Years of Dirt and Screed Staining Cleaned Away with Tile Doctor Remove and Go in Potter Heigham Norfolk

This converted Victorian schoolhouse in Potter Heigham on the Norfolk Broads had a lovely old Red and Black Terracotta tiled floor which had been badly maintained over the years. The owner wanted to use the original tiled floor and so I was asked to pop by and quote for its renovation.

The Terracotta floor was in what was originally the cloakroom of the school however, at some point in its long history, it had been covered with self-levelling compound and vinyl. As part of the work there were some large areas of cement infill and an old toilet waste to remove. After discussing it with the client it was decided to leave the cement in place and disguise it with paint. My preference was to remove the cement and replace with tiles however that would have been a lot of extra work and more expense.

Having agreed the scope of the renovation I worked out a quote which was accepted and a date set for our return.

Cleaning and Repairing a Victorian Terracotta Tiled Floor

The old toilet waste was cut out using an angle grinder and then backfilled with sand and cement level to the surrounding cement base. The floor was then cleaned up and left to dry out overnight.

The next day the remnants of the self-levelling compound were scraped away from the tiles and then cleaned off with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove & Go. The solution was left to soak into the tiles for ten minutes before being worked in with a Klindex rotary fitted with a coarse 80-grit silicon carbide brush. 40kg of extra weight was added to the machine to increase traction with the tiles. The floor was then rinsed and extracted using an industrial wet vacuum.

Some of the self-levelling compound proved stubborn so these areas were then spot treated with a hand-held polisher fitted with a 3″ 100-grit pad. Once I was satisfied the floor was clear, the surface of the tiles were then further refined with a 200-grit diamond pad fitted to the Klindex.

The last step in the cleaning process was to give the floor an Acid Wash using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up diluted 10:1. This further cleans up the tiles, neutralises the pH level of the floor after the use of Tile Doctor Remove and Go which is a strong alkaline and counters efflorescence salts which is a common problem with older floors. After a final rinse and extraction with the wet vacuum the floor was left to dry off overnight.

The next day the sections of missing tile were painted in a matching shade of Terracotta and Black using Sandtex masonry paint. The effect worked quite well and once sealed I was confident that it would be difficult to spot.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Cloakroom

Once the paint had dried, the floor was checked with a damp meter in several places to ensure it had dried. Applying sealer to a damp floor can result in patchiness so it’s always worth checking.

The moisture readings were positive and so work to sealing the floor started with the application of Tile Doctor Seal & Go Extra. This is a modern acrylic sealer that gives a nice finish and is fully breathable (allows for moisture transmission) which is an important consideration when selecting a sealer for an old floor which doesn’t have a damp proof membrane. Terracotta is a very porous material, so it managed to absorb seven coats of sealer before I was satisfied it was fully sealed.

The results were transformative and given its age and amount of wear these tiles had seen in the past I think it came out very well. The most important thing is my clients were pleased and left the following feedback:“The floor looks stunning! Nick and Sally did an amazing job restoring the Victorian tiles in our old school. They worked so hard to deal with the stubborn levelling compound and the final result is way beyond what we thought could be achieved. It was a pleasure to have them working in our house. They are very dedicated to their work and take great pride in it. Thank you!”

Before leaving I took time to discuss maintenance cleaning and recommended the use of a Neutral Tile Cleaning product to clean the floor such as Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner. Many of the floor cleaning products you find in supermarkets are too strong and simply not suitable for use on sealed tiles.

Source: Floor Tile Cleaning Services and Solutions near Potter Heigham Norfolk