Stone flooring is a trend that is never likely to go out of fashion. It’s natural, beautiful and versatile structure, makes it a welcome addition to any home. Famed for its naturally cool composition stone flooring is also an ideal choice for warmer climates.
With so many different varieties of stone flooring it is important that you are armed with the right knowledge, to ensure you are picking the best fit for your home. Certain types of stone flooring require more maintenance than others, so make sure to factor this into you time and budget when making your decision.
With this in mind we have put together this guide to the most popular types of stone floor, to help you pick which is the right stone floor for your home.
Stone Porosity
The amount and size of the pores in stone is often referred to as its porosity. This is an important fact to consider when selecting your stone as it will affect its stain and water resistance and also its durability. A harder, dense, nonporous stone such as granite or slate will resist stains and wear and tear better than a softer more porous stone such as limestone and travertine. This makes granite and slate a popular choice for high traffic areas in the home, such as a kitchen, hallway or bathroom.
Sealing
It is important to pick a quality sealant when sealing your floors to ensure to get the maximum life out of your floor. A low quality sealer will just seal at surface level, which will wear away faster and need reapplication more often. A high quality sealer will seep down into the stone and fill the gaps between the crystals and minerals. This will not only increase durability but also aid the stone in resisting water and stains.
Installation
Whereas it is possible to install a stone floor yourself, it is advisable to hire a professional as it is very labour intensive and in some cases an extremely tricky process. It is critical to prep the surface in which the stone will be laid on correctly, to aid the installation process and the durability of the floor. You should also consider the transition from your new stone floor into the adjacent room. Stone flooring is often thicker than most other floors so will require a transition strip. These are available to purchase ready-made, or can be made bespoke from a stone fabricator.
Let’s look at each stone individually
Granite is probably one of the most popular choices for stone flooring due to the hundreds of varieties available. Granite flooring is particularly popular in bathrooms and kitchens due to the fact that it can be ‘flamed’. Flaming creates a slip resistant texture making it the safer choice for any rooms likely to have many liquid spills. With Granite being a nonporous stone, you will find it lasts longer and resists spills without the need for sealant.
Slate is another common style of stone flooring found in homes around the world. Like Granite it is nonporous making it durable for busy homes, however unlike granite, Slate is available in irregular shapes and geometric pieces, as well as standard tiles. Slate gives a lovely rustic feel to the home. It can be found in many colours, but more commonly dark grey, red and green.
Marble is one of the softer stones as its porosity is higher than granite or slate. Marble stone give a lovely clean and sophisticated look to the home, but is recommended for areas of low traffic as it is easily scratched. As this stone is quite porous, it is recommended to regularly seal this floor to increase it durability.
Limestone Is a stunning choice for a stone floor and is available in two different finishes depending on the look you are aiming for. For a perfectly smooth and refined appearance the stone can be sanded and for a rustic, worn look, the stone is machine tumbled. Limestone is made up of sedimentary materials such as corals and shells, this gives it a more natural and earthy appearance which is very on trend at the moment. However its composition makes it a very porous stone and like marble is recommend to seal every few years.
Travertine is metamorphosed limestone that has been crystallised. Its appearance is commonly mistaken for marble. Travertine however is a much harder material in comparison to Marble, which makes it less prone to scratching. Travertine, like limestone, is still porous and so sealing is recommended.
Whichever style of stone floor you pick, you are sure to bring style, sophistication and class to your home. Make sure to invest in your very own KleanSTONE machine to ensure to keep your new floor looking its best every day. Whereas a traditional mop and bucket or a cheaper roller machine may seem like a simple cleaning solution, it will simply move the dirt around your floor. Over time this will cause your floor to become dull and lifeless. Our KleanSTONE machines suck the dirt up into the machine and completely remove the dirt, this keeps your floor looking brand new after each clean. Watch one of our videos to see the difference KleanSTONE can make to your floor, then call one of our agents today and we will help you pick out the right machine for your floor.