Search results for "Breathable" in Home Design Ideas

When envisioning the Hygeia Lot 3 single family residential home in Encinitas, California, Lindsay and Rory Brown of The Brown Studio sought to weave unique architectural details throughout the minimalist design scheme. To add depth to the overall look and feel of the space, and to complement the home’s existing ‘hard’ angles, the team selected Banker Wire’s IPZ-25 woven wire mesh. Specified in a stainless steel and brass finish, the wire mesh was utilized to create the interior stairway railing, which functions as the focal point of the lower lounge room area.
Adding an elegant touchpoint to the space, the wire mesh reiterates the angular look and feel while providing much-needed depth through the stainless steel and brass finish. Similarly, for the project-at-large, the design team favored a seamless indoor/outdoor design scheme, with the Banker Wire mesh application helping to achieve this; the exterior of the home features Gabion rock walls, created using an enclosing wire structure to secure the rocks into a wall formation. By adding the wire mesh interior stairway railing, the design team was able to create an indoor/outdoor connection through highlighting these unique wire touchpoints.
“The Hygeia Lot 3 house is full of unique angles and architectural details—it’s two levels of playful design and carefully crafted architectural details,” says Loryn Cook, Designer, The Brown Studio. “We wanted to use materials that reflect this line of thinking, and Banker Wire’s architectural mesh provided the stability and breathability we were after.”
The simple, lightweight material of the IPZ-25 wire mesh pattern—which has a 54% open area—utilizes a mixture of stainless steel to achieve balanced sturdiness; when mixed with the copper-based alloy of brass, a beautiful contrast occurs, while the team’s custom system holds the wire in place. Through utilizing different wire diameters for the warp and shute—achieving balanced stiffness in both directions—the intercrimp surface gives the material a high degree of reflective energy. As a result, the mesh pattern imitates an array of colors that changes as the viewer moves throughout the space.
“For this project, we wanted a material that was permeable enough to see through, but detailed enough to catch the eye,” adds Cook. “IPZ-25 provides a myriad of different textures and colors, depending on the perspective from which it is viewed from—we love it specifically for this effect.”
In regards to the fabrication process, Robert Richter, Owner of Flur Metals, notes that although it was initially a challenge, this project is proof that the outcome is well worth it.
“We typically utilize more rigid mesh types for this kind of application, but because of how unique IPZ-25 is, The Brown Studio came to us asking if we could make it work,” says Richter. “We did not shy away from the challenge; this project was exciting, as we were able to utilize such a delicate, beautiful mesh, but a non-traditional way. Once one side was ‘tac’d in,’ we pulled it tight, and ‘tac’d’ the other side to the frame. Then, the border was welded to another frame that sandwiched the mesh in place,” adds Richter. “This application is proof that it can be done! It’s still one of my favorite projects we have ever worked on.”

When envisioning the Hygeia Lot 3 single family residential home in Encinitas, California, Lindsay and Rory Brown of The Brown Studio sought to weave unique architectural details throughout the minimalist design scheme. To add depth to the overall look and feel of the space, and to complement the home’s existing ‘hard’ angles, the team selected Banker Wire’s IPZ-25 woven wire mesh. Specified in a stainless steel and brass finish, the wire mesh was utilized to create the interior stairway railing, which functions as the focal point of the lower lounge room area.
Adding an elegant touchpoint to the space, the wire mesh reiterates the angular look and feel while providing much-needed depth through the stainless steel and brass finish. Similarly, for the project-at-large, the design team favored a seamless indoor/outdoor design scheme, with the Banker Wire mesh application helping to achieve this; the exterior of the home features Gabion rock walls, created using an enclosing wire structure to secure the rocks into a wall formation. By adding the wire mesh interior stairway railing, the design team was able to create an indoor/outdoor connection through highlighting these unique wire touchpoints.
“The Hygeia Lot 3 house is full of unique angles and architectural details—it’s two levels of playful design and carefully crafted architectural details,” says Loryn Cook, Designer, The Brown Studio. “We wanted to use materials that reflect this line of thinking, and Banker Wire’s architectural mesh provided the stability and breathability we were after.”
The simple, lightweight material of the IPZ-25 wire mesh pattern—which has a 54% open area—utilizes a mixture of stainless steel to achieve balanced sturdiness; when mixed with the copper-based alloy of brass, a beautiful contrast occurs, while the team’s custom system holds the wire in place. Through utilizing different wire diameters for the warp and shute—achieving balanced stiffness in both directions—the intercrimp surface gives the material a high degree of reflective energy. As a result, the mesh pattern imitates an array of colors that changes as the viewer moves throughout the space.
“For this project, we wanted a material that was permeable enough to see through, but detailed enough to catch the eye,” adds Cook. “IPZ-25 provides a myriad of different textures and colors, depending on the perspective from which it is viewed from—we love it specifically for this effect.”
In regards to the fabrication process, Robert Richter, Owner of Flur Metals, notes that although it was initially a challenge, this project is proof that the outcome is well worth it.
“We typically utilize more rigid mesh types for this kind of application, but because of how unique IPZ-25 is, The Brown Studio came to us asking if we could make it work,” says Richter. “We did not shy away from the challenge; this project was exciting, as we were able to utilize such a delicate, beautiful mesh, but a non-traditional way. Once one side was ‘tac’d in,’ we pulled it tight, and ‘tac’d’ the other side to the frame. Then, the border was welded to another frame that sandwiched the mesh in place,” adds Richter. “This application is proof that it can be done! It’s still one of my favorite projects we have ever worked on.”

This beautiful Victorian tiled hallway was in desperate need of some TLC. The house had recently changed hands and the new owners of the house were having the entire property renovated. The last part of the renovation plan was to have the Victorian hallway tiles restoring back to their former glory. Floors are always best left until last, especially hallways as last as workmen don’t usually take a lot of care in my experience.
The house was built in the early 1900’s and was situated close to Doncaster town centre a couple of streets away in fact from the famous Doncaster Racecourse which dates to the late 1500’s.
There were a few areas of damage to the floor that would need dealing with first. This is not surprising given the age of the floor which must have seen a lot of comings and goings over the years. Our first task therefore was to repair the damage using replica tiles sourced to be as close a match to the originals as possible. We usually find any slight differences disappear once the floor has been deep cleaned and sealed. Once removing the damaged tile and cleaning the base we use a fast setting adhesive to fix the replacement tiles in place so we can get on with the cleaning as soon as possible.
Once the replacement tiles had set, we unloaded our slow speed rotary floor machine and large wet vacuum which would be used during the cleaning. To start the cleaning the floor was sprayed with Tile Doctor Remove & Go and this was left to dwell on the tiles for twenty minutes. This gives time for the product to break down old floor coatings and grime, this was followed by scrubbing the tiles with a 200-grit diamond pad fitted to the floor machine and assisted with the addition of more water to help lubricate the process. This process generates a lot of slurry as the dirt and old sealers etc are released from the tiles and this is extracted from the surface of the floor using the wet vacuum.
The next step was to give the floor an acid wash using Tile Doctor Acid Gel which is applied to the tiles and left to dwell for fifteen minutes and scrubbed in again with the floor buffer and 200-grit diamond pad. Once done the floor was rinsed with water and then dried using the wet vacuum to extract as much moisture as possible. This last process is designed to counter any alkaline salts that may be present in the floor which may cause efflorescence to appear later. It also removes old mineral deposits and generally get the tiles looking much brighter. Once complete the floor was left to dry off naturally overnight.
I came back the next day to seal the tiles first checking the floor was dry using a moisture meter. Satisfied that the floor was ready for sealing I started to seal the tiles using multiple coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra which is a fully breathable sealer which is important for old floors like this. Seal and Go Extra also leaves a lovely satin finish which works well on Victorian tiles and brings the floor alive.
This was the last step in this properties renovation, and I think you will agree that the floor responded really well to the restoration process and the colours in the tiles are now very vibrant.
Matthew Lovett
South Yorkshire Tile Doctor
Find the right local pro for your project

When envisioning the Hygeia Lot 3 single family residential home in Encinitas, California, Lindsay and Rory Brown of The Brown Studio sought to weave unique architectural details throughout the minimalist design scheme. To add depth to the overall look and feel of the space, and to complement the home’s existing ‘hard’ angles, the team selected Banker Wire’s IPZ-25 woven wire mesh. Specified in a stainless steel and brass finish, the wire mesh was utilized to create the interior stairway railing, which functions as the focal point of the lower lounge room area.
Adding an elegant touchpoint to the space, the wire mesh reiterates the angular look and feel while providing much-needed depth through the stainless steel and brass finish. Similarly, for the project-at-large, the design team favored a seamless indoor/outdoor design scheme, with the Banker Wire mesh application helping to achieve this; the exterior of the home features Gabion rock walls, created using an enclosing wire structure to secure the rocks into a wall formation. By adding the wire mesh interior stairway railing, the design team was able to create an indoor/outdoor connection through highlighting these unique wire touchpoints.
“The Hygeia Lot 3 house is full of unique angles and architectural details—it’s two levels of playful design and carefully crafted architectural details,” says Loryn Cook, Designer, The Brown Studio. “We wanted to use materials that reflect this line of thinking, and Banker Wire’s architectural mesh provided the stability and breathability we were after.”
The simple, lightweight material of the IPZ-25 wire mesh pattern—which has a 54% open area—utilizes a mixture of stainless steel to achieve balanced sturdiness; when mixed with the copper-based alloy of brass, a beautiful contrast occurs, while the team’s custom system holds the wire in place. Through utilizing different wire diameters for the warp and shute—achieving balanced stiffness in both directions—the intercrimp surface gives the material a high degree of reflective energy. As a result, the mesh pattern imitates an array of colors that changes as the viewer moves throughout the space.
“For this project, we wanted a material that was permeable enough to see through, but detailed enough to catch the eye,” adds Cook. “IPZ-25 provides a myriad of different textures and colors, depending on the perspective from which it is viewed from—we love it specifically for this effect.”
In regards to the fabrication process, Robert Richter, Owner of Flur Metals, notes that although it was initially a challenge, this project is proof that the outcome is well worth it.
“We typically utilize more rigid mesh types for this kind of application, but because of how unique IPZ-25 is, The Brown Studio came to us asking if we could make it work,” says Richter. “We did not shy away from the challenge; this project was exciting, as we were able to utilize such a delicate, beautiful mesh, but a non-traditional way. Once one side was ‘tac’d in,’ we pulled it tight, and ‘tac’d’ the other side to the frame. Then, the border was welded to another frame that sandwiched the mesh in place,” adds Richter. “This application is proof that it can be done! It’s still one of my favorite projects we have ever worked on.”

In the world of wigs, convenience and realism are two of the most sought-after qualities. Women want wigs that not only look natural but also require minimal effort to wear and style. Enter wear and go wigs combined with bleached knots—a powerful duo that transforms the wig-wearing experience. These wigs offer a flawless, natural hairline and are ready to wear immediately, making them ideal for busy lifestyles without sacrificing beauty.
What Are Wear and Go Wigs?
Wear and go wigs are pre-styled wigs designed for instant wear. Unlike traditional wigs that require lace trimming, knot bleaching, or customization, wear and go wigs come ready for action right out of the box.
Key Features:
- Pre-plucked hairline and baby hairs
- Glueless design with adjustable straps and combs for secure fit
- Available in various textures such as straight, curly, and wavy
- Made with 100% human hair for authentic look and feel
- Often pre-styled into trendy cuts and shapes
- Time Saver: Perfect for women with busy schedules who want instant glam
- User-Friendly: No professional installation needed—ideal for beginners
- Protective Styling: Allows your natural hair to rest and grow healthy
- Versatile: Can be styled further with heat tools or left as is
- Reusable: Durable with proper care, lasting several months
- Lightened knots on lace for a natural scalp appearance
- Available in lace front, full lace, and 360 lace varieties
- Made with high-quality 100% human hair
- Pre-plucked hairline often accompanies bleached knots
- Customizable with parting styles and baby hairs
- Ultra-Realistic: Mimics the natural scalp for an undetectable hairline
- Styling Freedom: Allows for multiple parting options and updos
- Comfortable: Breathable lace cap keeps the scalp cool
- Protective: Keeps your natural hair shielded from heat and damage
- Long-Lasting: When cared for properly, can maintain a fresh look for months

TruCedar Steel Siding shown in 10" Board & Batten in Napa Vine.
Beige two-story metal exterior home idea in Grand Rapids
Beige two-story metal exterior home idea in Grand Rapids

Welcome to a newly built home in Redwood City, crafted from the ground up with over 25 years of skilled construction expertise. Original home was demolished. Every detail was thoughtfully designed to meet city standards, limitations, and requirements—resulting in a residence that feels light, crisp, and deeply connected to nature. Wood floors run throughout the home, creating warmth and continuity from the moment you step inside.
*Entry & Living Spaces*
As you enter through the clean, modern 8-foot door—perfectly aligned with the 9-foot ceiling—you’re greeted by a bright, open feel. The living room centers around a custom fireplace clad in artistic tile, paired with a built-in TV stand. Directly across, double sliding doors invite natural light and seamless indoor-outdoor living. The entire home enjoys a ceiling of 9' with a combination of vaulted ceiling in the primary bedroom.
*Kitchen – The Heart of the Home*
The kitchen is the true centerpiece. Designed with an open concept and surrounded by generous windows, it features quartz on both the countertops and full-height walls for a luxurious, cohesive aesthetic. A large island—topped with a full slab of quartz—anchors the room, offering extra space between the island and main counters for comfortable movement and entertainment. Two elegant clear pendant lights highlight its presence. Outfitted with top-tier luxury appliances designed for both performance and visual refinement.
White cabinetry keeps the look clean and minimalist, while oversized drawers provide functional storage for cooking utensils. The induction cooktop, paired with a pot filler, reinforces the modern and streamlined design. A double oven and an almost-hidden pantry maintain the sleek look, keeping the focus on the kitchen’s architecture and flow.
Mudroom & Dining Area Adjacent to the kitchen is a mudroom with a charming barn door leading toward the garage. A half-wall accent features eccentric black-and-white tile, complemented by bold black fixtures. A small custom hidden closet maximizes storage while maintaining a refined appearance.
The dining room, open and airy, continues the wood flooring and is adorned with stylish pendant lighting—perfect for gatherings and everyday meals. The wide, open staircase is fully exposed to the dining area and first floor, creating a striking architectural feature that visually connects the spaces. Its modern wood-and-metal design contributes to the home’s open flow while serving as a sculptural centerpiece within the main living level.
*Bedrooms & Laundry*
Guest and secondary bedrooms are bright and inviting, each with multiple windows framed in sleek black for a modern edge. Every bedroom enjoys its own bathroom, offering comfort and privacy. A compact but well-designed laundry room includes a sink and drying rack, making smart use of space.
The second story features an open layout with wide hallways, enhancing the sense of space and natural flow. This home also includes an office and one of the bedrooms is used for a workout space.
*Primary Suite*
Set apart from the other bedrooms for privacy, the primary suite is a luxurious retreat. An accent wall adds character, while a large walk-in closet offers abundant storage. A skylight fills the room with natural light, enhancing the open, breathable atmosphere.
*Bathrooms*
Each bathroom was thoughtfully designed with its own personality:
- Primary bathroom: The primary bathroom embraces a concrete-inspired look, featuring dual sinks and a spacious shower with double-sided niches—one for each person. An LED makeup mirror adds functional elegance.
- Second bathroom: Gray cabinet, tile wall, black fixtures, frameless shower door, and a striking floral tile accent.
- Third bathroom: White cabinets, gold fixtures, white tile floors, a shower stall, and a bold green tile feature wall with a large niche.
- Fourth bathroom: Blue cabinet, gray tile floors, a tub with frameless shower door, and gray wall tiles paired with sleek chrome fixtures.
- Powder Room: Half wall crown molding with black tile design and fixtures.
*Exterior & Landscape*
The planning process also emphasized low-maintenance landscape design, using easy-care plants that enhance the home’s natural feel without demanding constant upkeep. The home is also equipped with a dedicated EV charging station and solar panels, supporting energy efficiency and modern sustainable living.

Dura Supreme Silverton inset door. Pearl paint for pantry. Extra- tall, doorless base cabinets outfitted with custom painted deep rollouts. Kate Benjamin Photographer, Lindsey Markel Kitchen & Bath Designer, Shana Smith Interior Designer and Don Henderson Custom Installer.

As is often the case in years past and for whatever reason many homeowners covered their decorative Victorian hallway tiles in a variety of products from carpet to laminate flooring. These days the trend has reversed and quite rightly many homeowners now realise the value a tiled floor can bring to a property and look to us to have it restored.
Our client had purchased a property in Norfolk seaport of Kings Lynn and, on lifting the dirty old carpet and decaying underlay in the hallway, discovered a beautiful tiled entrance hall. It was obvious that a previous owner had decided to lay carpet over the tiles as an easy way of hiding the result of careless renovation and decorating which had resulted in a thick coating of plaster, paint, carpet tape glue and various other contaminants which had become firmly stuck to the surface. There were also two small rectangular black and brown tiles missing behind the front door which had been damaged during the removal of some old lead pipes.
This was clearly a job which would need somewhat more than a scrubbing brush and a bottle of Flash!
Our first job was to remove as much of the solid contaminants as possible by hand with floor scrapers and a steamer which softened the more stubborn lumps. We then applied Tile Doctor Remove & Go which is a powerful alkaline stripper to the whole area, left it to dwell on the surface for twenty minutes and then scrubbed it in using a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad. The resulting slurry was then power rinsed and extracted away using our Ninja machine which is a high-power industrial vacuum. Any remaining patches where the carpet tape had been stuck down were spot treated using Tile Doctor Nanotech HBU which made short work of the hardened glue.
The result was a clean floor, but the surface still felt slightly rough and pitted, a problem which we resolved using the rotary machine fitted with a 200-grit diamond burnishing pad followed by a 400-grit pad with a little 400 grit honing powder which left the surface smooth, silky and ready for the application of a sealer.
Finally, we acid washed the whole area using Tile Doctor Acid Gel, a slow release product which would neutralise any remaining chemicals, improve new sealer adhesion and inhibit the future production of any efflorescence salts. We had used a fair amount of water during the cleaning process, so we left the floor to dry off thoroughly overnight with assistance from our commercial dehumidifier.
On our return the following day, we discussed the sealer options with the client and recommended using microporous Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer that seeps into the pores of the stone protecting it from within. It will provide an excellent fluid resistant seal whilst enhancing the natural colours in the stone, additionally it’s fully breathable thereby enabling any moisture trapped under the floor to rise through the floor and evaporate. This is important on old floors like this where no damp-proof membrane was installed. The sealer was applied with a paint pad in tow coats and allowed to dry for an hour before buffing the floor with a hog’s hair pad to give a rich natural-look sheen finish.
The Victorian tiles responded well to the treatments which were completed in two consecutive days. My client was extremely pleased with the results and left the following comment:
“My floor was in poor condition after being buried under carpet as well as many, many years of paint and muck. I enjoyed the time they spent at my home and wouldn’t hesitate to use (or recommend) the Tile Doctor service in the future.”
Nick White
Norfolk Tile Doctor

We were contacted by a customer in West Kirby who needed help renovating a Victorian tiled hallway in a house they had just purchased. Kirby is a desirable seaside location North of Heswall that expanded with the arrival of the railway in 1848. The railway brought a demand for property and so it’s not unusual to find housing stock in this area dating back to the Victorian era.
The Victorian tiles at this property appear to have been neglected by the previous owner and were now looking very dull and marked by paint from decorating; all the colours looked washed out and the floor was now looking very unappealing.
The good news however is that this problem is not uncommon and with a deep clean and a fresh sealer applied it can be transformed. I gave the owner a quote which was accepted a date agreed for my return to do the work.
On the first day the floor was sprayed with a neat solution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go which is a powerful alkaline cleaning and stripping agent used to remove old seals and paint. The solution was left to dwell for about twenty minutes so it could soak in and get to work. It was then scrubbed into the tiles using a coarse 200-grit pad fitted to a heavy buffing machine. Water was then added to the floor for lubrication and the soils released from the pores of the tile during scrubbing was removed by with a wet vacuum.
To treat the stubborn paint stains and remains of what I suspect was carpet adhesive a hand scraper and wire brush was used, this was made easier by the Remove and Go which had softened the paint etc.
The next stage was to give the Victorian tiles a mild acid wash using Acid Gel which is applied to the floor, scrubbed in, and rinsed off with a little water then extracted using the wet vacuum. We always recommend an acid wash for old floors like these as it will counter any efflorescent salts resident in the tiles and helps to remove other mineral contaminates and old grout that can mask the true beauty of the tiles.
I left the tiles to dry out for two days before returning to apply the sealer, first checking it was dry by testing for moisture in various places with an electronic damp tester. It’s not a good idea to apply a sealer to a damp floor so we always check first.
Satisfied the floor was dry, I started applying a coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is a colour enhancing impregnating sealer that helps to bring out the true colours in the tile. This was allowed to dry for thirty minutes and then followed up five coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra which is a breathable sealer that leaves a lovely satin finish and builds on the protection.
Once done the Victorian hallway tiles looked so much cleaner and healthier. It was quite a transformation and the new sealer had given the floor a nice low sheen shine which the customer was very happy with.
For aftercare cleaning I left them with a bottle of Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner which is specially formulated for cleaning sealed tiles. We don’t recommend tile cleaning products you find on supermarket shelves as the are usually too strong and can strip a sealer off the floor prematurely. If your choosing another product to clean your floor always read the label to make sure its compatible.
Andrew Robb
Merseyside Tile Doctor

This customer from Bedford, the county town of one of England’s smallest counties Bedfordshire, called me out because they have bought a house and, upon lifting the glued down carpet, had discovered a beautiful Victorian tiled floor. They decided to call me in to see if this original feature could be restored to its former glory having already tried household products to remove the glue and clean the tiles with limited success.
We often find customers who discover old tiles under carpet or linoleum struggle with the standard cleaning products available in supermarket which are only designed for everyday cleaning. The products Tile Doctor sells are far stronger; naturally however to achieve the best results it also helps if you have the right equipment, knowledge and experience and that where we come in.
I popped round to take a look at the floor and having tackled quite a few of these restorations before was confident we could restore the floor so a quote was given and the work was booked in for the next week.
My first course of action was to vacuum the floor to remove any loose debris. This gave me a better picture of the condition of the floor overall, and so I could assess how best to proceed. I opted for our tried and trusted method of applying a diluted solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, which is a very reliable high alkaline cleaner suitable for all types of natural stone and tile. The solution was applied with a pump-up sprayer and left to dwell for 20 minutes to seep into the pores of the tile.
Next, I worked the solution into the tiles using a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine and hand brushes. The resulting cleaning slurry was then rinsed off – and I found that this had removed most of the glue and surface dirt. There were a few stubborn deposits of glue remaining, but I was able to remove them by using hand brushes and scrapers in combination with Tile Doctor Remove and Go, which is as its name suggest can remove most things including old sealers, epoxy grout haze, urethane coatings, synthetic finishes, adhesives and event paint.
Even after this there were still some patches of glue, so I decided to spray the whole floor with Remove and Go and worked it into the stubborn areas with brushes. I left it to dwell for 15 minutes and then rinsed the floor with a wet pick-up extraction machine. This did the job and the floor was left fresh and clean, ready to be sealed once it had dried.
The floor was left to dry for several days, which is typically necessary for old tiled floors that don’t have a damp proof membrane installed. The customer wanted the floor to look traditional and therefore requested a matt finish. This was achieved by applying two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow, which is also breathable thereby allowing any damp to evaporate as gases through the sealer, without affecting the finish.
As I previously mentioned, floors of this age can sometimes have damp issues, so this sealer is ideal for these older floors. Colour Grow is an impregnating sealer, meaning it penetrates the pores of the stone to fill them and prevent trapped dirt. It also intensifies the colours in the tiles to really bring them to life.
The customer was shocked and amazed by the great results as she thought nothing could be done to restore such an old floor. Before leaving the property, I gave her some maintenance instructions to help her keep the floor looking its best in the future. Another satisfied customer!
David Vissian
Bedfordshire Tile Doctor

The owners of this Edwardian property in Finchley had purchased it a couple of years prior and since then had slowly been renovating it to restore its original character. The project was almost complete and now attention had turned to the tiled floor. The tiles were in quite a state and I was asked to work our Tile Doctor magic and bring it back to its original condition.
When they moved in the hallway had been covered with carpet which gave the tiles underneath some protection. Unfortunately, however the carpet has been secured with carpet grippers that had been glued to the tiles around the edges. There were also paint splashes on the surface that would need dealing with. On top of that the floor had a few missing tiles that had been back filled by cement to provide a level base for the carpet, the client wanted like them replaced if possible.
After surveying the floor, I explained what could be done and ever completed a small test clean to demonstrate how the tiles would look once deep cleaned. I was confident on being able to source very similar reclaimed tiles so replacing the missing should not be a problem. The client was very happy with the initial test result and my quotation so booked me in to restore the floor.
On my return I started by applying Tile Doctor Remove and Go to soften up the glue which allowed it to be carefully peeled off the tiles with scrappers. Once all the carpet adhesive was gone, I worked a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go into the tiles using a black pad to work the cleaning solution deeper into the tiles. A wet vacuum was used to remove the slurry created, and I followed this by giving the tiles an extra clean using a 200-grit diamond burnishing pad lubricated with water.
The last step in the cleaning process was to give the floor an acid rinse using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up, I did this for several reasons, first it removes old grout smears from the surface of the tile and second it neutralised any efflorescent salts lying dormant in the floor. This can be quite a problem for old floors which don’t have the benefit of a protective damp proof membrane under the floor. The floor was given a final rinse with water which was again extracted with a wet vacuum.
I then set about lifting all the loose tiles (approximately ten) and carefully removing the concrete infills. I had previously managed to source replacements for these holes from original features. Unfortunately, they didn’t sell the correct sized octagon tiles, so I had bought 150mm square tiles and then needed to cut them on site to get the right size.
After cutting and fixing the tiles I fixed them in place and regrouted the rest of the floor.
I then left the floor to dry out overnight and returned in the morning. Before applying a sealer, I took several moisture readings with the damp meter to make sure the tiles were dry enough to take the sealer.
I was able to confirm the floor was dry, so went ahead and applied three coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow sealant. Colour Grow is an impregnating sealer that is fully breathable sealer which is important when it comes to old floors like these that don’t have a damp proof membrane installed.
My client was very happy with the renovated floor and for aftercare I left them with a bottle of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner and gave advice on how best to clean the floor going forward.
Andrew Newstead
North London Tile Doctor

© Ascendant Imaging
Inspiration for a large transitional master white tile and porcelain tile porcelain tile, beige floor, double-sink and wallpaper freestanding bathtub remodel in Charlotte with furniture-like cabinets, green cabinets, a two-piece toilet, white walls, an undermount sink, quartz countertops, a hinged shower door, white countertops, a niche and a built-in vanity
Inspiration for a large transitional master white tile and porcelain tile porcelain tile, beige floor, double-sink and wallpaper freestanding bathtub remodel in Charlotte with furniture-like cabinets, green cabinets, a two-piece toilet, white walls, an undermount sink, quartz countertops, a hinged shower door, white countertops, a niche and a built-in vanity

Budget Blinds blackout roller shades, photo credit installer Adam Brannick
Example of a mid-sized transitional guest bedroom design in Cedar Rapids with gray walls and no fireplace
Example of a mid-sized transitional guest bedroom design in Cedar Rapids with gray walls and no fireplace

maple hardwood floor, water-popped, and stained with 50% rosewood and 50% neutral stains.
Inspiration for a timeless medium tone wood floor living room remodel in Salt Lake City
Inspiration for a timeless medium tone wood floor living room remodel in Salt Lake City

During an inspection for alteration work, this customer from Cheshunt discovered what appeared to be an original encaustic tiled floor under the hallway carpet. Keen to work out what it was, and have it restored, I was asked to pop round and look.
I went over as requested to survey the hallway floor and confirm their suspicions. The carpet had been secured with gripper rods glued onto the floor and that came away easily enough. Underneath, the tiles had been covered with self-levelling cement which had to be carefully scraped away to reveal the tiles.
I ran a test to see if the cement leveller could be easily removed and using a combination of a scraper with Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, I was able to confirm the tiled floor was indeed salvageable. The house was Edwardian, and the tiles had been laid in a classic black and white geometric pattern typical of the period so I suspect the floor was indeed original.
I worked out a quote to restore the whole floor including the removal of the cement, deep cleaning and then sealing the tiles. Without removing all the cement, it would be difficult to price for replacing broken tiles, but I suspected there may be a few as its quite usual for a floor of this age. Keen to have the floor restored we were given the go-ahead and a date scheduled for the work to start.
The first step was to remove all the carpet and gripper rod so we could see the full extent of the self-levelling screed. Once done it was a case of carefully chipping and scraping away to break up the cement until the tiled floor had been fully revealed. Its slow and detailed work but quite rewarding when the tiled floor is finally revealed. The tiles had survived well under the carpet and cement but as suspected a few repairs and replacement would be needed.
With all the cement brushed away work moved onto cleaning which started with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean applied to the floor and left to soak in for fifteen minutes the scrubbed in with a rotary machine fitted with a Black pad. A lot of soiling is generated from this which is rinsed off with water and extracted with a wet vacuum. The floor was then inspected and the process repeated where required.
The next step was to treat the tiles to an acid wash using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up. This is applied as before and has several benefits including dissolving the remaining cement residue and neutralising the pH of the floor after the use of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a strong alkaline.
The floor was then inspected and the broken tiles carefully removed so they could be replaced. This is delicate work as lifting a tile can sometimes upset its neighbour and before you know it the size of the work has tripled. Replacement tiles were then cut to fit the existing geometric pattern and secured into place with a rapid set adhesive and grouted in.
Once the replacement tile and grout had set, the floor was given a light clean using Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner and then left to dry out overnight.
The next day the tiles were sealed using a single coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow and the followed up with give coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go. Colour Grow is an impregnator that soaks into the pores of the tile protecting it from within and improving colour, where as Seal and Go adds a nice subtle sheen to the tiles. Both products are breathable which is an important feature with old floors that don’t have a damp proof membrane.
For aftercare I recommended Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a gentle but effective tile cleaning product that won’t damage the sealer.
Robert Voyce
Hertfordshire TIle Doctor

This wet room in Doncaster had become so mouldy and dirty the owners didn’t know what to do with it. The Limestone and Marble Mosaics on the floor and the Ceramic wall tile and Grout throughout the bathroom had become so badly affected with mould, nothing they could buy from could resolve it.
Following my site visit I was confident the room could be cleaned up (in-fact I have seen worse), I explained what we could do to restore and revamp the wet room and they were happy to go ahead with my quote.
First, I opened windows to maximise ventilation and then working top down I set about tackling the Ceramic wall tile and grout by spraying on a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. Spraying on the solution mixes it with air making it lighter and easier to stick to the wall where it can soak in and get to work breaking down the mould.
After about fifteen minutes it was scrubbed into the tile and specifically the grout joints where it was needed most. This action releases grime and other contamination from the grout. The room needed a series of different treatments due to the different tiles and areas of mould, so I followed that up with Tile Doctor Duo Clean. This is a bleach-based cleaner which is brilliant at tackling mould and getting the grout back to its original colour.
The Ceramic tile in this bathroom has a textured surface which traps dirt so to get them clean I also used Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel. Being a Gel is easily sticks to the vertical surface allowing for longer dwell times which allows the product to dissolve the dirt and make it easier to remove.
With the walls looking much clear for my efforts I turned my attention to the Mosaic floor tiles. For these I went straight in with a cocktail combination of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and Duo Clean cleaners which I knew from cleaning the wall tiles would have the right impact.
I was also able to use a buffing machine fitted with a poly brush attachment and running at medium speed to do most of the scrubbing. The grout lines were green with mould, and I was able to get this process to return the Mosaics and grout lines back to their original state.
The slurry was removed with a wet vacuum and rinsed thoroughly with water. It took many hours and repeated scrubbing to get the room looking like it should. I was then able to finally leave for the day and allow the wet room to dry out overnight.
I returned the following morning and started by removing all the old silicone from the corners of the room, much of it had become stained and difficult to get clean so replacement was the best option. The waste was removed and replaced with a new bead of mould resistant silicone colour matched to suit the tiles.
The Mosaics has fully dried by this point, so I was then able to apply a sealer to floor to seal in the Marble and Limestone floor Mosaics and grout. I used a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow for this, it’s a breathable impregnating sealer that’s suitable for wet rooms. For the wall tile and grout, I used an aerosol sealer which will help protect the walls from getting mouldy and dirty again.
Once I had finished, I educated the owners on how to keep up the cleaning of the room supplying them with a complimentary bottle of Tile Doctor Aqua-Pro shower tile Cleaner. This is much better than any supermarket cleaner as it is pH neutral and will ensure that the newly applied sealant will not be prematurely affected. Hopefully, this will ensure it never gets quite so bad in the future however improved ventilation is the real key to solving that problem. They were very satisfied with the work we carried out and as you can see from the photographs on this page, the wet room has been transformed.
Matthew Lovett
South Yorkshire Tile Doctor

Mannington Adura LVT Napa, color Tanin
Elegant vinyl floor bedroom photo
Elegant vinyl floor bedroom photo
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