The Stone Cold Truth about Stone Flooring

Everybody loves the idea of stone flooring.  Not only is it a throwback to the days of kings and queens, but it is also a very durable form of flooring not easily dented or worn.  Stone floors add a certain timeless beauty to a room and can really jack up the real estate value of a home.  Before deciding that stone is the way to go for your new flooring look, consider what it is and what its limitations are.

Stones are creations that are literally millions of years old.  Stones have been developing under ground since the beginning of the world.  Stones can be collected and used for flooring, including popular types of stone like marble, limestone or granite.  Of course, it would be impossible to gather together a collection of uniform stones for one long flooring project.  Stones are comparable to fingerprints, in that they are each unique.  Even if you managed to get hold of a hundred limestone pieces, none of them would look precisely like another. 

This immediately creates a disadvantage for a homeowner seeking a very clean, uniform color.  However, the beauty of stones even on an individual basis more than compensates for this.  Stone flooring is created by cutting stones into specific shapes, widths and sizes and then setting the pieces in mortar for grouting, as with ceramic tile. 

After selecting the type of stone that you want you have to consider the type of finish.  This will also give the stone floor a distinctive pattern and feel.  For example, a polished finish will accentuate a stone differently than an acid wash.

Is it true that stone flooring is susceptible to staining and breaking?  While not comparable to superior types of flooring that are stain resistant and highly durable, stone is not exactly a fragile substance.  These are hard rocks capable of destroying most other types of materials. 

The primary disadvantage of stone is in the price.  Not everyone can afford stone and may actually prefer to buy imitation stone, such as laminate or even linoleum designed to look like stone.  If you want the real deal, contact a flooring professional and ask about stone installation costs.