Porcelain tile floor cleaning & restoration in Baldock
You don’t expect a new floor to need restoration. But this was the case with the kitchen floor of a family home in Baldock, Hertfordshire. The porcelain floor had only been installed six months earlier. It should have been in perfect condition. But sadly, right from first day it had only brought disappointment.
Poor condition of the new porcelain tiled floor
Despite loving the style of the floor tiles that they had chosen, the floor itself had caused so much disappointment that the homeowners were considering taking it up and replacing it. The problem was that everything that came into contact with the floor in the smart kitchen-diner immediately showed, from drips to footprints and paw prints from the family dog. Once the floor became dirty, each mark was incredibly difficult or impossible to remove.
What caused this ceramic floor to attract dirt?
Saul at Cornwell Services examined the kitchen floor and was able to identify the underlying problem: the entire floor was covered with a grout haze. In addition, the tiled floor had never been sealed due to incorrect advice from the tile shop. There was nothing wrong with the tiles. Porcelain is a type of ceramic tile that is strong, fine-grained, smooth and relatively imperious to water. It’s ideal for high-moisture environments in the home. The problem was caused by poor installation.
What is grout haze?
Grout haze occurs when the tiler leaves a grout residue on the surface of the tiles by not thoroughly rinsing the sponge when removing the excess grout. This dries as a thin film of unsightly grout or haze on the surface of the tile. The haze has a rough, dirt-attracting texture. It’s also porous which makes everyday dirt very difficult to clean. Grout haze can only be removed by a professional.
Shhh! Secret grout floor cleaning project
Tackling the work involved some flexibility since the job was to be a surprise for the client’s wife and secrecy was paramount. That meant that inspecting the floor was carried out in secret. When it came to working on site, that had to be done in secret too. Saul hid the van out of sight and only arrived at the property once the lady of the house had left for work.
Seven steps: porcelain floor cleaning and restoration
Once Saul ascertained that the issues with the floor were primarily due to grout haze, he could formulate a plan of action to restore the floor to the state it should have been in when it was originally installed.
- Preparation: After thoroughly vacuuming the entire floor to remove debris, dust and grit, Saul prepared the floor for cleaning by masking off the kitchen units and any vulnerable surface to protect from the risk of splashes.
- Alkaline treatment: An alkaline stripping agent was applied to the tiled porcelain floor. This solution was thoroughly scrubbed into the floor with a rotary machine using brushes and pads. It dissolves dirt and any polymers which may have risen to the surface and could impede the efficiency of the cleaning. Alkaline cleaning agents are also highly effective at emulsifying most household dirt which is usually acidic in nature.
- Rinse: Next, the floor was rinsed with water under high pressure within our enclosed tooling to prevent splashing. The dirty water from this process is extracted directly into the waste tank in the van.
- Phosphoric treatment: Once the surface dirt had been successfully removed the grout problem could be tackled. A liberal coating of a phosphoric acid-based product was applied. This rapidly dissolves the grout haze. Because the haze is such a thin layer can be removed without damaging the actual grout lines themselves.
- Deep clean: A rectangular oscillating machine was used to agitate the surface. This reached into the corners so that all the residue was removed. It is painstaking work, on small areas at a time to retain control.
- Neutralise: The floor was thoroughly rinsed and neutralised afterwards.
- Impregnating seal: Once dry, and after making sure that all the haze and dirt was gone, a penetrating seal was applied to the clean floor tiles to help prevent the ingress of water and oil-based spills and stains in future.
The client was pleased, and his wife was surprised and absolutely delighted with the results that had been achieved in secret.
Don’t assume you need to replace your tiled natural stone floor or tiled ceramic floor due to its poor condition. Often with professional help it can be restored for a fraction of the cost to replace it.
Please contact Saul at Cornwell Services on 07738 022813 for help to clean and restore the tiled floor in your home or business premises. We’re a Hertfordshire-based business and we cover Hertfordshire, Essex, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and north London.
How to clean a tiled stone floor?
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.
