What types of stone flooring best suited for residential flooring and why?
The types of stone best suited for residential flooring give us the distinct impression of being perpetual and having a style that exceeds any other flooring material available in the marketplace. Stone flooring materials are timeless, classic, natural, and perennially beautiful. Their inherently cool, hard outer layer is advantageous in warm weather, and remains free of dust and allergens, making it an excellent choice for allergy sufferers. Porosity, which refers to the number of and size of pores in a specific type of stone, affects the stone’s strength and ability of the stone to resist stains.
Strong, dense stone which is relatively non-porous, such as slate or granite, is best suited for high-traffic areas of the home.
Whereas softer, more porous stones, such as marble or travertine, are best suited for areas of the home with less traffic. These stones require more frequent applications of sealants and more frequent deep cleaning in order to prevent pitting and staining. They are least suitable for the kitchen because acidity is the enemy to these softer stones.
Moh’s Hardness Scale is an indicator of the strength of a specific stone and is extremely useful if you are not confident in the strength of the stone you are considering for a particular application. For example, granite rates a 7-8 on the Moh’s scale making it a durable floor in high traffic areas and acceptable as a flooring option in commercial settings as well as in a residence. The most suitable stone flooring for residential applications are granite, marble, travertine, slate, limestone, flagstone, and sandstone. Some unusual options that you may have not previously considered for stone flooring in the home are onyx, basalt, red jasper, serpentine, and quartzite. Natural stone is an investment that will serve you well indefinitely and give you great pleasure.
