Porcelain Tile Cleaning

Shower Room Tiles Before and After Grout Colouring in Hove

Badly Stained Grout in Porcelain Tiled Shower Cubicle Recoloured in Hove

Hove is a town in East Sussex which is confused with – and somewhat overshadowed by – its larger, more well-known neighbour, Brighton. In fact, the tendency for people to confuse Hove and Brighton is such that a running joke in the area amongst residents of Hove is to reply “Hove, actually” when they are asked if they live in Brighton.

But Hove is no small town – in fact, its home to more than 90,000 people. As the East Sussex Tile Doctor I am a frequent visitor to the Brighton and Hove area. Most recently, I was called to a property to address a Porcelain tiled shower cubicle which was really starting to annoy the owner.

She felt like she could never seem to keep it clean of grime and the dyes in soaps that invariably stain the grouting. As a result, the whole cubicle looked worse for wear – you can see this in the photo below.

Shower Room Tiles Before Grout Colouring in Hove Shower Room Tiles Before Grout Colouring in Hove

Not only did the customer want the tiles and grout cleaned up, but she had been impressed by some subway tiles she had seen where a darker grout had been used, she liked the effect it gave and wanted to see if it could be replicated. I suggested that we could clean up the tiles and recolour the grout using a Black Tile Doctor Grout Colourant. She accepted the quote for the work and I was able to get started soon after.

Cleaning Porcelain Shower Tiles and Grout

To begin the restoration, I gave the tile and grout a deep clean using Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, which is a highly effective alkaline-based cleaner for Tile, Stone and Grout.

This left the tiles looking fresher, but the grout lines – which were very badly stained – would as need to be recoloured for the best result. Before applying the Grout Colourant, the grout needed to be prepped in order to achieve a strong bond with the colourant. To do this I applied Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up which is an acidic product normally used for removing grout smears but in this case, I used it to etch the surface of the grout. Once done I gave the grout a rinse with water to remove any trace of cleaning product.

Recolouring Shower Tile Grout

The final step in the restoration was to recolour the grout in black to achieve that subway effect the customer desired. There are actually ten different colours in the Tile Doctor Grout Colourant range, including Charcoal Grey, White, and Chocolate, as well as Black.
The colourant in basically painted onto the grout using an applicator brush, you then let it dry for a while and then wipe off any excess from the tile surface. It looks a little horrendous in the photographs above but wait until you see the final result.

Shower Room Tiles During Grout Colouring in Hove Shower Room Tiles During Grout Colouring in Hove

Once the grout colourant sets you find that not only does it effectively recolour and rejuvenate the grout, but it also makes a barrier over the grout effectively sealing it in and making it easier to clean in future.

The last step was to strip out the mould stained silicone sealant from around the base of the shower cubicle and replace with a quality mould resistant sealant. This final step really finished off the renovation and the photographs below show the outcome, which I think you will agree was quite a transformation. Thankfully, it was exactly what the customer was looking for!

Shower Room Tiles During Grout Colouring in Hove Shower Room Tiles After Grout Colouring in Hove

 

Professional Renovation of a Porcelain Tiled Shower Cubicle in East Sussex

Badly Stained Grout in Porcelain Tiled Shower Cubicle Recoloured in Hove Read More »

Grout Before and After Changing Colour in Eastbourne Bathroom

Porcelain Shower Cubicle Grout Refreshed and Recoloured in Eastbourne

Anyone who wants to put their house up for sale should consider refurbishment projects that can help increase the value of the property and make it more appealing to potential buyers. This is especially the case in rooms with tiled floors or features, which many buyers find particularly attractive. If you’ve left your tiles – whether they’re in the bathroom, kitchen or elsewhere – in a bit of a state, chances are that it’ll put people off.

Recently, I was contacted by a customer who was in the process of refurbishing their house in Eastbourne prior to putting it up for sale. As part of the refurbishment, the customer wanted the Porcelain bathroom tiles to look ts absolute best for anyone viewing the property. While the bathroom room had been installed not too long ago, the grout was not looking very attractive.

Grout Before Changing Colour in Eastbourne Bathroom
This was due mainly to the fact that the grout was looking dark and stained. I was asked to give the tiles and grout a thorough clean before recolouring the grout to make it lighter and more appealing.

Cleaning and Re-Colouring Porcelain Shower Tiles and Grout

To achieve the best results, the grouting in shower cubicles needs to be cleaned before it can be recoloured. To do this, I used Tile Doctor Duo Clean, a product which acts fast to removes any mould and black spots from the grout. If necessary, it can also be used to clean plastic or enamel baths and showers.

The product was applied and then scrubbed into the grout carefully using a specialised grout brush, and the area was left to dry. Once the cubicle was dry, I applied the Tile Doctor Grout Colourant in small sections, so that I could wipe off any excess from the tile surface before it dried.

Grout During Changing Colour in Eastbourne Bathroom
Tile Doctor Grout Colourants are available in 10 different colours, but in this case the customer opted for a normal white as it contrasts nicely with the grey tiles. The Colourant not only recolours the grout lines; it also seals and rejuvenates them.

Grout After Changing Colour in Eastbourne Bathroom
The shower room was quite large, so the job took most of the day to complete. But it was certainly worth it. The customer was very pleased with the results, and we wish them the best of luck with selling the property.

Grout After Changing Colour in Eastbourne Bathroom
 

Professional Renovation of a Porcelain Tiled Bathroom in Eastbourne

Porcelain Shower Cubicle Grout Refreshed and Recoloured in Eastbourne Read More »

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