Inspiration for a large modern multicolored mixed siding and clapboard exterior home remodel in Other with a green roof

Most stone and tile benefit from the protection that a sealer provides to stop dirt becoming ingrained into its pores. However, the act of walking on the tile causes wear and this over time will lead to the sealer wearing off and dirt reaching the pores; the worse thing is you rarely notice it happening because it takes a long time to wear down a sealer. Most of my customers have this problem and call on me to clean and reseal the floors every few years when it becomes difficult to clean effectively. The alternative which I do for a number of my clients is to have the floor lightly cleaned and a new layer of sealer added every six to twelve months. This Victorian tiled entrance at a period house in Ilkley was not in too bad a shape just a little dirty and dull and the owner was keen to have is renovated in the run up to the Christmas holidays. Ilkley is a lovely town in West Yorkshire which became very fashionable in the Victorian era due to the health benefits of the local water, this led to a lot of Victorian architecture and tiled entrance floors like this one are very typical in the area. To get the dirt out of the tile and grout I applied a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean to the tiles and left it to soak in for fifteen minutes. Pro-Clean is a very reliable cleaner for all types of tile and grout including natural stone, Limestone, Slate and Travertine, amongst others; additionally, when used in a strong dilution it will strip off old sealers. The solution was then worked into the tile using a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine and the soil extracted using a wet vacuum. I gave the floor a light rinse with water to remove any trace of cleaning products and then inspected the floor to ensure it was up to standard. At this point I could see there were flecks of paint on the tile around the edges of the floor from previous decorating work and, so I removed carefully removed these with a scrapper and a hand-held diamond block. The floor was given a final rinse and the wet vacuum used to extract as much moisture from the floor as possible before leaving it to dry for the evening. I returned the next day to seal the floor first discussing the finish that the customer wanted for the tiles. Typically, I recommend using a satin sealer for Victorian tiles as it adds a nice sheen to the tile however surprisingly the owner wanted a matt finish. Tile Doctor has a full range of sealers available to cater for all requirements so for this floor I applied three coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which leaves a matt finish whilst enriching the colours in the tile. The tiles are now full of life and with the paint specs removed there is now a crisp black edge between the floor and the skirting which the customer also picked up on. Nigel Stoker North West Yorkshire Tile Doctor

Example of a large multicolored split-level glass and clapboard exterior home design in Other with a green roof

The Yorkshire DIY Fireplace Mantel Great things come in small packages and the Yorkshire is no exception. This fireplace surround fits into minimal space and has a clean, linear quality with universal appeal.

Example of a large open concept medium tone wood floor and multicolored floor living room design in Other with beige walls, a hanging fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Inspiration for a large modern partial sun rooftop brick and metal fence landscaping in Other.

Here's a fantastic vintage map of Bedale, North Yorkshire that we created as a stunning wall mural for one of our clients. Historical map wallpaper of your local area looks spectacular and makes such a great talking point!

The Yorkshire DIY Fireplace Mantel Great things come in small packages and the Yorkshire is no exception. This fireplace surround fits into minimal space and has a clean, linear quality with universal appeal. See below for our two color options and dimensional information.

I was recently contacted by a client who lives in the small coastal town of Bridlington, East Yorkshire. Bridlington has a small sea fishing port known for its great shellfish. My client had a Limestone floor that was really in need of a fresh up: over the years the tiles had become dull and worn-looking, and she was keen to restore a nice shine to the surface. I was on hand to treat the floor to a much needed clean, polish and seal. My first job was to strip off the old sealer. I did this using a coarse diamond burnishing pad fitted to a rotary machine. The floor was then given a thorough rinse with clean water to clear off any dirt and excess sealer. Following this, the excess water was quickly soaked up with a wet-dry vac machine to make sure there was no leftover moisture, as this could have potentially affected the performance of the new sealer (which I would apply at a later stage). To polish the floor I continued with the system of burnishing pads, starting first with a medium burnishing pad, followed by the fine and very fine pads to achieve the desired effect. The result was a very nice overall sheen. After cleaning and polishing, the only task remaining was to provide the floor with a durable seal. I did this using Tile Doctor Ultra Seal, which is a premium, natural-look penetrating sealer that is specially designed to provide maximum stain protection from within. This particular product is suitable for use on a range of different natural stone floors, including Limestone, Slate, Granite, Marble and Travertine. Overall, my client was very happy with the results. As you can see from the photographs, the clean, polish and seal made a marked difference on the condition of the floor, turning the tiles from dull and lifeless to full of character and colour once again.

The pictures above are of a 12 metre squared Chinese slate floor in the kitchen of a property in Harrogate which had been laid ten years prior. You can see from the photographs that the grout had darkened and the slate itself had lost a lot of its character and colour. Sealers typically last between three to five years so by now there was little protection left and so dirt had become trapped in the pores of the stone and grout making it difficult to keep clean. It was now overdue a deep clean and the application of a fresh seal. I went over to survey the floor and provide a quote for stripping off what was left of the original sealer, cleaning the floor, and then resealing. I had been recommended by a previous customer so happy with my track record and the price I quoted, they asked me to do the work. They had received a quote from another firm which as it turned out was a lot more expensive than mine. Given there was little sealer left to remove I decided to start by scrubbing the floor with a strong concentration of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which was left to soak into the slate for ten minutes. Then I worked the solution in with a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad. Pro-Clean is a very versatile product that will strip the sealer off a floor when used in a strong dilution with water, it will also remove deep seated dirt too. Due to the riven nature of the tiles however I found the black pad was struggling to reach into the crevices of the tile so to achieve the desired result I resorted to scrubbing the floor on my hands and knees with a scrubbing brush. Its important that the floor is as clean as it possibly can be before sealing otherwise you simply lock the dirt in and it will never look clean. The floor was left to dry off overnight and I returned the next day to apply the new sealer. First, I checked to ensure that the floor was fully dry using a damp meter. The sealer would not cure properly if the floor damp and this can detract from the finished appearance. I was happy with the readings, so I started to apply the first coat of Tile Doctor Seal and Go which I felt was the best product sealing Slate. The stone needed four coats; each one being left to dry before applying the next. Seal and Go is a stain resistant sealer which results in a low sheen silky appearance, it is good on surfaces such as the Chinese Slate which tend to be more porous and being water based it does not leave a smell as it dries. The client was very happy with the result and mentioned to me that it had never looked that good even when new. For aftercare cleaning I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which will keep the floor in the best condition. This is a pH neutral cleaner which can be used daily and won’t compromise the newly laid sealer like many of the stronger products you find in supermarkets. Nigel Stoker North West Yorkshire Tile Doctor

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

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

A young couple recently bought a house in Barnsley and were renovating it from top to bottom, included in the plan was the desire to have the previously unloved Victorian floor made beautiful again. The house stands in an area of Barnsley famous for its’ big Victorian villas and quite rightly they felt it was important to ensure period features like this original floor were correctly maintained. Due to the floor being covered up for many years the floor had developed damp staining, it also had a lot of paint splattered on it. There were also some loose tiles that needed fixing back in place and the layer of old floor polish was present which would need removing. I started by protecting all the skirting boards, doors and carpets bordering the tiles from splashing. The loose tiles were then cleaned up and then secured back in place using a fast-setting adhesive. Once the adhesive was set, I turned my attention to stripping and cleaning the floor starting with the application of a coarse 200-grit diamond pad fitted to a weighted rotary buffing machine. The pad was lubricated using a dilution of Tile Doctor Remove & Go which was applied to small sections of the floor and left to soak in for ten minutes first. I run the buffing machine at a slow speed to minimise splashing. Remove & Go is amazing at removing old floor coatings (i.e. sealers), dirt and grime from the floor. When the diamond pad had been used on each section of the floor for five minutes the slurry was vacuumed up using a wet vac machine and I moved onto the next section. Once the whole floor had been cleaned in this way it was time to start the next step. Old floors like this which don’t have the benefit of a damp proof membrane, and have been covered up for a long time, can suffer from efflorescence issues due to moisture being trapped in the tile. This will result in white salt staining appearing on the tiles for days, weeks and sometimes months afterwards. To counter this the alkaline salts are neutralised by giving the floor an acid rinse using Tile Doctor Acid Gel and leaving it to dwell for five minutes before going over the floor again with the coarse diamond pad. The slurry was again removed with a wet vacuum and the floor was scrubbed clean with damp cloths. I returned a few days later once the floor had dried to seal the floor. The client wanted a satin finish so knowing the floor had damp and efflorescence issues I opted for Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra. This is a topical sealer which leaves a lovely satin finish but also allows for the floor to breathe. six coats were required to make the floor look perfect, allowing the lovely colours to come through. Once complete the floor looked much brighter and the colours really shone through. The owners were really happy with the renovation we carried out and before leaving I took time to discuss how best to maintain the tiles going forward including the use of Neutral Tile cleaner. Matthew Lovett South Yorkshire Tile Doctor

Pictured below is a Slate tiled kitchen floor that had been installed in the kitchen of a property in Harrogate around fifteen years prior. I discovered that the tiles had never been cleaned and resealed since installation and this explained why they were now looking dull and un-interesting. They had lost all character and it wasn’t until I started cleaning them that I realised the must be of the multicoloured Brazilian Slate variety. As well as looking dull and unattractive, there was also some water damage to some tiles caused by a leak, this had resulted in some shaling and efflorescence staining. This had occurred some time ago and the floor had now dried out fully, so I was not expecting any further efflorescence issues going forward. Brazil, I understand is the world’s 2nd biggest producer of Slate, it is also exceptionally durable and reasonably priced so its not surprising you see a lot of it over in the UK. Like any natural stone however it is porous and without a sealer to protect it and bring out those natural colours it soon ends up like the example on this pad. I cleaned the floor with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean using my usual method of spraying the cleaning solution onto the Slate and grout and then leaving it for a ten minutes to soak in and get to work breaking down the dirt and old sealers. Although I doubted there was much sealer left on the floor after all this time you need to be sure to remove all of it to get the best result. The floor was then scrubbed with a rotary floor buffer fitted with a black scrubbing pad, then after rinsing with water and extracting the soil I inspected the floor. I detected there was still some sort of sealer present in some of less used parts of the floor, it was proving stubborn to remove so I suspect it may have been an old fashioned wax based product that was used. Not a problem though we Tile Doctors have a solution to every problem, so I spot treated the stubborn areas with Tile Doctor Wax Away to see if I was right. After scrubbing that in followed by another rinse and extraction with the wet vacuum I was pleased to see I was right and was happy all the old seal had now been removed. I gave the floor another rinse at the end of the day and dried it as much as possible with the wet vacuum, then left it to dry off fully overnight. I came back the next day and checked the floor was dry with a damp meter. The readings were good, so I was able to crack on and seal the tiles using several coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go. Each coat was applied leaving time to dry between each layer. This gave the floor a uniform appearance which disguised the damaged tiles. It will also help to stop more cracking and reduce the appearance of the efflorescence. The sealer really brought out the natural colours in the Brazilian Slate and the floor looked transformed. I’m sure you will agree it was a vast improvement, certainly my client was very happy and couldn’t believe the difference I had managed to achieve. Before leaving I recommended, they should invest in some Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which would ensure the newly applied seal was prematurely eroded away which is a problem with many of the stronger products you find in supermarkets. Nigel Stoker North West Yorkshire Tile Doctor

The pictures below are of a multi coloured sandstone floor installed at a property in East Keswick which is a village approximately halfway between Harrogate and Leeds. (Not to be confused with the more famous Keswick in the Lake District) The stone floor had not been cleaned professionally for ten years and although the grout looked clean It was clear that any sealer that was once present had long since worn off leaving the stone unprotected. The result was dirt had become deeply ingrained in the Sandstone leading causing the stone to darken and hide its true beauty and rich colouring. The client had tried lots of different products to clean the floor but had not had any luck. I visited the property and carried out a few successful patch tests resulting in the floor becoming much cleaner. They were happy to go ahead with my quote and we arranged a time to return and complete the work. I prepared the area before starting, taping up the skirting boards and doors to protect them from the splashing that can happen during the intensive cleaning process. To get the sandstone clean I applied a medium dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean to the floor and allowed it to soak in for ten minutes. The solution was then worked into the Sandstone using a rotary floor machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad. More Pro-Clean was applied with a hand-held scrubbing brush to get deep into the grout lines and to reach into the corners. Once done the floor was rinsed with water and the soil extracted with a wet vacuum. The floor was inspected, and the process repeated until I was satisfied that the stone and grout had released all the trapped dirt. After a final rinse, the wet vacuum was used to get as much moisture out of the stone as possible and then the floor left to dry out fully overnight. Returning the following morning, I first checked that the floor was dry using a damp meter. The sealer won’t cure if there is any moisture in the stone and I’ve been known to reschedule sealing a floor if the readings are too high. On this occasion I was satisfied that the floor was within acceptable levels, so I was ready to seal the floor. I used three coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow to seal the floor, this is an impregnating sealer which intensifies natural colours whilst providing durable protection against stains, an essential feature in an area such as a hallway which is subject to constant foot traffic. As you can see from the photos the transformation was quite impressive, the floor became much lighter and almost unrecognisable, the natural colours of the stone were now visible, and the floor looked beautiful. The client was very happy with the end result and has said they would not hesitate to recommend me to others. Nigel Stoker North West Yorkshire Tile Doctor

Our client purchased a small vacant tennis court plot on Langbar Road in Ilkley with a view to creating a stunning contemporary family home. The secluded yet compact setting flows from the main street facing the aspect back into the narrow site, with carefully arranged building mass and linked corridors allowing for protected tree roots to remain undisturbed. This creates open views and generosity of space and light to both internal and external spaces.

I recently went to survey a floor in Harrogate which I immediately recognised as beige Moleanos Limestone which comes from Portugal. If you have been reading my previous posts you will remember I am not a fan of this type of stone as it is very difficult to clean, polish or seal. This particular floor was laid around 5 years prior and was now looking quite dull and was in need of reviving. The client didn’t want to spend much so l suggested l could spray burnish the floor to get her shine back again and remove the splash marks. We do this a lot for owners of polished stone floors as part of an annual maintenance package, it is a low cost option that uses a very fine 3,000 grit burnishing pad to renovate the stone and bring up the shine. However, I pointed out to her that this process wouldn’t clean her grout which was making her floor look scruffy. I priced up the different options and after weighing up the quotes I’m pleased to say she decided to go for a full clean and seal. The full process involves the use of different grades of diamond encrusted burnishing pads from low to very fine grits to renovate the Limestone and also a chemical clean of the grout followed by a fresh seal. I returned on the scheduled date and after preparing the floor I started cleaning the Limestone by running over the tiles with a 400-grit coarse burnishing pad lubricated with water. The soil was rinsed off with more water and extracted with a wet vacuum. This process was repeated with the 800 and 1500-grit pads which starts to build-up the polish on the stone. I then turned my attention to the grout with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which was left to soak into the grout for ten minutes before scrubbing it by hand with a stiff brush. After a final rinse and extraction with the wet vacuum the tile and grout were looking much cleaner and was left to dry off overnight. On Day 2 I stated with the application of the 3,000-grit pad which is the last step in the polishing processed and builds up a lovely satin finish on the stone floor. This is done using only a little water and is basically the spray burnish technique I referred to earlier. This process has the added advantage of leaving the floor dry. With the stone tiles looking lovely and the grout clean the last step was to seal it all in and protect it from dirt and future staining with the application of a sealer. For this I used two coats of Tile Doctor Ultra Seal. My client was very pleased she had spent the extra money to achieve the floor she had always wanted, apparently it had never looked this good even when new. We discussed the annual maintenance plan to ensure the floor remained looking this good. Nigel Stoker North West Yorkshire TIle Doctor

With a profile that coordinates perfectly with all of our Paxton and Yorkshire outdoor furniture pieces, the Yorkshire Console Table invites you to set up an outdoor buffet or display, all in designer style. At five feet long, each is cleverly equipped with a smooth, slatted top surface, four lower shelves and a central open space for stashing extra seating, potted plants or other outdoor essentials you'd like to have close at hand.

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