When it comes to flooring, many homeowners think just of hardwood and carpeting, and for good reason. These are well-known choices with lots of established brands. Some people, though, want something a bit unique and special, and in those cases, natural stone flooring has to be the choice. With natural stone, you not only get a beautiful floor, but you also add real value to your home. Where can you use natural stone flooring in your home?
Take a look.
Five Places In Your Home That Deserve Natural Stone Flooring
The simple truth is that you can use natural stone tile almost anywhere in your home. It’s versatile and durable, and it complements almost any space. Best of all, it adds a touch of luxury to the spaces where you have it installed. While it will look great anywhere, it will look simply fantastic in any of these five spaces.
- The Entryway: Natural stone is incredibly durable, and if you’re like most people, your entryway sees quite a bit of foot traffic. Natural stone can hold up against the wear and tear of people coming in and out of your home while setting the tone for all of your spaces.
- The Living Room: Paired with beautiful area rugs, you’ll find natural stone that look great in your living room, creating the perfect welcoming feel and offering everything in the room a clear sense of luxury.
- The Kitchen: Whether you use it here as flooring or even as a backsplash, natural stone offers both visual appeal and durability in the busiest space in your house.
- The Bathroom: While not every stone tile choice is ideal in the bathroom, it can give this space elegance other flooring choices can’t, which means an amazing upgrade to your en-suite.
- The Hallways: Available in many different colors and finishes, stone flooring is well suited for the hallways of your home. The durability combined with the limitless variations makes it easy to add this option throughout your home to help tie everything together.
Which Flooring To Consider
Where you install stone matters almost as much as the type of stone flooring you select. The most common choices include granite, marble, travertine, and slate. Granite is most well known for its superior durability and beauty, and it is considered the best natural stone flooring for kitchens and bathrooms because of its non-porous surface. Granite is so tough that it will not etch, scratch, stain, or scorch. It’s easy to clean, and darker colors can hide dirt and grime, so daily sweeping is not necessary. Granite is one of the hardest natural stones and is very resistant to scratches, scuff marks, and heat.
Marble is famous for offering a high gloss finish and a smooth texture. It is available in many colors, shapes, and sizes. It is often installed in the bathroom to create a spa-like feel and look. It is, however, prone to etching and scratching from acidic foods and juices that will dull the finish.
Travertine is similar to marble and offers a warm, rustic, and cultured look to your home. It tends to be lighter in color than other choices like slate, and it’s incredibly porous. However, like marble, can be etched, decolorized, or scratched by harsh cleaners and acids.
Slate is another natural stone tile that can be used for flooring. Slate is easily recognized by its unique cleft texture, fine grains, and rustic appearance. It is an elegant flooring with solid durability. Slate is available in several dark colors (dark red, gray, or deep green), but it’s not very scratch and scuff-proof. It is, however, incredibly moisture resistant.
Selecting a Finish Option
There are several different finishes for natural stone floor tile, but most choose between two key finishes – honed or polished. A polished finish gives the flooring a glossy and reflective surface like a mirror. It will quickly show the presence of smudges, dust, wear, and blemishes, but it makes for an incredibly luxurious space. A honed finish typically has a smooth satin matte surface, so it’s not reflective or shiny. This finish is ideal in spaces that experience heavy foot traffic, as it is more durable.
After You’ve Had Stone Flooring Installed
Maintaining stone flooring is fairly easy. You’ll want to sweep and mop on a regular basis and clean up any spills immediately. Only use cleaning solutions that are recommended by the manufacturer, though. When in doubt, just use water. Avoid abrasive cleaners or options like the vacuum that might scratch the tiles.
Stone Truly Is the Ultimate Flooring Luxury
Stone flooring is exceptionally beautiful and durable, and increases the resale value of your home. Contact us today to learn more about this stunning choice for your home.