Numbered Meter - Photos & Ideas

Birchwood at Brambleton - The Marlowe Model

Example of an u-shaped vinyl floor and gray floor open concept kitchen design in DC Metro with a single-bowl sink, gray cabinets, gray backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

Deep Clean and Seal of a Multi-Coloured Slate Kitchen floor in Hythe

Tile Doctor Ltd

This Multi-Coloured Slate floor looks nice in the Kitchen of this property in Hythe, however due to the riven surface of the tile and the deep grout lines my customer had struggled to keep it clean. Additionally, the Slate has lost all of its lustre over the years since it had been installed and it was now due a deep clean and reseal. The combination of durability and price makes Slate a popular choice for floor covering, it is also available in a number of colours, ranging from plain black to a more diverse array of shades. Like any natural stone floor though it need sealing to keep the dirt out of the pores of the stone however sealers wear off with use Hythe by the way is a lovely medieval coastal market town with its own beach on the edge of Romney Marsh and close to Folkestone. Before starting I removed the kickboards underneath the kitchen units and protected the exposed woodwork with a thin film. To deep clean the Slate floor and remove any remaining sealer I applied Tile Doctor Remove and Go and left it to soak in for ten minutes before scrubbing it in with a light carbide brush. As well as removing the old sealer this process releases the dirt from the pores of the stone and brings it to the surface where it can be extracted. I have probably mentioned this before, but I’ve invested in a powerful van mounted pressure extraction system for removing the dirt, old sealer and emulsified soils released from the stone. The system works by applying water at high pressure on the floor via a spinner tool and then simultaneously extracts the waste under suction back to a grey water tank on the van. From the customers point of view, it makes light work of cleaning the floor and more importantly leaves the floor dry and leaves no mess. Having a dry floor at this stage is important as it means I can usually seal the floor on the same day. Its not a good idea to apply a sealer to damp floor as it will affect the way it cures and lead to an undesirable finish. The way to make sure the floor its dry is to use a moisture meter and take readings in several places around the floor. You can use an air mover to improve drying times however older floors can take a very long time to dry and for those I tend to book another day to apply the sealer. With the floor dry I set about applying the first of two coats of Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal which provides both a hardwearing sheen to the slate as well as enhancing its natural colourings. It has strong water repellency characteristics which makes it ideal for use in a kitchen where spillages are quite common. This was quite a small kitchen, so the work was completed in one day. My client was amazed at the transformation and grateful for our advice on continued maintenance which for this floor I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Stone Soap for daily cleaning. Michael Conlon South Kent Tile Doctor

Sunberry - The Southbury Model

Van Metre Homes

Large trendy l-shaped dark wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen photo with a double-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, marble countertops, beige backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

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Downtown Brambleton - The Parker Model

Van Metre Homes

Transitional l-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor open concept kitchen photo in DC Metro with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Meadowbrook Farm - The Pembroke Model

Van Metre Homes

Large country yellow two-story concrete fiberboard gable roof photo in DC Metro with a tile roof

Stone Ridge - Glenmore - Estates Cedarwood

Van Metre Homes

Eat-in kitchen - mid-sized transitional l-shaped dark wood floor eat-in kitchen idea in DC Metro with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite countertops, white backsplash, stone tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Restoring a Sandstone tiled kitchen floor in Farnham

Tile Doctor Ltd

Laid six years ago at a house in Farnham this Sandstone tiled kitchen floor was routinely trampled on by two teenagers, gardening parents and two large dogs. All of this had taken its toll of the sealer which had worn off and without its protection the Sandstone tile and grout had turned an indistinguishable sea of brown. The floor now needed a deep clean and reseal to restore it appearance and get it looking its best for which I had planned should take two days, the first day for cleaning and drying, the second for sealing and quoted accordingly. My client was happy with the quote and we scheduled a date to do the work. Farnham is a market town in Surrey and is largest town in the borough of Waverley. It is quite a historic town, with many old buildings, including a number of Georgian houses. With good access links to the A3 and London by train its popular with commuters and I often get requests to work here. I began by taping up the wooden skirting and the plinths in the kitchen to protect them from splashing during the work. Then armed with Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and a stiff brush I set about cleaning up the grout. The dirt released was removed with a wet vacuum before it had a chance to dry then using more Pro-Clean and a 17” buffing machine fitted with a rotating black nylon pad I cleaned the tiles. The unamused dogs had been banished to the garden. I love dogs but they were chasing my machine around, so I needed to keep them out of the way. The floor tiles were surprisingly dirty, and the client was quite shocked by the amount of dirt I manged to extract. Once finished I left the floor to dry off fully overnight, sealing a damp floor is never recommended and can result in a patchy appearance. Returning the next day, I first checked for areas that needed further attention and then took several moisture readings with a damp meter to check the floor was dry. Satisfied that it was, I was ready to apply the sealer. We had discussed choice of sealer previously and for this floor I had recommended a Tile Doctor sealer called Seal and Go Extra which would be ideal for her traffic heavy floor. Sealing is an important step as it protects the tiles and grout from dirt becoming ingrained in the stone and improves the look of the stone. Seal and Go Extra is also super tough and should last for years if cleaned with the right product. It sets with a subtle sheen but not a shine which she definitely didn’t want. Three coats of sealer were applied which takes around two hours to be dry to the touch but really needs 24 hours for it to cure. The sealer brought out the variety of colours in the stone floor and the family were happy with their new floor, now they just had to keep the dogs out of the way for 24 hours! For aftercare I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner to keep the floor in great condition. Rupert Mcleod West Surrey Tile Doctor