grout haze removal

Wood Effect Porcelain Tiled Floor Before and After Grout Removal Hampton

Post Installation Clean of Wood Effect Porcelain Tiles in Middlesex Hampton

This kitchen floor at a property in Hampton may look like it is made from wood but is in-fact Porcelain tile in a very convincing wood effect. The tiled floor had been laid well but had not been cleaned off properly afterwards by the tilers. This is a common problem with tile installations and what should happen is the excess grout is polished off the tiles before it sets hard on the surface, a problem we call Grout Haze. This is especially important where the tile has a textured finish which can trap the grout much more easily and this was the case with these wooden plank effect Porcelain tiles. The grout also increased the textured nature of the surface, so it attracted dirt more easily and after a while the customer was finding it impossible to get the floor looking clean.

Wood Effect Porcelain Floor Before Deep Cleaning Hampton Wood Effect Porcelain Floor Before Deep Cleaning Hampton

The kitchen had been newly installed, and the state of the tiles were dragging down the overall appearance of the room. Naturally, the owner was not happy and called us in to rectify the situation. The property is in Hampton which is a suburban area on the north bank of the River Thames, it is situated in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, which includes the historic Hampton Court Palace, once the home of Henry VIII.

Removing Grout Haze from a Wood Effect Porcelain Tiled Floor

This work actually took place earlier in the year and after visiting the property to survey the floor it wasn’t long before I was able to return and give the floor a deep clean. I got to work preparing the area first by taping the plinths and woodwork to prevent any damage to them.

Next, I tackled the grout haze by giving the floor a wash and scrub in Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up. This product is designed for removing grout haze or grout smears as its sometimes referred to. The kitchen area was a little tight for a rotary floor scrubbing machine, so I decided to tackle the problem by scrubbing each tile by hand. The method I used was to apply a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up to the tiles and leave it for about ten minutes before scrubbing it in. Once done the floor was rinsed with water and the now released grout haze and dirt is extracted using a wet vacuum. Whilst this was a more time-consuming method than using the rotary machine the overall result was the same.

With the grout haze removed the kitchen now looks stunning as was intended and our client should find the floor much easier to maintain going forward. Most Porcelain tiles are glazed at the factory and so in this case there was no need to apply a sealant to protect them and so the job was completed in a day.

Wood Effect Porcelain Floor After Deep Cleaning Hampton Wood Effect Porcelain Floor After Deep Cleaning Hampton

For aftercare I recommend the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner to ensure the floor was kept in great condition. It won’t leave any residue like some household cleaners and will ensure the Porcelain tiles are maintained and continue to look this great.

 

Wood Effect Porcelain Tile Cleaning in Middlesex

Post Installation Clean of Wood Effect Porcelain Tiles in Middlesex Hampton Read More »

Slate Tiled Patio Before After Renovation Brentford

Renovation of Slate Tiled Patio in Brentford

This Slate patio that had been installed at a property in Brentford one year prior to our visit last year. It had not been sealed after installation and as you can see from the pictures it was now looking very tired after a very short period. Additionally, the pointing had not been cleaned off the slate entirely leaving a haze over the stone which detracted from its appearance.

Slate Patio Before Renovation Brentford

I explained the process to tackle the grout haze, clean the Slate then finally seal it. I worked out a quote which was accepted, and a date scheduled for my return to complete the work which would take a couple of days.

Cleaning a Slate Tiled Patio in Brentford

My first task was to sweep up all the detritus that typically builds up on a patio, especially grit and small stones which can get caught in the cleaning pads and scratch the surface of the stone.

Once that was done it was time to tackle the grout haze. This was done by applying Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up to the slate and scrubbing it in with a heavy-duty scrubbing machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad. This product is specifically designed to remove excess grout and cement from the surface of tile and contains concentrated phosphoric acid. You need to be very careful with the use of acids on stone as it can cause surface etching if left on too long. In addition, I wouldn’t recommend the use of the brick acid products you typically find in DIY stores which are stronger and are likely to cause damage.

Once satisfied all the soil and haze had been released from the stone the patio was rinsed off with water and the soil extracted away with a wet vacuum.

Slate Patio During Renovation Brentford

The next step was to seal the stone however it would need to be dry before that could happen. Fortunately, I had managed to find a couple of days where the weather was unseasonably warm and for once it hadn’t rained for a while. So, the next day I was able to return and apply a sealer to help protect the patio.

Sealing a Slate Tiled Patio Floor

I used Tile Doctor Colour Grow for this, it’s an impregnating sealer that works by occupying the pores in the stone which would otherwise become occupied by dirt. Tile Doctor Colour Grow is also rated for external as well as internal use and enhances the dark tones in the Slate. Additionally, It should cope well with the weather in this part of the UK as long as we don’t see a really severe drop in temperatures over the winter.

Two coats of Colour Grow were applied to the slate which restored the floor to a nice dark charcoal colour. The client was extremely pleased with the outcome and were keen to recommend us to their friends.

Slate Patio After Renovation Brentford

For aftercare the Patio should be regularly hosed down to keep the grit and debris from accumulating and for cleaning I recommended using Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a pH neutral product which is safe to use on sealed Stone.

 

Professional Restoration of a Slate Tiled Patio in South Middlesex

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Porcelain Tiled Floor in Hampton Acid Scrubbed

Removing Grout Haze from semi porous Porcelain Tiles in Hampton

This Porcelain tiled floor was located in Hampton, Middlesex. The floor had been newly laid a year ago and had not been sealed. The Porcelain was of the semi porous variety and this type of Porcelain needs to be sealed to maintain its appearance and make maintenance easier. To make things worse the tiler had left a lot of grout residue on the surface of the tile which made the tile rougher, trapping the dirt and making it difficult to clean effectively.

Cleaning Porcelain Tile and Grout

To remove the grout haze it was necessary to give the tile and wash with an acid product known as Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up, which is very effective at removing grout haze. Working in sections the product was diluted and then applied to the floor letting it soak in for a short while before being scrubbed in with a scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine. This action had the added bonus of cleaning the floor but you do have to be careful with acids no to leave them on the tile too long.

Porcelain Tiled Floor in Hampton Acid Scrubbed
The soiled solution was removed using a wet vacuum and the tile rinsed down with clean water. This process was repeated until I was satisfied the tile and grout was clear of grout residue.

Sealing Semi-Porous Porcelain Tiles

After allowing the floor to dry for 24 hours, we returned to seal the tiles with Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal which is a solvent based impregnating sealer that’s ideally suited for semi porous Porcelain and provides a natural look.

I took the photograph above between sections so you could see the difference between the before and after and I think you will agree the treated tiles look much cleaner.

Porcelain Tiles Cleaned and Sealed in Hampton

Removing Grout Haze from semi porous Porcelain Tiles in Hampton Read More »

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