There are many different types of stone flooring that can be used in your home, for example Granite, Limestone, Slate and Sandstone. Granite is very stylish and expensive stone which looks stylish in a bathroom. This will require a special finish so that it is not slippery. Marble is absorbent and is not a good idea to be used in bathrooms as it can stain from dirty water, make up, hair dyes etc, this also happens with limestone and sandstone.
- Granite is a form of Igneous Rock, created by the cooling of molten magma.
- This is a luxury floor covering and one that needs careful consideration before specification, as it is an expensive product.
- The floor structure needs consideration, as it is very heavy.
- Once laid, it will last for a very long time, as it is hard wearing and resistant to most chemicals.
- It has a timeless look.
- If can be polished but may be slippery, but a honed finish provides a more manageable finish.
- It comes in limited colours - black, red, green, grey, blue and pink.
- It is supplied in a slab form and is cold and noisy underfoot. But it looks great!
Marble Flooring
- This is a form of metamorphic rock, a combination of igneous and sedimentary rocks undergoing a major change due to extreme influences of heat or pressure.
- It is made up of calcium carbonate; it comes in numerous colours, white, grey, green, ochre, beige and is usually veined.
- It is a hard wearing beautiful product, expensive to purchase and lay as it is heavy and comes in slab form.
- It is cold and noisy underfoot.
- From a designers point of view like granite it has a timeless quality.
Limestone and Sandstone Floor Tiles
- These are derived from sedimentary rocks; deposits of sediment being laid down under water or air formed these.
- Sandstone comes from deposited sand grains i.e. quartz, pressed and held together by silica, calcium carbonate or other cements.
- Limestone comes from deposited organic origin materials i.e. bones shells and consists mainly of calcium carbonate.
- Limestone is rarely used for floors today as it becomes slippery when it is worn and not all products are hard wearing.
- Sandstone - is used more in outdoor paving than indoor, but looks great in an area that flows to the outdoors such as a conservatory.
- Its irregular natural pattern is its best feature and can range from a grainy timber look to stripes and speckles.
- It is beige, brown, reddish brown, in colour and some stones are hard wearing.