Natural Stone Styles

The intrinsic beauty of a stone floor is in its glorious harmony that is created from individual stones, each carrying their own unique characteristics. Like a painting that comes together from many colors, so too does a natural stone floor come together from nature's uniquely designed stones. If you are searching for a floor plan that will be exclusive to your home, natural stone will soon become your material of choice. There is no greater way to ensure exclusivity than to create a design from stones that have sat for centuries and gathered their characteristics from the uncontrollable elements of nature. The chances of two stones being exactly alike are similar to the chances of two snowflakes being alike.

Despite natural stone's exceptional individualism, there are types and styles that create the cohesiveness of the floor plan. In a floor plan for natural stone, you'll see unique marbling, veining, shades, colors, and textures; but you'll find similar sizes, cuts and types of stone.

Natural Stone Tile Sizes and Shapes

Natural stone floor tiles come in varying sizes. Common sizes are 12” x 12”, 13” x 13”, 16” x 16” and 18” x 18”. But you'll also find stone in smaller and larger sizes. For instance, Mosaics formed from natural stone are affixed to a mesh backing largely because they can be 3” or smaller.

Focal points are a fundamental part of any design plan. Natural Stone floor plans are no different. Floor medallions and stone feature strips can be strategically added to create a focal point for your floor and your room.

Choosing your edging tile is also a part of developing your natural stone floor plan. A crisp modern look can be created with a polished 90-degree straight edge, a more fluid look can be created using stone tiles with a polished “bullnose” edge – a smooth, rounded, curved edging. You'll also find that some manufacturers will create tiles with beveled edges.

Though important, size, shape and edging are a latter step in your design process. One of your first steps, after determining the practical needs for your room, is to choose the type of stone for your stone floor.

Basic Stone Categories

The building industry first categorizes stones into two types: Natural stone and Agglomerates. Agglomerates are manufactured stones that are created by bonding natural stone chips. Natural stones are those created primarily by the earth - such as marble, granite, or limestone.

Scientists classify stones into three predominant groups: Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic.

Igneous stones are from liquid rock. The liquid rock is either lava or magma. When the liquid rock hardens, a stone is formed. Pumice and Granite are both created from liquid rock. Pumice is from lava, granite is from magma.

Sedimentary stones are, as the name indicates, formed from earthly sediments. Sand, small stones, plant decay and animal decay slowly collect, form and harden into a sedimentary stone. Limestone and sandstone are natural sedimentary stones, however cement is a man-made sedimentary stone.

Metamorphic stones are created by heat or pressure. You can change an igneous or sedimentary stone through heat and pressure. It would then be classified as a metamorphic stone. Marble is a metamorphic stone because it is limestone which has been pressurized.

Definitions of Common Natural Stones

Granite is a hard, dense, igneous stone. It is almost as hard as a diamond, and it resists scratches. It is the preferred stone for kitchen applications. Granite comes in many different varieties.

Sandstone is a rough-textured sedimentary stone made up of quartz and sand. Several varieties of sandstone exist.

Limestone is available in many shades of earthen colors. It is a sedimentary stone created from calcium and dolomite sediments.

Marble is a softer stone created by pressurizing limestone. Therefore it is considered a metamorphic stone. It can be polished for a smooth appearance, but it does have a tendency to scratch easily. There are many types of marble created from all over the world.

Travertine is structured similar to marble, and shares marble's density qualities. This allows it to be filled and honed. It is created from limestone and formed under hot springs.

Slate is a composite form of clay, quartz and shale. It's a metamorphic stone that comes in many shades of reds, blues, grays and greens.

Agglomerate Stone is a type of stone created by bonding natural stone chips together with epoxy, resins, polyester or cement. Poured-in-place terrazzo is a well-known agglomerated stone which has been used for thousands of years.

Quartz products are very popular manufactured stones. They are scratch resistant, do not stain, and they look completely natural. Manufactured quartz stones are desired for ease of maintenance, their consistency and their strength.

Natural Stone, Manufactured Stone, and their Applications

Granite

Granite, composed from quartz, feldspar and mica, is by far the most durable of today's natural stone floor materials. Only the diamond offers a more scratch resistant material. It is the most sought-after stone for kitchen applications, but its durability and natural beauty will fit naturally in any room. The quartz inside the granite contributes to its coloring. You'll be able to find hues and shades of earthy browns, warm golds, serene blues, deep green, and the balancing colors of gray, white and black.

Marble

Marble evokes pure elegance. Marble's sophistication comes from pressurizing the unassuming limestone. It's a natural for fireplace applications, libraries and studios. It will also add stature to any room used for entertaining. Marble's veining and fluid swirls bring the essence of movement to this white stone. Grays, whites, blues and natural earth tones can stream through the marble, complementing the color palette of your room.

Limestone

Limestone is a casual, porous sedimentary stone. If you are looking for a stone floor to balance your room's color scheme, yet still demand a floor that provokes interest, a limestone floor might be the floor covering for your tastes. The gentle color of sands, coral and shells will color your floor within gentle grays, browns or whites - without making an imposition that interferes with other focal points in the room.

Travertine

Travertine, similar to Limestone, is a soft, porous stone that is earthy and warm. Travertine's character comes from the small cavities and holes that accent each stone. These holes can be filled with cement or resin, however leaving them unfilled creates a striking textured surface. Travertine can be polished, or tumbled to create a floor that fills the essence of your room. It is often used to create a backsplash where needed, and the earthy warm colors can bring the beauty of nature into any room.

Slate

Slate is a rustic, colorful stone that is exceptionally suited for outdoor applications. Its water-resistance makes it the perfect choice for patio and pool decks and walkways. Its versatility makes it a convenient stone to use both indoors and out. Slate is created from dense clay and shale, and has a colorful layered look. It can be found smooth or textured, and in reds, golds, purples, greens, blues – and of course, black, rust and brown.

Stone Finishes

Natural stones for flooring have surface finishes. The two most common finishes you'll hear about are polished and honed, but you'll also come across references to acid-washed, saw-cut refined, flamed, split-faced, tumbled and brushed.

Polished

A polished surface brings out the stone's crystals with glossy, reflective shine. This is accomplished by using a a polishing process that progressively moves to a fine finish, similar to sanding hardwood furniture. The type of stone will determine how well the polish will hold. It's common for granite, marble and limestone to be polished, however they all require different levels of maintenance.

Honed

A honed surface has an informal, gentle look, created by shortening the polishing stage. With a honed surface, you'll see less scratches and have fewer maintenance demands. If you're looking for a flat, matte or satin finish, you will want to consider a honed finish on your natural stone floor. It works wonderful on marble, limestone and slate.

Acid-Wash

An acid-washed finish is popular with marble and limestone, but can be used on almost any stone. It's shiny, but you'll see etching marks. It's a more rustic finish compared to a honed finish, and it softens the shine on granite. Acid-Wash also has a tendency to show few scratches.

Saw-Cut Refined

A stone with a saw-cut refined finish will have had the heaviest saw marks removed, but it won't be as soft as a honed finish. The process brings out a very nice matte finish.

Flamed

A flamed finish is typically applied on granite. An extreme heating and cooling process leaves a high, textural surface, which is ideal where slipping and falling is a concern. Perfect for showers.

Split-Faced

A split-faced finished leaves a rough texture, but one that is not as textural as a flamed finish. Slate typically has a split-faced finish, and the finish process is usually done right at the quarry. It's accomplished by hand cutting and chiseling the stone to expose the natural cleft.

Tumbled

A tumbled finish can be achieved by many different methods. By putting 3/8” thick tiles into a machine and tumbling them, the finish turns out broken, rounded edges and corners that can have a smooth surface or a slightly pitted surface. This can also be achieved by putting 3cm tiles into a tumbler then splitting them afterwards to create two tiles. Each tile will then have the tumbled finish on one side. Marble and limestone take well to a tumbled finish for an exceptionally characteristic look.

Brushed

A brushed finish turns out a worn-down look, perfect for complementing distressed furniture and antique lovers. A brushed finish is simply done by brushing the surface of the stone to simulate wear and tear.

Sealer

Whatever stone you decide to use for your natural stone floor plan, make sure your stone tiles have a sealant applied. Sealing your tiles will protect it, and can enrich the stone or protect it while maintaining its natural appearance.

We hope the information in this article has helped you with your floor planning decisions. If you'd like to learn more about stone floors, just browse through our other articles on this website or stop down and visit one of our Chicago area showrooms for a first hand look at stones, styles and finishes. And of course, feel free to email us at any time if we can help you with any of your stone floor plans.