Ceramic Tile Cleaning

Welcome to my Work History archive where you will find detailed examples of Ceramic Tile and Grout Cleaning/Renovation work carried out in South East Wales

Cleaning Ceramic Tiles

Ceramic tiles are usually fully glazed and so do not have any pores that dirt can become ingrained into, because of this they are easy to clean with Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner and are generally low maintenance. Textured ceramic tiles however are one exception, they have a rough surface in order to make them less slippery and are often used around wet areas such as swimming pools. Dirt is easily trapped in the textured surface and to get these clean requires a more intensive clean ideally using a rotating scrubbing pad.

Due to their low maintenance we rarely get called to deep clean Ceramic tiles however grout is a different case. The top layer of grout is actually porous and due to it being recessed we find when they are mopped it leads to a build-up of dirt on the grout causing it to discolour. This can be resolved using Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and then once clean and fully dry, seal the grout with one coat of Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal using a pipette.

Ceramic tiles are used a lot in bathrooms and shower cubicles where again we find it’s usually the grout or silicone sealant that discolours before the tiles do. In these cases we often find the appearance can be greatly improved with the use of a Grout Colourant and replacement of the silicone.

Below you will find detailed examples of work we have carried out in the past, it should give you some idea of what’s involved and what can be achieved with the right techniques and products


Shower Tile Refresh Cardiff

Tile Installation Problems Resolved in a Cardiff Bathroom

Sometimes my clients ask the question: “Why is the grout coming out of the joints in my bathroom floor, and what can I do about it?” This job at a house in the city of Cardiff had exactly that problem and I had been asked to resolve it, additionally one of the tiles had become cracked and need replacing.

Cracked Bathroom Floor Tile Repair Cardiff Cracked Bathroom Floor Tile Repair Cardiff

The cause was due to movement in the floor when walked on, causing the grout to dislodge from the tile; this is not uncommon on tiled floors where there is wooden base and there is a lack of flexibility in the adhesive, most likely because it was watered down upon initial installation or a flexible product was not used. In this case the floorboards outside the bathroom door would squeak when stepped on, suggesting that there was some degree of movement under the bathroom floor, making the substrate move very slightly – but enough to cause problems. All I could really do in this situation was to remove the existing grout with a small machine and re-grout the entire area using a highly flexible grout.

Cracked Bathroom Floor Tile Repair Cardiff Cracked Bathroom Floor Tile Repair Cardiff

These thoughts were confirmed when I came to replace one cracked tile in the centre of the floor. Upon removing the broken tile I saw that the tiles had been laid on 13mm of adhesive which was very brittle and soft, allowing it to be scraped off the tile and the floor easily. Only approximately 50% of the tile was covered in adhesive, suggesting that it had been laid rather carelessly. Tiles must have 100% adhesive coverage, especially in bathrooms with underfloor heating, because the heat and cold can directly impact the stone and cause cracks.

Cracked Bathroom Floor Tile Repair Cardiff Cracked Bathroom Floor Tile Repair Cardiff

Fortunately the customer had a spare tile and so I carefully chopped out the broken tile and removed the surrounding grout and adhesive causing no disruption to the surrounding area. The replacement tile was secured in place with adhesive and then grouted using a matching grout, this time using flexible products.

Cracked Bathroom Floor Tile Repair Cardiff Cracked Bathroom Floor Tile Repair Cardiff

The next job was to take a look at the shower cubicle where I was disappointed to see that the contractor who was responsible for the initial installation of the floor had used a very cheap silicone between the base and the shower wall. It was now mouldy and had de-bonded in places that it had to be cut out and replaced by a stronger, high quality silicone. Generally speaking, silicone should last more than 2-3 years (this floor had been installed in 2012).

Shower Tile Refresh Cardiff
I cut the old silicone out with a sharp knife, cleaned up the edges and replaced the silicone with a quality product.

Shower Tile Refresh Cardiff
The ceramic and mosaic tiles were in good condition so this really was just a case of resolving some installation problems however for general cleaning I would recommend Tile Doctor Stone Soap which is a new Biodegradable organic product ideal for cleaning bathroom tiles.

 

Bathroom Installation Problems Resolved in South Wales

Tile Installation Problems Resolved in a Cardiff Bathroom Read More »

Versatile Tile Cleaning Penarth After Cleaning

Cleaning Red and Black Versatile Ceramic tiles in Penarth

This Ceramic Tiled Floor was in Penarth near Cardiff, the tile were 150 mm x 150 mm red dust pressed composition, known as versatile as it can be laid on both sides sometimes found around swimming pool areas due to their non-slip raised definition. The floor was looking a bit tired, so the customer asked if they could be revived. I did an inspection of the floor and noticed the grout was lose at the lounge doorway and this had to be re-grouted after my wet vacuum sucked it out part way through the cleaning process.

Versatile Tile Cleaning Penarth Before Cleaning

Cleaning Ceramic Tiles

First of all I tested for moisture which read very low, which was good news as it meant I was not going to have any issues with moisture in the tiles. I then applied masking tape to the skirting and carpet riser at the bottom of the staircase; I always protect these areas as once I removed a little paint on another customers skirting with Tile Doctor Remove and Go and so I deducted £50 .00 off the bill by way of compensation.

Versatile Tile Cleaning Penarth Masking
I then covered the floor with Tile Doctor Remove and Go let it soak in for half an hour, the floor was then rinsed twice and then to clean the grout I applied with Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which was then scrubbed into the grout joints; it was at this point some lose grout came away. The floor was rinsed twice again and I re-grouted the areas which needed it. The floor was dried with a wet vacuum and then it was left to dry for two days.

Versatile Tile Cleaning Penarth Grouting Versatile Tile Cleaning Penarth During Cleaning

Sealing Ceramic Versatile Tiled Floor

On my return I checked the damp levels again before starting to seal the floor with three coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go which also adds a nice shine to the tile. Caution should be applied to this type of tile as streak marks can be prominent when applying the sealer, in my experience I find as soon as the sealer is applied to the tile with a paint pad a cloth or any other method it marks the tile. It’s possible I’m just a being a perfectionist as the customer was thrilled with the finish.

Versatile Tile Cleaning Penarth After Cleaning

Ceramic Tiled Versatile floor cleaned in South Wales

Cleaning Red and Black Versatile Ceramic tiles in Penarth Read More »

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South East Wales Tile Doctor

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