A lady from Rochdale contacted us with what she had thought was irreparable damage to the Quarry tiles surrounding her brick fireplace. They used to have a lovely glossy finish but due to small accident with candle wax that happened whilst removing the candle the were now dull and patchy. The fireplace and tiles were 17 years old and as far as the customer was aware, they had never been sealed in the past.

Unsure of how to resolve the problem they decided to give Tile Doctor a call. As it turns out they had also called their insurance company and were considering replacing the whole fireplace if no one could help resolve it! But the brick fireplace suited the design of the house which also had lovely wooden beams in the same room so that was not their first choice. They certainly did not want the disruption of replacing it.

I went over to survey the tiles and carried out a small patch test, the test went well, and I was confident that the tiles could be restored to their former glory! Happy and relieved with the results the customer booked me in to complete the work.

Cleaning Candle Wax from a Quarry Tiled Fireplace

First, we ensured the area around the fireplace was covered and taped up, to ensure no spills onto the nearby carpet and surrounding area. To clean the quarry tiles and remove the candle wax I applied undiluted Tile Doctor Remove and Go which was left to dwell for fifteen minutes before being scrubbed in.

The space around the fireplace was tight so to scrub the product into the tile I used a small six-inch black scrubbing pad fitted to a hand buffer. The soil was extracted with our wet vacuum and then the tiles rinsed with water to ensure the mess was kept to a minimum.

Sealing a Quarry Tiled Fireplace

Normally I would wait for the tiles to dry naturally overnight before sealing, however given the small size of the area involved I was able to dry it using some gentle warmth from a heat gun. This meant I would be able to complete the job in the same day thus saving time and expense for the customer.

To seal the Quarry tiles, I applied a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go, which gives a nice durable low sheen that works well on Quarry tiles. Seal and Go is also water based so it doesn’t give off a smell as it dries.

My customer was very happy with the results which were astonishing! “It’s like having a whole new brick installation ” they explained after we finished! Further they left the following comment on the Tile Doctor feedback system.

“After trying to claim on my “accidental” house insurance with an extortionate policy excess, I contacted the Tile Doctor. My tiles were renovated to an excellent standard. The lady who renovated the tiles represented the company in a professional way and was very respectful of my home and the work carried out far exceeded my expectations. My fireplace tiles look brand new. I would definitely recommend this company. Donna B, Rochdale”

Source: Fireplace Cleaning and Renovation Service in Rochdale, Lancashire