The owners of a historic Georgian property in Pershore made an enquiry regarding the restoration of a very old Buff and Black Sandstone floor. It had a long history and it needed attention to ensure it lasted another 200 years. Pershore is renowned for its elegant Georgian architecture and historic riverside properties, many dating from the 18th and early 19th centuries.
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I paid a visit to the property to survey its condition and could see several issues including failing pointing between the stone, heavy surface shaling and ingrained contamination. I recommended several sympathetic treatments that would restore and preserve its condition. I made sure to emphasise that great care would be taken throughout the restoration process to respect the heritage of the building and maintain its authentic character
Cleaning a Flagstone Tiled Living Area
The first job was to deal with the surface shaling and ingrained dirt with the application of several grades of specialist milling pads fitted to a weighted rotary machine. These pads are encrusted with diamonds that can cut into the stone and resurface it, only water is used to help lubricate and capture the dust that is generated. You can use these pads to take the stone down to a completely new surface however this would not have been in keeping with the age of the property so they were used sparingly.
The floor was rinsed with water and extracted with a wet vacuum to remove the soiling and then cleaned with Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel scrubbed in with a black pad fitted to the rotary machine. Floors of this age don’t have the benefit of a modern damp proof membrane so I like to minimise water usage and gel-based cleaning products help to achieve that.
Extensive mortar repairs were then carried out to stabilise worn joints and sympathetically retain the floor’s period appearance.
Last step in the cleaning process was to renovate the Marble fireplace hearth; this was too small for the buffer machine so smaller 6-inch pads fitted to a hand machine were used along with small hand-held diamond blocks to improve the surface and take out scratches and dirt.
Sealing a Flagstone Tiled Living Area
It’s important to use a fully breathable sealer on an old stone like this to allow moisture to rise through the floor and evaporate at the surface, otherwise, damp can build up under the floor where it can reach out to the walls resulting in rising damp.
With this in mind I chose to seal the Sandstone and the Marble using Tile Doctor Stone Oil followed by Colour-Grow. The Stone Oil will help build mechanical strength in the stone whilst Colour Grow will help the buff and black colours come to life. Both sealers are fully breathable impregnators that soak into the stone and occupy the pores, this will ensure dirt remains on surface where it can be easily cleaned away.
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The work not only restored the flagstones but completely transformed the floor, the stone is much improved and is ready for general use, certainly my client was pleased and left the following 5-Star feedback.
For aftercare cleaning I recommended Tile Doctor Stone Soap Cleaner which is a gentle but effective tile cleaner that won’t impact the sealer.
Source: Old Buff and Black Sandstone Floor Restored in Pershore Worcestershire
Based in Worcester, Mark is an expert in tile, stone, and grout maintenance. As a trusted agent of Tile Doctor—the UK’s largest professional tile, stone, and grout restoration network, Mark has access to specialist products and proven techniques to tackle a wide range of cleaning and restoration challenges. Whether interior or exterior, domestic or commercial, you can rely on expert care and outstanding results.