Photographer: Charlie Walker Creative
Inspiration for a modern dining room remodel in Dallas

Who loves laundry? I'm sure it is not a favorite among many, but if your laundry room sparkles, you might fall in love with the process. Style Revamp had the fantastic opportunity to collaborate with our talented client @honeyb1965 in transforming her laundry room into a sensational space. Ship-lap and built-ins are the perfect design pairing in a variety of interior spaces, but one of our favorites is the laundry room. Ship-lap was installed on one wall, and then gorgeous built-in adjustable cubbies were designed to fit functional storage baskets our client found at Costco. Our client wanted a pullout drying rack, and after sourcing several options, we decided to design and build a custom one. Our client is a remarkable woodworker and designed the rustic countertop using the shou sugi ban method of wood-burning, then stained weathered grey and a light drybrush of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in old white. It's beautiful! She also built a slim storage cart to fit in between the washer and dryer to hide the trash can and provide extra storage. She is a genius! I will steal this idea for future laundry room design layouts:) Thank you @honeyb1965

Who loves laundry? I'm sure it is not a favorite among many, but if your laundry room sparkles, you might fall in love with the process. Style Revamp had the fantastic opportunity to collaborate with our talented client @honeyb1965 in transforming her laundry room into a sensational space. Ship-lap and built-ins are the perfect design pairing in a variety of interior spaces, but one of our favorites is the laundry room. Ship-lap was installed on one wall, and then gorgeous built-in adjustable cubbies were designed to fit functional storage baskets our client found at Costco. Our client wanted a pullout drying rack, and after sourcing several options, we decided to design and build a custom one. Our client is a remarkable woodworker and designed the rustic countertop using the shou sugi ban method of wood-burning, then stained weathered grey and a light drybrush of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in old white. It's beautiful! She also built a slim storage cart to fit in between the washer and dryer to hide the trash can and provide extra storage. She is a genius! I will steal this idea for future laundry room design layouts:) Thank you @honeyb1965

This top-floor loft space hadn't changed since the original development in the 1980's. We completely transformed the space adding a European SieMatic kitchen with an eye-popping glass backsplash, Scandinavian-style wide-plank flooring, a new master bath and custom closets. Now, it's a contemporary space befitting this new vital and booming Boston neighborhood. Eric Roth Photography

Who loves laundry? I'm sure it is not a favorite among many, but if your laundry room sparkles, you might fall in love with the process. Style Revamp had the fantastic opportunity to collaborate with our talented client @honeyb1965 in transforming her laundry room into a sensational space. Ship-lap and built-ins are the perfect design pairing in a variety of interior spaces, but one of our favorites is the laundry room. Ship-lap was installed on one wall, and then gorgeous built-in adjustable cubbies were designed to fit functional storage baskets our client found at Costco. Our client wanted a pullout drying rack, and after sourcing several options, we decided to design and build a custom one. Our client is a remarkable woodworker and designed the rustic countertop using the shou sugi ban method of wood-burning, then stained weathered grey and a light drybrush of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in old white. It's beautiful! She also built a slim storage cart to fit in between the washer and dryer to hide the trash can and provide extra storage. She is a genius! I will steal this idea for future laundry room design layouts:) Thank you @honeyb1965

Who loves laundry? I'm sure it is not a favorite among many, but if your laundry room sparkles, you might fall in love with the process. Style Revamp had the fantastic opportunity to collaborate with our talented client @honeyb1965 in transforming her laundry room into a sensational space. Ship-lap and built-ins are the perfect design pairing in a variety of interior spaces, but one of our favorites is the laundry room. Ship-lap was installed on one wall, and then gorgeous built-in adjustable cubbies were designed to fit functional storage baskets our client found at Costco. Our client wanted a pullout drying rack, and after sourcing several options, we decided to design and build a custom one. Our client is a remarkable woodworker and designed the rustic countertop using the shou sugi ban method of wood-burning, then stained weathered grey and a light drybrush of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in old white. It's beautiful! She also built a slim storage cart to fit in between the washer and dryer to hide the trash can and provide extra storage. She is a genius! I will steal this idea for future laundry room design layouts:) Thank you @honeyb1965

Richard Herman is in the hospitality business and owns several upscale hotels in Florida and in other states as well as cattle ranches in both Florida and Missouri. Their farm in Ocala is by farm their most unique. The property serves as a 4-H demonstration project for the purpose of children’s education. They have been working with the Academy Prep of St. Pete which is dedicated to inner-city youths that are selected on the basis of need and achievement. Wife Diane spends her time on the farm raising Gypsy Vanners, a diminutive draft horse named after the job they did in Eastern Europe, pulling the wagons (vans) for gypsies that wandered across the continent. On the Ocala farm, there are several mules with a unique profession. Richard had visited the Hearthstone display at a Log & Timber Home Shows at the Orlando Convention Center many years ago. He was impressed that Hearthstone had stayed in touch with him over the years by mailings, invitations to shows, and periodic phone calls. When the time came to start serious consideration of the design of barn, Hearthstone responded promptly and professionally to Richard and Diane’s requests for information and a review of their ideas for their barn, which would serve as the centerpiece for their new farm. They wanted a multipurpose facility that could accommodate an educational environment and a large hall suitable for the fundraising events for his charities. Richard wanted a barn that reflected the look and feel of barns built at the dawn of the 20th century. Besides the rustic chicken houses and vegetable gardens, they have completely renovated a 1020’s era farmhouse to be as historically correct as possible and serves as the entry to the farm. “They very careful to feel us out, get comfortable with our capabilities, and be convinced that we could perform as promised,” said Project Manager John Ricketson of Hearthstone. Design Process There were some initial drawings that gave us a start on the basic shape and size of the barn. From there, it was a process of narrowing down the uses of each area and the spans that could be achieved. The barn was going to have the traditional “board & batten” exterior siding and a metal roof. There is a cantilevered ‘hay hood” on the north gable end above the large sliding barn doors that open into the foyer and horse stalls. The wings house a combination of areas, beginning with the large restrooms to accommodate crowds for events. Other parts of the wings have garage areas for the farm vehicles, feed room, tack room, wash rack, storage, offices, and smaller restrooms. Keeping with the look and feel of the turn of the century, Hearthstone developed a process for giving the timbers a surface texture that mimicked the circular cuts of timbers that had just come out of an old sawmill. This was easier said than done. Randy Giles guided his millwright (Wolfgang) in designing a machine that would do this effectively. The barn was delivered in October of 2014 and was erected over the course of two weeks, thanks to a hardworking crew (Eric Foster) and near-perfect weather. After the Hearthstone crew completed the erection and roof dry-in, it was time for the local carpenters to step up and install some light conventional framing on the gable ends before applying the roof fascia and exterior board & batten siding. Next came the big sliding barn doors, plumbing, electrical, heating, and cooling. Large rustic fixtures were hung from the great hall roof timbers. Exterior The board & batten siding was cypress and allowed to turn color naturally as rain hit it and the sun started working on it with UV rays. This method causes a much grayer look closer to the ground and less so where the roof overhang provides protection. The North end has some large limestone boulders and planters arranged around the pad with tall pampas grass. The planters provide casual seating before events and during outside receptions. The entire area was sodded with lush St. Augustine grass and split rail fences were added to enclose the barn area. The corrugated metal roof was a special order material that immediately rusted after being exposed to moisture. The layer of rust protects the metal from the elements. Interior The board & batten theme was carried throughout most of the interior with the timbers left natural to show off the circular saw texture. All of the tongue & groove decking was shipped in advance to allow the local painter to pre-stain it with a dark brown transparent stain that is a beautiful background to the light color Eastern White Pine timbers. “Everything was unique in this project” said Project Manager John Ricketson. “The setting on a small demonstration farm close to Ocala, the multipurpose design, the circular saw texture on the timbers.” The Hermans are very proud of their farm’s outcome. Richard sent a note to Randy Giles, owner of Hearthstone: “The Barn is fantastic, not a single problem, period. Next month, we have Jo Dee Messina coming in to help with a fundraiser for a local center for abused kids. Folks love the farm, ...... but that barn gets all of the attention. I would encourage you to use me as a reference for your sales team, feel free to extend my cell phone to any prospective purchasers.”

The main goal of this renovation was to update an authentic mid-century home to suit a modern lifestyle, while still maintaining the original character and aesthetic of the home. To create a more open, family friendly space also suitable for entertaining, walls between the kitchen, dining room and living room were removed to create an open area to house the 360-sq.-ft. kitchen. Upon demolition, it was noted that some areas of the original tongue and groove ceiling had aged much differently than the rest of the ceiling. Rather than stain the areas and cause them to age differently, we opted to apply oil to darken the wood so that it will all continue to age at the same pace. Balancing new materials and tones with the existing abundance of wood was challenging, but in the end the balance was achieved with custom cabinetry in both white and anthracite matte lacquer, which is complemented by a custom floating walnut buffet in the dining area. Keeping the island and perimeter base cabinet finishes the same made the space feel more open, and presented the opportunity to create a dark focal wall for the refrigerator and pantry. These custom anthracite matte lacquer cabinets provide a striking yet subtle contrast with the white and wood, while incorporating well concealed pantry storage with microwave, as well as a Sub-Zero refrigerator. In lieu of a typical exhaust hood, downdraft ventilation was installed in the island, and pendants were omitted to keep the space open, but also more consistent with the original design of the home. Brass globe sconces were installed on either side of the sink to bring in warmth, and frame the view of the gorgeous greenery outside. This Project was a fantastic collaboration with Lauren Combs of The Neat Method Michigan Proudly Featured in Detroit Home October 2017 Photography by Boswell Hardwick

When I saw my spouse buying a libido enhancing product someday, I was fairly humiliated and also stunned. I imply I confess that we were not doing that fantastic sexually however taking a tablet for the very same methods that there is something incorrect with you. However I let that thing pass and did not do anything regarding it. As well as now after three weeks of usage, we are having the best sex of our lives. I could not thank Infinite Man Enhancement enough for this change. Grab! Your Free- trial here http://hikehealth.com/infinite-male-enhancement/

Quartz back splash with veining placed over the cooktop area.
Mid-sized trendy u-shaped light wood floor and beige floor eat-in kitchen photo in Calgary with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite countertops, white backsplash, stone slab backsplash, paneled appliances, an island and white countertops

Another quick job here in Cheshire, this time in the town of Wilmslow. Much like Alderly Edge, where I recently completed another job, Wilmslow is an affluent area known for its upmarket lifestyle and as a popular option for residence amongst celebrities and famous figures. In fact it is currently, and has previously been, home to several Premier League footballers from the nearby clubs Manchester United and Manchester City. This job was another case of where a tiled floor had lost its shine due to the sealer wearing away over time. In this instance, my client had a Travertine tiled floor in her kitchen that she wanted to me to restore back to looking at its best. Travertine is a fantastic natural stone which possesses unique features that no other stone can offer. It offers a particularly distinctive design style, making it a popular choice both for commercial and residential use. Many homeowners use Travertine tiles for kitchen flooring, bathroom walls and floors and for external floors, such as patios. The process of stripping off old sealer can be done effectively and relatively quickly without using a liquid stripper. The best method is to use a series of fine diamond encrusted burnishing pads, which is exactly what I did in this case. The burnishing pads are applied in sequence from coarse, medium, fine and superfine to remove the old sealer without damaging the Travertine and then re-polish to a lovely polished shine. One the floor had been burnished, rinsed and dried; I proceeded to re-seal the floor with Tile Doctor Colour Grow. Colour Grow is particularly effective when to seal porous natural stone surfaces such as Travertine and Limestone, whether internal or external. This is because the product is specially formulated to penetrate deep into the pores of the stone, providing durable surface protection from within. The other key benefit of Colour Grow is that it intensifies the colours within the stone, as you can from the photos. This adds additional character and flair to already impressive household features like this Travertine floor. The finished results were exactly what my client had hoped for. It goes to show that with the right methods and know-how such a big difference can be made to the appearance of tiled floors. I was very happy to help. Steve Keary North Cheshire Tile Doctor

Recently I visited a client in the town of Maidenhead, Berkshire who needed assistance restoring a very dirty pitted Limestone tiled floor which had suffered over the years due to poor maintenance choices. The pressures of a busy family life had, understandably, prevented my client from undertaking regular cleaning and the products and methods used for cleaning were by and large unsuitable for this type of natural stone. In addition, the pits in the tiles had been filled with grout; however, they were not flush to the tile and therefore a large amount of soil had collected in the pockets. The result was a Limestone tiled floor in considerably poor condition that was increasingly difficult to keep clean. My client had tried and tried to get the floor clean, using methods such as scrubbing with toothbrushes, steam cleaners, and mopping – but they weren’t getting anywhere! I explained to my client that steaming is, in fact, one of the worst cleaning systems to use on natural stone floors. Steam not only damages sealers, it also thins out greasy soils. Some of these soils are absorbed onto the domestic microfiber pads, however a lot of the soil becomes thinner allowing it to penetrate deeper into the pours of the stone and grout. This in itself starts the vicious circle to rapidly soiled and dirty tiles and grout. This happens because the grease soils magnetise dirt! My first task in the cleaning process was to mix a strong solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, which is a high alkaline cleaner. This solution was applied liberally across the entire Limestone tiled floor and grout. It was allowed to dwell for 30-40 minutes, giving it time to seep into the stone to get underneath and lift the ingrained dirt to the surface. During this time, I scrubbed the grout lines using a specialist stiff grout brush. The Limestone tiles were then scrubbed with heavy mechanical rotary agitation machine. I then gave the floor a thorough rinse using the latest in cleaning and capture technology, which involves firing hot water at high pressure in a spinning motion across the floor, in effect blasting away the ingrained soils from the grout and pitting in the limestone. The high pressure is delivered from a system mounted inside my van which also contains waste tanks to capture the extracted soiled water. After being allowed to dry thoroughly for 24 hours, I returned to seal the floor with Tile Doctor Colour Grow which would have brought out the deep colours in the stone, however after discussing the options with the client it became clear that they wanted to keep the floor looking as light as possible so Tile Doctor Ultra Seal was applied. Ultra Seal is a natural look impregnating sealer that soaks into the pores of the stone and protects it from within. The floor now looks fantastic and the sealer should ensure it remains looking that way for some time to come and before leaving I made sure to provide my client with some professional maintenance advice. Tim Colenutt Berkshire Tile Doctor

This couple, who live in the seaside resort of Brighton, had purchased their house four months before Christmas and wanted to have the fantastic Terracotta tiled floor in the kitchen and conservatory looking its best before the festive period, since they had family visiting. The floor was looking washed out and it was clear the sealer had failed in the high traffic areas and was now allowing dirt to penetrate into the pores of the tile making it difficult to clean. We often get calls from new home owners keen to put their own stamp on a property shortly after moving in; stone floors rarely come with cleaning instructions so if you have a stone floor it makes sense to get in touch, so we can advise you on how best to maintain it. We provided a quote which included stripping the floor of old sealers, cleaning, oiling and then sealing it again to restore cleanliness and character to the Terracotta. There was a lot to do and two areas to clean so I anticipated it would take four days to complete. Having accepted the quote our first task upon returning to the property was to give the Terracotta tiles a deep clean and remove any remaining sealer present on the tile. This was achieved by applying a strong combination of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and Tile Doctor NanoTech HBU to the tiles and then covering it in a plastic sheet, so it wouldn’t dry out. This method allows the products to really soak into the pores of the Terracotta and draw out the dirt. I should also mention that Pro-Clean is a very effective Tile and Grout cleaner whilst HBU enhances it by adding nano-sized cleaning particles. The plastic blanket was left in place for a few hours before being peeled off and then the cleaning products scrubbed into the tile and grout using a black pad fitted to a rotary floor machine and hand brushes. The now soiled product was rinsed off with water which was then extracted using a wet vacuum. The floor was inspected, and stubborn marks spot treated until the floor was clean. After thoroughly cleaning the Terracotta over two days, we left the floor to completely dry off over the weekend. The tiles would need to be sufficiently dry to receive fresh sealant, as excess moisture can cloud the sealant and prevent it from working correctly. When we returned to the property, we proceeded to apply Tile Doctor Stone Oil to the tiles. Stone Oil is a sealer which restores the colour and texture of tiled floors, as well as mechanical strength once cured. We applied a single coat of the Stone Oil before topping it up with multiple coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go, a topical sealer which provides a high-quality sheen finish to help accentuate the appearance of the Terracotta tiles as well as adding protection. You can see the results of the restoration below. The couple were so impressed that they have now agreed to have Tile Doctor visit once a year (at a fraction of the cost of the original restoration) to complete a maintenance clean. This will make sure this Terracotta is always looking at its best! Mick Conlon East Sussex Tile Doctor

This customer had some real difficulty in getting their fantastic Travertine tiled kitchen area looking as good as it should. The cleaning methods they had previously employed were unable to prevent the tiles from appearing dull, and the customer was also unable to deal with the displeasing marks and small cracks damaging the stone. Keen to get the floor back to looking its best, the customer called me down to their property, which overlooks the beautiful countryside area of Ashbourne, to see what could be done to restore the tiles. Upon my arrival at the property, I assessed the situation and resolved that the best way to restore the polish and general appearance of the floor was to use a process known as burnishing. The burnishing process, which involves the application of four diamond encrusted polishing pads of varying grit, works to grind away ingrained dirt while smoothing and polishing rough surfaces. Most commonly we use burnishing to restore the shine to Limestone and Marble tiles, but it can be used on most types of natural stone floor where a deep polish is required. To start the process, I applied the Coarse 400 grit burnishing pad to the floor using a small amount of water as lubrication in order to break down and remove any old sealer from the stone. Once this had been done across the entirety of the floor, I removed any soiled water with a wet-vac machine; this removal of soiled residue was repeated after each use of a burnishing pad. Next, I moved on to the Medium 800 grit pad which is less coarse than the 400 grit, but still rough enough still to break down layers of ingrained dirt. I followed this up with the application of a Fine 1500 grit pad, which started to smooth down the rough areas of the surface to prepare the floor for a final polish with an even finer burnishing pad later on. Before moving straight on to the final of the four pads, I took the time to carefully fill in the all of the small cracks and holes in the stone, before leaving the floor to dry until the next day. The next morning, I returned to the property to finish off the floor restoration. As soon as I arrived I used a damp tester to make sure the floor was completely dry. Noticing a number of small damp spots, I opted to use my heat gun to speed up the drying process. Once the floor was completely dry, I used the Very Fine 3000 burnishing pad – the last of the four – without any lubricant to finally achieve a high quality polished finish. For polished floors it is recommended to use an impregnating sealer that penetrates into the pores of the stone rather than sitting on the surface of the floor, as this ensures the quality of the polish isn’t damaged. As such I opted to use Tile Doctor Colour Grow to seal the tiles. This is a colour intensifying sealer that provides durable surface protection and allows the surface to breathe whilst enhancing the natural colours in the stone. It’s important that any sealer that doesn’t penetrate into the stone is removed by polishing it off with a cloth. After completing the seal, I went over the floor for a final time with the 3000 grit diamond burnishing pad to leave a smooth and shiny polished finish. Needless to say that the customer was very happy with result as they had never before been able to get the floor looking this good! Tony Olmet Derbyshire Tile Doctor

This customer, who lives in East Byfleet had been experiencing difficulties in keeping her fantastic Travertine tiled kitchen floor in good condition. Over the years it had suffered from a heavy build up of dirt and oily stains, not to mentioned a number of cracks and small holes. Needless to say, the customer was keen to restore the Travertine tiles to their former glory. To begin the restoration, I applied Tile Doctor Remove and Go across the entirety of the large tiled area. This heavy duty remover breaks down any old sealers and other coatings, leaving the area ready to cleaned or, in this case, burnished. Burnishing is a method for cleaning and polishing certain types of high-end stone, including Travertine, Marble, and Limestone. Our burnishing system involves the application of four diamond encrusted pads of varying grits. Firstly, I applied the Coarse grit pad, which helps to break down any dirt and stains on the surface of the tiles. Then, I worked my way through the Medium, Fine, and Very Fine pads, using a little water as lubricant, to gradually refine the polish on the Travertine. It was then rinsed and left to dry. To round off the first day of work, I filled any cracks and holes using our two-part resin system which greatly improved the look of the tile. The following day I returned to the property to seal the tiles checking first that the floor had dried. All was well so I proceeded to seal the floor using our colour intensifying impregnating sealer Tile Doctor Colour Grow. Once that was dry, I added the finishing touches by buffing the floor with a soft white buffing pad. As you can see from the photographs, the combination of a fresh seal and polish worked wonders. We did such a good job with the floor that the customer asked if we could also improve the appearance of their natural stone fireplace which was suffering from bad rust and oil stains however I do a separate write up on that. Wayne White West Surrey Tile Doctor

We work on a lot of residential tile installations but also cover commercial properties too, such as this new farm office which was in the process of being built in the market town of Driffield, East Yorkshire where a Flagstone tiled floor had been laid at the entrance. Driffield is known as the ‘Capital of the Yorkshire Wolds’ and lies near the source of the River Hull. The farm office project was very big and, with the pressure on to complete it in time, the floor had been laid without being sealed first. As a result, the floor was getting dirty very easily, and was proving difficult to keep clean. It was clear that the Flagstone tiles would need to be cleaned and sealed, and I was called upon to get the job done. To clean the floor I first mixed a 50:50 solution of clean water and Tile Doctor Pro Clean. Pro Clean is a high-alkaline cleaner which is safe to use on a wide range of natural stone floors. The cleaning solution was worked in using a rotary machine fitted with a black buffing pad which proved an effective method, lifting off the dust and residue that had been left on the surface of the Flagstone tiles during the course of construction work. The excess residue was extracted using a wet-vac machine. I then repeated the whole process over again several times in order to get the floor as clean as possible. To seal the floor I used a combination of two different Tile Doctor sealers. Firstly, I applied a layer of Tile Doctor Colour Grow to the floor. This colour intensifying sealer is specially formulated to enhance the fantastic natural colours in the stone, while at the same time providing durable surface protection. The floor was then finished off with a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go. This added to the stain resistance of the floor, while also delivering a very nice subtle shine on the surface. All signs of building work have been removed from the stone floor and it is now looking presentable ready for the opening of the new office, the combination sealer applied to the floor will also make sure it stays that way for some time to come. Ronnie Phipps East Yorkshire Tile Doctor

The photographs below are of an 80m2 Black Limestone Patio that was laid in rear garden of a property in Sandbach. All was going well until the installer decided to clean up the stone and remove the excess grout (aka grout haze) using brick acid. This is common practice in the trade after laying a patio however what they failed to realise is that Limestone can be marked by acids and in fact can be dissolved over time. This left the patio looking drained and in quite a state as you can imagine. In an attempt to restore the black colour of the stone, the tiler painted on a restoration product however with the grout haze still present on the stone all this did was to add to the problems. Frustrated the customer decided to call Tile Doctor and so I went over to see what could be done. I quickly deducted that the brick acid will have damaged the surface of the stone so to restore it I ran some tests on a small part of the patio that I been badly affected using a series of diamond encrusted burnishing pads of different grits. The pads successfully demonstrated that the appearance could be restored and impressed with the difference I was given the job of renovating all 80m2. Being outside weather was an issue and I had to reschedule until a dry weather window appeared. Cleaning during damp weather isn’t a problem, it’s the sealer which needs to be applied when the sone is dry to get the right result. Made with industrial diamonds and available in different sizes and grits, burnishing pads are ideal for restoring the appearance of polished stone floors. The first step was to work on the most badly damaged tiles with a coarse 100 and then 200-grit diamond milling pad fitted to a weighted rotary machine and lubricated with water. This took off the ruined top layer of the limestone bringing up the virgin stone underneath. Next the patio was worked on with a 400-grit diamond burnishing pad, followed by 800-grit, and then 1500-grit pad. Each pad further renovates the appearance of the stone (Honing) and had to be rinsed after each pad to remove the slurry that is generated. With 80m2 of Limestone paving to cover it took four days to completely restore all the stone using this method. It was tough work, but it made an incredible difference and naturally was far more cost effective than replacing the patio. With the stone cleaned up the last step was to restore the natural black colour in the Limestone with an application of Tile Doctor Stone-Oil which restores the deep black colour and adds texture to the stone, it’s also an impregnating sealer in its own right that adds protection and improves mechanical strength once cured. I allowed this to dry overnight then returned the next day to finish the patio restoration with a further coat of Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal, a no-sheen natural-looking sealer formulated to provide maximum stain protection without altering the colour of the stone. The customer was delighted with the transformation, what was one an uninviting ugly area now looks fantastic and welcoming. Impressed with the result they left the following glowing feedback: “Kamila is A M A Z I N G! From discussing our issue over the phone to meeting her in person, her advice and professionalism was second to none. She worked hard to repair our outdoor patio and we are thrilled with her results! We would happily recommend Kamila and wish her every success with her business in the future! Thank you Kamila! X Kamila Logonzy East Cheshire Tile Doctor

It’s not often that we get called abroad for a job, but when we do, it’s always a fantastic experience. We have done a few jobs abroad in the past, including the restoration of Terracotta tiled restaurant floor at a hotel in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This job was closer to home at a chateau in the town of Arcis-le-Ponsart near Reims, located in the Champagne-Ardenne region of North Eastern France. As its name suggests, the Champagne-Ardenne region is famous for its champagne. The owner of the chateau was, in fact, an English property developer. He asked us to work on two floors: a Terracotta tiled hallway, and a French Victorian tiled floor. The French style of Victorian tiles are actually made of encaustic cement rather than clay, so we were excited to have the chance to work on something a bit out of the ordinary. It was going to be a long trip, so after packing the van with the necessary equipment and Tile Doctor products Heidi and I set off to France via the Channel Tunnel. Fortunately, we avoided any disruptions both on the way there and the way back! On arrival at the chateau, we immediately spent two hours running tests on the two floors to determine the most effective processes. We had four days in which to complete the job, so it was essential to make sure our methods were correct before beginning to avoid any unwelcome surprises later on! After running the tests, we set about cleaning the Victorian tiles using a combination of clean water and diamond burnishing pads. No damage was done to the tiles, and they polished up well. Following the cleaning process, we began sealing the floor using Tile Doctor Colour Grow, a sealer which helps to bring out the colour in the stone while also providing durable surface protection. We were only able to apply one coat of sealer, however, as the second coat kept smearing, preventing the shine from settling in – this was despite testing the process earlier. Nonetheless, we resolved to polish off the one coat we could apply with a fine burnishing pad. Thankfully, the results were still very good. The Terracotta tiled hallway had no sealer, and so it had, over time, become very dirty. We cleaned the tiles using a solution of one part Tile Doctor Pro Clean to five parts clean water, in combination with a couple of black burnishing pads. As you can see from the pictures, the combination really helped to lift out the ingrained dirt, leaving the tiles looking at their best again. The floor took three days to dry completely before we could begin the sealing process. Once the floor was dry enough to seal, we applied eight coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go, which is suitable for use on a variety of internal, unsealed porous surfaces. It was a long and exhausting week but the client was delighted with the results on both floors and left the following comments, he also mentioned using Tile Doctor in the future to work on the other properties he is developing. “Thanks for yours and Heidi’s work in renovating our floors. It was also great to meet you guys and I hope you have enjoyed your visit to champagne and will come back some time. “

Details below of a restorative clean and seal that I recently completed on a Quarry tiled hallway at a house in the small village of Riseley, North Bedfordshire. The floor was a mix of fantastic black and red tiles; however, it had lost its character after a long period without professional maintenance. My client commissioned me to strip off the old sealer from the floor and replace it, but not before providing a thorough clean, including tackling some adhesive staining and inherent grout haze. The first task involved mixing our high alkaline cleaner, known as Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, with water to form a strong solution. The solution was applied to the tiled floor and left to dwell for a short period. This dwelling time allows for the Pro-Clean to seep into the stone to get underneath the ingrained dirt and lift it out. Pro-Clean also contains stripping properties, and thus helped to break down the old (and now ineffectual) sealer. After completing this initial clean I rinsed the floor using a standard mop and bucket method. With the old sealer removed, it became evident that there was also plaster residue marking the tiles, as well as inherent grout haze on the surface of the tile probably from the original installation. To tack these problems I used Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up, which is an acid-based cleaner that dissolves the adhesive and the grout. Being an acid you have to be careful and ensure the floor is rinsed thoroughly after use and if you’re considering using this product yourself read the label and make sure you use the right protective equipment. After the floor was thoroughly rinsed with water it was dried as much as possible using a wet vacuum which literally sucks the water off the floor. The floor was then left to dry for four days, with the help of several air movers. By the time I returned to the house, the floor was completely dry and ready to take the seal. I opted to use a combination of sealers, including one coat of our colour enhancing, impregnating sealer, known as Colour Grow, followed by three coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go to provide a truly robust and aesthetically pleasing surface seal. The photographs demonstrate the finished results better than words can and I think you will agree the floor is quite transformed. Andrew Evans Bedfordshire Tile Doctor