Suzana Smilevski, Author at South London Tile Doctor

Renovating a Dirty Limestone Patio in Putney

This work was conducted earlier in the year when I was contacted by a previous client from Putney who needed help renovating their Limestone tiled patio. I usually work on indoor stone floors so I didn’t anticipate any issues apart from having to contend with the weather.

Limestone Patio Before Cleaning Putney

I went over to survey the patio and come up with a renovation plan. I could see the Patio was in good physical shape but it had a lot of green algae staining and was generally very dirty with ingrained dirt. After measuring up and working out a renovation plan I was able to email over a quote which was accepted and a date scheduled for the work to start.

Limestone Patio Before Cleaning Putney

Deep Cleaning a Limestone Patio

Work started by giving the whole area a thorough wash to clear any grit and general dirt using a pressure washer and extracting the slurry with a wet vacuum. It was a large area so the work was done in sections.

Working in sections again the next was to burnish the limestone starting with a coarse 400-grit diamond pad which is applied with water for lubrication. This coarse pad opens the pores in the stone allowing the ingrained dirt to be flushed out. The soiling was extracted with the wet vacuum and work progressed onto the next pads which are a finer 800 and 1500-grit. Again, water was used for lubrication and the soiling extracted after each pad was applied. These finer pads slowly close the pores in the stone and refine the appearance of the stone building up a lovely finish on the Limestone.

Limestone Patio Renovation Putney

The next step was to clean the grout using a dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean scrubbing them by hand with a stiff brush. The pads do a good job of cleaning the stone but can struggle to reach into the recesses of the grout line.

After another extraction with the wet vacuum the last pad in the set was applied to the patio as before which is a very fine 3500-grit that adds the final polish to the Limestone. This pad is applied dry with only a little water sprayed onto the tile.

Sealing a Limestone Patio

Once the patio was dry it was sealed using Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal which is a natural look sealer that will protect the stone from dirt becomes ingrained in the stone. The sealer soaks into the pores of the stone preventing dirt from residing there and keeping it on the surface where it can be easily rinsed away.

Limestone Patio Renovation Putney

Once complete the patio looked like a new installation and the new sealer will help it stay that way for many years to come.

Limestone Patio After Renovation Putney

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Neglected Victorian Tiled Floor Restoration in Kensington

Deep Clean and Restoration of a Victorian Tiled Hallway Floor in Kensington

1 Comment / Battersea Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning / Suzana Smilevski

The photographs below are of a Victorian tiled floor at a property across the Thames in Kensington which as you can see was in quite a poor state, especially along the edges. The property was being renovated and the walls recently plastered following a rewire resulting in all sorts of building materials being trod into the tiles leaving them looking very neglected.

Neglected Victorian Tiled Floor Before Restoration Kensington

The biggest problem were the border tiles where many had become damaged and cracked over the years. It would be a straight-forward task to replace them however, and I was confident of finding matching replacements.

I worked out a quote for the work which would include replacing the damaged tiles, deep cleaning the floor and then sealing to protect it. The quote included sourcing replacement reproduction tiles for which there are several suppliers, and I was confident that after a clean and seal the new tiles would blend in well with the original.

Cleaning and Restoring a Victorian Tiled Hallway

The room was completely empty due to the house being renovated so I was able to crack straight on starting by giving the floor an initial clean using Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel. Normally I would do the repairs first but with the floor being so dirty I wanted to be sure I could see all the tiles that needed replacing.

Old Victorian floors don’t have the benefit of a damp proof membrane so it’s important to keep the use of water to a minimum and avoid the appearance of white efflorescent salts which can rise through the tile as it dries. The gel was applied neat to the Victorian tiles and allowed to soak in for about ten minutes before being worked in using a 200-Grit pad fitted to a rotary buffer. The combination of the coarse pad and the cleaning gel does a good job of bringing the dirt to the surface where it was then removed with a wet vacuum.

Neglected Victorian Tiled Floor During Repairs Kensington

With the floor clean I set about removing the broken tiles which was done carefully to avoid disturbing more tiles than necessary. The rubble was removed, and the foundation was rebuilt with self-levelling compound to the correct level. Once that had set, the replacement tiles were shaped and secured in place with fresh adhesive and grout. When complete I left for the day to allow the repairs to set overnight.

The following day I completed the cleaning process using another gel product called Tile Doctor Acid Gel. The acidic nature of the product also neutralises any salts that may be present and then leaves a microscopic etch on the clay tiles which helps to achieve a better bond with the sealer. The gel was then rinsed off and extracted as before and the floor left to dry off overnight.

Sealing a Victorian Tiled Hallway

The next day we started sealing the floor with Tile Doctor Colour Grow. This is a fully breathable sealer which is an important feature when sealing old floors like this, it also contains a colour enhancer. The sealer protects the tiles from ingrained dirt ensuring it remains on the surface where it can be easily cleaned away.

Neglected Victorian Tiled Floor After Restoration Kensington

Once complete the floor was completely transformed and unrecognisable from before, hopefully the decorators who will be working on the property next will ensure it stays that way. For aftercare cleaning I recommended using Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a mild yet effective tile cleaner that’s designed for use on sealed floors.

Neglected Victorian Tiled Floor After Restoration Kensington

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Bleached Slate Tiled Courtyard Restored Roehampton

Restoring the Appearance of Black Slate Tiled Courtyard in Roehampton

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Slate Tile Cleaning, Wandsworth Tile Cleaning / Suzana Smilevski

Here we have a Slate tiled courtyard at a property in Roehampton SW15 that had been installed 20 years prior and clearly not received much love since. The main issue was the grouting which was cracked in places and water had been leaking into the basement below. I suspect the Slate had been previously cleaned with a strong acidic patio cleaner as the stone had lost all its colour and looked bleached.

Slate Tiled Courtyard Before Cleaning Roehampton

The owner contacted me to see what could be done and once it was clear these were originally black slate tiles, I knew exactly what to do to restore the colour and put the life back into the floor. I discussed the restoration process with the owner and worked out a quote for the work. Happy to have finally found a solution I was given the go ahead and a date set for the work to start.

Cleaning and Repairing a Slate Tiled Courtyard

I started by removing the cracked and failing grouting and replaced it with a modern epoxy jointing compound normally sold for paving. There were a lot of grout lines to cover so it took some time to complete. The floor was then left to set before moving onto the next stage of cleaning.

To clean the Slate tiling I applied a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and left it to soak in for ten minutes before scrubbing it in with a carbide brush fitted to a rotary machine. The dirt released from the tiles was then rinsed away and extracted with a wet vacuum. The floor was then inspected and the process repeated where needed until I was happy the Slate was as clean as it could be.

Sealing a Slate Tiled Courtyard

The floor was then left to dry off again and I returned later to seal the tiles when the weather was dry. I used Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal for this, in fact it was a perfect choice as its suitable for external use and is an oil-based sealer which is exactly what the slate needed to restore the black colour to the stone.

Slate Tiled Courtyard After Renovation Roehampton

For aftercare I advised the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a mild but effective tile and grout cleaner that won’t impact the sealer. The floor looked great, and my client was very happy with the completed project.

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Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovation Balham

Dirty Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovated in Balham SW12

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Terracotta Tile Cleaning, Wandsworth Tile Cleaning / Suzana Smilevski

The photographs below show the condition of a heavily soiled Terracotta tiled kitchen floor at a residential property in Balham, SW12, which I was recently commissioned to renovate. The client had several outstanding tasks related to the renovation of the property, but the kitchen floor was the most urgent due to its significant level of soiling. The client described the condition of the floor as “VERY dirty” and in immediate need of professional attention.

During an initial site visit, I conducted a thorough inspection of the floor. It became clear that the contamination was largely the result of recent renovation work carried out by other tradespeople. A cleaning test confirmed that the floor would respond positively to deep cleaning. I also identified that a sealer had previously been applied, but to restore the floor to a satisfactory standard, a deep and intensive cleaning process would be necessary, followed by resealing.

Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor Before Renovation Balham

Following this assessment, I prepared a detailed quotation for the renovation work, which was approved by the client. A suitable date was then agreed for the commencement of the job.

Deep Cleaning a Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor

Upon returning to the property, I began the renovation by carrying out a deep cleaning of the Terracotta tiles and grout lines. For this, I used a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go, combined with Nanotech HBU to maximise effectiveness. The solution was agitated into the surface using a rotary floor machine fitted with a coarse carbide brush.

Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor During Renovation Balham

The floor was then rinsed thoroughly, and the resulting slurry extracted using a wet vacuum. I carefully inspected the tiles and grout after the first pass, and any areas with persistent staining were retreated using the same method. To ensure a thorough clean of the grout lines, I applied a strong solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, which I worked in manually using a hand-held scrubbing brush until the grout reached an acceptable standard.

Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor During Renovation Balham

The floor was rinsed multiple times throughout the cleaning process, with each rinse followed by slurry extraction using the wet vacuum. After the final rinse, I used the vacuum once more to remove as much residual moisture as possible.

Sealing a Terracotta Tiled Kitchen

Before sealing, I tested the floor with a damp meter to ensure it was completely dry. Once confirmed, I applied several coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow. This sealer contains a colour-enhancing formula that accentuates the natural orange and red tones typical of Terracotta.

Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor During Sealing Balham

Tile Doctor Colour Grow is an impregnating sealer that penetrates the surface of the tile, filling the pores to prevent the ingress of dirt and moisture. This ensures easier maintenance and provides long-term protection, while preserving the natural matte appearance of the tiles — an important requirement expressed by the client.

The transformation was remarkable. The client was extremely satisfied with the result, stating that the floor now “looks like new.”

Terracotta Tiled Kitchen Floor After Renovation Balham

For ongoing maintenance, I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner. This pH-neutral product is specially formulated to clean sealed tiles without degrading the protective sealer. I advised against using standard household cleaning agents, as many are too aggressive and can compromise the integrity of the sealer over time.

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Author name: Suzana Smilevski