Natural stone floor tiles, without a doubt, will bring a touch of unique beauty to your home in a way that ceramic tiles or porcelain floor tiles will not be able to match. However, it is important when buying natural stone tiles to fully understand their advantages and disadvantages so that you know exactly what to expect once your floor is laid.

Perhaps the most important point to understand is that the unique element natural stone brings to your home means that each tile and every piece of stone is different. Even tiles from the same quarry, same manufacturer and same batch will not be identical to each other. If you are looking for perfectly matched tiles then stone is probably not the ideal choice for you but if you are looking for a natural uniqueness then read on.

So you have seen a display of tiles you like in a showroom but it is important that you view the actual batch from which your tiles will be coming before your make your final choice. Any samples available will not be exactly like the delivered tiles – the colour and veining will be similar, but different. What this means is that you have to expect to get a certain overall look with natural stone not an exact colour match.

The next most important point to be aware of is the surface texture. Rarely will a tile have a perfectly flat surface so there are likely to be dents on the face of the tile and chips at the edges of some tiles, although this is more likely on the softer materials like limestone and marble.

Then you have to be aware of the thickness, hardness and porosity of your chosen tile in relation to where the tiles will be laid. Obviously, soft stone would be unsuitable for a hallway and a porous stone would be unsuitable for a bathroom. So make sure you choose a tile that is appropriate – with natural stone there is more to consider than just looks.

Which grout?

Grout is available in such a wide choice of colours and textures that the choice of grout is just as important as the choice of tiles. Whether you choose it to match or contrast with your tiles it is a key factor in the success of the finished look. You also need to think about the maintenance of the grout- a pale coloured grout in a heavy traffic floor is likely to get dirty very quickly – and also the fact that temperature and humidity can affect the colour of the grout.

Do the tiles need sealing?

The necessity to seal a natural stone floor depends very much on the type of stone used and the location in which it has been laid, such as a heavy traffic hallway or a shower room. But the simple answer to the question of whether natural stone tiles need sealing is yes. A good sealant will protect the floor from stains, make it less porous and preserve the stone’s unique beauty.

Whilst natural stone is considerably more affordable now than it has been in the past it is still not a budget option. The cost of installation is higher than for ceramic tiles or porcelain tiles because professional equipment is usually required and it is a harder job for a DIY enthusiast. But if you are convinced by the natural look then ceramic tiles or porcelain floor tiles will be no match for their unique beauty.

The post Natural Stone Floor Tiles – Buying Tips appeared first on Twits Guides.

There is such a wide range of natural stone now available that whatever type of garden you have there is sure to be something suitable that will transform your outside space whether it is a small courtyard garden or has acres of space. But knowing that there are suitable natural stone tiles out there is the easy part – choosing which tiles are right for your patio is harder.

And it is not just the colour that you need to get right – the surface finish is even more important – does it need to be slip-resistant, will there be young children playing on it, does it need to be hard-wearing? These are some of the questions you will have to ask yourself before you even begin to look at the choices available.

In addition, natural stone will have unique characteristics depending on which quarry it came from and may also have a special finish depending on the manufacturer. So one type of slate, for example, may not be the same if it has come from different quarries or was cut and finished by a different manufacturer. Most natural stone has an indefinite life-span (think of all the ancient buildings made of natural stone that are still standing across the world) but if it has a special finish then another consideration is the longevity of the finish – will it be hard-wearing and last many years or will the special character of the finish disappear under the effects of harsh weather?

Clearly the choice of finish is not simply about its beauty at the time of laying the natural stone but also how it will look in a few years’ time since a patio is not the type of structure to be frequently changed although one of the advantages of natural stone is that there is an active second-hand market for pre-used tiles if you do ever decide to replace them.

Depending on their size and thickness, most natural stone tiles can be laid as a patio onto a bed of sand although some slate tiles may require a bed of mortar. But any areas that will be used as a driveway or parking for vehicles will need a concrete base.

Natural stone tiles are available in a huge range of shapes and sizes from widths of 300mm and this range of sizes can allow you to design a unique layout for your patio. This might be a regular pattern or many people choose a random layout which can look equally attractive, particularly for a large area in a rustic setting. But even with just a single shape and size you can achieve a stunning patio, for example, rectangular tiles laid out in an offset pattern like brickwork can look particularly effective in a small area.

Although natural stone tiles can be expensive, the advantages of a natural stone patio are that it will look beautiful from the day it is laid for a lifetime and is available in such a variety of colours and styles that it will suit any type of home; rustic, traditional or contemporary. Its colour might weather but will not fade as coloured concrete alternatives do. It is resistant to harsh weather conditions and is relatively low maintenance, with only the possibility of the pointing needing replacing at some stage.

Whilst there are cheaper alternatives to natural stone on the market, and you can use porcelain tiles for a patio and even some ceramic tiles providing their water absorbency level is low enough, nothing quite beats the organic look of natural stone tiles on a patio.

The post Transform Your Garden with a Natural Stone Patio appeared first on Twits Guides.

Natural stone floor tiles, without a doubt, will bring a touch of unique beauty to your home but it is important when buying natural stone tiles to fully understand their advantages and disadvantages so that you know exactly what to expect once your floor is laid.

Whilst natural stone is considerably more affordable now than it has been in the past it is still not a budget option. The cost of installation is higher than for ceramic tiles or porcelain tiles because professional equipment is usually required and it is a harder job for a DIY enthusiast. But if you are convinced by the natural look then ceramic tiles or porcelain floor tiles will be no match for their unique beauty.

Perhaps the most important point to understand is that the unique element natural stone brings to your home means that each tile and every piece of stone is different. Even tiles from the same quarry, same manufacturer and same batch will not be identical to each other. If you are looking for perfectly matched tiles then stone is probably not the ideal choice for you but if you are looking for a natural uniqueness then read on.

So you have seen a display of tiles you like in a showroom but it is important that you view the actual batch from which your tiles will be coming before your make your final choice. Any samples available will not be exactly like the delivered tiles – the colour and veining will be similar, but different. What this means is that you have to expect to get a certain overall look with natural stone not an exact colour match.

The next most important point to be aware of is the surface texture. Rarely will a tile have a perfectly flat surface so there are likely to be dents on the face of the tile and chips at the edges of some tiles, although this is more likely on the softer materials like limestone and marble.

Then you have to be aware of the thickness, hardness and porosity of your chosen tile in relation to where the tiles will be laid. Obviously, soft stone would be unsuitable for a hallway and a porous stone would be unsuitable for a bathroom. So make sure you choose a tile that is appropriate – with natural stone there is more to consider than just looks.

Which grout?

Grout is available in such a wide choice of colours and textures that the choice of grout is just as important as the choice of tiles. Whether you choose it to match or contrast with your tiles it is a key factor in the success of the finished look. You also need to think about the maintenance of the grout- a pale coloured grout in a heavy traffic floor is likely to get dirty very quickly – and also the fact that temperature and humidity can affect the colour of the grout.

Do the tiles need sealing?

The necessity to seal a natural stone floor depends very much on the type of stone used and the location in which it has been laid, such as a heavy traffic hallway or a shower room. But the simple answer to the question of whether natural stone tiles need sealing is yes. A good sealant will protect the floor from stains, make it less porous and preserve the stone’s unique beauty.

The post Natural Stone Floor Tiles Buying Tips appeared first on Twits Guides.