Natural Stone Tile Installation 101: All You Need to Know About these Timeless Materials
Natural stone tile installation can add a timeless style to your space. As experienced tile installers in Vaughan and throughout the Greater Toronto Area, we’ve seen the difference that installing natural stone tile can make to not only the appearance of a room, but the way people feel about their homes.
Types of Natural Stone Tiles
The beauty of stone tile lies in its durable, stunning, and singular appearance. Each stone has different veining and colours that can add warmth and appeal to any room.
Granite: Especially durable but is prone to staining (so keep it clean) and comes with different finishes such as matte, honed, or rustic. Honed is often a preferred flooring tile.
Limestone: Limestone is a bit more porous so it requires more frequent sealing to keep it in pristine condition. Limestone flooring is also soft to tread on, comes in earth-tones, and is offered in polished or matte finishes.
Marble: Marble is a pricer stone tile option but it’s a highly desirable one. Marble is well-known for its veining and high gloss finish. Naturally moisture resistant and tougher to scratch than other options, it’s ideal for hallways or bathrooms. However, it is vulnerable to staining so always keep it clean.
Slate: An excellent all-around natural stone tile choice to install, as its soft underfoot like limestone but hard-wearing like granite and more forgiving than other stones in terms of maintenance.
Travertine: A cousin of limestone, travertine is a softer stone that is characterized by it’s rougher more rustic pitted surface. It’s available in a wealth of earthy hues. Since travertine is similar to limestone, it will require more frequent sealing and general maintenance.
When to Use Natural Stone Tiles
Residential or commercial, the applications for installing natural stone tiles are endless. Depending on which stone you select you can make your space feel anywhere from modern to traditional. Conventionally, you’ll see natural stone tile flooring installed in entry-ways, kitchens, bathrooms, and living rooms.
Take it from experienced tile installers, natural stone tile can complement almost any room in your home.
The Benefits of Natural Stone Tile
Durable & Long-lasting: There’s a reason you’ll often see stone flooring in stylish businesses because stone tiles are durable and can withstand high traffic. Well-kept stone is scratch and abrasion-resistant, making it ideal for families with children or pets.
Easy to Maintain: Caring for your stone tile is as simple as vacuuming dust, mopping or wiping up any spills and re-applying a good quality sealant to further protect the stone every few years.
Eco-friendly: Stone is an all-natural product and if you buy local, it has even less of an environmental footprint. Stone can even be recycled.
Selling Feature: There is no question, stone flooring adds value to your home. Since installing natural stone tile doesn’t ever go out of style it’ll always be a selling feature.
Hygienic: Unlike carpet, stone tiles do not collect allergens so are an ideal choice for allergy sufferers.
Heating & Cooling Options: Stone itself is cool so it’s great for hotter climates. But it also makes the perfect choice when installing in-floor heating as it’s a good heat conductor.
Warm & Welcoming: Although stone is cool to touch, it brings nature indoors and adds visual warmth to any room; creating an inviting ambience.
Choosing Natural Stone Tile Flooring
There are so many reasons why installing natural stone tiles is an aesthetically stunning and functionally sound choice for your living space. Natural stone tile installation can bring warmth, style, and value to your home.
Have a question about natural stone tile installation? Contact us! We’ve been natural stone tile installers in Vaughan and throughout the GTA for decades, and we can help answer any questions you may have.
