Marble Tile Cleaning Archives - South London Tile Doctor

Acid Damaged Marble Tabletop Renovated in Putney

Restoring the Appearance of a Marble Coffee Tabletop in Putney

1 Comment / Marble Tile Cleaning / Daniel

The photographs below are from a client in Putney, and show what will happen to a Polished Marble tabletop if you try and clean it with Viakal. Marble is made from calcium and magnesium carbonate which makes it acid sensitive, Viakal on the other hand is an acid cleaner blended from Formic and Citric acids resulting in a pH level of 2.2. This product uses the acid to dissolve the calcium and magnesium deposits in Limescale.

Acid Etched Polished Marble Table Before Renovation Putney

To be fair to Viakal the label does state not to use it on natural stone, but who reads the label, certainly my clients cleaner hadn’t. The result was the acid had etched the lovely, polished Marble surface and it appeared to be ruined.

I was happy to re-assure my client that the etching could be removed, however, to do this the table would need to be burnished with a set of diamond pads of different grades. This process cuts into the stone with a coarse pad to remove the etching and then slowly builds back the polished appearance using finer grades of pad. The table was very heavy however so the work would need to be done on-site.

Polishing a Marble Tabletop

Due to the weight of the stone table, it couldn’t really be moved so my first job was to relocate nearby furniture, roll up the rug and cover everything in blankets and a drop cloth. The last thing I wanted was any other possessions getting splashed during the burnishing process.

When polishing Marble floor tiles, I would normally use large 17-inch diamond pads fitted to a rotary floor buffer, however that simply wouldn’t work on a table, so I ordered a set of 6-inch burnishing pads from Tile Doctor instead. These smaller pads fit nicely on a hand-held buffer that would be perfect for this situation.

The burnishing process involves working through the pads in sequence. I started with the coarse 100, 200 and then 400-grit pads applied with a little water, these coarse pads were able to remove the etching and ingrained dirt. The table was rinsed down and then the 800-grit medium pad was applied which is the first step in the polishing process. Again, this pad is applied with water to lubricate, and the table was rinsed down afterwards.

Acid Etched Polished Marble Table During Renovation Putney

The process was repeated with the 1500-grit fine pad and then the 3000-grit very fine pad to bring up a really nice shine to the Marble table, I should mention the last pad is applied dry with only a tiny amount of water sprayed onto the surface.

Sealing a Marble Table

The last step was to seal the stone to protect it going forward. I used Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal for this, it’s an oil-based impregnator and I figured the oil in the sealer would mask any marks that I wouldn’t be able to remove, however I actually ended up removing all the etching so the sealer just gave the stone a really nice colour and gloss.

Acid Etched Polished Marble Table After Renovation Putney

My customer was very pleased with the work and said that the table looked better than it ever had before. NB. For the aftercare cleaning of a polished Marble coffee table like this I recommend the use of Tile Doctor Stone Patina Spray which has been especially formulated for the regular cleaning of stone worktops.

Professional Restoration of a Marble Tabletop in South London

Restoring the Appearance of a Marble Coffee Tabletop in Putney Read More »

Marble tiled floor Westminster water test

Marble Bathroom Refreshed in Westminster

You may recall a job I wrote about earlier in the year concerning a Limestone tiled floor in Westminster well I’m please to say the owner of that property was so pleased with my workmanship that I was asked back to maintain the Marble tiled bathroom which included a sink unit.

Maintaining Marble Tiles

Normally with polished stone it’s necessary to burnish the floor however in this case the tiles were in good condition with no scratches in the polish, there were a few spots and marks on the tile that needed to come off and they had lost some shine however a full burnish would not be necessary.

Marble tiled floor Westminster Marks before cleaning

To remove the spots and marks I treated them first with a solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean diluted 4:1 with hot water. I then scrubbed them using a red buffing pad on my rotary floor machine, which took the marks away from the stone. Next I used a medium burnishing pad with a little water and followed with the fine pad and finally the ultra-fine burnishing pad to restore the shine and polish. I offered to build-up a durable polish with Tile Doctor Shine Powder however the owner was happy with the finish that had been achieved.

Marble tiled floor Westminster Marks after cleaning

Sealing Marble Tiles

Once the tiles were dry I sealed them using Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer which occupies the pores of the stone and also enhances its natural colours in the process.

Marble tiled floor Westminster after sealing

Marble tiled sink unit Westminster After Cleaning

Once the floor had been done I carried out the same process on the Marble sink unit using small six inch pads with a hand polisher. All went well and as you can see from the water bubble test in the photograph below the floor is now fully sealed however there is more work to be done elsewhere in the house and the owner has now booked me in to clean all of the carpets.

Marble Tile Cleaning and Polishing in Westminster, London

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Marble Tiles Indian Restaurant South Croydon Before and After

Marble Tiled Floor Cleaned and Polished in South Croydon Restaurant

1 Comment / Croydon Tile Cleaning, Marble Tile Cleaning, Work History / Daniel

I was asked by my local Indian restaurant in South Croydon if I could improve the look of their marble tiles in the reception area of the restaurant. They had been laid several years ago and now the sealer was failing and dirt was becoming ingrained in the tile and especially the grout which had gone dark.

Marble Tiles Indian Restaurant South Croydon Before

Marble Tile and Grout Cleaning

To get the grout clean and remove the surface dirt we started with the application of a coarse grade diamond encrusted burnishing pad, the pad is used in conjunction with a little water which helps lubricate the process and it effectively cuts back the layer of grime from the surface. Rotary pads do struggle to reach into the grout lines so a medium dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a heavy duty tile and grout cleaner that’s safe to use on natural stone and grout was also scrubbed into the grout by hand using a stiff brush.

Marble Tiles Indian Restaurant South Croydon During Cleaning

The floor was then rinsed to remove the now dirty water and cleaning solution and we moved on to polishing the floor using a medium grade, fine and then super fine pads to build the surface shine backup. The floor was rinsed with water in-between each pad and then dried out as thoroughly as possible using large air movers.

Sealing Marble Floor Tiles

Normally I would have finished off with the application of Tile Doctor Shine Powder to give it a mirror like finish but the owner was happy with the way it looked and so once the floor had dried we moved onto sealing it with two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer that works from the inside by occupying the pores within the stone, it also enhance the colours within natural stone.

Marble Tiles Indian Restaurant South Croydon After Cleaning

The owner was over the moon with the results and has now engaged us to maintain the floor on a regular basis.

Cleaning and Polishing a Marble Tiled floor in a Surrey Restaurant

Marble Tiled Floor Cleaned and Polished in South Croydon Restaurant Read More »

Limescale removed from Marble Shower Tiles Addlestone

Removing Limescale from Marble Shower Tiles in Addlestone

1 Comment / Epsom Tile Cleaning, Marble Tile Cleaning, Work History / Daniel

I recently went the assistance of a home owner in Addlestone, Surrey who had damaged the surface of the Marble tiles in her shower by attempting to remove Limescale using a well-known household cleaning product, which unfortunately due to its acidic formula actually made the problem worse and etched the tiles.

Limescale on Marble Shower Tiles Addlestone

Burnishing Marble Shower Cubicle Tiles

To remove the etching and Limescale from the Marble tiles the surface would need to be cut back and re-polished using diamond encrusted burnishing pads. For this job we used a set of six inch pads which are similar to the floor pads but smaller so they can be attached to a hand held machine and used on vertical surfaces.

To burnish the tiles a coarse pad is applied first lubricated with a little water and this removes surface deposits such as Limescale and in this case also the etching. The resultant residue is washed away and then you proceed on with the Medium, Fine and Very Fine polishing pads until the surface has been restored.

Sealing Marble Shower Tiles

Once I had finished applying the Very Fine pad I gave the tiles a thorough rinse and then dried them so they could be sealed for which I used a coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer that gets into the pores of the stone enhancing the natural colours in the process.

The owner was really grateful because she was thinking that they would need to be replaced which as you can imagine would have been very expensive.

Etched Marble Walls Tiles Burnished and Polished in Addlestone, Surrey

Removing Limescale from Marble Shower Tiles in Addlestone Read More »

300m2 Marble Tiled Floor Cleaned and Polished in Oxshott

1 Comment / Epsom Tile Cleaning, Marble Tile Cleaning, Work History / Daniel

Following on from a referral from a Property Management company I paid a visit it to this palatial property in Oxshott which had approximately 300m2 of Marble tiled flooring that they wanted cleaning and re-polishing, my initial quotation to do this mechanically was too high so I offered an alternative using diamond encrusted burnishing pads which reduced the cost significantly. I didn’t receive an answer so I thought that was the end of it however five months later I got an email asking me to carry out the works.

Marble Tiled Floor Polishing

This was a very large area so we had two men working with burnishing pads in 10 metre sections. The pads come in a set of four; you start with the coarse pad together with a little water and this cuts through and removes surface grime and any surface seal. You then progress through the other finer pads one by one until you get to the final polishing pad which provides a high polish.

Fortunately there were not many stains and the ones that were there came out quite easily. When we had completed a room using this system we then applied Tile doctor Shine powder which is a crystallising power worked into the floor using a white buffing pad and a little water; it adds an extra level of deep shine to the marble floor giving it that extra wow factor together with a tough durable finish, we did this working 1 m2 at a time.

This whole process took five days to complete and when we had finished the client came to inspect it with the homeowner. She was delighted with the final finish and has said that she will be recommending us to all her friends and clients. This is also great for the property manager because it has given him a good reputation for providing a trustworthy and highly skilled contractor for the works. Also he has promised us further work from his other clients including a job to carry out the external stone cleaning works for the same client.

Cleaning and Polishing a Large Marble Tiled floor in Oxshott, Surrey

300m2 Marble Tiled Floor Cleaned and Polished in Oxshott Read More »

Marble Wall and Floor Tile Refresh in Woking

1 Comment / Epsom Tile Cleaning, Marble Tile Cleaning, Work History / Daniel

This job was to refresh the Marble tile installed in a house in Woking. There were a number of different marble tiles installed on the wall and floor including two shower cubicles, a bathroom floor, a small cloakroom floor and the kitchen floor; the pictures below show before and after photographs for each job.

Cleaning a Marble Tile Shower Cubicle

I started with the shower cubicles using Tile Doctor Oxy-Pro which is a specific product for cleaning showers and comes with a spray attachment that mixes the cleaning agent with air making it lighter and helping it stick to vertical surfaces. This was left to dwell on the surface for a while and then the tiles were scrubbed before being rinsed down. This action not only cleaned the dirt and soap scum off the tile it also got rid of some mould that had started to grow.

In one shower there was a build-up of limescale on the wall so to get rid of this I used a little Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up, this product is usually for removing grout smears from tile however it’s also good at removing most types of mineral deposits such as Limescale, you do have to be quick though as it’s an Acid based product I had to be quick and to thoroughly rinse because I didn’t want to damage the marble.

Marble Mosaic Bathroom floor tile cleaning

The next job was to tackle the bathroom floor which was tiled with small Marble mosaic tiles. A long time was spent cleaning and scrubbing the grout of this floor using a solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean mixed 50/50 with NanoTech Ultra-Clean to add tiny abrasive particles making a very effective tile cleaner. Again once the cleaning was finished cleaning the floor was rinsed thoroughly with clean water to remove any cleaning product.

Marble Kitchen floor tile cleaning

The next floor on the list was the kitchen floor, again all Marble tile; on this I used a rotary scrubbing machine fitted with a medium brush head and again a mixture of Pro-Clean and NanoTech UltraClean. The reason I used a brush head instead of a scrubbing pad is because it is a textured marble the brushes will get into the nooks and crannies, the grout was especially stained in this area and this is now much improved.

Marble Cloakroom floor cleaning

The last floor on the list to do was the cloakroom WC which was cleaned using the same method as on the bathroom floor described above using the Pro-Clean, NanoTech, and UltraClean mixture worked in with some elbow grease.

Once everything had been cleaned, and rinsed. I left it all to dry out overnight.

Sealing Marble Tiles

The following day before I sealed I checked everything just in case I had missed anything, but it was all okay. I sealed everything twice using Tile Doctor Colour Grow and checked that the tiles were properly sealed by doing a water test. When sealing you have to make sure that you don’t let the seal puddle so I buff the tiles with terry towelling and on the large areas I also buff the floors with a white buffing pad.

As you can imagine this was a very large job and when everything was eventually finished the lady said she was really happy and couldn’t believe how the tiles had come out, she even had her neighbours round to see how it all turned out and they were all suitably impressed.

Multiple Marble Tile Wall and Floor Tiles cleaned in Woking, Surrey

Marble Wall and Floor Tile Refresh in Woking Read More »

Marble Tiled Hallway Cleaned and Polished in Farnborough

Epsom Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Marble Tile Cleaning, Work History / Daniel

It’s not our local area but following a recommendation to this client by another customer we were asked to have clean and seal these Marble tiles in the hallway of a house in Farnborough.

Marble Tile Cleaning and Polishing

There was no sealer present on the Marble tiled floor so gave the floor a clean with a dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is safe to use on stone floors, Pro-Clean is also very effective on grout so we took the opportunity to get into the grout lines as well. Once we were happy with the tile and grout we removed the soiled cleaning solution using a wet vacuum and washed the floor down with clean water.

The next step was to use a set of diamond encrusted burnishing Pads fitted to a rotary buffing machine to polish the floor. The pads come in a set and are very effective at restoring the shine back on Marble, Limestone and Travertine etc.

Sealing Marble Tiles

Once the floor was polished we applied two coats of Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal which provides a high level of surface protection whilst maintaining the natural look of the Marble tiles. Once the sealer had dried we buffed the floor again using a white polishing pad.

I’m, afraid I forgot to take any photographs before we started cleaning so you can see the difference we made to the floor, needless to say however the customer was very happy with the results

Marble Floor Tiles and Grout Refreshed in Farnborough

Marble Tiled Hallway Cleaned and Polished in Farnborough Read More »

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