Marble Tile Cleaning Archives - Central London Tile Doctor

Marble Staircase Renovation Kensington London

Professional Renovation of a Marble Staircase in Kensington

We were recently contacted by a property management company responsible for maintaining several residential buildings in the Kensington area regarding a Marble staircase at one of the properties they manage. The company were not satisfied with the condition of the staircase, which had become dull and worn over time, losing the clean bright appearance the Marble originally had.

Although Marble is a highly durable natural stone, it can gradually lose its original appearance through heavy use and incorrect maintenance. As Marble becomes worn over time, it begins to hold dirt and contamination within the surface micro-pores, causing the stone to lose clarity.

Marble Staircase Before Renovation Kensington

Household cleaning products and basic polishing treatments aren’t sufficient to properly restore heavily worn marble and we have found the best method is to mechanically polish the stone using a set of diamond burnishing pads of different grits from coarse to fine. This is relatively straight-forward when working on a large floor however a staircase is much trickier.

Undeterred I put forward a plan that would utilise smaller pads and tools and set a date for the work to start.

Deep Cleaning a Marble Staircase

The first stage involved deep cleaning the staircase using Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a strong alkaline cleaning agent that’s safe to use on Tile and Stone. It breaks down ingrained dirt, residues, and surface contamination without affecting the marble, ensuring the surface was properly prepared before restoration began.

Once cleaned, the staircase was restored using the Tile Doctor diamond burnishing system. The process began using lower grit diamond burnishing pads before progressing through finer grits to gradually refine the marble surface and restore a smoother, more even finish throughout the staircase. The restoration sequence consisted of 400, 800, and 1500 grit diamond burnishing pads.

Due to the level of wear and contamination within the Marble, several areas required repeated treatment and multiple passes using the diamond burnishing pads before a consistent finish could be achieved.

Because staircases contain edges, risers, and detailed sections, smaller hand-held machines and diamond tools were also used throughout the process to ensure a consistent finish across all areas.

Once the refinement stages were complete, the Marble was finished using the final 1500-grit stage of the Tile Doctor diamond burnishing system to enhance clarity, brightness, and natural reflectivity without the use of topical coatings or artificial shine products.

Sealing a Mable Staircase

Once the staircase was thoroughly cleaned and dry it was sealed using Ultra Seal from the Tile Doctor range. This is a penetrating impregnating sealer designed to protect the Marble against future staining, moisture penetration, and re-soiling while maintaining the natural breathability of the stone.

Following the restoration process, the Marble staircase was noticeably improved, with a much cleaner and brighter appearance throughout. The restored finish improved the overall brightness of the hallway and brought back the natural character of the Marble.

Marble Staircase After Renovation Kensington

The property management company were pleased with the result and satisfied that the staircase had been successfully restored without the need for expensive repairs. For future maintenance cleaning I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner, it’s a mild yet effective cleaning product that doesn’t contain anything that might impact the grout colourant.

Professional Restoration of a Marble Staircase in Central London

Professional Renovation of a Marble Staircase in Kensington Read More »

Dull and Marked Marble Bar Top Polished at a Mayfair Night Club

We received a request from a prestigious private members’ club in Mayfair to restore a Marble bar top, which was dull and had been left extensively stained with use. Once a stunning centrepiece, the surface had lost its natural sheen and elegance and no longer reflected the grand nature of the establishment.

Dull Marble Bar Top Before Polishing Mayfair Club

The club wanted it revived to the high standards expected of such a refined setting and wanted our opinion on what could be done to bring the Marble back to life. Tile Doctor have developed numerous products and methods for dealing with all sorts of Tile, Stone and Grout issues and having worked on Marble worktops before I was confident of producing a good result.

Marked Marble Bar Top Before Polishing Mayfair Club

Cleaning and Polishing Damaged Marble Bar Top

The first and most critical step was to conduct a deep clean to remove ingrained dirt, residues, and the effects of unsuitable cleaning products that had etched into the stone over time. To do this Tile Doctor Pro-Clean was applied to the Marble top and left to soak in for ten minutes. This product is an alkaline, multi-purpose cleaner, stripper and degreaser designed specifically for cleaning natural stone surfaces like Marble.

The Pro -Clean was then scrubbed in lightly by hand with a focus on removing alcohol residues, oils and other dirt from the surface before moving on to the next step of honing the stone. The Pro-Clean was wiped away and the surface rinsed with water to remove any remaining residues.

Once the surface was free of dirt and contamination, we moved to the honing stage which further cleans and polishes the stone. We use a set of diamond-encrusted burnishing pads of varying grits for this which slowly and methodically restore a deep shine to the Marble. Work starts with a coarse 400-grit pad that gradually erases scratches, scuff marks, and imperfections that had built up over time. For a Bar Top like this we use smaller 6-inch pads fitted to a rotary hand buffer.

The diamond abrasives are extremely effective at smoothing out the surface while maintaining the integrity of the stone. The grit progression—from coarse to fine—helps refine the surface to a smooth, reflective state, gently bringing the natural polish back without causing further damage.

Sealing a Polished Marble Bar Top

Naturally the management wanted the polished appearance to last as long as possible so the next step was to apply Tile Doctor Shine Powder which adds a deep durable shine. This polishing powder is designed to restore the natural gloss of marble and smooth out surface imperfections. It effectively erased the dull spots caused by alcohol spills, ensuring a smooth, glossy finish and bringing the marble back to its original shine.

With the marble now looking beautifully smooth and polished the last step was to apply a sealer to the stone to protect against stains and spillages. The best product for this was Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal which is an impregnator that soaks in to the stone adding protection from within. It’s externally rates so ideal for surfaces that are often wet and offers a premium high-performance protective seal that will keep the Marble looking beautiful for many years to come.

Dull Marble Bar Top After Polishing Mayfair Club

The result was nothing short of stunning. What was once a damaged stone surface is now a gleaming Marble showpiece that perfectly complements the club’s sophisticated, high-end interior.

The restoration process, though time-consuming and intricate, was well worth it and was completed in time for opening later that day. The owner was thrilled with the transformation, and the Marble bar top once again stood proudly as a focal point in the club.

For aftercare I recommended Tile Doctor Stone Patina Spray which is a spray and buff cleaner that is designed to enhance the natural beauty and lustre of polished stone worktops.

Professional Polishing of a Marble Bar Top in Central London

Dull and Marked Marble Bar Top Polished at a Mayfair Night Club Read More »

Restoration of Viakal Damaged Marble Shower Tiles in Ealing

1 Comment / Hammersmith and Fulham Tile Cleaning, Marble Tile Cleaning, Work History / Jackson Davis

We recently received an enquiry from a customer in Ealing, East London who was concerned about their Marble Tiled Shower which had been damaged from the use of Viakal Limescale Remover. Unfortunately, this is a very common problem and we often receive calls from customers with similar issues. Limescale removal products such as Viakal and Cillit Bang are very effective but like any acidic product, they are very harmful to natural stone such as Limestone and Marble. With any cleaning product you should really read the label before use and in this case you will find they state the product should not be used on natural stone.

The Viakal had etched the surface of the Marble in several places where it had been applied and although the damage looked really bad I was happy to inform my customer there is a solution and that I could indeed restore the appearance of the stone.

Damaged Marble Shower Wall Before Restoration Ealing

Polishing Damaged Marble Shower Tiles

My first task was to give the Marble tile and grout a good clean and remove any sealer and soap scum etc; to do this I used a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean scrubbed in with a small black scrubbing pad fitted to a hand-held machine. The Marble tiles were then rinsed with water to remove the soil generated by the cleaning process.

To fully restore the appearance of the Marble the next step required the application of coarse burnishing pads applied in sequence from very coarse to very fine using six-inch pads fitter to a handheld buffer. It’s a process that takes the polish off the stone and rebuilds it. A little water is needed to help lubricate with the coarser pads and the tiles are rinsed off between each one to remove any slurry generated during the process.

To achieve a very high shine the Marble tiles were then treated to an application of Tile Doctor Shine Powder which involves buffing crystallising polishing powder into the stone to build a deep durable finish

Sealing Marble Shower Tiles

The last step was to seal the Marble tile and grout to protect it going forward. Before sealing we needed to make sure that the tiles are dry and a damp meter is a very useful tool for this. A single coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow was applied which is an impregnating sealer that occupies the pores in the stone whilst enhancing the natural colours in the Marble in the process.

Damaged Marble Shower Wall After Restoration Ealing

The work took three days in total but as you can see from the photographs on this page it was well worth the effort and the white streaky damage caused by the Viakal has now been removed and the stone has been transformed. My customer was very happy with the results and left the following feedback.

I had serious acid etchings from spraying Viakal on my marble shower box and basin. Didi and his partner did a good job of polishing out the majority of the acid etchings. It was a 3 day job for them, and over all I was happy with the result and service.
Edward T, London

Acid Etched Marble Shower Tiles Restored in London

Restoration of Viakal Damaged Marble Shower Tiles in Ealing Read More »

Refurbishing a Marble Onyx Countertop in Hampstead

1 Comment / Camden Tile Cleaning, Marble Tile Cleaning, Work History / Jackson Davis

My client asked me to take a look at a very dirty Marble Onyx countertop in her home in Hampstead which is located within the London Borough of Camden. Interestingly, Hampstead is home to more millionaires than any other area of the UK so if you’re going to find bathrooms of this standard this is the place.

Marble Onyx Countertop London Before and After Cleaning

This particular worktop had been heavily soiled by roughly fifteen years of soap scum and old sealer. It would take a thorough clean as well as a fresh seal to get this countertop back to looking its best. Marble is a fantastic type of stone which has, throughout history, been used to forge beautiful, yet resilient surfaces.

Cleaning a dirty Marble Onyx countertop

I immediately set to work cleaning the countertop using a strong solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. Pro-Clean is an alkaline product and therefore suitable for use on natural stone, meaning that, along with Marble, it is also suitable for use on Limestone, Granite, Slate, Travertine, and others. After leaving it to dwell on the surface for a short period of time, I began scrubbing the solution of cleaner into the Marble, and gradually the years of soap scum, old sealer and ingrained dirt began to come off. It was amazing just how quickly I was able to remove many years of muck with a bit of elbow grease.

Following this, I rinsed off any excess cleaning product with clean water and then left the surface to dry, before I began the process of burnishing the Marble countertop using small six inch burnishing pads starting with a coarse pad and then moving up to super fine. After the burnishing process was complete, I gave the surface a rinse followed by an additional polish with a buffing pad until the shine was fully restored to the worktop.

Sealing a Marble Onyx countertop

After ensuring the countertop was fully dry following the cleaning and burnishing processes, I set about providing the surface with a fresh seal. My choice of sealer was Tile Doctor Colour Grow, an impregnating sealer which is designed to both provide durable surface protection, whilst also intensifying the natural colours within the stone. I applied a layer of Colour Grow carefully to the countertop, and the Onyx shades within the Marble really came to life once again.

I was very happy with the results overall, as was my client. It is very rewarding to think that hard work can go a long way to quickly restoring a surface which had been hidden for so long by many layers of muck.

Marble Countertop Restored in Hampstead

Refurbishing a Marble Onyx Countertop in Hampstead Read More »

Cleaning a Tumbled Marble mosaic wet room floor in London SE1

1 Comment / City of London Tile Cleaning, Marble Tile Cleaning, Work History / Jackson Davis

This Tumbled Marble mosaic wet room floor was installed in a house in London, SE1 four years before prior and was now looking a little tired. This was mostly caused by a build-up of Limescale which had then become grimy.

Stripping a Tumbled Marble Floor

To treat the Limescale I used Tile Doctor Grout Clean Up which managed to remove most of the scale and to remove the remainder I steamed the tiles using an Earlex Steamer and carefully scraped any remaining Limescale residue away with a Stanley window scraper. To restore the marble itself I used Tile Doctor burnishing pads to re-polish the tiles using 17″ pads on the main area and 8″ pads on a hand-held Clarke polishing machine in the corners. These diamond encrusted pads come in a number of different colours and are applied one after another with each pad being a finer grade than the last. After thoroughly rinsing the stone again and removing the waste water with a wet vacuum. As the marble was naturally fast drying I used an Earlex heat gun to speed dry the floor and repeated this after lunch to ensure the floor was entirely dry before sealing.

Sealing Tumbled-Marble Tiles

Once the Marble tiles were dry I started to seal them using two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow sealer which is a great choice for natural stone as it enhances the natural colours in the tile as well as providing stain protection.

As the photographs show the results were very good and the customer was highly delighted.

Restoring Tumbled Marble Mosaic in a Wet Room

Cleaning a Tumbled Marble mosaic wet room floor in London SE1 Read More »

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Camden Tile Cleaning, Ceramic Tile Cleaning, City of London Tile Cleaning, Encaustic Cement Tile Cleaning, Fireplace Cleaning, Flagstone Tile Cleaning, Greenwich Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Hackney Tile Cleaning, Hammersmith and Fulham Tile Cleaning, Islington Tile Cleaning, Kensington and Chelsea Tile Cleaning, Lambeth Tile Cleaning, Lewisham Tile Cleaning, Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing, Marble Tile Cleaning, Porcelain Tile Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Sandstone Tile Cleaning, Slate Tile Cleaning, Southwark Tile Cleaning, Terracotta Tile Cleaning, Terrazzo Floor Cleaning, Tower Hamlets Tile Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Vinyl Tile Cleaning, Wandsworth Tile Cleaning, Westminster Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Jackson Davis

Central London Tile Doctor

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