Granite USA: Why Use Stone For Your Flooring?

Everybody wants his home to be well furnished not only for the sake that it will be pretty to show off to your colleagues but for the reason that you want it to be comfortable to you in relevance to your personality. There is a choice of a wide selection of materials to be used for your wall and house flooring. You can try out wood or a wide variety of ceramics. However there is a growing preference for stone because of its durability and timeless elegance. Granite, sandstone, granite, slate, limestone, and stone finishes are the commonly used to decorate homes.

Among these, natural limestone is the most preferred as it gives a more matt finish which suits the English home. Stone has traditionally been used for hundreds of years in English homes. It is common to see Georgian terraced houses in our great cities made from Portland Stone or fireplaces in rustic pubs made from Bath stone. Anyone who has been to the centre of London will have noticed the House of Commons which is made from Cotswold Stone sitting next to Westminster Abbey which is built of Portland stone. These materials have been quarried in this country since pre Roman times and it is a way of keeping a link with the past in current and contemporary buildings.

Natural limestone has the natural elegance and durability that fits designing not only a home but the most prestigious buildings. Most infamous buildings and homes are built from limestone. Aside from the elegance that natural limestone can give, this stone type can be polished, honed, brushed or antiqued. Moreover it signals individuality and luxury of style. Stone is also very durable and will be easy to maintain for any household. Stone can also be cut into cabochans to give the classic black and white hallway floors.

Unlike what most people believe, natural limestone varies in colour aside from the clean and common white colour depending on where it is quarried from. Common colours in the UK are the sandy golden colours of Lincoln, Cotswold and Bath. Also prevalent are Israeli stones and French materials. Of late Egyptian and Turkish stones have become more prevalent especially for use in bathrooms. Each of these materials have a different texture and detail.

It is now possible to age or antique stone to replicate the appearance of traditional flagstone floors. There is an entire industry in France which deals with reclaiming antique limestone and terracotta floors and importing them to the UK. In the UK reclamation is more difficult due to the level of preservation that exists on older buildings. It is also possible to stencil on stone and cut it to bespoke sizes for fireplaces, staircases etc which would add a touch of individuality to any project. Stone can also be used externally and is a practical material for any terrace / garden / patio. Due to the cost issues Indian sandstones are a particularly good choice for any external stone. However some people choose to use riven slate or other non slip materials.

(by Charles Margetts)

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