This job was at house in Polwarth, a small parish through which flows the Union Canal, running from Falkirk to Edinburgh. The client had requested a clean for a Victorian tiled hallway set in the narrow reception area of the house. The tiled floor had been painted over by the previous owners of the house using a thick, red paint. Painting a tile floor in such a way can affect its wash-ability, and the paint can peel off over time especially in a high-traffic area such as a reception area or hallway such as this. The red paint would have to be removed in order to restore the tile underneath and reveal its natural state, as well as provide a thorough and much-needed clean. The first step in the paint removal process was to spray the floor with a strong solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean mixed with Remove & Go. Pro-Clean is a heavy duty cleaner and degreaser, suitable for use on tile, stone and grout. Pro-Clean combines well with Remove and Go, which is a multi-purpose stripper capable of removing most sealers, adhesives and, particularly important for this case, paint. The solution was left to dwell after application to allow it to soak into the tile and soften the paint and dirt. After 10 to 15 minutes we scrubbed the floor in order to remove as much of the paint as possible. The owner of the house was surprised to see the true colours of the tile appearing, which had been hidden beneath the paint for a significant period of time. As the red paint coating was particularly thick, we had to scrub the floor multiple times. In some areas the paint proved tricky to remove so it was necessary to use a steamer to steam clean the stubborn areas. Once all of the paint had been successfully removed, the unveiled tile floor was treated to another clean using Pro-Clean, before being given a wash down and neutralised using Concentrated Neutral Tile & Stone Cleaner. It’s important to ensure any trace of strong cleaning products are removed from floor before the next step of sealing as it can impact the sealer leading to un-even results. The floor was left to dry off overnight and we came back the next day to seal the tiles using four coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go which is an ideal sealer for Victorian tiles as it provides stain protection whilst also bringing out the colours resulting in a subtle sheen appearance. You can see from the photos that after a thorough cleaning and sealing the floor was back to looking its best. I do wonder why someone would want to paint over such a fantastic Victorian tiled floor!

This customer from Bedford, the county town of one of England’s smallest counties Bedfordshire, called me out because they have bought a house and, upon lifting the glued down carpet, had discovered a beautiful Victorian tiled floor. They decided to call me in to see if this original feature could be restored to its former glory having already tried household products to remove the glue and clean the tiles with limited success. We often find customers who discover old tiles under carpet or linoleum struggle with the standard cleaning products available in supermarket which are only designed for everyday cleaning. The products Tile Doctor sells are far stronger; naturally however to achieve the best results it also helps if you have the right equipment, knowledge and experience and that where we come in. I popped round to take a look at the floor and having tackled quite a few of these restorations before was confident we could restore the floor so a quote was given and the work was booked in for the next week. My first course of action was to vacuum the floor to remove any loose debris. This gave me a better picture of the condition of the floor overall, and so I could assess how best to proceed. I opted for our tried and trusted method of applying a diluted solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, which is a very reliable high alkaline cleaner suitable for all types of natural stone and tile. The solution was applied with a pump-up sprayer and left to dwell for 20 minutes to seep into the pores of the tile. Next, I worked the solution into the tiles using a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine and hand brushes. The resulting cleaning slurry was then rinsed off – and I found that this had removed most of the glue and surface dirt. There were a few stubborn deposits of glue remaining, but I was able to remove them by using hand brushes and scrapers in combination with Tile Doctor Remove and Go, which is as its name suggest can remove most things including old sealers, epoxy grout haze, urethane coatings, synthetic finishes, adhesives and event paint. Even after this there were still some patches of glue, so I decided to spray the whole floor with Remove and Go and worked it into the stubborn areas with brushes. I left it to dwell for 15 minutes and then rinsed the floor with a wet pick-up extraction machine. This did the job and the floor was left fresh and clean, ready to be sealed once it had dried. The floor was left to dry for several days, which is typically necessary for old tiled floors that don’t have a damp proof membrane installed. The customer wanted the floor to look traditional and therefore requested a matt finish. This was achieved by applying two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow, which is also breathable thereby allowing any damp to evaporate as gases through the sealer, without affecting the finish. As I previously mentioned, floors of this age can sometimes have damp issues, so this sealer is ideal for these older floors. Colour Grow is an impregnating sealer, meaning it penetrates the pores of the stone to fill them and prevent trapped dirt. It also intensifies the colours in the tiles to really bring them to life. The customer was shocked and amazed by the great results as she thought nothing could be done to restore such an old floor. Before leaving the property, I gave her some maintenance instructions to help her keep the floor looking its best in the future. Another satisfied customer! David Vissian Bedfordshire Tile Doctor

We were contacted by a customer in West Kirby who needed help renovating a Victorian tiled hallway in a house they had just purchased. Kirby is a desirable seaside location North of Heswall that expanded with the arrival of the railway in 1848. The railway brought a demand for property and so it’s not unusual to find housing stock in this area dating back to the Victorian era. The Victorian tiles at this property appear to have been neglected by the previous owner and were now looking very dull and marked by paint from decorating; all the colours looked washed out and the floor was now looking very unappealing. The good news however is that this problem is not uncommon and with a deep clean and a fresh sealer applied it can be transformed. I gave the owner a quote which was accepted a date agreed for my return to do the work. On the first day the floor was sprayed with a neat solution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go which is a powerful alkaline cleaning and stripping agent used to remove old seals and paint. The solution was left to dwell for about twenty minutes so it could soak in and get to work. It was then scrubbed into the tiles using a coarse 200-grit pad fitted to a heavy buffing machine. Water was then added to the floor for lubrication and the soils released from the pores of the tile during scrubbing was removed by with a wet vacuum. To treat the stubborn paint stains and remains of what I suspect was carpet adhesive a hand scraper and wire brush was used, this was made easier by the Remove and Go which had softened the paint etc. The next stage was to give the Victorian tiles a mild acid wash using Acid Gel which is applied to the floor, scrubbed in, and rinsed off with a little water then extracted using the wet vacuum. We always recommend an acid wash for old floors like these as it will counter any efflorescent salts resident in the tiles and helps to remove other mineral contaminates and old grout that can mask the true beauty of the tiles. I left the tiles to dry out for two days before returning to apply the sealer, first checking it was dry by testing for moisture in various places with an electronic damp tester. It’s not a good idea to apply a sealer to a damp floor so we always check first. Satisfied the floor was dry, I started applying a coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is a colour enhancing impregnating sealer that helps to bring out the true colours in the tile. This was allowed to dry for thirty minutes and then followed up five coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra which is a breathable sealer that leaves a lovely satin finish and builds on the protection. Once done the Victorian hallway tiles looked so much cleaner and healthier. It was quite a transformation and the new sealer had given the floor a nice low sheen shine which the customer was very happy with. For aftercare cleaning I left them with a bottle of Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner which is specially formulated for cleaning sealed tiles. We don’t recommend tile cleaning products you find on supermarket shelves as the are usually too strong and can strip a sealer off the floor prematurely. If your choosing another product to clean your floor always read the label to make sure its compatible. Andrew Robb Merseyside Tile Doctor

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Our client had recently moved to a property in Newport, Gwent and when removing the carpet in the hallway she discovered this beautiful Victorian Tiled floor. The property had numerous period features and realising the value that the floor could add to the property she was keen to have it restored and so contacted Tile Doctor for help. We popped round to survey the floor and except for a couple of broken tiles it had preserved well under the carpet. It was a shame the previous owner had covered the floor over but I was confident we could source some matching tiles to replace the broken ones and then restore the overall appearance. We gave the client a quote for the work which would take a couple of days. Pleased to hear that the floor could be restored and that it could soon be on show the quote was accepted and a date set to do the work. We returned later the same month to renovate the floor and started by removing the broken tiles, cleaning out the old grout and adhesive and then relaying matching replacements. There are several specialist suppliers that can supply Victorian tiles so we can usually source reclaimed or reproduction tiles. Some of the grout lines had dropped so as well as grouting around the replacement tiles more renovation work was needed to ensure the grout was level. We used quick setting products for this work, so I was able to move on to cleaning the floor later that afternoon. To restore the appearance of the Victorian Tiles I used a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean combined with Tile Doctor Remove and Go which was left to soak in for ten minutes before being scrubbed into the tiles. This created a powerful cleaner/stripper cocktail which gets to work at removing dirt, grime and breaking down old sealers paint splashes. After extracting the soil using a wet vacuum the floor was inspected. There were a few stubborn areas which were treated to a repeat clean and a wire brush to get the floor as clean as possible. The floor was rinsed with water to remove any trace of cleaning products and then as much moisture as possible was extracted using a wet vacuum. The floor was left to dry off overnight and we arranged to return the next day to apply a sealer. The following morning, we checked the floor was dry using a damp meter and this confirmed we were good to apply the sealer. The floor was sealed with Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer that protects the floor and enhances the beautiful colours in the tile. Three coats of the sealer were applied allowing each coat to dry before applying the next. The client was very happy with the result and how beautiful the floor looked as you can see from the picture. Paul Wales Monmouthshire Tile Doctor

Roundhay is an affluent area of North Leeds which is well-known for the fantastic Roundhay Park. The park is large enough to contain two lakes, extensive woodland, formal gardens and even golf courses! It’s the premier attraction for anyone fortunate enough to live in the area, or anyone visiting from nearby. I recently visited a customer who lives in Roundhay and was looking for help in restoring the small Victorian tiled entranceway at the front of her house. The tiles were in a shocking state, but it’s not hard to imagine why – the entrance to a house receives a lot of foot traffic and is not typically taken care of regularly. These tiles were also marked with paint splashes left over from decoration work, making them look even worse. The appearance of the entranceway did not set the right standard for the rest of the house, so the property owner was keen to have it restored professionally. The appearance of the entranceway did not set the right standard for the rest of the house, so the property owner was keen to have it restored professionally. The appearance of the entranceway did not set the right standard for the rest of the house, so the property owner was keen to have it restored professionally. The appearance of the entranceway did not set the right standard for the rest of the house, so the property owner was keen to have it restored professionally. I informed the customer that I could have the tiles rejuvenated within a day’s work. To begin, I used a scrapper and wire wool brush to manually remove some of the most stubborn paint marks. Following this, I applied a strong solution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go, before leaving the product to dwell for about an hour. Remove and Go is multi-purpose stripping agent that can remove any adhesive and paint deposits, as well as many types of old coatings and sealers. To work the product deep into the tiles, I agitated with an abrasive cleaning pad and then rinsed the area with fresh water. This had the desired affect and all the unsightly paint marks were removed. Next, I gave the floor another thorough clean to remove any general muck and ingrained dirt. This was done using our high-alkaline cleaner, which we typically use on Victorian tiles, known as Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. In fact, Pro-Clean is a very reliable cleaner for all types of tile and grout including natural stone, Limestone, Slate and Travertine, amongst others. Since I told the customer I would able to finish the job within a day, I dried the floor quickly using a heat gun so it could be sealed there and then. To seal the floor, I applied four coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go, which is a topical sealer formulated to provide maximum protection along with a high-quality, low sheen finish. As you can see from the photos above, the entranceway was absolutely transformed. These tiles are now a true asset to the rest of the property, rather than looking out of place! I’m please to say my customer was amazed by how quickly such a big difference could be made and left the following glowing feedback. I can’t believe the before and after pictures. The restoration of the tiles is top quality, they are so much brighter and richer in colour – especially without the garage paint hiding the detail! Nigel did an amazing job, even better than I could have hoped for, and is a lovely guy as well. Would definitely recommend. Nigel Stoker North West Yorkshire Tile Doctor

When you discover an old Victorian tiled floor underneath carpet, the first question that will probably pop into your mind is: can it be restored? The answer, in the majority of cases, is yes. In fact, Tile Doctor has completed hundreds of Victorian tiled floor restorations. Victorian tiles have a timeless quality about them and are still popular for residential use even in the twenty first century. What you can usually expect upon lifting your carpet is for the tiles to be covered in carpet adhesives and grippers, as was the case with this particular example of a Victorian Tiles hallway floor at a property in Bedford. Sometimes you might also find paint splashes or other staining left over from decoration work. And, of course, the tiles will be dirty and in much need of a deep clean. These issues spoil the original appearance of the tiles, but with the right methods and products, a complete restoration can be achieved quickly and cost-effectively. My first task upon arriving at the proper was to carry out a site survey to address the condition of the tiles, before running a quick test clean on a small area of the floor. The result was good and so I was confident that I could achieve a high-quality restoration for the client. A quote was issued and accepted, and the work was booked in at a date that was convenient for the customer. Returning to the property, my first course of action was to mix a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro Clean, which is a powerful alkaline cleaner safe to use on natural stone, with hot water. This cleaning solution was sprayed along all edges of the floor loosen the glue securing the carpet grippers. I then successfully removed the adhesive carefully using handheld tools to avoid damaging any tiles. Once this was done, I applied Tile Doctor Remove and Go, scrubbing it into the tiles with a rotary machine. This product is designed to remove heavy soiling, paint splashes and old waxes and sealers. The soiled solution was then extracted using a wet vacuum and stubborn areas re-treated until I was satisfied the floor was clean. The entire floor was then given a thorough rinse with water to remove any trace of cleaning products and extracted using a wet vax machine. The floor was allowed to dry for several days before I was able to return to seal the tiles. It’s always important to leave significant time for the floor to dry because any moisture left over can impact the performance of the sealer. The choice of sealer was Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra, which provides robust protection against dirt and stains, with a light sheen finish. I chose this sealer not only because the customer wanted a light sheen finish, but also because this particular sealer is fully breathable. Dampness can sometimes be an issue with old Victorian and Quarry tiles which were installed before damp proof membranes became standard. The transformation achieved within the space of a week was quite incredible and the colours in the tile have really come through. Another satisfied customer! David Vissian Bedfordshire Tile Doctor

We were contacted by the owner of a property in Moulton with a problematic Terracotta tiled kitchen floor. She was seriously considering ripping up the entire area of tiling and replacing it as she was having a new kitchen installed. Both her and her husband were concerned that unless I could restore this floor to somewhere near to its original condition, they would need to replace it. I went over to inspect the Terracotta tiles and could see the entire surface was deeply ingrained with soiling and the grout lines were filthy. After carrying out a test it became obvious that the previous sealer had been applied very sparingly and had mostly worn away, leaving the stone prone to staining. Terracotta is a very porous tile and dirt had become ingrained in the pores leaving it looking very dull and difficult to clean. I completed the test on a small part of the floor and the customer could see the results which could be achieved. Happy with the result they agreed my quote and we set a date for my return to complete the floor. The tiles turned out to be made of a fairly soft Terracotta which meant that we were able to deep clean them extremely effectively using a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. We used Tile Doctor Remove and Go in particularly stubborn areas. The process I use is to spray the Pro-Clean onto the floor and leave it to soak in for about ten minutes before being worked in using a heavy rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad. The resulting slurry is removed using a wet pick up vacuum. All the dirt and virtually all of the old sealer was removed at this stage; the remaining patches around the edges of the area being finished by hand with a 200-grit burnishing block. The grout lines were then cleaned by hand with an angled grout brush. Finally, the deep-seated oil stains in front of the cooker were brought out using Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel which was left to dwell on the marks for an hour before being agitated with a diamond burnishing pad and rinsed away with a wet pick up machine. The floor was rinsed with water and allowed to dry off overnight. The following day I inspected the floor and checked it was ready to be sealed. All was well so I applied an initial coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer that occupies the pores in the tile enhancing the natural colours of the Terracotta and provide a base layer of protection from staining. I returned at a convenient time once the kitchen was completely installed to finish the job. This involves carrying out a light maintenance clean with Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner and once the floor was dry, I applied 5 further coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go which provides a pleasing satin finish which is really suited to this type of floor. The customer was very happy with the results and has left the following feedback. “We were really pleased with the results, thank you!” Phil Vissian Northamptonshire Tile Doctor

A customer called me out to take a look at restoring the Red and Black Victorian Quarry tiles floor they had discovered under linoleum In the kitchen of their house in the town of Rushden. I carried out a patch test to see which products would have the best results and although most of the old sealants had worn of over time there was still glue from the lino and patches of sealer that would have to be dealt with. A quote was given and accepted and the work was booked in to the customer’s convenience. After vacuuming and mopping the floor I decided my best course of action would be to spray Tile Doctor Remove and Go to 25% of the area, this was then scrubbed in by machine using a black stripping pad. This area was then rinsed off with an extraction machine and the process repeated over the rest of the floor. I then inspected the floor and noticed a few shiny patches where the sealant hadn’t been fully removed so I then tackled these stubborn areas by hand with a second application of Remove & Go. A final rinse to the whole floor was given to make sure no trace of cleaning product remained before sealing. As much water as possible was removed using the extraction machine and a dehumidifier installed and left for seven days to assist the drying process. On my return I confirmed the floor had dried thoroughly by taking took damp meter readings in different parts of the floor. All was well and so I proceeded to seal the tiles using multiple coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go which matched the customers’ requirements of gloss finish. As the pictures show there was a vast improvement in the floor and the customer was very pleased with the results. They were also given information on maintenance of this type of floor to keep it looking its best for years to come.

I was contacted by a homeowner who had moved into a property in the small Yorkshire market town of Masham and discovered a Victorian tiled floor under the hallway carpet. Realising this was a valuable period feature he was keen to see if it could be restored. As you can imagine he was delighted when I told him that it should be possible, and he was keen to get it uncovered and back on show. After discussing the floor on the phone, I visited the property and removed the carpet so we could take a long look at the Victorian tile’s underneath. The carpet had protected the floor well and it was in good physical order, (i.e. no cracks etc.) it was just very dirty but was also marked with paint splashes from some untidy decorating work from the past. I confirmed none of these issues should present a problem and got the go ahead for the work to start. There was no sealer on the floor, so I started the cleaning process using a medium dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which was worked into the tiles using a coarse 200-grit pad fitted to a rotary floor buffer. I then used a 400-grit hand-held diamond block to clean the edges which couldn’t be reached by the machine. This also removed the paint splashes which should have been on the skirting boards and not the floor! The floor was then rinsed with water and the soil extracted with a wet vacuum. I was able to inspect the floor at this stage and spot treat areas that needed more work as they were a little stubborn. It wasn’t a large hallway and except for the paint it only needed a light clean. The result was I was able to complete the cleaning process by lunch time. I dried the floor as much as possible and left an air blower in the space for a couple of hours. I returned later that afternoon and checked the floor for moisture using a damp meter. The floor was mostly dry, but some areas needed some more help with a heat gun. It was late summer and so still warm and so there was no need on this occasion to leave the floor overnight. Once I was happy the floor was dry, I started sealing the tiles with the first of four coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go. This is a specially formulated water-based blend of acrylic polymers that provides both a stain resistant surface seal and a durable low-sheen finish. It is perfect for a floor of this age as it allows moisture vapour to pass through, this is an important feature when considering a sealer for old floors which will not have a damp-proof membrane installed. If you were to apply a non-breathable sealer moisture can get trapped under the floor causing it to spread out to the walls resulting in rising damp. The combination of the cleaning and new sealer brought the floor back to life and it now looked in keeping with the rest of the property which had numerous other period features. My client was over the moon with the difference and very happy to see the back of the grubby carpet. Nigel Stoker North West Yorkshire Tile Doctor

I was recently at a property in the North Yorkshire town of Harrogate, undertaking what I initially thought would be the cleaning and polishing of a Cream Limestone tiled kitchen. However, as I began the cleaning process I quickly discovered that under the dirty grout lines someone had taken a lot of effort to paint with a small brush directly onto the grout using varnish! In a normal situation, I would have covered the whole floor with Tile Doctor Remove & Go to solve the problem, however compared to, say, adhesive or paint staining, varnish is very difficult to remove. So instead I opted for the long, yet necessary process of cleaning the grout manually with several thin wire brushes. Over the course of two days I managed to remove approximately 90% of the stubborn varnish – and could finally move onto cleaning and polishing the Limestone as originally planned. The polish had been lost from the Limestone kitchen tiles over time, so I set about restoring it using a type of polishing known as burnishing. This involves the application of diamond encrusted pads of varying grit to the floor to gradually buff the stone and achieve an aesthetic and durable shine. Burnishing is most commonly used on high-end stone such as Marble, Travertine and, of course, Limestone. At Tile Doctor, our burnishing system comprises four burnishing pads, ranging from a Coarse grit to a Very Fine grit. After applying the first three pads (Coarse, Medium and Fine), I gave the tiles a further clean with Tile a Doctor Pro Clean, which is our alkaline cleaner, to remove any residue from the burnishing process. I then rinsed the floor with clean water and soaked up the residue with a wet vacuum, before leaving it to dry. The floor was then polished to a satin finish using the fourth and final Extra Fine burnishing pad. I sealed it using a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal, an impregnating sealer designed to provide maximum protection against dirt and stains. The combination of burnishing and sealing always makes a huge difference to Limestone tiles. Here, the finished result was almost like a new floor! The customer was both amazed and very pleased with the transformation. Nigel Stoker North West Yorkshire Tile Doctor

Sealers really do bring out the best in Terracotta tiles, however the catch is they will wear off over time and if you want to maintain that appearance you have to work out a regular maintenance plan. If you don’t maintain the sealer you will find that the sealer near the most heavily used areas such as doors etc. will wear away first and once that happens dirt will become ingrained in the tile and becomes difficult to clean resulting in a patchy appearance. The remaining sealer on this Terracotta tiled kitchen floor at a house in the town of Wickford, Essex was no longer effective and had worn completely off in places. The solution was to strip off the old sealer, clean the Terracotta tile and gout and then re-seal with a fresh seal. I started by giving the floor a deep clean with Tile Doctor Pro Clean diluted 2 parts water to 1 part cleaner. This is quite a strong dilution designed to allow the removal of the sealer and was left to dwell on the floor for ten minutes before working it into the floor using a scrubbing machine fitted with a black pad. Surprisingly the sealer was proving difficult to shift in certain areas and I had to repeat the process a few times and made sure to give the grout a good scrubbing as well. I managed to get rid of most of the sealer using this process and for the remaining stubborn areas I used a stronger product called Tile Doctor Remove and Go which is a very effective coatings remover that is safe to use on tiles. This did the trick and the floor was now free of sealers and the grout was looking much better too, the resultant slurry was removed using a wet vacuum and I then rinsed the floor several times with water before leaving it to dry for weekend. Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer that seeps into the pores of the tile to block them and prevent contaminates becoming ingrained in there and it also enhances the natural colours. Once this was dry I followed up with a number of coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go which is topical sealer that will protect the surface and adds a nice sheen to the floor and is a popular choice for Terracotta and Quarry tiles. I’m not sure my photographs do this post any justice however hopefully you can see that floor was quite transformed, the grout is much cleaner and the colours in the Terracotta have really come to life. Nick Murphy South Essex Tile Doctor

This property was situated in the tiny, yet picturesque village of Grafton Underwood in Kettering, Northamptonshire. The village has only a population numbering a few hundred and, interestingly enough, is the childhood home of the famous ‘Bridget Jones’ character. I have previously worked on a number of floors in Grafton Underwood, and on this particular occasion I was called to complete the job through a recommendation – which is always welcome! This particular customer had two floors that needed re-finishing; the first was a polished Limestone tiled conservatory (which I will cover in a separate post as the process was different) and the second a Flagstone tiled living room; so on a rather dull day in November, I began my work. The sealer on the Flagstone tiled living room had failed in certain places, resulting in the floor becoming difficult to clean due to dirt becoming ingrained in the stone. The decline in the sealer is not uncommon, as they do wear down over time – especially in an area of high traffic like a living room. To resolve this issue, the old surface seal needed to be stripped back and re-sealed. To remove what was left of the old sealer, I applied a dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go and scrubbed it into the floor using a rotary machine fitted with black stripping pads. I then gave the floor an initial rinse, before paying special attention to scrubbing the stubborn spots, making sure all of the sealer was removed. I then gave the floor an acid wash using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up in order to remove grout haze and other mineral deposits which were evident. Due to its acidic properties, you have to be very careful with this product on any type of stone, so I didn’t let it dwell for too long and made sure the floor was thoroughly rinsed down afterwards, with all solutions extracted using a wet-vac machine. The floor was left to dry for more than 24 hours, before I returned to re-seal it using Tile Doctor Seal & Go. This product provides both a stain resistant surface seal and the durable low-sheen finish requested by my client. Seal & Go is suitable for use on internal unsealed, porous surfaces. I guess the photographs don’t really do the transformation justice however the freshly re-sealed Flagstone living room certainly brightened up what was a very dreary autumn day! Phil Vissian Northamptonshire Tile Doctor

Victorian tiles are very hard-wearing and historically a popular choice for heavy traffic areas such as hallways. Still popular today they are nonetheless like most tiles and can become ingrained with dirt over time. This particular floor, located in a property in the old market town of Tewkesbury is a good example of a floor that was in good physical condition, but heavily ingrained with dirt due to a lack of regular maintenance. At a loss for how to remedy the situation by themselves, the property owner asked me to pay a visit to restore the tiles back to their best possible condition. In this particular scenario, I opted to mix and apply a solution of different cleaning products from our professional range, each serving a different purpose. These products were Tile Doctor Pro Clean, Tile Doctor Remove and Go, and Tile Doctor NanoTech HBU. Remove and Go serves the purpose of stripping away any old sealer on the tiles, while Pro Clean is an alkaline cleaner that reliably removes dirt and staining. NanoTech HBU is a particularly powerful cleaner which utilises nano-sized particles to penetrate deep into the pores of the stone, get underneath difficult stains and lift them out. I spread this potent solution across the length and width of the tiled hallway and left it to soak for approximately 10 minutes, before using a black scrubbing pad fitted to my buffing machine to give the tiles a deep scrub. Next, I rinsed the soiled solution away and neutralised the chemicals with plain water, before extracting any residue using a wet vacuum. I repeated the cleaning process several times to achieve the best results possible, and I also employed the aid of a steam cleaner to spot clean any particularly stubborn marks. Cleaning the floor took two days in total. At the end of the second day, I gave the floor a thorough and final rinse before leaving it to dry completely overnight. The next day, I returned to the property to seal the floor after checking the floor was dry. Ensuring before sealing that the floor is completely dry is crucial – even the smallest quantity of moisture remaining can potentially cloud the sealer and damage its performance. My choice of sealer was Tile Doctor Colour Grow, an impregnating sealer that penetrates and fills the pores of the tile to prevent trapped dirt and makes regular cleaning much easier. Colour Grow is a great choice of sealer for Victorian tiles because it really enhances the colourful patterns which are characteristic of this type of tile. My customer was very impressed with the service and remarked on the huge improvement to the appearance of the floor. You can see this for yourself – just take a look at the before and after photos! Malcolm Crowther Gloucester Tile Doctor

This Victorian floor was discovered at a house in Swiss Cottage in the London borough of Camden when the current owner took the old carpet up. It was in need of substantial restoration to bring it back to its former glory however we have had really good results from restoring similar floors so we were confident it could be done. The carpet had literally just been taken away so we had to remove the gripper rods, underlay and deal with the adhesive which we managed to tackle using a strong solution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go which was left to dwell and penetrate the glue for ten minutes before being scrubbed in. Once the glue was removed the tiles were given a thorough clean using Tile Doctor Pro-Clean using the same process of leaving it to soak in and then actively scrubbing it into the floor to get the tile and grout as clean as possible. The floor was then rinsed and stubborn areas re-treated until we were satisfied with the result. The last cleaning step was to use a steam cleaner to pull as much dirt out of the pores of the tiles as possible and a wet vacuum to extract the liquids and get the floor as dry as possible and we also re-grouted where necessary due to the damage caused by the gripper rods. We also gave the Victorian tiles in the entrance lobby a thorough clean using the same process, although they had not been covered in carpet they were still in need of a deep clean. The floor was left to dry and when we returned the whole floor was ready to be sealed and for this we used five coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go which adds a nice shine to the floor as well as providing a surface seal that will help protect the tiles from stains going forward. For the entrance lobby we used two coats of Colour Grow which doesn’t add the shine but as an impregnating sealer we felt it would perform better with the wear at the front of the house. The owner of the house was very pleased with the outcome and left the following testimonial: Prompt, courteous, hard working and great results !. Nigel Voyce North London Tile Doctor

This client owned a property in Haringey, North London, which had a classic Victorian tiled floor laid in the hallway. Unfortunately, the floor was in a bad state, the tiles were dull and dirty and there was a missing section by the bottom of the stairs that had been back filled with cement. Fortunately for him however his neighbour decided to remove their front path which was made with matching tiles and so he was able acquire replacements from him. He then contacted us to see if we could use those tiles to fill in the missing ones and revive the whole floor with a clean and seal at the same time. Before quoting for the restoration work, I paid a visit to the property to survey the floor. I can give quotes from photographs, but much prefer to visit and conduct a test clean, and in this case, I was able to check the spare tiles he had acquired. From that I emailed a quote which the client was happy with, so we arranged a date to return and do the work. This was a large job, so I teamed up with Jackson Davis the Central London Tile Doctor and whilst Jackson started on cleaning the floor, I took the reclaimed tiles outside and carefully grinded off the excess cement and adhesive from them and cleaned them by hand. We managed to do this by about 3pm. Jackson and I work on a lot of jobs together so it made sense to work as a bubble from the beginning of Covid so we could continue to work together, with two of us on the job it also means we can get the job done quicker. Cleaning the floor involved applying a 200-grit diamond burnishing pad to the tile lubricated with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go, the slurry was then rinsed off the floor with more water and then extracted with an industrial vacuum. The process was repeated on stubborn areas until we were satisfied the tiles were really clean. We then moved onto carefully removing the cement from the floor at the bottom of the stairs and cleaning up the base. Once done the newly renovated replacement tiles were laid in place using a rapid setting adhesive which meant they could be grouted later that day before heading home. The floor was then left overnight to dry off. We then returned the following day and took some moisture readings with the damp meter. The readings were within the expected range, so we were good to go ahead and apply the sealer. If the floor is not dry the seal will not cure properly, and this can lead to a patchy finish. Three coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow were applied to seal the tiles. This is a colour intensifying impregnating sealer that works from with and will gives the Victorian tiles durable protection, ideal for a high traffic area such as the hallway. In addition, Colour Grow is a fully breathable sealer so it will allow for moisture to rise through the tile and evaporate, this is critical for floors of this age that will not have the benefit of a damp proof membrane installed under the floor. The hallway is now looking transformed by the work we did, we certainly thought so, but more importantly our client was very happy with the result and now has the floor he hoped for. Andrew Newstead North London Tile Doctor

The pictures showed are of an Encaustic Cement tiled floor that had been installed in the bathroom of a property in Twickenham. At the time the tiles were installed, they did not seal them and had since accumulated dirt, especially in the grout lines. Encaustic cement tiles have become extremely popular in the last few years with many beautiful artistic often geometric patterns available to choose from. The very nature of the cement-based tile however does make it slightly porous, and if left unsealed dirt will become ingrained in the tile making it difficult to remove and keep clean. Like grout they do therefore need to be sealed in order to keep them looking at their best for longer. Now we normally recommend using diamond encrusted burnishing pads when renovating Encaustic Cement tiles however in this case the face of the tiles were not too bad and it was really the grout that needed the most attention. So, to cut the cost for customer, I advised a straightforward alkaline scrub clean and seal. To clean the tile and grout I sprayed the floor with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and left it to soak into the dirt for ten minutes. Space in the bathroom was quite tight so instead of using a mechanical floor scrubber I scrubbed the tile and grout by hand working the alkaline cleaning solution into the pores to release the grout in dirt. After scrubbing the floor was rinsed with a little water and the soil removed with a wet vacuum. Afterwards the floor was inspected, and any stubborn areas retreated with repeat of the process. After a final rinse, the floor was dried as much as possible with the wet vacuum. Fortunately, the weather has been amazing of late and so it did not take long for the floor to dry, being a small space and a little encouragement from a heat gun always helps. Removing excess moisture before sealing is essential as even a small amount can cloud the sealer resulting in an uneven appearance. Once satisfied that the floor was dry, I proceeded to seal it by applying a couple two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow across the Encaustic tile and grout. As an impregnating sealer Colour Grow penetrates the pores of the cement occupying the space and thus prevent any dirt from becoming ingrained there. Colour Grow’s colour intensifying properties also helped to deepen the black colour of the tile enhancing the contrast between the tiles and grout. Now the floor has been properly sealed it will be far easier for the customer to keep them clean in future. For maximum longevity of the sealer I recommend maintenance cleaning with Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner. Don’t be tempted to use supermarket cleaning products without reading the label first, many are simply too strong for cleaning sealed surfaces and will strip off the sealer prematurely leaving the tiles unprotected. Jonathan Oldham South Middlesex Tile Doctor

As is often the case in years past and for whatever reason many homeowners covered their decorative Victorian hallway tiles in a variety of products from carpet to laminate flooring. These days the trend has reversed and quite rightly many homeowners now realise the value a tiled floor can bring to a property and look to us to have it restored. Our client had purchased a property in Norfolk seaport of Kings Lynn and, on lifting the dirty old carpet and decaying underlay in the hallway, discovered a beautiful tiled entrance hall. It was obvious that a previous owner had decided to lay carpet over the tiles as an easy way of hiding the result of careless renovation and decorating which had resulted in a thick coating of plaster, paint, carpet tape glue and various other contaminants which had become firmly stuck to the surface. There were also two small rectangular black and brown tiles missing behind the front door which had been damaged during the removal of some old lead pipes. This was clearly a job which would need somewhat more than a scrubbing brush and a bottle of Flash! Our first job was to remove as much of the solid contaminants as possible by hand with floor scrapers and a steamer which softened the more stubborn lumps. We then applied Tile Doctor Remove & Go which is a powerful alkaline stripper to the whole area, left it to dwell on the surface for twenty minutes and then scrubbed it in using a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad. The resulting slurry was then power rinsed and extracted away using our Ninja machine which is a high-power industrial vacuum. Any remaining patches where the carpet tape had been stuck down were spot treated using Tile Doctor Nanotech HBU which made short work of the hardened glue. The result was a clean floor, but the surface still felt slightly rough and pitted, a problem which we resolved using the rotary machine fitted with a 200-grit diamond burnishing pad followed by a 400-grit pad with a little 400 grit honing powder which left the surface smooth, silky and ready for the application of a sealer. Finally, we acid washed the whole area using Tile Doctor Acid Gel, a slow release product which would neutralise any remaining chemicals, improve new sealer adhesion and inhibit the future production of any efflorescence salts. We had used a fair amount of water during the cleaning process, so we left the floor to dry off thoroughly overnight with assistance from our commercial dehumidifier. On our return the following day, we discussed the sealer options with the client and recommended using microporous Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer that seeps into the pores of the stone protecting it from within. It will provide an excellent fluid resistant seal whilst enhancing the natural colours in the stone, additionally it’s fully breathable thereby enabling any moisture trapped under the floor to rise through the floor and evaporate. This is important on old floors like this where no damp-proof membrane was installed. The sealer was applied with a paint pad in tow coats and allowed to dry for an hour before buffing the floor with a hog’s hair pad to give a rich natural-look sheen finish. The Victorian tiles responded well to the treatments which were completed in two consecutive days. My client was extremely pleased with the results and left the following comment: “My floor was in poor condition after being buried under carpet as well as many, many years of paint and muck. I enjoyed the time they spent at my home and wouldn’t hesitate to use (or recommend) the Tile Doctor service in the future.” Nick White Norfolk Tile Doctor

Pictured below is a very mouldy Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle at a property in the picturesque market town of Woodstock, which is very close to the famous Blenheim Palace and has a long history that dates to the Domesday Book and have many 17th century buildings. As you can see mould had really got a grip on the white grout around the bottom of the shower and in most other places the grout had become discoloured. Mould and discolouration are a very common problem and is caused by a lack of ventilation in the bathroom as well as the dyes in soap and shampoos. Most ceramic tiles have a glazed surface and so are fairly impervious to these problems, grout however is a problem due to its cementitious rough nature. I discussed with the client what could be done to restore the appearance of the shower cubicle for them, and they were pleased to hear we could do something about it. Happy with my quotation it wasn’t long before I got instructed to go ahead with the work. To resolve the problem, I first sprayed the whole shower with Tile Doctor Duo Clean and left it to soak in. The bottle comes with a spray attachment that combines the product with air making it lighter and easier to stick to vertical surfaces. It is a fast effective cleaner which doubles up as a grout cleaner and mould remover. Whilst the Tile Doctor Duo Clean was doing its magic I fetched the other tools I would need to complete this job. After about 30 minutes I sprayed the cubicle again and started to hand scrub the grout and tiles to remove the mould and dirt. I then rinsed with water and went over the stubborn stains again until I was happy. The walls where then dried with a clean towelling cloth. It is amazing the difference you can achieve with the right grout cleaning product and a lot of elbow grease. The last step and “prise de la resistance” was to cut out all the original silicone sealant with a sharp knife and then replace with new white sealant which had an anti-mould formula. I am not convinced these anti-mould products work any better to be honest but with mould being such a problem it is definitely worth giving them a go. The last step was to spray the grout with Tile Doctor Wall Tile and Grout Sealer to help protect the grout, it forms a protective barrier over the tile and the grout, so water just runs straight off the wall and into the shower tray. For after care I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Aqua-Pro which is pH neutral cleaner designed for showers and will help the sealer last longer. Stronger supermarket products can actually strip a sealer off the tile over time so we don’t recommend their use. I think you will agree the shower cubicle looked transformed by the time I had finished, certainly my client was very happy with the work we had carried out. Barry Woodward Oxfordshire Tile Doctor