Search results for "Aftercare" in Home Design Ideas

This cozy lake cottage skillfully incorporates a number of features that would normally be restricted to a larger home design. A glance of the exterior reveals a simple story and a half gable running the length of the home, enveloping the majority of the interior spaces. To the rear, a pair of gables with copper roofing flanks a covered dining area that connects to a screened porch. Inside, a linear foyer reveals a generous staircase with cascading landing. Further back, a centrally placed kitchen is connected to all of the other main level entertaining spaces through expansive cased openings. A private study serves as the perfect buffer between the homes master suite and living room. Despite its small footprint, the master suite manages to incorporate several closets, built-ins, and adjacent master bath complete with a soaker tub flanked by separate enclosures for shower and water closet. Upstairs, a generous double vanity bathroom is shared by a bunkroom, exercise space, and private bedroom. The bunkroom is configured to provide sleeping accommodations for up to 4 people. The rear facing exercise has great views of the rear yard through a set of windows that overlook the copper roof of the screened porch below.
Builder: DeVries & Onderlinde Builders
Interior Designer: Vision Interiors by Visbeen
Photographer: Ashley Avila Photography

seacoast real estate Photography
Kitchen - transitional kitchen idea in Manchester
Kitchen - transitional kitchen idea in Manchester
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As a feature in outdoor living spaces, water emits a refreshing ambiance that is subtle yet playful. We design and build features, fountains and ponds to bring the waterfront to your property.
Contact us today for fresh ideas and inspiration! Serving Central New Jersey for 33 years. 908.904.9446
#caliperfarms #waterfeatures #fountains #ponds #landscapedesign #landscaping #hardscaping #aftercare #montgomerynj #bellemeadnj #princetonnj #hopewellnj #penningtonnj #skillmannj #lawrencevillenj

Ipe decking and planters. Large pergola
Inspiration for a large contemporary landscaping in New York.
Inspiration for a large contemporary landscaping in New York.

In need of some curb appeal? How about a driveway apron flanked by decorative lamp pillars? Through multiple vendors, we are able to source pavers, brick and block to match the architecture and style of any home.
Contact us today for fresh ideas and inspiration! Serving Central New Jersey for 33 years. 908.904.9446
#caliperfarms #apron #pavers #landscapedesign #landscaping #hardscaping #aftercare #montgomerynj #bellemeadnj #princetonnj #hopewellnj #penningtonnj #skillmannj #lawrencevillenj

You and your guests always arrive in style with exquisite entryways by Caliper Farms. We use your home's architecture as inspiration for the hardscapes and landscapes that we design and install.
Please stay safe and contact us today for fresh ideas and inspiration! Serving Central New Jersey for 33 years. 908.904.9446
#caliperfarms #green #entryway #containers #landscapedesign #landscaping #hardscaping #aftercare #montgomerynj #bellemeadnj #princetonnj #hopewellnj #penningtonnj #skillmannj #lawrencevillenj #staysafe #calipercare

Vines are useful and unique in that they can go and grow in places where other types of materials cannot. They add a graceful layer of texture to any surface and sufficiently soften hard edges.
Please stay safe and contact us today for fresh ideas and inspiration! Serving Central New Jersey for 33 years. 908.904.9446
#caliperfarms #calipercare #landscapedesign #landscaping #hardscaping #aftercare #montgomerynj #bellemeadnj #princetonnj #hopewellnj #penningtonnj #skillmannj #lawrencevillenj #staysafe #calipercare

Today may be cloudy and grey, but here is a bright idea! Decorative columns are functional accents that can contain lighting, mailbox and plant support features. They can stand alone or be built in conjunction with paver/block/brick driveways, aprons and edges and walkways too!
Contact us today for fresh ideas and inspiration! Serving Central New Jersey for 33 years. 908.904.9446
#caliperfarms #column #pillar #masonry #stone #landscaping #hardscaping #aftercare #montgomerynj #bellemeadnj #princetonnj #hopewellnj #penningtonnj #skillmannj #lawrencevillenj

Our favorite season is seemingly right around the corner and we are scheduling CaliperCare™ spring landscape clients now. Reserve a spring cleanup today and let us know how we can help you with design, landscaping and hardscaping goals this year.
Contact us today for fresh ideas and inspiration! Serving Central New Jersey for 33 years. 908.904.9446
#caliperfarms #calipercare #springcleanup #landscapedesign #landscaping #hardscaping #aftercare #montgomerynj #bellemeadnj #princetonnj #hopewellnj #penningtonnj #skillmannj #lawrencevillenj

Beautiful Bleeding Hearts and dandy Daffodils! Take to the great outdoors to relax and unwind. Stay safe friends.
Contact us today for fresh ideas and inspiration! Serving Central New Jersey for 33 years. 908.904.9446
#caliperfarms #spring #flowers #daffodils #landscapedesign #landscaping #hardscaping #aftercare #montgomerynj #bellemeadnj #princetonnj #hopewellnj #penningtonnj #skillmannj #lawrencevillenj

Path lighting can be functional and fun! We love landscape lighting for the added sense of security that it provides as well as the depth and aesthetic value that it brings to outdoor living. Let's continue to stay safe and secure together.
Contact us today for fresh ideas and inspiration! Serving Central New Jersey for 33 years. 908.904.9446
#caliperfarms #lighting #landscapelighting #pathlighting #landscapedesign #landscaping #hardscaping #aftercare #montgomerynj #bellemeadnj #princetonnj #hopewellnj #penningtonnj #skillmannj #lawrencevillenj

Step right up Folks! We have wonderful solutions for properties with extreme grade changes!
Contact us today for fresh ideas and inspiration! Serving Central New Jersey for 33 years. 908.904.9446
#caliperfarms #steps #terraces #patios #landscapedesign #landscaping #hardscaping #aftercare #montgomerynj #bellemeadnj #princetonnj #hopewellnj #penningtonnj #skillmannj #lawrencevillenj

We fuse classic design concepts and materials with modern enhancements and comforts to create unique outdoor living spaces like no other.
Contact us today for fresh ideas and inspiration! Serving Central New Jersey for 33 years. 908.904.9446
#caliperfarms #patio #fountain #outdoorliving #landscapedesign #landscaping #hardscaping #aftercare #montgomerynj #bellemeadnj #princetonnj #hopewellnj #penningtonnj #skillmannj #lawrencevillenj

Diesel and Ralphie enjoy frolicking in the pond as much as we love watching them do so! Caliper Farms brings the waterfront to your property with custom designs, installations and aftercare programs that are certain to make a splash.
Contact us today for fresh ideas and inspiration! Serving Central New Jersey for 32 years. 908.904.9446

The tiles pictured are Chinese Slate which were laid in the Kitchen of a house in Chepstow around nine years ago. The town of Chepstow is located on the Welsh side of the River Seven and has the River Wye running through it.
The floor had not been professionally cleaned and sealed since installation. During this time the old sealer had mostly worn off allowing dirt to get into the pores of the stone leaving it looking dull, uninviting and dirty. The grout lines had also collected dirt and many of the lines had darkened.
I discussed with the client the process to get the floor cleaned and restored and demonstrated the effectiveness of the process on a small test area. They were impressed and were happy to go ahead with my quote, so we scheduled in the work which would take two days.
To get the floor clean and remove what was left of the old sealer I first made the floor wet and then added a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean mixed with Tile Doctor Remove and Go to give it extra power. This cleaning cocktail was left to soak into the tiles for ten minutes before being scrubbed in with a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine and by hand where necessary. This combination works well on really dirty floors such as this.
The scrubbing action released the years of dirt from the pores of the Slate and it wasn’t long before the cleaning solution turned black. This was then extracted off the floor using a wet vacuum. We then gave the floor a thorough inspection. There were one or two areas that were particularly stubborn, so these areas were retreated using the same process and the grout scrubbed by hand using more Tile Doctor Pro Clean.
The floor was then given another rinse with water and then dried as much as possible with the wet vacuum. This got the floor dry, but it would need to be completely dry before sealing so it was then left to dry off fully overnight.
I came back the next day to seal the floor first checking the moisture level of the stone by taking readings with a damp meter to ensure it was dry. I chose to use Tile Doctor Colour Grow for the sealer as the colour enhancing formula would be the best product to bring out the natural colours in the Chinese slate. Colour Grow is an impregnating sealer which will provides durable protection as well as allowing the surface to breath. Three coats were applied, allowing each to dry before applying the next one.
The client was so happy, so much that she said it looked better than when first laid!
I discussed aftercare with her and recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner, it’s pH balanced so it won’t prematurely erode the sealer which can be the problem with stronger products you find in supermarkets. It comes in concentrated form so one bottle lasts a long time.
Paul Wales
Monmouthshire Tile Doctor

This Victorian floor in Twickenham, Middlesex was in good physical condition for its age but needed a good deep clean. Our customer had informed us that they had never cleaned or sealed the floor in the sixteen years that they had lived there so it was well overdue.
I went over to survey the floor and completed a test clean on a small section of tiling to see which products/techniques would work best. I like to do this as it demonstrates to the client what can be done, and it allows me to come up with an accurate price for doing the work.
As you can see from the pictures, there was quite a difference in the test patch compared to the rest of the floor. Years of foot traffic from the street had taken its’ toll and the floor was very dirty. Luckily, the floor was in very good condition and had not worn too badly.
Once they had seen the test patch, they were confident that it would be worth go ahead with my quote. It would ensure that the period feature was retained for many years to come. The colours on the floor were quite faded so it would be nice to get it restored.
I started the cleaning process by first taping up the surrounding skirting boards and doors to ensure they were protected from potential splashing. Cleaning involved spraying the Victorian tiles with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a dedicated Tile and Grout cleaning product. This was left to soak in for about ten minutes and then scrubbed in using a black pad fitted to a heavy-duty rotary scrubber.
This gives the floor a good mechanical scrub and works wonders releasing the ground-in dirt and soil from the tiles. The strong dilution of Pro-Clean will also remove any remaining sealers from the tile, however after sixteen years I doubted there would much trace of sealer left. Once done the floor was rinsed with water and all the soils removed with a wet vacuum.
Following the initial clean the colours were already much stronger. Next step however was to improve on that by giving the floor an acid rinse using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up. This removes mineral deposits and generally brightens up the appearance of the tile. After another round of scrubbing the floor was rinsed with our high-pressure washer and then vacuumed, extracting all of the dirty water and dirt away in one go. The floor was looking a lot better and was left to dry overnight.
After allowing the floor to dry overnight, we returned the next day to seal the floor. First, checking the floor was dry using the damp meter. Floors of this age can take a little longer to dry as there is no damp-proof membrane so it’s always worth checking as applying a sealer to damp tiles is not a good idea.
Once I was satisfied it was dry eight coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go sheen finish sealer were applied. This takes a while to do as each coat needs to dry before applying the next. The sealer will protect the Victorian tiles for dirt and stains, it also enhanced the colours in the tile and will make it easier to keep the floor clean going forward.
My client was very pleased with the floor and mentioned that they should have called me in sooner! For aftercare cleaning I recommended Tile Doctor Neutral Clean which is an effective cleaner with a neutral pH, its designed for cleaning tiles without degrading the sealer.
Jonathan Oldham
South Middlesex Tile Doctor

I recently helped a homeowner from my home town of Dursley who got in touch about her kitchen Flagstone floor. The problem revolved around an accident she had with raspberries which had stained the flagstones and the problem became compounded when a house hold clearing product was applied neat to clean up the mess. If you follow any of our Tile Doctor blogs, you will know that using strong household cleaning products can damage the sealer and, in this case, it had left white marks on the floor.
I called round to the property to survey the floor as was surprised to find out that the floor had been cleaned and sealed only four months prior by another company. I don’t like to comment on other people’s work, but I found the grout lines and flagstones were still badly ingrained with dirt, so it wasn’t a through job.
I completed by survey and demonstrated the process I would follow to resolve the issues on one of the flagstone tiles. She could not believe the difference I was able to make and booked me in straight away to restore the entire floor.
My first task was to protect the wooden kitchen units from splashing that can happen when cleaning the floor. Once that was done, I set about stripping the sealer from the floor and deep cleaning the tile and grout with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. Pro-Clean is a concentrated, multi-purpose high-alkaline cleaner, stripper and degreaser which is safe to use on all types of tile, stone and grout including natural stone.
Working in sections across the Kitchen and adjacent dining room I diluted one part Pro-Clean to two parts water and mopped it onto the flagstones and grout where I left it to soak in for roughly fifteen minutes. Then using a rotary floor buffer fitted with a black scrubbing pad I scrubbed the solution into the floor into the old sealer and trapped dirt came away turning the cleaning fluid black in the process. The soil was then rinsed off with water and then extracted with a powerful 3,000 watt wet and dry vacuum. This process was repeated until I was satisfied the floor was clean and I ran a stiff grout brush along the grout lines to ensure they also received a good scrub. After I was satisfied the section was clean it was rinsed thoroughly with water to neutralise the floor and remove any trace of product and then dried with the wet and dry vacuum.
The cleaning process took up the whole day, but the flagstones would need to be dry before sealing so after giving the owner an update I left the floor for two days, so it could dry out thoroughly.
On my return I tested the floor was dry in multiple places with a damp meter to ensure it was ready to be sealed. The readings showed that the wet and dry vacuum had done a good job in removing the moisture, so all was well. To seal I applied several coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go allowing each coat to dry before applying the next however with such a large area to cover I was able to work in sections around the floor.
Seal and Go works really well on Flagstones and leaves a very appealing sheen finish, also being water based it doesn’t leave a smell as it dries.
The results were amazing, and the customer thanked me for making such a massive improvement on her floor. Before leaving I made sure to discuss after-care and to avoid the use of hash cleaning products.
Malcolm Crowther
Gloucester Tile Doctor

This client had just moved into a property in York and having pulled back the old carpet revealed a lovely old period Victorian tiled floor she didn’t know existed when she bought the house!
I went over at the beginning of this year to survey the floor and could see that fortunately, no glue or carpet grips had been used to secure the carpet; additionally the floor was in good physical condition considering its age with no cracks or loose tiles. The tiles were however very dusty and dirty with ingrained dirt and so had probably been covered with carpet for a very long time. The hallway was quite dark I’m afraid with little natural light so apologies for the photographs.
With old houses like this you never know what you are going to find so whilst I was there surveying the floor, I took some moisture readings with a damp meter on the floors and walls. The readings came back low so no sign of damp which was a relief to the owner.
We agreed a price for the work, and I arranged to come back the following week.
I must admit I do like York, its steeped in history and famous for its Cathedral and Viking museum. The houses in the city have loads of character and period features like this floor are quite common.
I deep cleaned the floor with a strong 1:3 dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean worked in with a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine. Initially the solution was left to soak into the tile before being agitated by the machine. The soil was then rinsed off with minimal water and then extracted with a wet vacuum.
I followed this up with an Acid Wash using Tile Doctor Acid Gel to further clean up the tiles and help inhibit any potential efflorescent salt issues which are common in floors of this age due to the absence of the damp proof membrane. The floor was given a further rinse and extraction and allowed to dry out fully overnight. I needed the floor to be dry for the next day so it could be sealed.
I came back the next day and started by taking more damp readings which showed similar readings to the day before. Given the low readings I was able to move straight onto sealing which was done using four coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go. This product works really well on old Victorian Tiles like these and being water based it doesn’t leave a smell as it dries.
Once the final coat of sealer had dried there was a significant improvement in the appearance of the floor which was much appreciated by client who was very happy with the end result.
For aftercare I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner to maintain the floor, it has a nice fresh smell and can be used regularly due to its pH neutral nature which won’t prematurely erode the sealer like stronger bleach based cleaners.
Nigel Stoker
North West Yorkshire Tile Doctor

Tenuous link I know but I worked on this semi riven Black Brazilian Slate Tiles in the kitchen and dining room of a house in the seaside town of Thornton-Cleveleys around the time of the Rio Olympics. I love working on Slate as although it’s appearance can degrade without proper maintenance due to a build-up of dirt I knew they would look fantastic by the time I had finished.
The tile itself had lost its rich black colour and the grout lines had become stained, leaving the floor as a whole looking very unattractive. Out of interest honed Slate has a smooth, refined texture whereas the riven Slate has a rougher, more natural texture, and this can make it more difficult to keep clean. Needless to say, the customer was keen to have the tiles restored to looking their best.
To restore the appearance of the Slate, I cleaned the floor and removed what remained of the old sealer off using Tile Doctor Remove and Go. This was scrubbed into the floor using a scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine. The floor was then rinsed with water, and the process repeated where necessary to tackle particularly stubborn areas of dirt.
As mentioned previously, the grout lines were in a particularly bad state, and would need special cleaning attention. I cleaned carefully with a strong 5-to-1 dilution of Tile Doctor Pro Clean with water, which is our high alkaline cleaner. The cleaning solution was scrubbed I’m using a stiff handheld grout brush, with the grout lines looking immediately cleaner. When I was satisfied that the grout lines had been restored to the best possible condition, I gave the floor a thorough rinse using the wet pickup function of a wet wax machine to get the floor as dry as possible and then left the whole floor to dry off overnight.
Upon my return to the property I ran some quick damp tests to check that the floor was completely dry. This is important as any excess moisture would have prevented me from sealing the tiles, since it can cloud the sealer and damage it performance.
Previously I discussed sealer options with the customer and they stated that they would prefer a Satin finish, so I applied a sealer called Tile Doctor Seal and Go, our topical sealer which will both protect the Slate from dirt and stains, and also gave it the desired finish. As you can see from the below photographs, the rich, dark shades in the Slate were really enhanced.
The customer was very pleased with the finished result, but was also concerned about keeping the Slate clean in the long-term. For regular cleaning I advised the customer to use a pH neutral cleaner for aftercare called Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner. As a pH neutral cleaner, it will not erode the sealer compared to acidic cleaners you so often find in supermarkets.
Russell Taylor
Lancashire Tile Doctor
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