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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Source: Professional Quarry Tile Cleaning and Renovation Service near Hitchin Hertfordshire