to speed up the drying times. The floor looked so much cleaner than when we started, and my client was already pleased with the results.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

On my return the I took a few moisture readings with a damp meter to check it was dry enough to accept a sealer. We don’t recommend applying a sealer to a damp floor as from experience the results can be inconsistent so always best to check first.

The meter readings were fine, so I started applying the sealer, which for this floor Tile Doctor Colour Grow was chosen. Three coats were applied to fully protect the floor and bring the colours back after being cut back with the milling pads. This sealer works by soaking into the pores of the tile, occupying the pores, and thereby preventing dirt from becoming ingrained there going forwart. As the name suggest it’s a colour enhancing product that is also fully breathable which is important for floors with no damp proof membrane.

Victorian Tiled Floor After Cleaning Johnstone

For aftercare cleaning I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner which is a mild pH neutral tile cleaner that is gentle enough for daily use and will ensure that the newly applied seal is not compromised and kept looking good, especially in such a high traffic area.

 

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Victorian Hallway Floor Restoration Newton Mearns

Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor Fully Restored in Newton Mearns, Glasgow

This old classic Victorian tiled hallway at a property in Newton Mearns, south of Glasgow, had seen a lot of wear over the years leading to a general degradation. Some of the major problems including loose and broken tiles and one area in particular under a radiator was so bad a previous owner had back filled it with cement instead of having it repaired.

I suspect the house had been reconfigured and central heating added at some point in its history, and this will have been when the damage was done. The current owner was aware of the value that original features can have on a property so decided it was time to have the whole floor restored.

Having worked on numerous Victorian floor restorations previously I knew the floor could be put back to its original condition if not better, so I was more than happy to take on work. Having visited the property and provided a quotation for the work I’m please to say we were intrusted to go ahead with the restoration.

Repairing and Cleaning a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

On day one the work started by carefully lifting, grinding and fixing back down the original tiles, this included repairing areas that had been back filled with concrete using originals recovered from another part of the floor that was no longer required.

Victorian Hallway Floor During Restoration Newton Mearns Victorian Hallway Floor During Restoration Newton Mearns

Once the adhesive had set the tiles were grouted and the floor left for a few days.

On our return the floor was given a deep clean using a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go worked in with 100 and 200 grit diamond pads fitted to a rotary floor buffer. The soil generated was rinsed off and extracted using a wet vacuum. This process removes any old sealants and deep-seated dirt from the old tiles. This process was repeated, and some tiles needed to be spot treated by hand before they met the high standard I was looking to achieve.

The next step was to improve the tiles further by giving the floor an Acid Rinse using Tile Doctor Grout Clean Up. This final part of the cleaning process further cleans up the tiles by removing surface grout that can detract from the appearance of the tile and mineral salts. This is a common issue with floors of this age which don’t have a damp proof membrane installed under the floor and can lead to white salt deposits appearing as the tile dries out, a process called Efflorescence.

Victorian Hallway Floor After Restoration Newton Mearns

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor

The floor was then left for a week so it could fully dry out before returning to seal the tiles. Its important that the tiles are dry before sealing otherwise you risk a patchy appearance. Due to the fact this floor had no damp proof membrane I chose to use Tile Doctor Colour Grow which being fully a breathable will could cope with any moisture rising through the floor. Three to four coats of Colour Grow were applied which as its name suggests also intensifies the colours in the tile as well as adding the high level of protection that a busy hallway floor needs.

Victorian Hallway Floor After Restoration Newton Mearns

Colour Grow is an impregnating sealer that penetrates into the tile occupying its tiny pores and thereby preventing dirt from becoming ingrained. You can always tell the sealer is working as it will repel liquids which will then form beads on the surface of the tile.

Victorian Hallway Floor After Restoration Newton Mearns

The floor looked amazing once finished and lifted the appeal of the whole property. The client was very satisfied with the work we had carried out and before leaving I made a point to recommend the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner to keep the floor looking in tip top condition. This product is pH neutral and will ensure that the newly applied seal is not compromised which is a problem when using stronger off the shelf cleaning products.

Victorian Hallway Floor After Restoration Newton Mearns

 

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Changing Grout Colour in Greenock Bathroom Before and After

Changing Ceramic Tiled Grout Colour in a Greenock Bathroom

This bathtub with shower over was at a house in the old shipbuilding port of Greenock within the historic county of Renfrewshire. I’m not sure you can appreciate it from the before photograph below, but the grout was white and was starting to discolour. The owner of the house didn’t want it to get any worse and asked us for help.

Changing Grout Colour in Greenock Bathroom Before

Preparing the Grout

We discussed the options and the benefits of applying a grout colour which would not only change the colour but also add a layer of protection over the grout which would be much easier to keep clean going forward.

With the decision made we set about cleaning the grout first with a Grout Colourant Pre-Treater that cleans and etches the grout resulting in a better bond with the grout colourant. This was followed by rinsing the grout with water to remove any dirt and remove the traces of pre-treater before drying it off with a heat gun ready for the next step.

Grout Colouring

The customer had decided on a Chocolate grout colour, so it would blend in with the brown tiles more effectively. So, once the grout has dried two coats of Tile Doctor Grout Colourant were applied over the grout with a small brush. This product is basically painted on top of the existing grout any any excess wiped off the adjacent tile before it dries. It’s an epoxy based formula that becomes a long-lasting barrier protecting the grout and as I mention before making it much easier to clean.

Last step before leaving was to strip out the stained silicone sealant between the top of the bath and tile and replaced with fresh new white silicone to match with the white bathroom suite.

Changing Grout Colour in Greenock Bathroom After
The job only took a day to complete and the owner was very pleased with the way the tiles now looked.

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