Clean It Up

UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: prodry on April 05, 2007, 10:27:46 pm

Title: Remove Smoke damage from Grout
Post by: prodry on April 05, 2007, 10:27:46 pm
I know this is the wrong section, but need someone with some fire and flood experiece to answer.

We are cleaning fire damge in a house before builders move in and need to remove smoke from the grout in in the bathroom, white tiles have cleaned perfect but grout is still black. Going to attempt with TM and Gekko hand tool next week, anything thast may help?

Thanks

 
Title: Re: Remove Smoke damage from Grout
Post by: the red carpet on April 05, 2007, 10:52:14 pm
Just a thought, ulta pac renovate ???
Title: Re: Remove Smoke damage from Grout
Post by: John Kelly on April 05, 2007, 11:00:25 pm
Scrape it out with a grout scraper tool or screwdriver and re-grout only way.
Title: Re: Remove Smoke damage from Grout
Post by: darrenlee1 on April 05, 2007, 11:14:05 pm
i think what john as said would be a lot easier than tryin to clean it darren

strange how the tiles came up and grout didnt what did you use on tiles
Title: Re: Remove Smoke damage from Grout
Post by: prodry on April 05, 2007, 11:44:15 pm
Thank you the advice John. On hourly rate until job job done, first job from this particular loss adjuster so thought I would give it a go to impress. Sounds like its not worth the hassle and will leave for the builders. 
Title: Re: Remove Smoke damage from Grout
Post by: the red carpet on April 05, 2007, 11:49:02 pm
An hourly rate is a hourly rate ;) what difference is it to you if you have the t/m running or not? if the only way is to re-grout then why not do that at your hourly rate, it will even be more profitable than cleaning as you wont have to fuel the machine.
Title: Re: Remove Smoke damage from Grout
Post by: prodry on April 06, 2007, 01:08:09 am
Being paid hourly rate to clean smoke damage off walls, ceilings and remove floor coverings and unsalvagable furniture and chatels until the job is done. Then builders then come and will probably remove all the artex ceilings anyway and strip the paper that i have cleaned off the walls. Two bedroom house taking two of us about 25 hours. The bathroom and cloakroom are mosaic floor and wall tiles so would probably take another 25hours to rake out the grout and re-grout. Not something I have done before and the insurance/loss adjusters could say not a cleaning job and i have oversteped my instructions.

I just thought if it was going to be any easy job I would give it a go.
Title: Re: Remove Smoke damage from Grout
Post by: conallon on April 06, 2007, 01:07:27 pm
Prodry
with regards to tile grout, if you have removed all the greasy soot from grout ,there is grout pens available out there, not sure what the coverage is like or how much
if there is no fire damage to the artex cielings and wall coverings, the decorators will put a seal on them and re-paint accordingly, after the clean, if they can be cleaned without damage
when you do these type of jobs you must make sure all soot deposits are removed,
if and before you use a grout scraping tool make sure tiles are not discontinued because you are likely to crack one or two

 
Title: Re: Remove Smoke damage from Grout
Post by: nevil on April 06, 2007, 07:09:01 pm
I would think a wire brush could be worth a try, I have been cleaning kitchen tiles and grout today with a range of wire brushes. The firmer ones took away the surface of the grout leaving it looking nice and white again. :)
Title: Re: Remove Smoke damage from Grout
Post by: spindle on April 06, 2007, 11:17:16 pm
i would regrout

by time you try and scrub the grout u may have well run a screwdriver down the grout and refilled it in ...............even grout cleaner available from high st. or diy centres  are not that great.........but have you tried neat bleach .applied with tooothbrush??

better finish......... re do it!!!
Title: Re: Remove Smoke damage from Grout
Post by: The Great One on April 07, 2007, 11:18:40 am
Hi

So, you have cleaned and scrubbed everything and now the builders and gonna come in and rip the place apart?

Creating dust and debris over everything you gave just cleaned...

Hope you get to do the builders clean after as well?

Regards

Martin 8)