Sutton in Ashfield Tile Cleaning

This old Terracotta tiled kitchen floor was located in a small 17th-century cottage in the historic market town of Sutton-in-Ashfield. The floor had accumulated years of soiling and layers of traditional dressings, leaving the Terracotta looking dark, tired and masking much of its natural colour.

Terracotta floors of this age were historically often finished using Linseed Oil and Wax. While these materials provided protection and helped enhance the appearance of the tiles, they require regular maintenance and, over time, can become heavily soiled and difficult to maintain.

The customer contacted Tile Doctor to deep clean the floor and bring it back into good condition. I explained that the first stage would be to remove the old, worn coatings and accumulated soiling before applying a more modern sealing system that would provide better long-term protection.

Happy with my suggestion and quote a date was scheduled for the work which would take place over three days.

Deep Cleaning old Coatings off a Terracotta Tiled Floor

I began by applying Tile Doctor Remove & Go, our coating and soiling remover, across the floor. This was left to dwell for approximately 30 minutes; this allowed the product plenty of time to break down the old Linseed Oil and Wax coatings.

The floor was then worked thoroughly, including the grout lines, using a grout brush and mechanical agitation from a rotary floor machine fitted with a Silicone Carbide Brush. This combination was particularly effective at working the cleaning solution into the textured surface of the Terracotta and Grout lines releasing the coatings and ingrained dirt.

The resulting slurry was removed using a wet vacuum and the floor inspected to ensure it was clean. The process was repeated where needed until the floor was clean and ready for the second stage of cleaning.

A diluted solution of Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up was then applied and agitated using the brushes. This was again removed with the wet vacuum before the floor was thoroughly rinsed with fresh water. This is an acidic product that is good at removing mineral based contaminates and dissolve salts which can result in efflorescence as the floor dries.

Sealing a Terracotta Tiled Floor

The floor was left to dry out overnight and I returned the following day to begin the sealing process.
The first stage was to apply two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow, an impregnating sealer designed to penetrate the Terracotta and provide stain protection while enhancing the natural colours in the Terracotta.

Colour Grow leaves a matt finish so after leaving it to dry overnight, I returned for a third day to apply four coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go which leaves a satin floor finish. This combination of sealers will provide maximum protection against soil and moisture ingress while helping to retain the appearance of the newly renovated floor.

Once done the completed floor was transformed, with the natural character and colour of the old Terracotta brought back to life while providing the customer with a considerably more practical finish for a busy kitchen.

Routine Cleaning of Terracotta Tiles

Whilst at the property I took time to go through future cleaning and explained that maintaining the floor correctly is important, particularly given its age and new sealer. I advised using Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner for routine cleaning, unlike many general-purpose floor cleaners you find in supermarkets this product won’t damage the sealer.

I also recommended having me return once a year to complete an annual maintenance clean. This will keep the floor looking its best and prevent soil and contamination from becoming established in the surface again.

 

Old Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovated in Nottinghamshire