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Monthly Archives: March 2018

Pictures below of an original Edwardian Tiled Hallway at a house in Crouch End, North London. Victorian and Edwardian properties are quite common in the area which actually dates to the 13th Century and is often used in the filming of East Enders.

We were called in to look at restoring the floor back to its former glory and when inspecting and surveying the floor we found large sections of tiles that were loose and three doorway thresholds that required rebuilding and re-tiling. If you have been following our website posts, you will know this is something we specialise in, so we were more than happy to help.

Edwardian Hallway Threshold Before Restoration Crouch End

Restoring an Edwardian Tiled Floor

Before cleaning the floor our first task was to remove the loose, damaged, cracked and broken tiles. These were set aside and those that could be re-used were cleaned prior to re-laying. The remaining tiles were then cleaned using Tile Doctor Remove & Go to remove the old waxes and seals.

Edwardian Hallway Floor Before Restoration Crouch End

Over the course of three days we worked in small areas of about a metre square at a time. After cleaning the tiles were then fully rinsed and steam cleaned and left to dry. In the meantime, we began the repairs to the thresholds and central part of the floor.

After the installation of the new and reclaimed tiles the floor was re grouted using Mapei grey grout and thoroughly cleaned and left to dry overnight.

Sealing Edwardian Style Tiles

We returned the next day to seal the floor, first checking to ensure the tiles had dried out overnight. To start the sealing we applied a single coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow and left it to dry. Colour Grow is an impregnating sealer that provides stain protection whilst enriching the colour of the tiles in the process.

Edwardian Hallway Threshold During Sealing Crouch End

Once the first coat was dry it was followed by the application of six coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go which is a protective Satin Seal that gives a rich, natural appearance and works really well on Victorian and Edwardian tiles.

Edwardian Hallway Threshold After Restoration Crouch End

In total the work took four days to complete and we relayed around 450 tiles in the process. Before leaving we advised our customer on how best to maintain the appearance and increase longevity of the sealer.

Edwardian Hallway Floor After Restoration Crouch End
 
 
Source: Edwardian Tile Cleaning, Renovation and Maintenance Service in Crouch-End, North-London

Pictures below of an original Edwardian Tiled Hallway at a house in Crouch End, North London. Victorian and Edwardian properties are quite common in the area which actually dates to the 13th Century and is often used in the filming of East Enders. We were called in to look at restoring the floor

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These Yellow and Black Quarry tiles are though to be original feature of this Victorian house in Reading and the owner was keen to get them renovated. The tiles were in basement of the house and over the years the tiles had suffered from water damage due to various small floods, they were now heavily soiled and the most challenging task would be to remove a large build up of mortar and cement. I ran a test clean in a corner of the smallest room to demonstrate the cleaning process and

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Pictures below of an original Edwardian Tiled Hallway at a house in Crouch End, North London. Victorian and Edwardian properties are quite common in the area which actually dates to the 13th Century and is often used in the filming of East Enders. We were called in to look at restoring the floor back to its former glory and when inspecting and surveying the floor we found large sections of tiles that were loose and three doorway thresholds that required rebuilding and re-tiling. If you have

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When working with self leveling compound material you can eliminate and avoid cracks and top layer bubbling by following completely the instructions for using the material. The self leveling compound is a type of quick setting cement that is placed on subfloors prior to laying a tile or wood floor. The self leveling compound provides a barrier that makes it possible to lay the floor, which is never advised to placed on top of a plywood subfloor directly.

Become Familiar with the Use of the Self Leveling Compound
The best way to avoid cracks and bubbling is to familiarize yourself with the packaging material and any instructions provided by the manufacturer. The manufacturer’s information can help you avoid these problems by informing you how the compound should be mixed, what consistency should be achieved and when to best use the self leveling compound. Additional information can be found at the manufacturer’s website or any advice or helpline that they maintain for their customers. The more information that you can obtain prior to the use of the product, the better positioned you will be when it comes time to use the self leveling compound.

Once you make yourself completely familiar with using the self leveling compound as instructed by the manufacturer, practice coming up with a mixture that meets the recommended consistence. Typically when working with a self leveling compound, the desired consistency is that of a watery pea soup. Unlike concrete, if you mix the self leveling compound to a consistency of peanut butter or toothpaste, you have over mixed it. This will cause the self leveling compound not to be poured out and work as it is suppose to work.

Pour the Compound Evenly and Carefully
When you achieve the desired consistency of the self leveling compound, you should pour it out over the floor carefully and slowly. the solution will spread over the floor, filling in any low spots in order to make the entire floor surface level. Working slowly and carefully will reduce the number of air pockets created which will produce the bubbling effect. Pouring the self leveling compound out quickly will increase the possibility that air will get into the compound and that it will in fact bubble up.

Check the Temperature of the Room
Make sure that the room’s temperature is consistent with what the manufacturer recommends when working with the self leveling compound. A room that is too hot or too cold may cause the self leveling compound not to set up properly or if it is laid to crack when it dries. The use of heaters or fans to bring the room to the desired temperature may be necessary in order to avoid this from happening. You may also need to wait a day or 2 prior to the application of the self leveling compound in order to ensure a climate that is conducive for its use.
 
 
Source: www.DoItYourself.com

This floor was tiled with large format beige porcelain tiles with a white grout which as you can appreciate can soon become dirty. Now you might be thinking that this post is about cleaning grout which would make sense as I’m normally asked to clean grout, however on this occasion the customer wanted it removing completely and then re-grouting in a darker colour. Grout re-colouring grout is easily done using a Tile Doctor Grout Colourant which comes in ten different colours but in this

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Morecambe is a large town on Morecambe Bay in Lancashire, and is a tourist hotspot within the region – particularly amongst beach goers during the summer. However, due to its location of being right next to the coast and near to the River Lune, Morecambe is an area which is commonly affected by flash flooding. Just last year there were several episodes of severe flooding. This flooding has a big impact on houses and businesses – the damage water can cause can come as quite a surprise if you

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