Stone Floor Cleaning Hertfordshire

Cornwell Services clean and restore stone floors in modern and period properties. When we restored the historic quarry tile floor in the elegant dining room of a beautiful Georgian property in Hertfordshire, we also provided stone floor cleaning to bring other rooms up to standard. The homeowner was committed to restoring the period features of the property as sensitively as possible and we were very glad to play our part. All but one of the rooms we worked on had original quarry tiles with just one laid with modern quarry tiles. Regardless of age every room needed specialist stone floor cleaning.

Dining room – putting right past mistakes with a quarry tile floor

The extreme age of the quarry tiles had led to them becoming porous, absorbing dirt. Efforts by previous homeowners to protect the tiles with sealants and wax had sealed in dirt and further harmed the condition of the floor. In order to restore the floor, Cornwell stripped it back to the bare quarry tiles and then carefully deep cleaned the floor before applying the correct protective seal. Our specialist floor cleaning process has returned these period quarry tiles to their original colour and charm. It will also protect them against future damage.

Lobby, utility & bathroom – restoring original quarry tile floors

Cleaning the quarry tiles in these rooms was a challenge, even for ourselves! The reason was that as well as a build-up of decades of dirt, these floors hadn’t been protected during renovation works to the property. As a consequence, the historic quarry tiles were covered in new paint spots and builder’s debris. By following our stone floor cleaning process, with the addition of a great deal of careful manual labour to put right what had gone wrong, we restored these wonderful quarry tiled floors to their beautiful best.

The front hall – preserving an historic quarry tile floor

In front entrance hall of the house the quarry tiles were coming to the end of their serviceable life. A good number of the tiles are flaking and breaking down. But the client was content to keep them for as long as practically possible, so with even greater gentleness than usually required we cleaned away decades of dirt with good results.

The side hall – cleaning modern quarry tiles

This room also had a quarry tile floor. But unlike other rooms, the floor was quite newly laid since the original floor was too badly damaged to be restored. Unfortunately, it had also become damaged by building work because it hadn’t been covered during renovations. Again, with thorough quarry tile cleaning, we were able to resolve the issue and restore these tiles to pristine condition.

When you need a specialist to clean or restore your stone floor please contact, Saul at Cornwell Services for your next stone floor cleaning project – just call 07738 022813.

We are based in Hertfordshire and provide stone floor cleaning and restoration across Hertfordshire, Essex, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and north London.

Property owners near Hitchin, Hertfordshire recently called on Cornwell Services for specialist help to clean and restore the quarry tile floor in the dining room of their Georgian property. This stone floor cleaning project was carried out as part of the client’s programme of restoration to preserve the period features of their new home as well as to satisfy the planning requirements for renovations to this historic listed property. Whilst every stone floor cleaning project is different, this case study provides a good guide as to how to restore quarry tile floors in period properties.

The challenge – quarry tile floors

The dining room floor had been laid with traditional red quarry tiles. These tiles would have been made by extrusion or press-forming, with clay tiles fired at high temperatures. The resulting tile is robust with high slip-resistance. But purely due to the age of the quarry tiles – estimated at 200 years or more – they needed specialist treatment to once again look and perform at their best.

The extreme age of the quarry tiles and continued wear and tear over the years had led to them becoming porous. This meant that they had become prone to absorbing dirt, spoiling their appearance. Attempts by previous owners to prevent further tile damage meant that the dirt became sealed in, under waxes and seals.  Unfortunately, since different seals are not compatible with each other, including different brands of the same type of seal, these well-intentioned actions had simply made matters worse.

The client’s requirement – restoring a period stone floor

• To strip the historic stone floor back to the bare quarry tiles.
• To carefully deep clean the floor to remove centuries of dirt and restore the natural colour and appearance of the tiles.
• To apply a new protective seal that would be fit for purpose and extend the lifetime of the quarry tiles.

Cornwell’s approach – stone floor cleaning

To tackle the sealed in grime, we used a high alkaline stripping agent. This worked by dissolving layers of old seals and waxes and lifting out the embedded dirt. Once the ingrained dirt had been removed, the quarry tiles were then thoroughly scrubbed. We did this using diamond impregnated brushes on a heavy-duty rotary floor-cleaning machine to remove surface dirt and debris.

The resulting dirty slurry was rinsed and removed into the waste tank of our van-mounted machine. This ensured that any dirt, wax or minerals can’t be redeposited on the floor surface. With the grit and grime extracted, the stone floor was cleaned again, but this time using an acid-based solution. This was effective in neutralising the alkaline, removing any grout haze or cement residue, and preventing the formation of efflorescence – a milky mineral surface residue that’s common with older quarry tile floors. This approach meant the quarry tiles were in near pristine condition as befits their age.

Drying time after cleaning quarry tiles

Depending upon the porosity of the tile and drying conditions a newly cleaned quarry tile floor can take just a single day to dry out, or it can take two weeks or more to become dry enough to allow the seal to be applied.

Fortunately, the dining room of this Georgian home enjoyed a south facing position. With the natural warmth of the sun together with our air movers and plenty of ventilation, the floor dried out quickly. We were able to apply an even coating of sealant the very next day completing the restoration of the quarry tiles and making the dining room floor an attractive historic feature once more.

Need help with restoring stone floors?

Contact Saul at Cornwell Services on 07738 022813 to ask about how we can restore the stone floor in your historic home or period investment property.

We provide specialist domestic and commercial stone floor cleaning services in Hertfordshire, Essex, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and south-east England.

Nothing beats the beauty of a natural stone floor, be it travertine, marble, terracotta, slate, limestone or sandstone. The elegance and durability of stone tiles make them a popular design choice for both residential and commercial properties in the Home Counties. But like all good things it takes a little work to keep stone in good condition. So, what can you do to stop the stone floor in your home or business becoming ingrained with dirt, making it unsightly or unsafe? Thankfully, with the right approach and some expert care most stone floors can be returned to their stunning best and kept that way. Here are some tips from Cornwell Services.

Stone floor cleaning – what to do

Do ensure your natural stone floor is swept and vacuumed frequently so that dirt and grit aren’t allowed to build up and damage the tiles’ surface.

Do take care that the floor is mopped with a damp mop and not a soaking wet one!

Do ensure that specialist stone cleaning products are used as this won’t leave a residue or damage the seal on your tiles.

Do make sure that any accidental spills are cleared up immediately to help to preserve the stone floor.

Do make use of a specialist stone cleaning service since trained professionals have the expertise, equipment and cleaning products to clean, seal and maintain the finish of your stone floor.

Natural stone floors – what to avoid

Don’t allow the floor to be mopped with any cleaner that’s acidic since this will damage natural stone like travertine, marble and limestone. Take care because commonly available tile and grout cleaners often contain acid in the form of lemon juice or vinegar and general cleaning staff may be unaware of this fact.

Don’t allow the use of abrasive cleaners as they can scratch and mark stone tiles.

Don’t allow the use of a vacuum cleaner which has worn or missing wheels when removing dust and dirt, since this can harm the stone’s surface.

Specialist cleaning to restore stone floors

Typically, homeowners and commercial property managers will need specialist help to rescue natural stone floors where the tiles and grout have become dirty and stained over time. Specialist stone floor cleaning technicians like Cornwell Services, know how to approach different types of stone floors and renovate them. These are three approaches a specialist might use:

• Restorative refinishing, including diamond stone polishing for smooth marble floors, and cleaning and repairing grout lines

• Aggressive cleaning with high performance chemicals or poultices to remove paint, adhesives, mould, mildew and ingrained dirt

• Deep cleaning with steam pressure to restore natural colour and condition

Once the stone tiles and grout lines are returned to their natural colours, the stone floor can be resealed by your specialist with a coating that makes it resistant to water, oil, bacteria and dirt. At Cornwell Services we select impregnating or topical sealers dependant on the type of stone and its condition.

Once thoroughly clean and resealed, a six-monthly cleaning routine, using pH neutral products, followed by a top-up seal will normally be sufficient to keep travertine, terracotta and any other stone floor in excellent condition.

Budget-friendly stone cleaning routines

With regular specialist cleaning, you’ll be able to secure better value for money. That’s because regular cleaning will ensure that stone floors can retain their cleanliness, safety and aesthetic appeal for longer. This in turn means that you need less serious intervention resulting in less disruption and a lower cost.

Cornwell Services provide domestic and commercial stone floor cleaning services in Hertfordshire, Essex, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and south-east England.

Contact Saul at Cornwell Services on 07738 022813 to find out more about our specialist stone floor cleaning service or to talk through your stone floor restoration requirements.

This is a job that we completed in East Finchley, North London. The tiled floor had been neglected and was very dirty after building work had been completed on this home.

There are often factors such as these which lead to the requirement of stone cleaning and restoration. Another influencing reason is long-standing incorrect care. This can add to the deterioration of the stone tiles.

Our client was considering changing the floor but was relieved to hear that it could be fully restored with our tailored stone restoration services.

The dirt was fully stripped alongside all the built up grime and old sealant. This takes the tile back to a natural state in preparation to apply several coats of a top-quality stone sealant. This allows the quarry tiled floor to repel liquid damages, whilst being able to breathe.

This lovely Victorian tiled floor, once fully restored looked stunning. It was a real feature for this beautiful home. It was restored to its former glory and provides a positive statement for every visitor. It reflected the love and care the owners have for this charming London property.

It was appropriate to leave our clients with detailed information of the best products to regularly clean their restored tiles. This ensures that they are kept looking at their best and that they are left best equipped to repel every day wear and tear.

Stone Cleaning Advice –

• Blot up any liquid spills immediately
• Use best-available stone cleaning products with a non-abrasive cloth or mop
• Ensure the surface is fully rinsed and dried after cleaning
• Place a mat near the door entrance to trap dirt particles
• Make sure your stone tiles are appropriately sealed

If you would like to find out any further information on cleaning floor tiles please call us on 07738022813. We pride ourselves on offering detail to leave our clients well-informed on how best to deal with their tiled floor.

Victorian Quarry tiles ooze class and provide heritage and a historic feel to any room. Specialist stone floor restoration is therefore required when looking to carefully restore these beautiful tiles to their original look.

We were invited to restore these quarry floor tiles in Broxbourne where the tiles were in an incredibly bad state. The original tiles were barely visible under layers of build-up. The owners cared deeply about the history of their home and wanted a specialist stone cleaner to fully restore these.

The initial images provide evidence of how the tiles looked prior to our work starting. It would be safe to say that most would feel these tiles were past redemption and in some cases, would have been taken up and replaced at great expense.

This quarry tiled kitchen floor had been covered by carpet for some years. The client had removed the carpet, and some of the carpet adhesive before concluding that it was a job for a professional stone floor restoration company.

Using a very specialised and powerful adhesive remover, left overnight and covered with plastic sheeting to prevent the active solvents from evaporating, the thick rubbery carpet adhesive became soft and broken down enough to be scraped away from the tiles.

Once the gloopy sludge was cleared away the floor was ready for rinsing under high pressure using our state of the art enclosed spinning pressure rinsing technology. All the remaining dirt and residues were washed out of the tiny pores in the stone and sucked away into the waste tank in the van leaving the stone floor looking clean, fresh and totally transformed.

Once dry, a seal was applied to protect each quarry tile and to leave a pleasing satin finish that will make routine cleaning much easier for the client. To keep this floor looking this good the client has signed up to our maintenance plan where, for a small monthly payment via Standing Order, we return every year to deep clean this floor and top up the seal.

Restoring quarry tiles is an incredibly rewarding process, however, this job has to rank highly as the images reveal the transformation that was achieved throughout the process of the quarry tile restoration.

If you have any questions about our stone cleaning and restoration services please call us on 07738022813.

These pictures show newly laid reclaimed quarry tiles in a kitchen being renovated in Epping.

Unfortunately, for me, the plasterer felt it unnecessary to cover the floor tiles before plastering the walls and ceiling, which meant that I was faced with the challenge of removing plaster that had soaked into the tiles and grout lines.

Our specialist stone cleaning machinery ensures the work is done quickly and efficiently.

This combined with our best-available cleaning products means that the results were great, giving this special reclaimed floor a whole new lease of life.

Quarry floor tiles are a popular stone flooring that create a rustic look, well-suited to both traditional and contemporary homes.

Cleaning quarry tiles is just the start; we also offer a full range of services such as restoring and sealing quarry tiles.

To find our more or to request a free, no obligation quotation, please contact Saul on 07738022813. Please also take time to look at our other floor cleaning services available throughout Hertfordshire and the surrounding areas.

Quarry floors can be an attractive addition to the family home if kept clean and looking like new.

This quarry tile floor in Hatfield, Hertfordshire was in desperate need of our attention.

Being a utility room by day and a bedroom to two large dogs at night, this floor suffers some heavy use.
From muddy boots, wet muddy paws, dog drool, vomit and puppy pee to splashed detergents, oils and other grime and spills, day in and day out, this stone floor was quite a challenge.

The grouting, being naturally absorbent, required several deep cleans to improve to the desired level of appearance.

A solvent based impregnating floor tile sealer ensures that this floor will be much easier to maintain by the owner until we return in six months to deep clean again and top up the sealer.

After we had cleaned and sealed the quarry tiles, they were restored to their former glory.

Stone restoration and stone cleaning services provided by Cornwell Services; for any enquiry about quarry tiles please contact Saul today; he will be happy to offer advice and information.