Quarry Tile Cleaning

Welcome to my Work History archive where you will find detailed examples of the cleaning and renovation of Quarry tiles carried out in Hertfordshire

Cleaning and Renovating Quarry Tiles

Quarry tiles are a classic hard wearing tile often utilised in high traffic areas such as reception areas, toilets and outdoor patio areas and porches. Although hard wearing Quarry tiles are often neglected and end up hidden under years of grime. If the tiles are structurally sound then often it’s just a question of deep cleaning to extract the dirt and then applying a sealer to enhance their appearance and protect them going forward.

For sealing we usually recommend Tile Doctor Seal and Go which works well on clay tiles such as Quarry and is also water based so doesn’t give off a smell as it dries. When applying a sealer always make sure the floors are dry first as applying a sealer to a damp floor can lead to inconsistent results. Because of this we usually clean and seal floors of this type over two days.

Other problems we face when restoring Quarry tiles usually relate to the removal of surface such as Tile Paint and Carpet Adhesive, for this we have a number of products and methods we can apply to remove coatings and restore the tile to its original appearance.

Below you will find detailed examples of work we have carried out in the past, it should give you some idea of what’s involved and what can be achieved with the right techniques and products.

Stained Quarry Tiles Before After Renovation Hitchin

Stained Quarry Tiled Hallway Floor Restored in Hitchin

1 Comment / Hitchin Tile Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Work History /

Details below of a small Quarry Tiled floor we deep cleaned which included a lobby and adjacent toilet. The property was located in Hitchin which is a market town in North Hertfordshire it is notable for St. Mary’s Church, which is remarkably large for a town of its size.

Quarry Tiled Entrance Lobby Restoration Hitchin Before Cleaning

The tiles were in good physical condition, but were looking a little tired, they just needed a good clean and seal. Also, if you look closely at the photographs you will see the grout was stained with the remains of some red paint which needed to be removed.

Quarry Tiled Entrance Lobby Restoration Hitchin Before Cleaning Showing Paint Staining

They had tried some household solutions but had not managed to remove the marks and the floor had lost its’ sheen. We discussed the process, agreed a price and I arranged a date to return and carry out the work.

Quarry Tiled Entrance Lobby Restoration Hitchin Before Cleaning

On our return our first task was to prepare the areas with protective tape to threshold edges surrounding the floor, adjacent doors and anywhere that we didn’t want our solutions to touch.

The paint stains were spot treated using a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go which was scrubbed into the grout by hand. This is a multi-purpose stripper made with a long dwell-time to remove most coatings and sealers, but particularly good on paints. It is also the perfect product to draw out ingrained stains and remove any heavy grease build-up.

Then the tiles and grout were cleaned using Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, this one is a concentrated, multi-purpose high-alkaline cleaner, stripper and degreaser. Dependent on the needs of the tiles we dilute it to suit. We usually dilute with 3 to 5 parts water to use as a very effective cleaner that removes grease, from areas that have been neglected or subjected to heavy use. Alternatively, and as in this situation, we diluted with 2 parts water to strip the synthetic and acrylic waxes that had built up on the floor over the years.

The entrance and porch were then wet vacuumed, and the water rinsed, then allowed to dry off overnight ahead of the sealing process the following day.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled Hallway Floor

On returning to the property the following day, I used a moisture meter to ensure the floor was completely dry and ready for the next stage. Once satisfied I started to apply a single coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow this is an impregnating sealer which is applied to protect the tiles and offers a durable surface whilst enhancing their natural colour. Finally, to complete, this was followed by three coats of Seal and Go to add a lasting protective seal and a low sheen durable finish.

Quarry Tiled Entrance Lobby Restoration Hitchin After Cleaning

The client was very happy with the completed floor, it had brightened up the whole area, particularly the downstairs cloakroom. She was also pleased it was now going to be easier to maintain and keep clean and she had finally got rid of the offending red paint!

Quarry Tiled Entrance Lobby Restoration Hitchin After Cleaning

 

Professional Restoration of Quarry Tiled Hallway in Hertfordshire

Stained Quarry Tiled Hallway Floor Restored in Hitchin Read More »

18th Century Quarry Tile Renovation near Hemel Hempstead

18th Century Quarry Tile Renovation near Hemel Hempstead

1 Comment / Hemel Hempstead Tile Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Work History /

The photographs below are of a very old Quarry Tiled hallway floor taken at a beautiful 18th century farmhouse near Hemel Hempstead; the floor was believed to be original and the customer wanted it repaired and restored.

Old Quarry Tiles Before Cleaning Hemel Hempstead Farmhouse

Deep Cleaning 18th Century Quarry Tiles

Before starting the cleaning process we made sure to protect any vulnerable areas such as the oak panelling on the staircase and then set about repairing the broken tiles which were replaced with matching reclaimed quarry tiles.

Old Quarry Tiles Before Cleaning Hemel Hempstead Farmhouse
Once the replacements and new grout had set we made a start on deep cleaning the Quarry tiles and removing remaining old stubborn waxes and polishes by applying Tile Doctor Remove & Go combined 50:50 with Tile Doctor Nano-Clean which combine to form a very effective stripper and cleaner. The solution was left to soak into the tile for a good ten minutes before being scrubbed in with detail brushes and scrubbing pads fitted to a rotary machine.

The resulting soiled solution was rinsed off with water and extracted using a wet vacuum which allowed us to see the underlying condition of the tiles which indicated more work was required especially to the grout. To get the grout looking cleaner it was treated with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which was then scrubbed into the grout manually using a stiff grout brush; the soiled cleaning solution was then rinsed off and extracted using a wet vacuum and then the whole floor was given a further rinse and also a steam clean to remove any trace of product.

Old Quarry Tiles During Cleaning Hemel Hempstead Farmhouse Old Quarry Tiles During Cleaning Hemel Hempstead Farmhouse

Sealing 18th Century Quarry Tiles

It’s essential that tiles are bone dry before sealing so we left the floor to dry for a full seven days before returning. To get the best out of the floor I decided to seal the floor with two different but compatible sealers; first a single coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow was applied which is an impregnating sealer that restores colour to the tile and protects it from stains by occupying the pores in the clay.

Once the Colour Grow had dried it was followed with six coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra which is a special acrylic based formula that promotes moisture vapour transmission which is essential for these old floors where no damp proof course was installed.

Old Quarry Tiles After Cleaning Hemel Hempstead Farmhouse
I’m pleased to say the restoration went very well and as you can see the quarry tiled hallway floor now looks fantastic.

Old Quarry Tiles After Cleaning Hemel Hempstead Farmhouse
 

Professional Restoration of 18th Century Quarry Tiles in Hertfordshire

18th Century Quarry Tile Renovation near Hemel Hempstead Read More »

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