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

Photo of a traditional landscaping in Toronto.

Example of a deck design in Montreal

This Indian Sandstone Patio in Bolton-Le-Sands near Lancaster had not been cleaned successfully for several years. Although the owner had power washed it on occasion, that won’t rid you of Black Spot, Mould, Lichen etc and this will build-up over the years. It does clean the stone up to a certain standard but at some point, it will need further treatment. My client had now reached this point and decided to give Tile Doctor a call to have it renovated. We discussed the Patio which ran around the house and calculated that it measured approximately 60m2. With the measurements and a summary of the issues I was able to work out a quote which they were happy to accept. To improve the appearance of the stone I started by giving it a power wash to remove the general grime and dirt. I used a top of the range Karcher Pressure Washer for this which can apply up to 20 bars of pressure. The machine also comes with a spinner attachment results in a much more even clean than simply using the spray head. The patio was left to dry for thirty minutes before applying neat Tile Doctor Patio & Brick Driveway Cleaner. Please note this is a very powerful product meant for professional use so if you’re using it always wear gloves and protective glasses. You leave it on the stone for ten minutes or longer before working it in. The directions on the back of the bottle say recommend leaving it for two to four hours, but its general advice. Personally, I find it is best to test the timing on a small inconspicuous area first, leave it on for say ten minutes then add a bit of water, scrub the surface and if the Black Spot disappears then that is all the time you need. If the stain is stubborn, increase the time. The two to four hour recommendation is really for difficult Black Spots that have become ingrained into the stone and then the product needs longer to digest the stain before it can work. Once that was done, I used the power washer on low pressure to wash the products off the stone and into the sewerage drain, a wet vacuum comes in handy for this. Don’t dispose of it into the grass or planting areas as the strong chemicals in the product could upset them. Many properties have a soak away to capture rainwater from gutters, so you need to make sure it’s the sewage drain you are using. As you can see on the pictures, this product really does work and got rid of the Black Spot completely. To maintain the patio a regular jet wash was recommended, the household versions are ideal for keeping it clean and tidy. Due to the size of the Sandstone patio the whole process took around six hours to complete. Once done though the patio looked transformed and was all ready for a barbeque and some guests. Hopefully, it will stop raining long enough for this to happen. Russell Taylor Lancashire Tile Doctor

Mist Works outdoor misting system with variable speed stainless steel outdoor fans (with optional special color powder coating) with stainless steel mist rings. Our high pressure misting systems with fans and ultra fine mist nozzles, can drop temperatures up to 20 degrees in the humid climates, up to 30 degrees in dry arid areas. Mist Works systems with high pressure misters mean you wont experience surface wetting, only cool breezes! Mist Systems for all budgets

The Cobblestone Stencil gives you an affordable way to create a faux cobblestone look for your landscaping. Perfect for a little bungalow style home or in the backyard to add a masculine design element. All you need is this stencil, a pressure washer and dirty concrete. Replace the cost of expensive hardscape pavers. The Cobblestone design uses simple registration marks to create a pattern. Just use the outside windows to align the stencil each time with the previous pressure washed area. No need to worry about being perfect, you won’t notice a minor discrepancy. Watch our How-to Video below so you know how the pattern works. All Driveway Art stencils are reusable and made proudly in the USA. You are turning your dirt into custom artwork that your friends & neighbors won’t believe you did yourself. Dimensions: 22” x 22” reusable plastic stencil

Noel Pahuamba
This is an example of a mediterranean landscaping in San Francisco.

Sleek in design, and highly functional shower heads, these shower heads were meant for people who want one thing: an amazing and relaxing shower experience without unnecessary frills. Luxury, quality, and beautiful design, all come together with our Rain Therapy Collection.

Large beautiful pressure treated deck designed and built by Atlanta Decking & Fence. This project features multi-levels for optimal entertainment.
Huge transitional backyard second story metal railing deck photo in Atlanta

Sleek in design, and highly functional shower heads, these shower heads were meant for people who want one thing: an amazing and relaxing shower experience without unnecessary frills. Luxury, quality, and beautiful design, all come together with our Rain Therapy Collection.

NanDro manufactures and installs environmentally-friendly protective shields, sealants and concrete materials. Our coatings, sealers and materials can be used to defend your surface from harmful environmental elements as well as everyday wear and tear! NanDro also is an applicator and can coat your products in house or out in the field. NanDro Concrete Shield protects concrete and masonry surfaces from multiple destructive forces. Unprotected concrete surfaces can be damaged by water, salt spray, acid from food/beverages & waste, gum, graffiti, and chloride ion. When coated, the concrete surface will not only be protected from these damaging elements, but will also be aesthetically enhanced with a peel and flake resistant gloss or satin finish. NanDro Wood Shield is the all in one solution for protecting your everyday wooden surfaces. It protects from UV damage, acid etching, water spots, moisture and other natural decay. These features make it ideal for use not only in the home, but also in industries such as restaurants, marinas, decks, furniture, and the rest of the great outdoors. NanDro Metal Shield is ideal for protecting, and preserving metal surfaces under various conditions. It provides protection against all types of corrosion from water, salt spray, chemical exposure, as well as other damaging environmental elements. Due to its anti-corrosion properties, the Metal Coat also eliminates the need to polish easily tarnished metals, such as aluminum, copper, and brass. It also provides UV protection for the metal surface and reduces ice adhesion. Also available is the NanDro Stainless Steel Coating.

Sleek in design, and highly functional shower heads, these shower heads were meant for people who want one thing: an amazing and relaxing shower experience without unnecessary frills. Luxury, quality, and beautiful design, all come together with our Rain Therapy Collection.

The sunroom addition doubles up as a bright and open home office workspace. The adjacent pressure treated deck space helps extend the outdoor living experience to beyond the home office or addition itself. The large number of windows helps make the most of the bright natural light coming in, but also provides a great view of the backyard, without compromising on the backyard views. Gives a bright, airy, warm space in the winters as well as summers, to spend time in and engage in different activities without compromise.

Large beautiful pressure treated deck designed and built by Atlanta Decking & Fence. This project features multi-levels for optimal entertainment.
Deck - huge transitional backyard second story metal railing deck idea in Atlanta

Tim Brown Photography
Kitchen - large contemporary medium tone wood floor kitchen idea in Other with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and two islands

Tim Brown Photography
Example of a large trendy rooftop deck design in Other with a fire pit and a roof extension

Example of a classic deck design in Portland

Tim Brown Photography
Large contemporary gray two-story stucco exterior home idea in Other