Hi Sarah, You can go for alternative stone cladding from Boral called Cultured Stone. They are great products and can be installed by most stone masons on brick or rendered walls. If you're in WA, you can find out more by calling us on 13 15 40 or visiting http://www.midlandbrick.com.au/cultured-stone.asp However, if you're in the East Coast, you can check out Which product is available in the state you live in: http://www.boral.com.au/productcatalogue/CategoryDirect_CTR.aspx?country=AUS&category=81 Below are examples of Cultured Stone cladding that's most similar to the photos you have attached: Boral Coral Stone - Fossil Reef Boral Cobblefield - Texas Cream Boral Country Ledgestone - White Oak Hope we at Midland Brick have been able to help you out Thanks!

"Architect-designed houses are not accessible to all." This is a myth championed by the building industry. Alternatively, why not focus on the key benefits architects bring to a project. Here are a few for you: • Appoint an architect to your project and you’ll gain a home designed for the way you want to live.The alternative is a builder-designed home that suits what the builder is used to building. Quality builders will ask for plans and specifications to be thoroughly documented so that they can go ahead and do what they do best, which is build. Working out with the owner what you’re going to build and why is the architect’s role. • An architect manages planning approvals. This process is complex, often arbitrarily applied by many Councils, fraught with pitfalls for the novice and is ramped up every year with new hoops to jump. If you want a professional on your side who knows the territory, will go in to bat for you and will forge a way through this minefield, you need an architect. • If you’d prefer to put the works to tender to a number of builders rather than having to accept the quote of the builder you started the process with, you need an architect. • If you’d prefer to protect yourself with a proper, architect-managed ABIC contract that works equally for both parties and is legally enforceable, you need an architect. • An architect will minimise costly changes during construction as he or she will produce a proper level of drawings (expect 20 x A3 pages for a new home, rather than the 1-2 pages you’ll receive from a drafting service.). The reasons for this are that you have on paper exactly what you want to build. Without this, you are entering a contract with a builder with none of the details resolved. You wouldn’t do that if you were buying a house, so why do it when spending an equally significant amount of money? Unfortunately, some builders see this approach as an opportunity to happily accept constant changes from ‘project managing’ owners because it’s just another variation that he can charge for. The longer he is there, the better for his margins, particularly when there’s no contract to speak of. Finally, an architect is a specialist with a professional duty of care, irrespective of financial gain. In other words, they’re there to support and protect you, without benefit to themselves. No one else in the building industry can provide this.

Get a tile cleaning product from Bunnings. Will ensure that the integrity of the tile is not compromised. However, by the look of the stains it seems as though something has been used that was too abrasive, too acidic or that had bleach in it. I do not recommend to keep any product on for an extended period of time. 5 mins max application!

I’m set up in our sunny spare bedroom. Happy with my spot as I have views to the street and a desk to work from.