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Stone Tile Flooring
A Stone Tiled Floor Provides a Unique Charm
and Natural Look to any Room or Home
By Mark J. Donovan
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Stone tile flooring is ideal for many home applications
including kitchens, bathrooms, great rooms, hallways and entranceways. It
provides both a natural and stylish look to any room, and will add value to your
home. There are numerous natural stone floor tile materials to choose from
including granite, travertine, marble, slate, limestone sandstone, onyx and
quartz-based. In addition, stone tile flooring comes in a plethora of colors and
patterns since it is produced by nature. They are also available in many
different shapes and sizes including mosaics.
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Stone floor tiles are classified into two major finish type categories, rough
and tumbled stone, and polished stone, with each type having their unique pros
and cons. Rough and tumbled stone floor tiling has a very natural, grainy, and
textured look. It is also quite porous and as a result is susceptible to
staining. Rough and tumbled stone floor tiles are available in sandstone,
limestone, Travertine, slate, and even certain marble types.
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Polished stone floor tile, on the other hand, has a very shiny and elegant look
and is often seen in large entrance ways. It is also very smooth and as a result
can be slippery so it may not be ideal for bathrooms or other frequent wet
areas. Common polished stone tile flooring materials include granite, marble,
travertine and onyx.
When planning a stone tile flooring installation project it is important
to understand the unique characteristics of each stone tile type, and finish
type, to make sure it is appropriate for your project. |
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For example soft stones such as travertine and certain marble types are
porous and susceptible to staining. They can be sealed to reduce the risk of
staining, however they may not be the most appropriate stone floor tile for a
kitchen that will have children and pets frequenting it often.
Also, when installing stone floor tiling it is imperative that the subfloor be
extremely smooth, strong, and have virtually no deflection. White thinset mortar
is most commonly used when installing stone floor tiles, and a diamond blade wet
saw should be used for cutting stone tiles. Grout lines are normally kept narrow
for stone floor tiling projects, e.g. under ¼ inch.
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To prevent staining, stone floor tiling should be promptly sealed after
installation. In addition, they should periodically be resealed every 12 to 24
months. Not only will sealing protect the stone floor tiles, but also the grout
lines. Sealing the grout lines also helps to prevent water penetration.
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For more information on
ceramic tile and installing a shower pan membrane liner, see the
Shower
Pan Membrane Liner Installation Ebook
from HomeAdditionPlus.com. The Shower Pan Membrane Liner EBook will quickly
teach you the step-by-step process for installing the shower pan membrane liner
correctly. It includes instructions on framing the shower stall, pouring the
pre-slope and shower base mortar, and installing the shower pan membrane liner.
See HomeAdditionPlus.com's
Ceramic Tile Calculator
How to Finance your Home Improvement Project -
can help provide funds for your new home improvement project if financing is
required.
Related Tile Information
Additional Tile Resources from Amazon.com
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