When it comes to breathing a new lease of life into your property, renovating your garden is a great way to do so in spades.

Back garden renovation, in particular, can really transform a property and, more specifically, your enjoyment of it, providing endless hours of outdoor relaxation and open-air fun.

However, with limitless potential for renovation ideas, settling on a way to do so can be a headache in itself.

Luckily, this blog is here to help get you on track to the garden of your dreams.

Garden Renovation Checklist

Like any big job, garden renovation isn’t something you can jump into without any forethought or planning. If you want it done right, you’re going to have to be organised.

Follow these steps to ensure your back garden renovation goes smoothly:

Draft a Design

Your first port of call should always be to draft up a rough design of how you want your garden to look. Just like any building project, flying by the seat of your pants without a definitive direction is a sure-fire recipe for disaster.

Even if your design skills leave a lot to be desired, a rough sketch of what you want where can really help you to visualise the finished product and go a long way in helping you achieve the end result.

Go Pro or DIY?

Once you’ve got an idea of how you want your garden to look and which creative direction you want to go, you should now have a good idea of what needs to be done in order to achieve your desired result.

From here, you should also have a general indication of what you are capable of achieving yourself and what you will need professional help with. The extent of outside influence can often depend on budget but it’s important not to overstep your boundaries.

While it is usually cheaper and more cost-effective to go the DIY route, a botched job done poorly can result in a sub-par finish and lead to further costs down the line. If you don’t think you’re capable of achieving the desired result on a specific task, don’t be afraid to call in an expert.

Shop Around

Speaking of budget, another important thing to keep in mind when you’re planning your garden renovation is that price can and will vary from one supplier to the next.

This can be particularly notable when it comes to accessories and features like garden furniture, plants and pots. Don’t settle on the first result and take time to shop around.

That being said, shopping around for the best item at the best price can also be quite a juggling act at times, as there’s a fine line between economical and cheap.

If budget is a concern, aim for a middle of the road item for the best of both worlds. The product with the lowest value may have earned that price tag for a reason.

Recycle and Upcycle

One of the best trump cards for keeping within your budget when it comes to garden renovation is to recycle and upcycle old/existing items.

Old indoor furniture with a lick of paint can get a second wind with a renewed sense of purpose outdoors, so think twice before you throw out those tired kitchen chairs.

Similarly, charity shops can be a treasure trove of potential when it comes to upcycling, while even industrial items like breeze blocks and disused timber can make for a surprisingly attractive shabby chic bench.

Deck or Paving

Proper planning and budgeting can give you the chance to visualise the desired look and feel you want for your garden. It can also allow you to consider possibilities that can truly transform your outside space.

If you don’t already have it, an instant way to revamp your outdoor property is to invest in decking or paving. Meanwhile, if you do have a patio or a deck area, trading one for the other can also reinvent your garden instantly.

Zoning is also an increasingly popular design trend, combining lawn, patio and deck areas in one single garden space. Don’t be afraid to play around with concepts during the design stage. After all, it’s your space – let your imagination take you where you want to go.

Space Jam

If you have a modestly sized outdoor area and space is a concern, you don’t have to lose out. In fact, small garden renovation can be just as rewarding and equally as stunning if you know the tricks of the trade.

From building up vertically using shelves and wall decorations to creating the illusion of space using light colours and clever furnishing, there are a whole host of tricks, shortcuts and hacks that can allow you to get the most out of the space you have.

Click HERE to find out more about space-saving tips for a small garden renovation.

For more information on back garden renovation and how to revamp your outdoor space, why not drop us a line today? Call now on 0800 028 8756 or click the button below to get in touch online.

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When it comes to outdoor design, having a small garden can be frustratingly restrictive at times. With a limited amount of room to work with, every inch of floor-space can be vital.

However, just because you may have a modestly-sized outdoor space doesn’t mean you have to lose out on all the greeny garden gratification of a larger garden.

With a bit of creativity, an open mind and a little elbow grease for good measure, you can turn your pint-sized plot into a veritable Tardis of alfresco awesomeness.

Small Garden Ideas

There’s a fine line between busy and messy, and even the addition of a single plant pot can take up a surprising amount of room. As such, every small garden design addition needs to carefully thought out.

To help you make the right choices when it comes to your outdoor space, here are five great garden hacks that never fail to expand your exterior.

Shelf-Respect

Building up is a recurring trend when it comes to making the most of a small garden. Adding shelves to your garden courtyard can be a great way to save space. Providing multiple levels of decorative space at your disposal, shelves make for the perfect place to house potted plants and garden ornaments,

Climbing the Walls

Much like shelving, another great way to incorporate flowers and plant life without monopolising floor space is to utilise the fences and walls around the garden. Incorporating trellis fencing to hang plants from the side and rear walls can create a beautiful space-saving perimeter for a truly stunning visual.

Pane Relief

A fantastic alternative to a bulkier flower bed that will eat up a chunk of floor space, window boxes are a great way to provide colour and vibrancy for your garden using a minimal amount garden real estate.

Don’t Cut Corners

Adding seating to your outside space can and usually will take up a lot of room, particularly if you incorporate a table into the mix as well. Opt for a weatherproof corner sofa to ensure you utilise every inch of space to its fullest potential. Meanwhile, this will also cover the walls giving the illusion of additional space.

Lighten Up

Finally, be sure to incorporate light/bright colours into your small garden design. Whether you opt for creamy-coloured flooring tiles, white-painted fencing or even lightly-coloured garden furniture, a simple bright colour-scheme can have an instant impact on space. 

For additional small garden ideas or more information on how to make the most of your small garden design, why not drop us a line? Call now on 0800 028 8756 or click the button below to get in touch online.

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In the world of garden design, outside of grassy lawns, there are two primary design options that stand head and shoulders above the rest: paved patios and wood decking.

These tried and tested options have long been duking it out for garden supremacy, consistently engaged in a tug-of-war of exterior design.

When it comes to finding a winner in this popularity contest, it’s hard to pick a standout victor. Thanks to modern innovations in porcelain paving and composite decking, both offer fantastic benefits that are truly hard to choose between.

With such a fine line between the two, the final decision ultimately has to come down to personal preference. With that being said, which one is right for you? Let’s run the garden gamut and find out.

Patio Magnifico

For a classy, stone-look surface, nothing beats the almighty awesomeness of the porcelain-powered patio paving.

Extremely durable, indistinguishable from the real thing and available in a wide variety of colours and patterns, our porcelain paving slabs offer a wealth of creative freedom when it comes to creating patio perfection.

AlfrescoPlus has one of the largest selections of porcelain paving designs in the UK, giving you ample choice and unrivalled freedom when it comes to formulating your outdoor design.

From light, Mediterranean warmth of the Turin Cream to the dark and stormy allure of the Slate Riven Black, we have a tile for all tastes and a patio for all personalities.

What’s more, porcelain boasts an extremely low porosity that absorbs very little moisture, making it highly resistant to water, as well as frost and ice. This gives it added traction and grip for reassuring slip resistance in a number of wet and icy conditions.

Best of all, all our porcelain tiles extremely low-maintenance, requiring very little TLC at all. Inherently scratch, fade and stain resistant, all you need to do is give them an annual jetwash to keep them looking as good as new!

Hit the Deck

If stone-look isn’t quite your cup of tea, the alternative is the wood-grained garden grandeur of composite decking.

A more than fitting replacement, composite decking from AlfrescoPlus is made from a combination of natural hardwood and synthetic materials, giving it an authentic aesthetic appeal with the unparalleled durability of modern technology.

Composite decking boards never have to be sealed, painted or stained to retain their visage, while they will also never crack, splinter or bow. Each board is also capable of retaining its grip even under harsh conditions, engineered to be resistant to rain and frost.

Available in a variety of colours, shades and designs, our collection also caters for all manner of budgets. What’s more, our impressive warranties also provide unrivalled peace of mind, proof that your deck will last.

From a maintenance standpoint, each deck board is made for independence and requires very little upkeep to retain its looks. An occasional once over with warm, soapy water when necessary will be all it needs to return to its original glory.

Deck Out Your Patio

So, you’ve heard both sides of the argument and are still torn like Natalie Imbruglia. Now what?

Well, who’s to say you have to choose between the two at all? There’s always the option to blend the two using the art of zoning in your exterior design.

Garden zoning is an increasingly popular trend in outdoor design that sees your garden effectively split into sections (or “zones”) with a different setting for specific activities or ambiences. This method allows you to incorporate a patio with decking, all in one garden.

A great example of zoning is the standard three-part split. Imagine a rectangular garden: you step out the back door onto a paved patio, which leads onto a grass lawn with a raised deck area at the bottom of the garden.

From a zoning POV, the initial patio creates the ideal area for alfresco dining and barbeques; the grass is perfect for kids and pets to run, play and enjoy; while the decked base of the garden is tailor-made for relaxing and unwinding.

Naturally, the extent of the combination is entirely up to you and how you blend the two is restricted only to your own imagination. If you have a particular combination, design or layout in mind, we can make it happen.

For more information and advice on which garden design is right for you, why not drop us a line today and speak with one of our experts? Call now on 0800 028 8756 or send us an email with your queries using the button below.

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The beauty of the porcelain tiles we sell here at AlfrescoPlus is that they are extremely durable, fundamentally designed to weather the storm in terms of elemental abuse from the environment.

That being said, nothing is invincible and even the very best can have an off-day from time to time. As such, you may find that, in order to retain your just-laid shine, you may want to give your porcelain tiles a sporadic once-over when necessary.

However, blindly jumping in with both feet for a porcelain deep clean can be a recipe for disaster, particularly if you don’t know what you’re doing. There are a few guidelines you may want to stick to if you want to ensure the longevity of your shiny new slabs.

Read on for the ultimate guide to cleaning porcelain tiles.

Step by Step: How to Clean Porcelain Floor Tiles

1. Sweep the surface with a dry mop to rid the tiles of any visible dust and dirt.
2. Once swept clear, cover the area with warm, soapy water and leave briefly to soak.
3. Next, use a wet mop to clean the face of each tile to give your patio a renewed shine.
4. For stubborn dirt and stains, scrub the problem area with a soft nylon brush.
5. Wash away the surface water with clean water to reveal your gleaming tiles.

Top Tips for Cleaning Porcelain Tiles

So, now you’re clued up on the ABCs of cleaning porcelain tiles, it’s time to dot the Is and cross the Ts. Here’s a few more handy tips that are worth bearing in mind before you get polishing your porcelain.

Cleaning Inside Out

Naturally, depending on whether you’re cleaning indoor tiles or outdoor pavers will determine just how you treat your tiles and how you scrub your surface.

For indoor tiles, the steps remain largely unchanged from the guidelines above; however, you will need to be a little less liberal with your water coverage. You may also want to dry and buff the surface with a microfibre cloth once you are finished.

Conversely, outdoor tiles will likely feature a more textured finish and, as such, may require a more thorough scrub to clean. Use a broom or scrubbing brush instead of a mop to ensure you get a good clean within the surface grooves.

Chemical Warfare

To maintain their flawless aesthetic, porcelain tiles are vitrified for enhanced moisture-resistance that’s virtually impermeable. Great, right?

However, this is achieved through the vitrification process which essentially bakes the tile into a glass-like material to achieve this low-porosity.

When exposed to corrosive chemicals, the water-proof, vitrified surface can become damaged, resulting in an increase in water absorption and a natural dip in performance as a result.

In short, chemical cleaners can ruin your tiles and damage the aesthetic of the porcelain – so don’t use cleaners containing chemicals, particularly those containing ammonia, bleach or acids.

Stubborn Stains

Okay, despite what we just said in the previous section, desperate times cause for desperate measures. If you do happen to notice stubborn stains that simply won’t budge, even after a thorough clean, you may have to resort to Plan B.

Specialist floor cleaning products and those specifically designed for porcelain tile cleaning can be a handy fallback plan if your initial clean does nothing to shift a persistent stain. However, it’s still advisable to steer clear of those containing corrosive chemicals.

Similarly, some people swear by white vinegar when it comes to porcelain tile stain removal, commonly used at a ratio of roughly 0.25 litres of white vinegar to 3.75 litres of water.

Before using any specialist cleaning products or methods, be sure to read the instructions and always test them out on a small section of flooring first. That way, you can make sure they won’t damage your tiles without risking complete ruin.

For more information on how to clean porcelain tiles and general porcelain tile maintenance, call now on 0800 028 8756 or drop us a line using the button below.

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The great outdoors is said to be one of the most relaxing places on Earth, full of wildlife, steeped in nature and generally radiating organic tranquillity.

Sadly, the same can’t always be said for our gardens, where wildlife is replaced by plastic kids’ toys, nature is subbed for overgrown weeds and radiant tranquillity makes way for barking neighbourhood dogs and cat mess.

But it doesn’t have to be this way! In fact, creating your very own outdoor oasis can be a lot easier than you think.

With a little imagination, a bit of time and a lot of will power, your gruesome garden could become the nirvana of the neighbourhood in no time.

Here’s how to create your very own outdoor spa in your garden space.

On the bubble

What better place to start in your quest for garden serenity than with the ultimate piece of chill technology – the hot tub.

The pinnacle of outdoor relaxation, the hot tub has been the symbol of summertime leisure for decades, offering an unrivalled setting for alone times and social gatherings alike.

However, hot tubs have also been seen as a symbol of status as well and with very good reason – hot tubs don’t come cheap! That being said, there’s no denying they are worth the investment.

On the other hand, if you don’t happen to have a swag bag of thousands lying around gathering dust, there are economical alternatives. Inflatable hot tubs – like the Lay-Z-Spa – can be found at a far more affordable price.

Lay the foundation

If you do decide to opt for a hot tub, you’ll need a designated area to house it. An exposed spa in the middle of a marshy wasteland doesn’t exactly scream “decadence”, so start by laying a base for your new home spa with a fitting flooring option.

At AlfrescoPlus, we recommend either capped composite decking or porcelain paving tiles for their superior moisture control and water-resistance. Naturally, these watery capabilities make either surface ideal for the task at hand.

Capped composite decking comes in protective polymer sleeve that is virtually impervious to moisture, while porcelain is made for slip-resistance and built to withstand spills and splashes while maintaining grip and traction.

Whichever surface you settle on, either one would make a fantastic flooring solution that’s ideal for housing a hot tub.

Take cover

Now that we have our hot tub and flooring planned out, it’s worth considering a cover for your outdoor spa area.

British weather can be pretty unpredictable at times and, at others, completely unforgiving. There’s nothing fun or relaxing about sitting in the rain, so cover your back by covering your head.

Meanwhile, even if you don’t mind the rain creeping in, you’ll certainly mind a neighbouring peering in. An awning or veranda can provide elemental shelter and heightened privacy simultaneously.

Meanwhile, shelter in the form of wood fencing, trellis and naturally high growing plants can provide additional privacy and seclusion, while also adding to the natural ambience of your garden spa space.

Take a seat

As amazing as it is to relax in the comfort of a hot tub in the outdoors, doing so for too long can pose many risks. Meanwhile, too much of anything can lose its appeal, so an alternative option can act as a welcome break.

Creating a seating area within your outdoor space can provide you with the perfect spot to soak up a rare bout of sun and unwind with a relaxatory beverage of your choice. Whether this is part of the same area as your hot tub or another patch entirely is up to you.

If budget and space allow, this could make for the perfect opportunity to create an outdoor lounge area separate from your hot tub, capitalising on the garden trend of zoning while adding to your overall spa ambience.

Choose a fitting flooring surface in keeping with your theme and adorn with compatible garden seating and loungers. Accessorise with a water feature for the ultimate complimentary area to complete your garden spa sanctuary.

For more information about our products and how to transform your outdoor space into a home spa haven, give us a call on 0800 028 8756 or send us an email using the link below.

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