Marble Tile Cleaning Archives - Berkshire Tile Doctor

Heavily Soiled Marble Tabletop Restoration Pangbourne

Restoring the Appearance of a Heavily Soiled Marble Tabletop in Pangbourne

I received an enquiry from a customer in Pangbourne regarding a heavy soiled Marble stone table. The customer was downsizing and thought the marble tabletop would make a great addition to the balcony at the new property. However, as you can see from the photographs below it was in a very bad condition, in fact the customer described the tabletop as “not fit enough for the skip let alone the garden”.

Marble Tabletop Before Restoration Pangbourne

The tabletop was in such dire condition I wasn’t even sure it was Marble. However, after taking a more detailed look, I was able to confirm It was indeed marble and therefore confident it could be renovated to a good standard.

Time was of the essence as the customer was due to move in the following weekend so I quickly worked out a quote for doing the work, which was agreed, and I took the table home so it could be worked on in the evenings.

Repairing and Cleaning a Marble Stone Table

The outside elements had taken its toll on this tabletop and it was covered in algae, black spot and lichens. Tile Doctor have a wide variety of products that help us tackle various issues with stone however I figured a good start would be to use their Patio & Driveway Cleaner.

This product is seriously strong and designed specially to remove algae, lichens and black spot. It’s not what I would usually use on Marble however due to the severity of contamination it was my best option. Returning the next morning the results were incredible, about 80% of the contaminant’s had been removed but I knew if we repeated the process, we could achieve an even better result. I continued with the same method as before and left it to work overnight again. Happy with results I could continue with the next stage.

The next stage was to polish the Marble using a series of pads from Tile Doctors inventory of 6-inch diamond burnishing pads. The first pad in the set to be applied was a coarse 100-grit pad followed by a 200-grit. The pads are applied with water to help lubricate the process and are designed to repair damage left behind as a result of removing the algae and lichens.

The process was then repeated with a coarse 400-grit and fine 1500-grit pads which gradually closed the pores and return the shine. This is a messy process which generates a slurry which is removed with after each pad with the wet vacuum.

Sealing a Marble Stone Table

With the Marble surface restored the last step was to protect the stone with a sealer which will keep any dirt or contaminates on the surface where they can be easily wiped away. So once the table was dry, I applied a thin coat of Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal which is an almost invisible impregnator that soaks into the Marble occupying its fine pores and thereby preventing dirt from becoming lodged there.

Marble Tabletop After Restoration Pangbourne

The transformation was incredible, and both the customer and I were astonished by the outcome. My clients her husband even joked that I must have ‘swapped it out with a new one!’

Marble Tabletop After Restoration Pangbourne

For aftercare of polished stone worktops and tabletops I recommend the use of Tile Doctor Stone Patina Spray. Its a spray-and-buff cleaner that is designed to enhance the natural beauty and lustre of polished stone as it cleans.

Professional Repair and Renovation of a Stone Table in Berkshire

Restoring the Appearance of a Heavily Soiled Marble Tabletop in Pangbourne Read More »

Hotel Tesserae Stone Mosaic Tiled Floor Renovated in Taplow Maidenhead

Tesserae Stone Mosaic Floor Restored at Refurbished Hotel in Taplow

I was recently contracted to renovate a Tesserae Stone Mosaic floor as part of a hotel refurbishment project in Taplow near Maidenhead. Taplow house hotel has been undergoing a large refurbishment project and originally, they planned on laying new Marble floor throughout the entrance/reception area however when they lifted the carpet the discovered the original floor and they were keen to see if the old floor could be restored to some former glory.

Hotel Tesserae Stone Mosaic Tiled Floor Before Renovation Taplow

Taplow house was originally built in 1568, however the Manor House was involved in a devastating fire in 1660, destroying almost all the original building. The Georgian building that stands today was erected in 1751. Home to aristocracy, Taplow house was a private residence before turning into a hotel in 1958 and this is when we believe the floor was covered up with carpet.

Removing Carpet Adhesive from a Tesserae Stone Mosaic Tiles in Taplow

The main issue raised was the floor was covered in old carpet glue and this would need to be removed before it could be deep cleaned and then protected with a sealer.

After reviewing the range of Tile Doctor cleaning products and problem solvers to determine which product would be the most effective at breaking down the residue. My first thought was to use Remove and Go which was developed as a coating’s remover and my go to product to remove old sealers, paint as well as adhesive contamination.

Hotel Tesserae Stone Mosaic Tiled Floor During Renovation Taplow

For maximum impact on the glue the Remove and Go was applied neat to the mosaic floor and then covered with plastic sheeting so it could sweat the tile and not dry prematurely. The floor was left to dwell for about 15 – 30 minutes, so it could get to work breaking down the old carpet glue and adhesive. After this the plastic sheet was removed and the floor then scrubbed with a rotary floor buffer fitted with a black stripping pad using plenty of water. This quickly broke up the adhesive from the tile allowing it to be removed from the tiles with a wet vacuum. It was a large area so as I was cleaning one section there was another section sweating under a plastic sheet.

Once the glue had been removed, I then treated the section to an acid rinse by cleaning the floor with a mild dilution of Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up which removes old grout smears and will neutralise any salts in the old floor that could result in efflorescence later. Being an acid, this product also neutralises the ph levels in the floor after the cleaning with Remove and Go which is an Alkaline product.

Once the floor was clean it needed time to dry out thoroughly before sealing, however being a busy construction site and the floor being the main walkway between rooms I agreed to do a quick ‘builders clean’ when I returned later.

Sealing Tesserae Stone Mosaic Tiles in Taplow

After my return I gave the floor a quick clean using a mild solution of Grout Clean-up scrubbed with a Nilon brush fitted to the rotary machine. Most of the contamination was plaster residues from ongoing work. After a light rinse and extraction with a wet vacuum the floor was left to dry off overnight ready for sealing the next day.

To seal the tiles, I applied two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which as its name suggests is a colour enhancing sealer that works by impregnating the pores of the tile protecting it from within and enriching the colours in the process. This gave a lovely contrast in colour whilst providing a matt finish; another advantage of Colour Grow is it’s a fully breathable sealer which won’t trap moisture under the tile which is an important for these old floors which don’t have a damp membrane.

Hotel Tesserae Stone Mosaic Tiled Floor After Renovation Taplow

Professional Renovation of a Tesserae Stone Mosaic Tiled Floor in Berkshire

Tesserae Stone Mosaic Floor Restored at Refurbished Hotel in Taplow Read More »

Polishing Marble Floors Wokingham Berkshire

Marble Floor Repolished in Wokingham Show Home

1 Comment / Marble Tile Cleaning, Wokingham Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Dennis Buckland

I had a call out late last year to a property in the market town of Wokingham to survey a dull Marble floor which was installed throughout most of the ground floor. It turns out that the house was only built two years prior and had been the show home for a new development. The owner explained to me that to show off the potential of the new homes the developer had installed quality materials throughout, particularly the marble flooring, however the property had seen more than its fair share of foot traffic because of it.

Two years of wear later and the owner was concerned with how dull the Marble floor was and the appearance of small circular stains which had appeared throughout. I explained that Marble which is made from calcium is easily etched by the use of acidic cleaning products and that most tile cleaners you purchase in supermarkets are really only for use on Ceramic or Vinyl floor tiles. I suspect any sealer used on the floor to protect the stone had also been worn away for the same reason resulting in the now dull appearance.

After explaining the process, I would use for burnishing the Marble to deep clean and restore the shine I measured up and worked out a quotation. I received a message later that evening comforting they would like to go ahead, and a date was booked in.

Cleaning and Polishing a Marble Tiled Floor

I should mention that this job was carried out in compliance with the Covid-19 restrictions to ensure it was a safe working environment for both myself and the customer. This includes the wearing of full PPE equipment, increasing air circulation, and ensuring we kept our distance.

My first task was to protect the skirting and the fitted kitchen units from splashing by applying protective sheeting. Once this was done, I turned my attention to the grout which had become dark in places in accumulated dirt. To do this I used a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a strong alkaline cleaner specifically designed to break down soils, grease and oils on Tile and Stone. The cleaner was sprayed onto the grout lines and left to soak in for a few minutes before being scrubbed in by hand. Some of the grout needed more attention than others and once done the soil was rinsed off the floor with water and extracted using a wet vacuum.

Now the grout was cleaned I moved onto polishing the Marble floor tiles. I did this using the Tile Doctor four stage diamond burnishing system. This consists of applying a sequence of four refinishing pads fitted to a weighed buffing machine. You start with a coarse 400-grit pad and working through to a fine 1500-grit pad, each time removing the stone slurry with a wet vacuum. This process removed the acidic etching and repolished the surface of the Marble to a nice shine. I worked in sections room by room and then left the floors to fully dry off overnight.

Sealing Marble Tiled Flooring

I returned the next day and using a damp meter took a few readings from the floor to check the moisture levels to ensure it was dry and ready to be sealed. Before sealing though I went over the floor with a very fine 3000-grit pad which is applied dry with a little water sprayed onto to the floor, this final pad further builds up the polish and achieve the appearance desired by the customer.

Last step was to seal the floor with Tile Doctor Colour Grow, a colour enhancing seal designed to bring out the natural colours in the stone whilst adding protection from liquid and oil spills. Impregnating sealers like Colour Grow work by occupying the tiny pores in the stone thus preventing contaminates from becoming ingrained in them.

The customer could not believe with how well the floor had come up and were pleased they finally had the floor they had been promised prior to moving in. For aftercare I left them with a complimentary bottle of Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner which is designed for the regular cleaning of tiled floors.

Professional Renovation of a Polished Marble Flooring in Berkshire

Marble Floor Repolished in Wokingham Show Home Read More »

Red Marble Patio Before After Renovation Newbury

Restoring a Large Red Marble Patio at a Newbury Villa

1 Comment / Marble Tile Cleaning, Newbury Tile Cleaning, Work History / Dennis Buckland

I recently had a call out to an unusual property in Newbury to renovate a large Red Marble Patio. The design of the house was clearly inspired by the Mediterranean and resembled a Spanish Villa. The UK winter had not been very kind to the large Red Marble patio and now looked faded and lifeless.

Marble Tiled Patio Before Renovation Newbury

I inspected the patio and could see that it had been previously sealed with a topical product that had deteriorated in parts over time leaving the stone looking patchy and dull. After having the same stone installed throughout the interior of the property she wanted to know if the exterior stone could be renovated to match.

To get a better idea of what it would take to complete the work and produce an accurate quote I ran some cleaning tests on a spare tile. The demonstration went very well, and it gave the client a good idea of the outcome they could expect. Happy with the potential result and my quote I was booked to return and complete the renovation.

Cleaning a Red Marble Tiled Patio in Newbury

This was a large Patio to clean so I worked in sections and starting with brushing and vacuuming to remove all the surface dirt and debris that could impact the stone burnishing process. Then using water for lubrication, I started refinishing the Marble with a very coarse 100-grit diamond pad fitted to a weighted rotary machine. This pad cut through the layers of remaining topical sealant that had built up on the surface of the stone. After a rinse with more water I followed this with a less coarse 200-grit pad. I found that in some areas, such as along the edges of the tile, a thick build-up of old sealer needed to be weakened first using Tile Doctor Remove and Go before the pads could cut through.

Marble Tiled Patio During Renovation Newbury

Once the old seal had been removed, I could focus on burnishing the stone which is a polishing process that hones the stone and brings back its polished appearance. I did this using a set of diamond burnishing pads starting with a 400-grit pad and working my way through the sequence of pads with 800 and 1500-grit. The pads are applied using a rotary floor buffer and again lubricated with water, the stone is rinsed with water afterwards and the slurry picked up with a wet vacuum. The last pad to be applied is an extra fine 3000-grit pad which leaves the stone with a good sheen, the pad is applied dry with only a little water sprayed onto the tile.

Sealing a Red Marble Tiled Patio

I returned the following morning to check the stone had thoroughly dried and could be sealed. Fortunately, the warm weather had persisted, and I was able to finish the stone with three coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow. This sealer is known for bringing out the natural colours in stone and it didn’t disappoint making the deep red colours in the Marble really stand out against the white veins. Colour grow is also an impregnating sealer that seeps into the pores of the stone protecting it from within and will fare much better protecting the stone in the UK elements.

Marble Tiled Patio After Renovation Newbury

This burnishing and sealing process was repeated in the numerous areas that made up the entire patio except for the stairs which had to be done using the same method but with a handheld polisher as the rotary machine was simply too large. Being external the work was weather dependant and so had to be done in stages as it rained between visits and the stone had to be left to dry out again before continuing. This slowed up the process, but we got there once the weather had improved.

Overall the client was very pleased with the work and was happy that both the newly installed interior and the rejuvenated old stone looked uniform.

For aftercare I recommended the use the Tile Doctor Stone Soap Cleaner which will clean and help maintain the patina on the stone, also it won’t prematurely erode the sealer like more aggressive cleaning products you find in supermarkets.

Professional Restoration of a Red Marble Tiled Patio in Berkshire

Restoring a Large Red Marble Patio at a Newbury Villa Read More »

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Berkshire Tile Doctor

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