Photo by Casey Fry A blend of charcoal gray limestone from a quarry in Leuders, TX, and Oklahoma sandstone on the exterior and interior of this home.

All Palermo steps
Photo of a traditional landscaping in San Luis Obispo.

A customer from the Tunbridge Wells borough of Southborough got in touch with me regarding the renovation of their Sandstone Paved Drive and Patio. The paving surrounded the property and since all the facias had recently been renewed on the house the stone was letting the overall appearance of the property down. It had been sometime since the Sandstone had been cleaned and as you can see from the photos what was once a beautiful stone had now darkened and lost much of its natural colour. I went to the property to do a quick site visit to check what needed to be done. I worked out a quote for cleaning to the stone which was accepted and a convenient time to carry out the work was agreed. I have a very powerful high pressure cleaning system installed in my van which makes short work of cleaning stone and brick. Not only is it very effective at cleaning its designed as a closed system, so all the waste is extracted back to a large grey water tank in the van. Now you can use an everyday power washer to clean up external stone however they are not as powerful and so take much longer, also the result does not tend to be as good. It was a large area, so I approached the job in sections and started by pre-wetting the stone with water. Then I applied Tile Doctor Patio & Brick Driveway Cleaner which is a powerful outdoor cleaning solution formulated to power through patio blackspots, lichen, moss, and stains. This is a commercial product designed for professional use so if you are looking at using it yourself, please take care and use the right protection. The cleaner was left to soak into the really dirty areas whilst I focused on the cleaning the other parts of the drive and patio with the van mounted pressure washer. I was then able to return to the deeper stains later. Using a combination of the Tile Doctor Brick and Patio Cleaner along with our van mounted pressure cleaning system we were able to completely transform the properties kerb appeal. Applying a sealer now the Sandstone was clean would have improved the look of the stone further and made the patio easier to keep clean going forward; however, it was a very large area which would require a lot of sealer. Keen to keep the cost down it was agreed not to apply a sealer and instead they intend to do more regular cleaning. The patio did look in great condition following the deep cleaning and so difficult to justify at this stage. My customer was very happy with the transformed patio and the look of delight was clearly visible. It’s a great feeling when you have a happy customer and this was one of those jobs where their satisfaction was so uplifting, especially during these times. Michael Conlon South Kent TIle Doctor

Design and Installation by Nature Perfect Landscaping, Olympia WA 8,500 sf Sandstone cobbles and stone border. On Houzz: nature-perfect-landscape-and-design

Design and Installation by Nature Perfect Landscaping, Olympia WA 8,500 sf Sandstone cobbles and stone border. On Houzz: nature-perfect-landscape-and-design

Patio - modern backyard stone patio idea in New York

Photo by Peter Powles
Home design - contemporary home design idea in Vancouver

Eat-in kitchen - large cottage single-wall medium tone wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen idea in Philadelphia with a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, soapstone countertops, red backsplash, brick backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Design Consultant Jeff Doubét is the author of Creating Spanish Style Homes: Before & After – Techniques – Designs – Insights. The 240 page “Design Consultation in a Book” is now available. Please visit SantaBarbaraHomeDesigner.com for more info. Jeff Doubét specializes in Santa Barbara style home and landscape designs. To learn more info about the variety of custom design services I offer, please visit SantaBarbaraHomeDesigner.com Jeff Doubét is the Founder of Santa Barbara Home Design - a design studio based in Santa Barbara, California USA.

Mountain style powder room photo in Denver with an integrated sink, gray walls and gray countertops

The photos on this page are of a Sandstone Kitchen floor at a house in the High Green suburb of Sheffield. The Sandstone tiles looked grubby and needed some love and attention. Our client was getting fed up trying to keep the stone clean, particularly around the kitchen area where cleaning didn’t seem to make much. You can see how dirty it had become on the before picture below, this is stark contrast to the middle of the of the kitchen where the portable kitchen island normally sits. I went to the property to get a better look at the problem floor and carried out a small test clean to see which products and methods would have the best impact. The patch came up really clean without much difficulty, so I was confident on being able to restore its appearance. It was clear to me the original protective sealer had worn off and dirt had become ingrained in the pores of the stone where it was proving difficult to remove. My client was very encouraged by the test clean initial result and agreed to go ahead with the quote. We arranged a suitable time to carry out the work on a day when the family would be out of the way. I started by taping up the area to make sure the skirting and woodwork were protected from splashing. Once done a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean was sprayed onto Sandstone tile and grout. It was left to dwell for approximately ten minutes to help break down all the grime and dirt and was then worked into the stone using a rotary floor machine fitted with a stiff bristled brush. This method totally transformed the dull sandstone, the stunning sandstone colours started to leap out and I could see the stone was well on its way to being transformed. The floor was then rinsed several times with water and the now soiled cleaning solution carefully removed with an industrial wet vacuum. With the floor clean I inspected all the tiles and repeated the process until I was happy the floor was total clean. I should mention It’s not always this easy to clean a stone floor and quite often I find myself having to utilise all sorts of products and methods before I’m totally satisfied it’s as clean as it could possibly be. With the cleaning done I left the floor to dry out overnight aided with heaters and air blowers. I returned to seal the floor the next day checking first that the stone was dry with a damp meter. Leaving the blowers on overnight had helped and the readings I took from the floor confirmed it was now ready for sealing. Earlier I had discussed the different types of sealer available with my clients and they had chosen to have the floor sealed with Tile Doctor Seal & Go. This works really well on Sandstone, enhancing its appearance, improving colour and of course adding protection to the stone to prevent grime and dirt stuck in the pores of the stone. Several coats were applied until I could see if was fully sealed and the right level of finish had been achieved. Sealing a floor can take some time as you need to allow each coat to dry before applying the next. Once done the floor looked meticulously clean and the new sealer had added a lovely subtle sheen to the stone. My client was very please with the transformation and left the following feedback. ‘Very professional approach, friendly, and offered great advice throughout the job. Very pleased with the finish Cheers Matt we will see you again’ One of the problems we find with many homeowners is that for cleaning they use strong bleach-based cleaning product on their sealed tiles, and this actually strips off the sealer leaving the stone vulnerable to ingrained dirt. As a result, Tile Doctor has developed Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner, it is pH neutral and gentle enough for everyday use without affecting the sealer. Matthew Lovett South Yorkshire Tile Doctor

Large cottage single-wall medium tone wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen photo in Philadelphia with a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, soapstone countertops, red backsplash, brick backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Design and Installation by Nature Perfect Landscaping, Olympia WA 8,500 sf Sandstone cobbles and stone border. On Houzz: nature-perfect-landscape-and-design

Eat-in kitchen - large cottage single-wall medium tone wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen idea in Philadelphia with a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, soapstone countertops, red backsplash, brick backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Keeping it classic with Raised Panel Doors! This customer did mix it up with the Long Panel variety of this design, which matches the siding on their house well! Long Panels and the Sandstone color, make for a beautiful exterior! Ready to change it up? Contact us today for your free on-site estimate with our Certified Service Professionals! You can reach us at (972)-422-1695 or PlanoOverhead.com/contact-us/

Shiflet Group Architects Photographer Nick Johnson
Example of a cottage stone outdoor patio shower design in Austin

Photo: Lucy Call © 2014 Houzz
Example of an eclectic enclosed dark wood floor family room design in Salt Lake City with white walls, no fireplace and a tv stand

Inspiration for a large farmhouse single-wall medium tone wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen remodel in Philadelphia with a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, soapstone countertops, red backsplash, brick backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

These India sandstone steps were installed over a reinforced concrete pad to eliminate future settling. This construction method ensures lasting stability, clean lines, and a premium finish while supporting frequent use and seasonal freeze-thaw conditions.