Limestone Cleaning Coleorton Coalville Leicestershire

This project limestone cleaning Coleorton. The project was completed in May 2022. The tiles were dirty. The sealer was damaged. Some tiles had large areas of etch damage. There was a lot of work to do to restore the floor.

The image above shows the marks and soil on this limestone floor

Limestone Cleaning Project Needs

My client discovered our website when searching online for a local professional limestone cleaning service.

Limestone stone tiles are the main flooring on the ground floor of the property.

My client wanted the tiles in the kitchen cleaned and resealed. The surface of the tiles in the kitchen looked soiled. Cooking oils, grease and spills had penetrated the sealer and soaked into the Limestone.

On some of the tiles, the grout was cracked and damaged. There were large etch marks on two tiles.

My client wanted the floor to look clean again and the damage repaired.

Preparing The Area For Cleaning

There was a lot of soil on the floor. So I started by vacuuming the area to remove the dry soil.

I installed plastic sheet protection to the walls and adjoining flooring. The protection stops splashes from cleaning solution from damaging paintwork and the sealer on the adjoining Limestone floor.

Deep Cleaning Limestone Floor In Coleorton

The first step in cleaning the floor is to remove the existing sealer. I mopped the sealer remover chemical, often called a stripper, because it strips the sealer off the floor. I left the chemical for 20 minutes to penetrate and soften the sealer.

I used a rotary scrubbing machine and a green pad to remove most of the sealer from the surface of the tiles. The surface of the tiles had small surface dents, so I then used a medium grade scrubbing rush to remove the sealer from the surface dents.

At the same time, the scrubbing brush removed the sealer from any deep-set gout.

I vacuumed up the cleaning slurry. I rinsed the floor a couple of times to make sure I removed all of the cleaning residues. I left the floor to dry.

Repairing Etch Marks

There were a couple of tiles with large etch marks. My customer had stored some green oak planks on the floor. Moisture from the oak soaked through the sealer and then etched into the limestone tiles. I removed the etch marks by honing the etch marks and then polishing the repairs to match the surrounding tile.

Renovating The Limestone By Diamond Honing The Surface

After deep cleaning the limestone floor and then repairing etch marks, the floor still had a worn finish. Some soil had also soaked into the surface of some tiles. I diamond honed the floor with 100 grit and 200 grit diamond pads. The honing pads resurfaced the tiles, revealing an even coloured, smooth finish.

Repairing Damaged Grout

The renovation continued with the grout. Some of the grout had cracked and come away from the edges of some tiles. The tiles have a tumbled edge, so it will be a costly option to remove and regrout the tiles. My client had some of the original grout. We decided to make up a solution of fine grout mixed with an adhesive to fill the wider cracks and areas of lost grout.

The floor was left overnight to allow the floor and grout to dry, ready for sealing

Limestone Sealing Coleorton

We discussed the sealing options. Our CeeTech sealer will give a ong lasting finish because it has better chemical and abrasion resistance compared to an acrylic or impregnating sealer.

My client had a spare tile. I sealed half of the spare tile with CeeTech sealer and left it overnight to cure.

CeeTech sealer is a strong colour enhancing sealer. The sample tile sealed with CeeTech looked darker than the test of the floor tiles. My client preferred to seal the cleaned tiles with a similar Topical sealer.

A topical sealer is a common sealer for other tiles like Terracotta, Sandstone, and Slate tiles.

Before applying the topical sealer, I applied a generous coat of impregnating sealer.. In my experience, an impregnating sealer gives added protection because it soaks deep into the pores of the stone. A topical sealer is designed to sit on the surface of the tiles. My approach is always a “belt and braces” approach, giving the best job I can. In my

My client was delighted with the results.

Care Advice For Limestone Floor Tiles in Coleorton

The key to limestone kitchen floor maintenance is to dry sweep and damp mop the floor regularly. I recommend cleaning at least three times a week, and more if there is heavy traffic, children or pets. The floor should always be cleaned with the product recommended by the sealer manufacturer.

The recommended sealer for this floor is a pH neutral cleaner including a small amount of sealer. So every time the floor is mopped, the surface is topped up.

If you have a stone floor in Coleorton or the surrounding area, please drop me a line, I will be delighted to help.

Useful Information About The Area

Coleorton, a village in North West Leicestershire It is located approximately 2 miles (3 km) east from Ashby de la Zouch on the A512. Nearby towns include Newbold to the north, Thringstone and Swannington, to the east and south.

The 2001 census showed that the parish had a population of 1,016, which grew to 1,177 in 2011.

The village’s name is ‘farm/settlement at a ridge’. The Old English col, meaning coal, was first used here in 1443.

Coleorton was once an ancient parish in West Goscote. It became part of Ashby de la Zouch’s Rural District in 1894.

Since the 15th century, coal mining has been a major industry in the region.Coal mining has now ceased, and the Coleorton colliery is closed. A woodland Coleorton Wood was established in 1991-2 at the colliery site.

Coleorton was home to William Stenson (1771-1861), the founder of Whitwick Colliery, and ‘Father Of Coalville’.

Coleorton Hall is located in the west part of the parish and has a Grade II* listing. It was built for Sir George Beaumont, an art patron, in 1804-8. William Wordsworth was a frequent visitor to the Hall. The National Coal Board owned the house from 1948 to 1997. It was used as an office, but it is now being converted into apartments.