Commercial Kitchen Quarry Tile Cleaning & Sealing

February 04, 2015

Recently, our team renovated the quarry tile floor in the kitchen of a famous fast food restaurant. Quarry tile is a durable material typically made from either clay or shale, and its slip resistant and non-porous characteristics make it an ideal floor type for use in commercial kitchens. However, despite quarry tile's durability, it still needs to be properly cared for and cleaned in order for it to stay in optimal condition. The kitchen floor we worked on needed some help with these aspects, as the floor's tile and grout had accumulated such a large amount of grease over time that it became imperative for them to request the help of a professional to get it cleaned up. Fortunately, Sir Grout of Manhattan would soon come to their rescue!



The restaurant's staff was in distress because the grease build-up on the quarry tile floor was attracting flies and quickly turning the kitchen into an unsanitary environment. To eradicate the grease, the staff had been using the common method of mopping with degreasing soap, but to no avail. After this method proved to be unsuccessful, the staff accepted defeat and made the wise decision of calling in our tile and grout cleaning and sealing experts.

Normally, a cleaning job like this would be business as usual for us. However, the thick build-up of grease had been hiding the fact that grout was actually missing in several areas of the kitchen floor. Instead of grout, grease was filling the voids, and in some spots it was up to 1/4" thick! As a result, we couldn't follow our typical tile and grout cleaning procedure. We would normally use alkaline cleaner and steam to melt the grease, but because the grease was so deep in the grout lines this project would require a more drastic, intense approach.

One idea we had was to scrape out the grease and then patch the holes with grout, but the added-in grout would not adhere well and the grout lines would likely need to be worked on again in a couple months. There had to be a better way!

We ultimately decided the best solution would be to completely re-grout these areas, which would allow for a longer-lasting, more permanent repair. The technique we used involved cutting through the grease and remaining grout with an electric grout saw. By removing all the material standing in the way, we were then able to re-grout these areas properly.

As you can see from the picture above, our team's work had an impressive impact on the restaurant's quarry tile floor. Notice how the grout lines in the before and after picture are as different as night and day!

After the re-grouting procedure, our next step was to continue cleaning the remaining tile and grout by using steam and an alkaline cleaner. Then, to finish the job, we applied an impregnating sealer. The impregnating sealer was a necessary final touch as it would provide a water and oil-resistant layer of protection which would prevent grease and grime from setting back into the floor's freshly cleaned, spotless tile and grout.

The restaurant owner was ecstatic with the results! Thanks to us, the kitchen staff can now clean the kitchen floor more easily and proper sanitation has now been restored because removing the grease got rid of the flies. By simply fixing the floor, we were able to create a brighter, more hygienic ambiance for the whole kitchen.

Making restaurants, homes, office buildings, and any other places where hard surfaces can be found is our passion. If your home or business could benefit from tile and grout cleaning or repair, please don't hesitate to give us a call!

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