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Inspiration for a contemporary living room remodel in Other

The pictures below detail the renovation of Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicleat a property in Bolton Upon Dearne South Yorkshire. I was called in as the homeowners dreaded using the shower due to the state of the tiles, grout and cubicle in general.
As you can see from the photograph the grout was filthy, the silicone was mouldy, and the shower frame was caked in mouldy dirt. Over the years there had been a build-up of hard water and staining from products which leave a residue. They had used everyday cleaning products, but these had not been able to touch the problem as it had been left for too long.
I discussed with the clients how Tile Doctor could help, and how we would be able to deep clean the shower area and replace the mouldy silicone. I was confident we could get the renovate the cubicle and get it looking like new again. They were happy to accept my price and we arranged a time to complete the job. It would certainly be far cheaper than ripping out the shower cubicle and replacing with new.
Bolton Upon Dearne is a small village in the very middle of South Yorkshire, it is almost the same distance away from the centres of Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster. It has a rich history of coal mining but like many pit villages it has suffered since the pit closures of the 80’s and 90’s.
To start the shower was treated with Tile Doctor Oxy Gel, being a gel this product sticks well to the vertical surfaces giving it time to break down grease and grime, you’ll see from the picture just how much dirt was released.
This was followed with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Duo Clean which is great for restoring lighter coloured grout back to its original state as well as removing mould. After scrubbing the soiled water was easily drained away using the shower hose. The transformation was amazing, the area already looked so much more inviting!
Next the old silicone that had gone mouldy was removed with a sharp knife, this is a slow work as you have avoid damaging the tile or the shower tray. Additionally, a clean and dry surface is required for the new silicone to adhere well.
The tiles were Ceramic which are given a glazed surface during manufacture, so they don’t need a specialist sealant like natural stone. However, the surface of grout is cementous and attracts dirt easily so the whole shower wall was sealed using a can of Tile Doctor Wall and Grout Sealer. This gives a layer which will protect the tiles and grout and will ensure the tiles are easier to keep clean.
For everyday cleaning I recommended they use Tile Doctor Aqua-Pro which is an effective, yet pH neutral tile and grout cleaner designed for everyday use in Bathrooms and Kitchens. The formula eliminates soap scum build-up and hard water deposits and its neutral formula won’t prematurely degrade the sealer. Used regularly this will prevent the build-up they had previously experienced and will keep the tiles looking good for some time to come.
As you can imagine my client was very happy with the completed work.
Matthew Lovett
South Yorkshire Tile Doctor

Yorkstone is a variety of Sandstone unique to Yorkshire, and is known for its hard wearing and durable qualities. It was first manufactured during medieval times, but is still used for a range of building and construction purposes including, of course, tiled floors in houses. Yorkstone comes in a variety of natural colours, depending on the mineral makeup of the stone, and means that the tiled floors often have a unique look to them.
This customer, living in the small Yorkshire town of Driffield is the lucky owner of a fantastic new Yorkstone tiled living room floor. Unfortunately, the floor had been installed by an independent builder, as opposed to a professional tiling company, and had been left with no sealer to ensure it would stay looking great for a long time to come. Over time, the lack of a sealer has allowed the dirt to become ingrained in the stone, making it increasingly difficult for the customer to keep the tiles clean. I was called in to bring completion to what was an unfinished job!
As you can see from the photographs, the entire floor was quite dusty and dull looking following the recent installation. To get the tiles clean, I mixed a strong 60-40 mix of Tile Doctor Pro Clean and clean water. Pro Clean is a reliable alkaline cleaner suitable for use on most natural stone floors, including Sandstone, Quarry, and Slate.
The cleaning solution was applied to the floor and left to dwell for 20 minutes, allowing it time to penetrate the stone. Then, using my 17” rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad, I proceeded to deep clean the tiles, leaving them looking immediately cleaner and more vibrant. Any resulting cleaning residue was promptly soaked up using a wet vacuum.
The process was repeated in the more stubborn areas, and I gave the floor a final rinse with water and left it to dry. Typically, we would leave a 12 to 24 hour drying period, depending on whether there is a damp proof membrane installed. However, this floor had underfloor heating and so dried really quickly, allowing me to seal it on the same day.
The customer wished to have a matt, natural finish for the Yorkstone tiled living room, so I applied two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow, our impregnating sealer which offers a natural, no-sheen look for textured floors, while providing durable protection against ingrained dirt and stains.
As the name of the product suggests, Colour Grow contains colour intensifying properties which really helped to accentuate the rich variety of colours in the customer’s Yorkstone tiles. The results were fantastic and you can see from the water test we performed after the sealer dried how water now bubbles up on the surface of the stone.
Ronnie Phipps
East Yorkshire Tile Doctor

For this job, I had the pleasure of visiting the historic Salts Mill, a former textile mill turned art gallery, shopping centre, and restaurant complex near Bingley, West Yorkshire. It was built in 1853 by the famous manufacturer and philanthropist, Sir Titus Salt, and was at one point the largest industrial building in the world by total floor area.
As you can imagine, a lot of the rooms at Salts Mill are over a century and a half old. Most of them also contained stone flooring made from Yorkstone – a type of Sandstone unique to Yorkshire, and easily distinguishable due to its rich, natural yellow colouring. Unfortunately, one such floor in the Salts Mill was in quite a bad state. It has completely lost its vibrance – appearing more grey than yellow – and was evidentially in need of a very deep clean and fresh seal.
I started the Yorkstone tile restoration by soaking the floor in a strong dilution of our reliable alkaline-based tile cleaner, Tile Doctor Pro Clean, and scrubbing it in using a rotary machine fitted with a scrubbing pad. This quickly removed the initial layers of muck and, in the process, revealed oil-based paint and glue stains all over the floor.
To break down the oil and paint I applied Tile Doctor Remove & Go, which is our heavy duty stripper, remover and degreaser. This quickly ate through the paint and glue, and I followed by giving the floor another thorough clean with Pro Clean. Finally, I rinsed the floor with clean water before leaving it to dry for a full two days due to the amount of chemical cleaning product and water applied.
Upon my return to the Salts Mill two days later, I ran some quick damp tests to check for any excess moisture which could’ve prevented me from sealing the floor. Thankfully, the floor was dry and ready to be sealed, but it is always recommended, especially with older floors, to be aware of damp issues as these can be very troublesome.
My choice of sealer was Tile Doctor Seal and Go, a topical sealer which provides a robust, stain resistant seal and a durable low sheen finish all in one product. Multiple coats of Seal and Go were applied, bringing the life and character back to these classic tiles.
Nigel Stoker
North West Yorkshire Tile Doctor

We work on a lot of residential tile installations but also cover commercial properties too, such as this new farm office which was in the process of being built in the market town of Driffield, East Yorkshire where a Flagstone tiled floor had been laid at the entrance. Driffield is known as the ‘Capital of the Yorkshire Wolds’ and lies near the source of the River Hull.
The farm office project was very big and, with the pressure on to complete it in time, the floor had been laid without being sealed first. As a result, the floor was getting dirty very easily, and was proving difficult to keep clean. It was clear that the Flagstone tiles would need to be cleaned and sealed, and I was called upon to get the job done.
To clean the floor I first mixed a 50:50 solution of clean water and Tile Doctor Pro Clean. Pro Clean is a high-alkaline cleaner which is safe to use on a wide range of natural stone floors. The cleaning solution was worked in using a rotary machine fitted with a black buffing pad which proved an effective method, lifting off the dust and residue that had been left on the surface of the Flagstone tiles during the course of construction work.
The excess residue was extracted using a wet-vac machine. I then repeated the whole process over again several times in order to get the floor as clean as possible.
To seal the floor I used a combination of two different Tile Doctor sealers. Firstly, I applied a layer of Tile Doctor Colour Grow to the floor. This colour intensifying sealer is specially formulated to enhance the fantastic natural colours in the stone, while at the same time providing durable surface protection.
The floor was then finished off with a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go. This added to the stain resistance of the floor, while also delivering a very nice subtle shine on the surface.
All signs of building work have been removed from the stone floor and it is now looking presentable ready for the opening of the new office, the combination sealer applied to the floor will also make sure it stays that way for some time to come.
Ronnie Phipps
East Yorkshire Tile Doctor

The owner of this period cottage in the old market town of Tadcaster near Leeds, had what was once a beautiful Yorkshire stone floor in the kitchen. It has been a long time since it had been given a proper clean so over the years and with the Kitchen being a high traffic area the whole floor including the grout had darkened and he now wanted it refurbished in time for Christmas.
I visited the property to assess what needed to be done and could see straight away that any protective sealer that was once on the floor had long since worn off. In fact, it was so consistently dirty with years of built-up grease and dirt I had to wonder if one had ever been applied.
I explained what the floor needed was a really deep intensive clean and then a sealer applied to make it easy to keep clean. The problem with most tile and stone is its porosity and if left unprotected dirt easily becomes lodged into its pores making cleaning a struggle.
To prove the difference that can be achieved and to allow me to work out a process on which I could base an accurate quote I ran a test clean on part of the kitchen floor. The test clean went very well, the difference was remarkable, and the cleaned section really stood out. Pleased with the potential of a clean floor they accepted my quote, and we pencilled a date in the diary.
I returned on the appointed date and began by removing the kickboards from under the kitchen units to protect them from splashing. Next, I set about spaying the floor with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, this is a purpose made tile and grout cleaner that eats into the grease and dirt so it can be removed. This product works best if you leave it for ten minutes before scrubbing in using a heavy-duty machine fitted with a heavy-duty brush. The soil released from the floor was then extracted using a wet vacuum.
The Pro-Clean did a good job on the grout however it was clear something stronger was required to really get the stone clean, so I stepped up a gear and applied Tile Doctor Remove and Go using the same process as before. This is a really good product for removing deeply ingrained grease and dirt.
The final step of the cleaning process was to give the stone and acid wash using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up to remove old grout haze and other mineral deposits; additionally, being an acidic product, it counters the alkaline cleaning products used earlier neutralising the pH level of the floor and leaving it ready for sealing.
Before sealing I like to discuss the different products available and the finishes they can provide. In this case my clients’ main concerns were that they wanted the stone to look natural and easy to maintain going forward.
With this in mind, Tile Doctor Seal & Go Extra was chosen, it’s a modern acrylic-based sealer that brings out the natural colours in the stone and gives a very slight smooth finish. The protection it provides will prevent dirt becoming ingrained int the pores of the stone and ensure the floor is easier to maintain. Several coats were applied, until we achieved the required finish.
The deep cleaning process and fresh sealer transformed the stone floor bringing out its original beauty and my customer couldn’t believe the difference in the floor and was highly delighted.
For aftercare I gave the client a bottle of Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner, this product is pH neutral so it will clean the floor but won’t damage the sealer. Often people use household cleaners for cleaning tiled floors, but due to the strong chemicals they contain, they can do more harm than good by slowly stripping away the protective sealer and taking the floor back to square one. Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner is reasonably priced, and the concentrated formula means a small amount goes a long way so it’s well worth using.
This was a pleasurable job for me as it was good to see the floor transform from dull and lifeless to clean and showing the natural colour and beauty of the York stone, and always lovely to have another satisfied client.
Simon Testa
North East Yorkshire Tile Doctor

bathCRATE Yorkshire Lane | Modesto, CA |Quartz: Above and Beyond White with Gray Flakes | Backsplash and Shower Accent Tile: Bedrosians Elume Mosaic Heather Grey | Sink: Kohler Archer Undermount in White| Faucet: Pfister Pasadena in Brushed Nickel | Shower Tile: Bedrosians Matrix Bright 12″ x 24″ Porcelain Tiles| Flooring: Bedrosians Maxtrix Bright 12″ x 24″ Porcelain Tiles
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