I visited a family sized kitchen in Crieff which had Limestone tiles needing cleaned and sealed. The tiles were tired and soiled and needed to be stripped back so that the cleaning and sealing process could take place. To to this I used a 1:4 dilution of Pro-Clean and a black pad, to clean the dirt trapped in the stone’s pores. I fitted the black pads to a buffing machine and ran them over each tile multiple times, which lifted the dirt from the tiles. This process also removed old sealers and ingrained dirt.
After rinsing the tiles and extracting the soiling with a wet vacuum, I applied a coarse 400-grit pad. I then repeated the process using a medium 800-grit pad and a fine 1500-grit pad. This process helped to close the pores and refine the appearance of the limestone.
Next, I manually scrubbed the grout lines using more Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, as the pads struggled to reach the recesses between the tiles. A cold water rinse was done and extracted on the floor multiple times to neutralize it and remove any remaining product.
The entire floor was left to dry and I returned the following day to find it fully dried and ready for sealing. I started by applying an extra-fine 3000-grit burnishing pad, using a “Spray Burnish” technique to leave the floor nice and dry, which was the final step in the polishing process, resulting in a subtle, natural-looking sheen on the stone.
For sealing, I found Tile Doctor Ultra Seal to work well for this light-colored limestone floor. As an impregnating sealer, it occupies the pores in the stone, preventing dirt from becoming ingrained. Two coats were needed to fully seal the stone.
The polished limestone floor was transformed from dull and soiled to a highly appealing and inviting space, with the stone and grout appearing much lighter and cleaner, and a subtle polish that delighted my customers.
For ongoing care, I recommended using Tile Doctor Stone Soap, a gentle yet effective cleaner that helps maintain the patina without damaging the sealer, ensuring the floor’s finish lasts for a long time.
