Stone Is Never Out Of Style
As popular as ever stone is again making home styles one of the fastest growing decorating trends. The fine masonry look brings with it not only a luxury style but also an ease and comfort that gives a home personality. Homeowners are instead choosing natural stone, masonry patterns, travertine, and limestone, with honed-matte finished surfaces and leaving behind the once-preferred 70’s looks of wall-to-wall carpeting throughout the house, linoleum kitchen floors and vinyl tiles in the bathroom. Homeowners are using two tones, finishing their kitchen island in maybe limestone and the surrounding kitchen countertops in granite materials for a unique style. Only seen in office buildings at one time granite and marble are now used in vacation homes and owners are working to personalize their homes more than they did before. Before everything was pretty much the same overall. Now owners are bringing in different types of materials like glass tile, mosaics, different designs, different sizes, textures, into the same room. Homeowners are giving each room a more individual personality by adding different types of products. Now the white tile countertops are going away and replaced by solid surface countertops such as granite which has no grout lines and is easier to care for. There are many different choices, sizes, textures and styles of stone. Prices vary depending on the type selected. Some very expensive flooring is even salvaged from old houses scheduled for demolition. The look and durability of stone makes it appealing to homeowners. Before it’s put in, experts say, homeowners should understand the maintenance required and the issues that may come up. One of the most common problems is stains. Due to stone being very porous, if you spill things on it, the stone can easily absorb the liquid but sealing the stone can alleviate this problem and the amount of foot traffic you have in various areas of your home ought to be considered before putting in stone floors. Honed surfaces are usually the best because they’re matte finishes so they don’t wear like a polished material would. A polished marble will scratch and if you drop something acidic that etch it, which means the polish will be removed in that particular area. So there are more maintenance issues with polished surfaces. Honed surfaces on the other hand show less wear pattern. Cleaning can be more aggressive. Granite is best for countertops because it is dense and easy to maintain. Granite should be preferred over marbles or limestone in the kitchen, but there will be more maintenance with a marble or a limestone and, of course, it should be honed. Because acids in some foods can etch marble or limestone granite is recommended over these stones where foods and drinks can leave marks or rings on the materials. When deciding which stone to choose, keep in mind these handy tips :
1 Granite is most suitable for kitchens and bar counters because it is the most dense. It also resists hot and cold. Acidic foods will not etch the polish.
2 Marble is not as dense as granite but is more so than travertine. Marble works well for bathroom flooring, on back splashes and fireplaces.
3 Travertine is not as dense as marble but is more so than limestone.
4 Limestone is the softest and most porous of the stones. It requires more frequent sealing.
5 Slate is an excellent choice for outdoors or indoors.