Earlier in the year we were contacted by the facilities manager of one of the student apartment blocks in Oldham which provides accommodation for the students of Oldham University. They were looking for a firm to revamp the student en-suite bathrooms during the summer recess. The building has 270 apartments and we had been asked to quote for the renewal of the ceramic tile and grout of around 45 shower cubicles (possibly more) which were judged to be in a bad state and beyond the ability of
Monthly Archives: September 2017
Restoring Bleach Damaged Slate Pool Tiles In in Northamptonshire
This very nice house in a village near Oundle in Northamptonshire features something we don’t see too often in residential property – an indoor swimming pool. The pool is surrounded by some very complementary and rustic looking Slate tiles which act as the flooring in the poolhouse. However,
Bleach-Damaged Slate Poolhouse Tiles Restored in Oundle
This very nice house in a village near Oundle in Northamptonshire features something we don’t see too often in residential property – an indoor swimming pool. The pool is surrounded by some very complementary and rustic looking Slate tiles which act as the flooring in the poolhouse. However, over the years, the Slate tiles had been badly damaged by the chlorine bleach which is used to sterilise the pool water. The cumulative effect of people splashing water onto the tiles or walking around
Terracotta Kitchen Tiles Given New Lease of Life in Kingston Upon Thames
It’s very surprising how often I hear from home owners who are considering completely replacing tiled floors that can be easily be salvaged. While some people might believe that replacement is cheaper and quicker than cleaning, this is emphatically not true in most situations. Thankfully, one of my recent customers, who lives in Kingston Upon Thames had been persuaded by her husband not to completely strip out the original Terracotta tiles in their kitchen. While the couple had just had new
Removing White Calcium Stains from Slate Tiled Pool in Northamptonshire
This very nice house in a village near Oundle in Northamptonshire features something we don’t see too often in residential property – an indoor swimming pool. The pool is surrounded by some very complementary and rustic looking Slate tiles which act as the flooring in the poolhouse. However,
Restoring the Appearance of a Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor in Kingston-on-Thames
It’s very surprising how often I hear from home owners who are considering completely replacing tiled floors that can be easily be salvaged. While some people might believe that replacement is cheaper and quicker than cleaning, this is emphatically not true in most situations. Thankfully, one
Restoring Dirty Stone Kitchen in West-Surrey
It’s very surprising how often I hear from home owners who are considering completely replacing tiled floors that can be easily be salvaged. While some people might believe that replacement is cheaper and quicker than cleaning, this is emphatically not true in most situations.
Thankfully, one of my recent customers, who lives in Kingston Upon Thames had been persuaded by her husband not to completely strip out the original Terracotta tiles in their kitchen. While the couple had just had new kitchen units installed, it seemed unnecessary to completely replace the Terracotta floor tiles even though they certainly needed a deep clean.
Instead, they contacted their local Tile Doctor to rejuvenated the tiles to complement the new kitchen design.
Cleaning Original Terracotta Kitchen Tiles
Before beginning, I covered all the new kitchen units with protective sheeting to prevent them from encountering water and splashes from the cleaning products. I could see that the tiles had been left unsealed for many years and this had allowed dirt and general muck to become deeply ingrained.
To clean the tiles, I applied a covering of our strong alkaline-based cleaner, known as Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, and left it dwell for a short period. I then attached a coarse, 200-grit diamond encrusted burnishing pad to my buffing machine and began working the product into the tiles. The burnishing pad milled away the dirty top layer of the tiles. Contrary to what some might believe, this doesn’t harm the tiles in any way, but instead polishes them.
Any old sealer and dirt that the buffing machine could not reach in the corners of the room was removed by hand using diamond encrusted burnishing blocks. The burnishing process does, in fact, make quite a mess, so I promptly rinsed off the resulting slurry with more water and a wet vacuum to clear the area and leave it clean and ready to be dried.
Sealing Original Terracotta Kitchen Tiles
A lot of water was used during the cleaning process, so I had to leave the property for 48 hours to let the tiles dry completely. Returning to the property after those two days, I sealed the tiles using six coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go. Following years of next to no protection, the floor desperately needed an effective sealer to put new life in the Terracotta and Seal and Go does that in spades by adding a lovely sheen to the tile.
The photo above shows the amazing difference made by cleaning the floor instead of choosing to replace. The customer’s testimonial speaks for itself:
“Excellent service and we are delighted with the work. Would definitely use Rupert again.”
Source: Terracotta Tiled Floor Cleaning and Restoration Service in West-Surrey
Dirty and Stained Marble Kitchen Tiles Rejuvenated in St Neots
St Neots is the largest town in Cambridgeshire, with a population of approximately 40,000 (Cambridge is after all a city). This is unsurprising, since the town has a long and rich history. In fact, archaeological evidence indicates that the area was home to settlements as early as the prehistoric Mesolithic period. I was recently called out to a property in the area – which itself was relatively old – to see what could be done to restore the condition and appearance of a Marble tiled
7 Steps to Painting Vinyl Flooring
Your vinyl flooring may be calling out for a replacement for years. But hey, you don’t need to calculate all that costs for renovating your floors. You can still stick to your old vinyl flooring without much fuss. Paint it over and you’ll surely see a noticeable difference. Here are the steps in painting your vinyl flooring.
What You’ll Need:
- Water
- Ammonia or trisodium phosphate
- Primer with sealer
- Polyurethane sealer
- Oil-based paint or porch paint
- Rollers
- Brush
- Painting poles
- Gloves
- Gas mask
- Overalls
- Soap
- Clean rug
Step 1 – Clean the Vinyl Flooring Thoroughly
Get a mop or rug and start cleaning your vinyl floor. Move away all furniture and other furnishings inside the area of the project. Cover unmovable furnishings with old clothes or newspapers to protect them from paint drips.
Step 2 – Remove the Sheen of Your Vinyl Flooring
Mix trisodium phosphate with water or buy an ammonia-based cleaning solution made especially for vinyl flooring. Apply the product to the floor as instructed. These solutions would be responsible for prepping the vinyl for the paint. Then, allow it to completely dry.
Step 3 – Apply the Primer
Get a primer with sealer mixed in it. Read the instruction manual before you use the primer with sealant. To speed up the job, use a roller to apply the primer onto your vinyl flooring. Make sure that you apply it on all the areas of the floor. Double check on the edges to see if they have been primed up. Allow the primer to completely dry before going on to the next step.
Step 4 – Paint Your Vinyl Flooring
Never rush into choosing the color of the vinyl paint you would be using. Settle for the ones that would make your room warmer or cozier. Stir the paint mixture as instructed by its manufacturer. Get a brush to set the parameters of the areas you will be painting. Doing so would let you be reminded of the painting strokes and tools you would need to use. Apply the first coat of paint using a roller or a broad paintbrush. Do this evenly. Ensure the thorough dryness of the first coat.
Step 5 – Apply the Second Coating
Double check if the first coating has completely dried up. After that, paint over the second layer of coating doing the same procedure at step 4 and allow it to dry.
Step 6 – Check for Impurities
Touch paint all impurities that you see. Allow them to dry before applying on the third layer of coating. Again, let the last coating dry completely.
Step 7 – Seal the Paint
Double check if you have left out any impurities. Use a polyurethane sealer to seal the newly painted floor. Apply two to three coatings of this sealer to your vinyl flooring. Do no forget to let each coating to dry thoroughly before applying a new one. Never fail to seal your newly painted vinyl flooring as failure to do so would put your flooring to the risk of damages.
Source: www.DoItYourself.com
Putting New Life into a Large Victorian Tiled Porch in Edinburgh
Edinburgh became an increasingly important city in the UK during the Victorian period. Although overtaken by Glasgow as Scotland’s largest city in the early 19th century, Edinburgh experienced expansion and industrialisation, and many areas which had been populated by Georgian architecture were