Tag Archives: tile maintenance

Restoring the Polish on Marble Tiles

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This customer from the town of Brackley near Northampton got in touch with us to discuss their lovely black Marble tiled floor where it was proving difficult to maintain the shine. I went to visit and after carrying out some tests and asking a number of questions it became clear that that the product that had been used for regular cleaning had a high alkaline detergent content which was not suitable for the floor and had been causing smears, there were also light scratches due to the soiling levels. For polished stone or sealed floors we always recommend a neutral PH cleaning product such a Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner.

Black Marble in Brackley Before Polishing

Burnishing Polished Black Marble Tiles

To remove the light scratches and restore the shine on the Marble it was necessary to cut back the surface and re-polish with a set of burnishing pads. The pads come in a set of four and are applied in sequence starting with a coarse pad together with a little water to cut through the old sealer and grime. You then progress through the other finer pads one by one until you get to the final polishing pad which provides a high polish.

Black Marble in Brackley During Polishing

After polishing the floor was rinsed down to remove any slurry from the polishing process and then allowed to dry before sealing with Tile Doctor Colour Grow which impregnates the pores in the stone enhancing the natural colours and protecting it from future staining.

Black Marble in Brackley After Polishing

Before leaving we spoke again on the types of cleaning solutions to get the best results and she was over the moon with the results.
 
 
Source: Polished Tile and Stone Maintenance in Northamptonshire

Repairing Damaged Marble Shower Tiles

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We were recently received a referral from a well-known house cleaning company who needed some assistance to resolve an issue with a Marble Tiled Shower at a Georgian property in Ringmer. Unfortunately one of their staff had sprayed a Cillit Bang cleaning fluid onto the tiles to remove Limescale deposits and had marked the tiles with white streaks which could not be removed. Now Cilit Bang is a very strong product and although it has a reputation for tackling tricky cleaning problems it contains Benzenesulfonic Acid which like any acid should not be used on Stone as it will damage it. If you check the internet you will find this problem is not uncommon and numerous people have experienced the same issue, the good news is there is a solution.

Damaged Marble Shower Tiles in Ringmer Before Damaged Marble Shower Tiles in Ringmer Before

Polishing Damaged Marble Shower Tiles

Using a spray bottle containing a dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and a set of small Diamond encrusted burnishing pads attached to a handheld buffer I went to work on the tiles stripping away the existing sealer and bringing back the surface of the stone. During this process the damage to the tiles started to fade and once the sealer was removed the tiles took on a washed out appearance which was to be expected at this stage.

Sealing Marble Shower Tiles

After drying any wetness with a heat gun I left them for a while so they could be sealed. Assisted by the underfloor heating the tiles soon dried out so after about half an hour I was able to apply a coat of Tile Doctor Ultra Seal which is an impregnating sealer that leaves a natural look. For the next couple of hours I added three more coats during which the tiles gradually came back to their previous colour. Each coat has to be fully dry before the next once can be added on. During the drying process I took the liberty of cleaning the customers shower unit, not something I’m in the habit of doing but it passed the time.

Damaged Marble Shower Tiles in Ringmer After Damaged Marble Shower Tiles in Ringmer After

As you can see from the photographs on this page the white streaky damage caused by the Cillit Bang has now been removed and the surface looks as good as it did before.
 
 
Source: Tile, Stone and Grout Cleaning in Sussex

Removating old Marble Flagstones in West-Sussex

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Apologies in advance but I’m going to start this post with a warning; there are some very strong cleaning products available in supermarkets and most of which are completely unsuitable for use on natural stone floors because they contain acid. Even weak acids used over time will erode and reduce the life of a sealer and can lead to small holes appearing in your tiles so you do need to be careful what you apply and always read the label.

The reason I mention this is I recently had a client in the village of Woodmancote with a Marble Tiled En-Suite who had sent over some photographs showing how the tiles had become marked after using Cilit Bang to clean them. Cilit Bang is a very strong product and has a great reputation for tackling tricky cleaning problems however it contains Benzenesulfonic Acid so it should not to be used on Stone. If you check the literature it does not say it can be used on stone although it does mention the product can be used on tiles and I suspect this is where the confusion comes from as I suspect it should say ceramic tiles.

Getting back to the story I informed the client that it was tricky to tell from the photographs what would be required so I offered to pop round when next in the area and take a look. We offer a free no obligation home-survey so I arranged a site inspection and after the meeting I was confident that I could repair the damage to a level that meant that that it would be barely noticeable to the naked eye.

Damaged Marble Shower Tiles in Woodmancote Before Damaged Marble Shower Tiles in Woodmancote Before

Polishing Marble Shower Tiles

To resolve the problems I started by giving the Marble Tiles a general clean with a dilution of Tile Doctor Pro Clean and then followed this up by burnishing the stone with a 6 inch coarse diamond burnishing pad fitted to a hand held rotary machine. After going over the damaged area with this I then used the medium, find and super fine pads to restore the surface and build up the polish in the stone.

Sealing Marble Shower Tiles

When this was complete and I was satisfied that I had done all that was possible I waited for the Marble to dry and applied two coats of Tile Doctor Ultra Seal which is a penetrating sealer that will occupy the pores in the stone and prevent dirt become ingrained there. When the sealer was dry I gave it a light buff using a small Green pad. This added to the sheen and improved the way the Marble blended in with the surrounding Marble.

Damaged Marble Shower Tiles in Woodmancote After Damaged Marble Shower Tiles in Woodmancote After

It would have been impossible to get rid of the stain entirely but I’m happy to say by the time I had finished you could not notice the marks unless you looked at the area at point blank range and you knew where to look!
 
 
Source: Tile, Stone and Grout Restoration Service in West-Sussex

Cleaning and Sealing Marble Hallway Tiles

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These Noche Marble tiles installed in the hallway of this house in Oundle are a premium product with a warm antique look however like any natural stone tile it needs to be sealed in order to prevent dirt becoming ingrained in the pores of the stone. In this case the sealer had worn off and was the floor was now difficult to keep clean so we were called into the deep clean the tile and grout and then re-seal. Sealers can last a few years depending on wear.

Noce Marble Before Cleaning Oundle Noce Marble Before Cleaning Oundle

Cleaning Noche Marble Tiles

To deep clean the tile and grout and remove any remaining sealer I combined a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean 50/50 with NanoTech UltraClean. The UltraClean adds tiny abrasive particles which make a more effective cleaning product, both products are safe to use on natural stone floors. It’s best to let the solution soak into the tile for ten to twenty minutes before being scrubbed in with a rotary machine fitted with a scrubbing brush or black scrubbing pad. The rotary pads can struggle to get into the grout lines so it’s best to use a stiff brush along those.

Noce Marble During Grout Cleaning Oundle

To remove the soiled cleaning solution and rinse the tiles I use a high pressure spinner tool which is a brilliant machine for tile cleaning as it deploys water under high pressure water whilst extracting the dirty water back to a container in the van.

Noce Marble After Cleaning Oundle Noce Marble After Cleaning Oundle

Sealing Noche Marble Tiles

The floor was left to dry out for a few days and we returned the following week to seal the tiles using a damp meter first to verify the floor was indeed dry which it was so we proceeded to seal the tiles using two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow.

Noce Marble During Sealing Oundle

Colour grow was chosen as it’s an impregnating sealer the soaks into the pores of the tile bringing out and enhancing the natural colours in the stone in the process.

Noce Marble After Sealing Oundle Noce Marble After Sealing Oundle

I took lots of photographs so you should be able to see how much cleaner the floor now looks, especially the grout and how the colour has been restored to the Marble.
 
 
Source: Tile, Stone and Grout Maintenance Service in Northamptonshire

Marble Tiled Floor Cleaned and Sealed

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This polished Marble tiled floor was installed in a house in the old market town of Petersfield. The tile and grout was in good condition but like all polished stone floors they will go dull after a period of time and require burnishing and polishing to restore shine.

Marble Tiled Floor Petersfield Begin Marble Tiled Floor Petersfield Begin

Cleaning Marble Floor Tiles

We gave the floor a quick sweep and wash down with a dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean partly to ensure any surface grit etc. was removed but also so we could get a stiff grout brush in along the grout lines and give them a clean. Once done the floor was rinsed down with water which was removed with a wet vacuum, once done we moved straight onto burnishing the floor to restore the polish. Burnishing requires the application of a little water so there was no need to wait for it to dry.

Burnishing requires the application of four different diamond encrusted graded pads in sequence working from coarse which removed old sealers and dirt through to medium, fine and super fine pads which build up the polish on the floor. The floor requires a rinse in-between each pad to remove any slurry and water is extracted from the floor using the wet vacuum, after the super fine pad we removed as much water from the floor as possible and left it to dry overnight ready for sealing the next day.

Sealing Marble Floor Tiles

On our return the next day we made sure the floor was dry with the use of a damp meter and once we were happy we sealed the Marble tiles using two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer the occupied the pores in the tile to prevent other contaminates soaking into the tile. It also does a nice job of lifting the natural colours in the stone and enhancing the look of the tile.

Marble Tiled Floor Petersfield Finished Marble Tiled Floor Petersfield Finished

 
 
Source: Tile and Stone Cleaning Service in Hampshire

Dull Marble Tiles Re-polished

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Details below of a Marble Tiled floor installed in the hallway and kitchen of a house in Edinburgh. The tiles were in good physical shape but had lost their polished appearance over time resulting in a dull un-appealing finish. This is not unusual for polished stone especially in high traffic areas such as hallways and kitchens.

Polished Marble Kitchen Edinburgh Before

Cleaning Marble Floor Tile and Grout

Our first job was to give the floor a general clean to remove grime and dirt especially along the grout lines. This was done by applying a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is left to dwell on the floor before being scrubbed in, Pro-Clean is an alkaline cleaner so it’s safe to use on tile and stone unlike acidic cleaners which can damage the surface of the stone over time. The now dirty cleaning solution was removed using a wet vacuum and the floor given a rinse using water.

Marble Tiled Floor Polishing

The next step was to burnish the Marble which is a process that removes ingrained dirt and brings up the polish on the tile. The process involves the application of four diamond pads in sequence; you start with the coarse pad together with a little water and this cuts through and removes surface grime and any surface seal. You then progress through the other finer pads one by one until you get to the final polishing pad which provides a high polish.

Polished Marble Kitchen Edinburgh After

When the Burnishing process was completed Tile doctor Shine powder which is a crystallising powder is worked into the floor using a bonnet machine fitted with a buffing pad and a little water; it adds an extra level of deep shine to the marble floor giving it that extra wow factor together with a tough durable finish.

Polished Marble Hallway Edinburgh After

 
 
Source: Tile and Stone Cleaning and Polishing Service in Edinburgh

Repolishing Marble tiles in a Hallway in Marlborough

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This was an unusual problem; a customer contacted us regarding their Marble shower room at a house in Marlborough where the customer had sprayed Viakal Limescale remover onto the Marble tiles to clean them which unfortunately etched the surface. I’ve downloaded the MSDS sheet from the Inernet for this product and can verify it contains a combination of Etidronic, Formic and Phosphoric acids so not a very safe product to use on Marble or any sealed stone surface.

Marble Shower Wall Tiles Marlborough Before Cleaning

Cleaning Marble Wall Tiles

To remove the etching the Marble tiles were burnished using a 6inch coarse diamond encrusted burnishing pad fixed to a hand held rotary machine and lubricated with a spray bottle of water to help keep tiles wet. Burnishing pads come in a set of four from Coarse, Medium, Fine and Super Fine so once we had removed the etching using the coarse pad we then applied the next pads in turn which re-polish the area back to its original shine. Between pads we rinsed the tiles down to remove any soiled water away; after the final super fine pad was applied the shower tiles were given a thorough rinse down ready for sealing.

Sealing the Marble Wall Tiles

The wall was wiped down and left to dry overnight and we returned the next day to seal the Marble tiles using two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which will protect the tile against water marking and staining from toiletries. I explained to the customer that the best way to protect the sealer was to simply use the shower head to rinse the walls every time you shower; Tile Doctor also sell an everyday cleaning product for use with showers called Aqua-Pro which is a mild alkaline cleaner that can remove body fats and stains from shampoo and soap products etc.

Marble Shower Wall Tiles Marlborough After Cleaning
Burnishing the Marble tiles resolved the problem so all is well however if you have a natural stone or sealed tiled surface in your house be warned and always read the label of cleaning products before you use them; if in any doubt do give Tile Doctor a call we are always ready to advise.

Source: Residential and Commercial Tile Cleaning Services in Wiltshire

Marble Tiled Kitchen Floor Cleaning

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These Marble Floor tiles were installed in the kitchen of a house in Didsbury where a lot of building work had recently completed. You can see from the photograph that the tiles were stained and the grout had darkened.

Marble Tiled Floor in Disbury Kitchen Before

Marble Tiled Floor Polishing

To improve the look of Marble it’s necessary to strip it right back and then polish which we are able to do with a rotary machine and burnishing pads. The pads come in a set of four; you start with the coarse pad together with a little water and this cuts through and removes surface grime and any surface seal. You then progress through the other finer pads one by one until you get to the final polishing pad which provides a high polish.

Once this was done I got to work on the grout with a dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which was worked into the grout lines by hand using a stiff grout brush. The tile and grout was then rinsed down three times with clean water to remove any dirt.

To give the floor the final finish Tile Doctor Shine powder was applied using a white buffing pad and a little water; the crystallising powder adds an extra level of shine to the Marble floor giving it that extra wow factor together and also gives it a tough durable finish. I can recommend this last step and certainly the customer was very pleased with overall finish.

Marble Tiled Floor in Disbury Kitchen After

 
 
Source: Marble Cleaning Specialist in Greater-Manchester

Marble Tile Restoration at a Neoclassical Palladian Mansion

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This Marble tiled floor is located in the pantry of the historical Kinross House which is a late 17th-century country house overlooking Loch Leven that was built by the architect Sir William Bruce as his own home in 1686. You can see from the photograph the floor was in quite a state and given the history it was an honour to be asked to work on the floor.

Kinross House

Marble Tile Cleaning and Polishing

We brushed out the floor to remove all the loose debris and then proceeded to restore the floor using a set of diamond encrusted burnishing pads which fit a rotary buffing machine. The burnishing process is designed to grind out dirt in the stone and smooth /polish the floor, you start with a course pad and work your way through the four pad set until you get to the finer polishing pad. This may sounds simple but it does take time to complete.

Marble Tiled Floor Before Cleaning Marble Tiled Floor After Cleaning

Sealing Marble Tiles

Once the floor was polished we applied a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Pro-Seal which is a non-sheen premium sealer recommended for natural stone that provided the natural matte look the client was after and will protect the Marble and keep the floor looking good.
 
 
Source: Marble restoration in Perth and Kinross, Scotland