Hitchin Archives - Hertfordshire Tile Doctor

Edwardian Red and Black Quarry Tiled Hallway Floor Renovated in Hitchin

The Red and Black Quarry tiles in the hallway of this Edwardian house in Hitchin had been altered and enlarged over the years but now appeared dull, flat and in need of a serious deep clean and re-seal. I was told that sections of the hallway tiles had been lifted and relayed in the past as part of building improvements and now the owner wanted to give the hallway a lift to improve its appearance. The brief was to clean, restore and enhance the appearance of the tiles across the hallway to give a consistent look.

Quarry Tiled Edwardian Floor Before Cleaning Hitchin

After surveying the floor and measuring up I tested several cleaning products on the Edwardian Quarry tiles to work out the best method to remove old coatings and general dirt. Doing this first ensures we use the most efficient way to clean the floor and we settled on a strong combination of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean mixed with Tile Doctor Remove and Go.

Quarry Tiled Edwardian Floor During Cleaning Test Hitchin

I worked out a quote for the renovation which would remove old waxes and treatments along with ingrained dirt, make minor repairs and then apply a sealer across the whole floor. After discussing the quote in detail and answering all the questions a date was set for the work to start.

Cleaning an Edwardian Quarry Tiled Hallway

The mixture of Pro-Clean and Remove and Go was applied to the floor in sections and worked into the tiles using a floor buffer fitted with a black scrubbing pad. Once the section was cleaned in this way the tiles were rinsed with water and the soiling extracted with a wet vacuum. The section was then inspected for stubborn marks and stains and then spot treated until satisfied it was as clean as could be.

Quarry Tiled Edwardian Floor During Cleaning Hitchin

During the survey several loose tiles were identified so once the cleaning had been completed, these were lifted out and re-fitted using fresh adhesive. Once all the sections of tiles had been fully cleaned and repaired where required, the floor was left to dry off overnight.

Quarry Tiled Edwardian Floor During Repair Hitchin

Sealing an Edwardian Quarry Tiled Hallway

Before starting work the next day the floor was checked for dampness using a moisture meter, this is important as applying sealer to a damp tile can result in a patchy finish.

Once happy the floor was dry, the first of two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow were applied to the quarry tiles to not only protect the tile from ingrained dirt but also to enrich the colours. This sealer is an impregnating sealer that soaks into the tile occupying the pores and adding long lasting protection from within.

Quarry Tiled Edwardian Floor During Sealing Hitchin

Tile Doctor Colour Grow is a matt sealer which wasn’t the overall effect the customer wanted so it was left to dry off overnight and the following day four light coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go were applied which gave the desired rich satin finish.

Quarry Tiled Edwardian Floor After Renovation Hitchin

The work put the life back in the floor and brought a consistent finish to the different sections. For aftercare I recommended using Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a mild pH neutral friendly cleaner.

Professional Restoration of a Quarry Tiled Hallway in Hertfordshire

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 / Robert Voyce

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.

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!

Professional Restoration of Quarry Tiled Hallway in Hertfordshire

Stained Quarry Tiled Hallway Floor Restored in Hitchin Read More »