Sympathetic Restoration of Victorian Quarry Tiles Using Tile Doctor Low Moisture Acid Gel Cleaning in Waresley near Kidderminster

Detailed below is the repair and restoration of a Victorian Quarry Tiled hallway floor at a property in the small village of Waresley where part of the screed foundation had collapsed. This had resulted in several rows of tiles becoming loose and grid against each other if stepped on.

I visited the property to survey the floor and work out a quotation for its repair and restoration. It was clear that the tiles in the damaged sections of floor would need to be removed before the screed could be repaired. Several of the original 9-inch quarry tiles were in a bad state so these would need replacing, either with reclaimed or from just in front of the door where the owner wanted the tiles removing to allow for a welcome matt.

I worked out a comprehensive quote for the restoration including all the products needed and emailed it over to the owner. The quote was accepted and a date set for the work to start which would take several days.

Repairing a Quarry Tiled Hallway Floor

The first job was to remove the tiles for the new matt well and damaged floor using various tools to prise the thick 9-inch quarry tiles up from the screed. Once clear the foundation was reset with self-levelling cement level with the surrounding screed. The tiles were then dry fitted back into place making cuts where required. Once this looked right, they were fixed in place using flexible adhesive and left to dry and then grouted.

I also took this opportunity to re-fit loose tiles, fill grout gaps and generally tidy up the tiling after what must have been 150 years of use.

Deep Cleaning a Quarry Tiled Hallway Floor

The floor was left to set overnight and the following work progressed onto deep cleaning. A strong dilution was sprayed onto the floor and let to soak in for ten minutes so the product could get to work breaking down the soils and old coatings. After ten minutes the floor was scrubbed with a black buffing pad fitted to a rotary machine, this works the product into the pores of the quarry tiles flushing out the dirt in the process. One done the slurry was extracted with a wet vacuum.

Next the floor treated to a thorough acid wash using Tile Doctor Acid Gel to remove old grout smears and mineral deposits such as efflorescence which are quite a common issue on old Quarry tiled floors. The gel is worked in as before and then extracted using the wet vacuum before given a light rinse with water to remove any trace of cleaning product. Last step was to give the floor a visual inspection to make sure it was as clean as it could be; any issues were spot cleaned with more Acid Gel. The floor was then left to dry off fully overnight.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled Hallway Floor

I returned the next day and began by using a moisture meter to ensure the floor was dry. All was well so I proceeded to seal the floor using a combination of Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal which is externally rated with Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is a colour enhancing sealer. The two sealers brought out the best in the Quarry tiles and restored their light orange colour making the area so much brighter.

Both these sealers are impregnators that work by soaking into the tile, occupying the pores and preventing dirt from residing there. This ensures that dirt remains on the surface where it can be easily cleaned away. Regarding regular cleaning we recommend using Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is ph neutral so it won’t impact the sealer.

Source: Quarry Tile Cleaning Products and Services in Waresley near Kidderminster