Stains? Cracks? Our stucco painting service has got your home covered. Our Liqua-Wrap paint for stucco delivers all the things that you would want from brand-new stucco: no more cracks or stains, protection against water and the elements and of course, an amazing new look. Oh, and without the price tag. Hairline cracks don’t just make your stucco look old, they can leave your home vulnerable to water infiltration that can lead to mold and rot behind your stucco walls. Plan your defence with a coating that bridges hairline cracks and wraps your home in waterproofing colour coat. Give us a call to book your free in-home consultation! (604) 260-4525

When the weather begins to get colder, this can be a dangerous time for trees. There are many reasons how the cold and other elements during winter can harm your trees and surrounding landscape. This also means that there are many ways in which you can help prevent any unfortunate accidents due to the weather. Some of the most common reasons trees can get damaged from the cold weather are as follows: -Root damage -Extensive bark -Core chewing from pests We here at Five Star Tree Services want to provide you with the right information on how to help prevent winter tree damage. Root Damage Prevention Unlike the rest of the tree, which includes the stems, branches, and buds, the roots are the last part of the tree to go dormant for the winter. This means that they are more vulnerable when the weather takes a sharp cold turn. The reason this tends to happen is that the soil temperatures stay warmer than the air, hence why the branches go dormant first and the roots take longer. There are also a number of different things that dictate soil temperatures. For instance, dry soil gets colder quicker than sodden soil. Making it so that there is more ice present in sandy or dry soils, which is how it gets colder in temperature. If you want your soil temperatures to be higher, mulch and snow can help insulate the ground and keep it sheltered from the harsher elements. If you have recently planted a tree, the disturbed soil will now allow cold air to get at the roots, which will hinder any root development or even kill newly grown roots. How To Prevent For newly planted trees, you should cover the roots with 3-4 inches of wood mulch. The best thing to do is make a 6-inch circle surrounding the base of your tree but make sure to keep it away from the trunk. Doing this is going to help support the tree during the winter and help stop unusual roots from growing. Before you lay your mulch down, you should also be checking for holes or breaks in the soil and fill them in before laying your mulch down. In the fall and spring, the soil is continuously being defrosted and refreezing again. This makes the soil contract and expand and can hurt newly planted roots. It can also be enough to push them out of the ground completely! Making mulch even more important since it can provide more consistent temperatures in the soil. If you are experiencing a dry fall with little to no rain happening, you need to give your tree a really good watering before the ground starts to freeze. Doing this is going to lower the risk of your tree getting infiltrated by ice or frost. Pest Damage Prevention There are plenty of things that can harm your trees when the weather turns cold. Some of these other things include: -Sunscald -Dieback -Brown evergreen foliage -Salt damage But aside from weather related ailments, you also need to worry about the damage done by certain pests as well. This can include: -Mice -Hares -Voles -Deer These seemingly harmless animals are known to do major damage to plants during the winter when they are foraging on things like twigs, bark, stems, and leaves. They have even been known to completely eat bushes, right to the ground, and kill trees when they destroy their bark. One of the only ways to prevent animals from chewing on the bark is by building barriers around your trees in order to keep the pests from getting at them. Luckily, making these barriers isn’t as hard as you might be thinking. There are numerous potions for you to choose from that are easy to assemble and disassemble that you can find at your local garden center or landscaping stores. How Five Star Tree Services Can Help Colder weather insights many potential negative things for your trees that can severely harm them, damage them, or even kill them if they are not properly protected. It is always important to make sure that your trees are properly prepared for the winter months ahead. This means utilizing preventative measures to alleviate the risks of things like root and animal damage. If you require help to prepare your trees for winter, our team at Five Star Tree Services is here to help you with our tree care services in Richmond Hill, don’t wait until it’s too late, give us a call today at (416) 990-3355!

These pictures of a Victorian Tiled Hallway are from a property in Canterbury that was once a nursing home and was now being renovated to become a children’s home. The building was being gutted and extended at the same time and when the carpet was pulled up in the hallway, they were surprised to find a relatively intact Victorian tiled floor underneath. Whilst they thought it bizarre that anyone would want to cover up such an attractive floor the carpet had protected it over the years. They realized it would make a marvellous feature at the entrance to the property, but professional restoration would be needed to do it justice. After a bit of research, they came across Tile Doctor and got in touch. Canterbury comes under my North Kent designation, so I went to visit the property and survey the floor and quote for doing the restoration. There were a few missing and loose tiles that would need replacing and refixing also there was a lot of ingrained dirt so a deep clean and application of a new sealer would be required. I gave them a price for the work which they readily accepted, and we arranged a suitable time to carry out the work. Subject to the building schedule I had calculated the floor would take three days to restore. On the first day I set about replacing and re-fixing the missing, broken, and loose tiles. This is delicate work as you need to extract the old tile without disturbing its neighbours and then clean up the area ready for its replacement. Being a Tile Doctor I keep a selection of stock tiles for repairs, some are reclaimed, and some are replica. Also, there are several companies still making Victorian style tiles so I can usually source what I need. After the individual missing and broken tiles had been replaced and the adhesive had set, it was then a matter of renovating the floor as a whole. The tiles were covered in a thick layer of carpet adhesive which needed a combination of specialist tools and products to remove. First, a liberal layer of Tile Doctor Remove and Go was applied and left to dwell for thirty minutes. Next, Tile Doctor Pro-Clean was added and scrubbed in with a black pad. This process softened the adhesive sufficiently in readiness for the next stage which involves using a set of diamond burnishing pads on a weighted buffing machine. Several applications were needed, each time with a successively finer grade of diamond pad and rinsing off the slurry in between. The tiles were first milled using a very coarse 50-grit pad, followed by 100, 200 and finally burnished with a 400-grit burnishing pads. This removed all the adhesive and dirt in the tiles, which was cleaned up using the wet vacuum. Old Victorian floors like this do not have a damp proof membrane installed under the floor, and with a lot of water being used in the cleaning process I was concerned White efflorescence salts could appear later as the floor dried. To counter this, I gave the floor an acid wash using Tile Doctor Acid Gel to counter and dissolve the salts, it also gives the tiles another clean and will remove any old grout smears further improving the appearance of the tiles. Once done the floor was left to dry overnight. On my return I tested the floor was dry by taking several moisture readings around the floor with a damp meter. Applying sealer to a damp floor is never advised and can lead to clouding and an unwanted finish. Happy that the tiles were dry, a single coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow sealer was applied. This is an impregnating sealer with a colour enhancing component to ‘lift’ the stronger colours of the floor. Colour Grow however does leave a matt appearance and as the client had asked for a shiny finish it was topped up with five coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go. This is a compatible topical sealer which added a mid to high sheen. By the end of the third day the Victorian floor looked brand new, and I received the following feedback from the client. Its rare to receive feedback from commercial customers so they were clearly overwhelmed with the transformation. Did not think this glued covered bad old floor could look sooooo good Fabulous Fantastic job Looks Amazing Thank you For aftercare I recommend the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner which isn’t as harsh as many of the products you find in supermarket. Stronger products can actually strip off the sealer over time leaving it vulnerable to dirt and detracting from its appearance. Graham Davis North Kent Tile Doctor

Spring brings the first rays of steady sunlight that encourage your trees to start sprouting fruit and flowers. However, sometimes at the start of spring, the cold weather makes a sudden and abrupt turn as winter tries to reassert its dominance. This can cause a late freeze, which is difficult for many trees to combat. Fruit trees are the most vulnerable during a late freeze, but Five Star Tree Services has some suggestions to help you protect your fruit and flowering trees from a late freeze. Protecting Your Trees Some fruit trees are better able to protect themselves from the cold, but all trees need to be protected from the frost. Depending on the type of tree you have, several methods of protection are effective. Peach Trees: To protect peach trees, cover them with a blanket or a sheet during the day. This will allow heat to build up that will protect them at night during the freeze. Make sure to leave the cover in place until the freeze passes. Citrus Trees: These are the most fragile of all trees. Small trees should be draped with burlap, a sheet, a tree frost blanket, or any other type of fabric at least a day before the freeze occurs. The cover has to surround the whole tree to trap the heat and prevent frost. Apple Trees: These trees are pretty sturdy compared to other fruit-bearing trees. They can handle the cold, but it is still a good idea to cover them during sudden frost. It is important to avoid placing ground covers, mulch, and weeds from around the base of a tree during cold weather and frost periods. The moist bare soil emits more heat than soil that is mulched. Watering trees ahead of a frost can also help to protect them as water also emits heat. When you expect a freeze, it is also best to furrow-irrigate at night or use a sprinkler on its low setting while ensuring there is proper drainage for your trees. Any time the outside temperature is forecast to drop below 32 degrees; you should cover your trees. Which Trees Can Survive in the Cold? No fruit-bearing trees are made for cold climates, but some are better equipped to handle the cold than others. The Plant Hardiness Zone can help you choose the right trees to plant for the area where you live. For example, lemon trees and other citrus trees need to be planted in zones 9-11 where the risk of cold weather is minimal. Pear trees, on the other hand, need cold weather to thrive and should be planted in zones 4-8. Freezing Dangers Some fruit or flowering trees that are caught unguarded during the late frost may lose their blossoms. In many cases, these trees will no longer sprout during the current growing season but will come back next spring as healthy as ever. Younger trees are more prone to damage than mature trees. Trees that have closed buds are also able to handle the cold better than those that have already started to bloom. Of course, the longer a freeze is present, the more dangerous it is for your trees. How We Can Help The skilled arborists here at Five Star Tree Services are always on hand to help protect your trees from frost and with regular maintenance. Some of the other services we provide include tree removal, tree planting, and tree pruning in Richmond Hill and the Greater Toronto Area. If you require our assistance, give us a call at (416) 990-3355 today.

The patio, which runs the full length of the yard, is durable acid etched concrete which has the look of limestone but without natural stone’s vulnerability for staining. A comfortable lounge area towards the middle of the yard echoes the modern theme with a striking ensemble of minimal design black and white elements.

Stains? Cracks? Our stucco painting service has got your home covered. Our Liqua-Wrap paint for stucco delivers all the things that you would want from brand-new stucco: no more cracks or stains, protection against water and the elements and of course, an amazing new look. Oh, and without the price tag. Hairline cracks don’t just make your stucco look old, they can leave your home vulnerable to water infiltration that can lead to mold and rot behind your stucco walls. Plan your defence with a coating that bridges hairline cracks and wraps your home in waterproofing colour coat. Give us a call to book your free in-home consultation! (604) 260-4525

This client from Highgate in North London, N6 contacted us about their large honed Limestone tiled floor that was installed throughout the ground floor. It had been laid seven years prior and was now grubby and in need of a deep clean and seal including the grout which had turned black with dirt. I visited the property to survey and assess what was required and provided the owner with a quotation for the renovation. The hallway pictured was in the worst condition, it was a busy house with young children and dogs and over the years the sealer had worn down leaving it vulnerable to ingrained dirt. Without a sealer to protect the stone it had become heavily soiled and lost its original polished appearance. Happy with the quote we scheduled a date for the work to go ahead. The quote included deep cleaning and burnishing the stone to bring back the polish, grout cleaning and re-sealing the Limestone to protect it. We arrived on the first day and prepared the area by taping up the skirting and woodwork to protect them from potential splashing. Next step was to burnish the floor using a set of Tile Doctor Diamond Burnishing Pads, specifically the 400, 800 and 1500 grit pads fitted to a rotary machine, these were used in sequence running each pad over the tiles several times with water to lubricate the process. The water turns into a fine slurry as pores in the stone are opened and the dirt is released, the slurry is rinsed off with more water and extracted using an industrial wet vacuum after each pad. The finer 800 and 1500-grit pads slowly close the pores and refine the appearance of the stone building up the polish in the process. A strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean was then applied to the grout lines, leaving it for a short while to soak in and then hand scrubbing with a grout brush. The dirty cleaning solution and were then removed from the floor with the wet vacuum. This process was repeated across the different sections of the Limestone floor until I was satisfied with its appearance. Before leaving for the day, I rinsed the floor again using a buffing machine fitted with a brush fitted to give it a final clean. The floor was dried as much as possible using the wet vacuum and then allowed it to dry off fully overnight. The following day the final 3000-grit pad in the four-pad set was applied to the floor to bring up the polish even further. The pad is applied dry with only a little water sprayed onto the tile. We call this process a “Spray Burnish” and as well as leaving the floor nice and dry ready for sealing it adds a nice subtle shine to the stone. The floor was then sealed with two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow sealer. This is a colour intensifying impregnating sealer that works by occupying the pores in the stone so dirt cannot become ingrained there. It will provide durable protection and make the floor much easier to keep clean. It worked well on the pale Limestone and beautifully enhanced the colour and features in stone. Once complete the floor looked brand new again. I left a complimentary bottle of Tile Doctor Stone Soap with the client and gave them some information about how best to maintain the floor. This product is pH neutral and cleans whilst maintaining the patina on the stone helping to keep the floor in great condition. The client was delighted with the result and left us a great review. “Andrew is excellent and gets on with the job and we got a fantastic result. Highly recommend. By Aaron S, Highgate, 15 March 2021” Andrew Newstead North London Tile Doctor

The Vancouver Downtown East Side Women's Centre required a proper space to store and offer clothing and accessories to vulnerable women in need. We were honoured to design and install this full walk-in closet for them.

The Vancouver Downtown East Side Women's Centre required a proper space to store and offer clothing and accessories to vulnerable women in need. We were honoured to design and install this full walk-in closet for them.

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

Stains? Cracks? Our stucco painting service has got your home covered. Our Liqua-Wrap paint for stucco delivers all the things that you would want from brand-new stucco: no more cracks or stains, protection against water and the elements and of course, an amazing new look. Oh, and without the price tag. Hairline cracks don’t just make your stucco look old, they can leave your home vulnerable to water infiltration that can lead to mold and rot behind your stucco walls. Plan your defence with a coating that bridges hairline cracks and wraps your home in waterproofing colour coat. Give us a call to book your free in-home consultation! (604) 260-4525

Timberline® UHD with Dual Shadow Line Lifetime Roofing Shingles were utilized for this Western WI roofing project. Our team also removed the home’s unnecessary antenna, took down the chimney to below the roof line, and framed and built a new peak to eliminate a small flat section of roofing that was vulnerable to leaking. LeafGuard® Brand Gutters were installed near the patio area to protect the concrete pavers.

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