December 2017 - Page 7 of 7 - Natural Stone Tile Company & Shop

The vast majority of patios take a beating throughout the winter months, so it’s important to make sure your limestone or other mosaic stone patio is restored to its finest condition before the summer. It’s easy to neglect patios as they are often covered in various plants and other garden accessories.

It turns out that cleaning your garden patio isn’t as hard as you probably thought, with plenty of products available online to get the job done effectively. Alternatively, you can have a go at other straightforward cleaning techniques that will have your patio looking in great shape for the summer.

It’s good to start by getting rid of pointless clutter as this can affect the room you have to start cleaning. If you’ve had various plants on your patio throughout the year, you’ll probably need to do a thorough sweep of the patio.

Depending on the type of natural stone your patio is, you can mix a cleaning solution like bleach with water and scrub with a tough outdoor brush to get rid of other stains. It’s also a good idea to get rid of the weeds growing between the stone beforehand if there are any.

Finish the cleaning process with a garden hose, getting rid of the bleach solution that’s remaining and leave it to dry overnight.

When we anticipate putting up a new range of tiles in the bathroom or kitchen, we don’t usually make grout a huge priority. However, grout can have more of an effect on the appearance of your tiles than you’d probably think, so here are some of the best grouting methods you can use when assembling your natural stone tile designs.

If you’re looking for something reasonably neat and simplistic, you’re probably better off going for matching grout. This can really improve the overall finish, so it’s ideal if you don’t want the tiles to look ragged or stand out too much. The grout colour doesn’t have to be identical, though it shouldn’t stand out as much as the primary colour of your tiles.

If you’re thinking of doing the opposite to matching grout, you’ll probably favour contrasting grout. You’ll need to find a grout colour that suits your chosen tiles, whilst it may not be overly necessary if you’ve already got an attractive, natural finish. However, coloured grout works well if you want to hide dirt accumulation.

If you want something a bit more advanced for your porcelain tiles, such as accent grout for instance, you might want to choose a colour that fits the overall style and theme of the entire room. Once you’ve chosen a specific colour scheme it can be difficult to change it, especially when you use accent grout, so keep this in mind when choosing this option.

With the Easter holidays in full flow, you might be feeling a little inspired when it comes to decorating your home and garden space in preparation for the warmer climate. The beautiful spring weather we’ve seen over the last few days might have been enough to give you some new ideas for beautifully decorated mosaics in the garden, or possibly even some natural stone tiles for the kitchen and bathroom.

Here at the Stone Tile Emporium we have some stunning stone tiles available that are ideal for creating the perfect kitchen and bathroom space. Whether you prefer something naturally elegant and blossoming with traditional elements or a modern space that creates a wonderfully soothing atmosphere, we have the stone tiles to get your dream kitchen or bathroom up and running.

We’ve also got some great mosaics available that make the most of stunning natural designs and beautifully shaped stone. We have a pebble mosaic option that creates a beautifully natural atmosphere thanks to its natural finish, and it works both outside and indoors. Or if you’d prefer, you can put your Easter inspiration to good use and get hold of our colourful glass mosaics, each providing their own unique benefits from shimmering colour to dazzling pearls.

With just a week to go until the Easter Weekend, see what inspirational tiling ideas you can come up with and make the most of our unrivalled range of tiles and mosaics here at the Stone Tile Emporium!

Slate floors provide plenty of natural attractiveness, especially as they work among various different styles and environments. However, you’ll almost certainly need to go through a regular maintenance program to keep your slate stone tiles look their best throughout the year, whether you have them as a decorative backdrop to your front room TV or as stone cladding on the outside of your property. Here are a few ways you can get rid of troublesome stains and other dirt marks to refresh your slate tiles.

If you haven’t already acquired one, a dust mop can be a really useful tool regardless of the type of natural stone tiles you have in your home. Start by sweeping your tiles with a broom to ensure any loose dirt is collected and disposed of.

Once the floors are free from loose dirt, take the dust mop and move consistently around the room without sweeping back and forth. Dust mops collect the dust that they encounter but can also throw it around if you don’t sweep correctly. The smooth surface of the dust mop should prevent any marks or scratches to the slate.

Finally, fill a bucket with an all-purpose cleaning solution and warm water and use a separate mop to wipe down the slate flooring. If you’re cleaning stone cladding or wall tiles, use some mild detergent mixed with water to clean the slate.

That concludes our guide to cleaning slate tiles. It’s reasonably straightforward and should be carried out every now and then or just before you decide to organise a gathering or house party. If you’re struggling with a cleaning product or don’t have one handy, try mixing warm water with baking soda instead to get rid of specific stains.

Some of us would love to come home on a cold evening and sit in front of a warm stone fireplace. The typical roaring fire can really enhance the interior design aspects of your home, so it’s vital that you make the most of what’s on offer with regards to natural stone opportunities.

Fireplaces are a great alternative to standard heating and give you a brand new element of character that is capable of improving the atmosphere of any home, be it modern or antique.

Stone fireplaces have always been something of a luxury for property buyers and their popularity in countryside homes has lead to their introduction into more contemporary households.

If you can’t purchase your own stone fireplace from scratch, you can build your own with the help of some beautiful stone tiles. The tiles can decorate the surrounding area of the fireplace or possibly even make up the mantelpiece.

Travertine is one of many natural stone tile options that work really well with fireplaces, whilst slate gives you an entirely different style yet still retains the stunning appeal of any countryside fireplace.

If you’re designing your own fireplace and require a few examples of some highly desirable stone tiles, the Stone Tile Emporium have a wide range of natural stone tiles available for any interior design project, so get in touch today!

Month: December 2017

Cleaning Your Patio in Time For The Summer

Choosing Grout For Your Next Tile Job

Easter Inspiration from the Stone Tile Emporium

Cleaning Slate Throughout The Household

Building Your Very Own Fireplace Feature With Natural Stone Tiles

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