Sandstone? Limestone? Slate? Travertine?.....Make the right choice of stone for your floor or patio
CHOOSE YOUR STONE WITH CARE
Take the time and make the right choice of stone tile
Natural stone is a good investment, if well chosen, as it will always add value to your property and last a very long time. Following these rules will help you make the right choice.
1. PRINTED IMAGES
- Photographs in brochures can be misleading due to the limits of photography and printing processes.
2. COMPUTER SCREENS
- Photographs on web sites can be misleading also, and on top of that with the variations in computer screen calibration you should take the images as a guide only.
3. VARIATIONS IN NATURAL STONE
- Variations will occur in some stone tiles due to geological reasons. Stone is natural, cut in quarries from around the world and there will always be a degree of variation in colour, fossil and mineral markings, surface veining and fissure content. This is the beauty of natural stone and why your stone floor will be individual and unique!
- Colours will vary from stone to stone and from batch to batch. We strongly recommend that you over order by approximately 10% in order to replace any breakages you may have now or in the future and by 5% for wastage during laying. It cannot be guaranteed that any future order will come from the same batch.
- Always ask for a sample before ordering. These will come unsealed. The appearance of the stone will change once sealed so you should seal it with your preferred sealant before making your choice.
- If you are unsure, come and see the stone in our showroom.
SLATE
Slate is a very adaptable material that is just as suitable in the country as it is in town.
Slate is metamorphosed shale. Shale is made up of silt and clay that is similar in composition to sandstone except that the particle size is much smaller. The shale is subject to heat and pressure and the fine particles are melted together to form slate.
Slate tiles are often used for interior flooring, stairs and wall coverings and can suit both a traditional and contemporary setting. It is a very adaptable material that is just as suitable in the country as it is in town and works particularly well with underfloor heating. It is also a great choice for paving.
There will always be a degree of variation in colour, fossil and mineral markings, surface veining and fissure content which is the beauty of natural stone. This is why your slate floor will be individual and unique!
The natural finish of slate tiles is riven and textured, where the stone splits due to a natural cleavage and has a natural grip when wet so is a good choice for bathrooms. Honed slate has a smooth flat finish.
LIMESTONE
Limestone paving stone and limestone flooring tiles come in a variety of colours and are a strong and durable option.
Limestone is a porous sedimentary rock made up of layers of calcium carbonate formed from the accumulation of organic matter in shallow seas, which is then turned to stone by millions of years of pressure. Limestone can come in a variety of density and hardness and some are as tough as granite making an extremely hard wearing and durable paving stone.
As a surface it can stain quite easily. The risk of potential stains can be largely averted by impregnating or sealing the surface of the limestone. Before doing this, make sure the surface is very clean. Limestone can be anything from almost white to a soft brown.
TRAVERTINE
Classic stone from the Mediterranean
For a classic and classy finish nothing can come close to Travertine floor tiles. With a wide choice of colours, styles and finishes there is something for every room. Travertine is a popular choice being inexpensive and easy to lay.
Travertine is used extensively for bathroom flooring, as bathroom wall tiles and kitchen floor tiles. Mosaic travertine is used for splashbacks, shower tiling and to break up the design on a wall or floor. Travertine paving looks great around a swimming pool.
Travertine is a banded, compact variety of limestone formed along streams, particularly where there are waterfalls and around hot or cold springs. It is a sedimentary rock, which is made up of layers of calcite formed from the accumulation of organic matter.
Travertine is sometimes known as travertine limestone and sometimes as travertine marble. these are the same stone, even though it is neither limestone nor marble. The stone is characterised by pitted holes and troughs in its surface. Although these troughs occur naturally, they suggest to some eyes that considerable wear and tear has occurred over many years.
Travertine has been a very important building material for housing and representative buildings since the Middle Ages. Rich deposits of aged, dried and hardened travertine were mined by the Romans. The largest building in the world constructed mostly of travertine is the Colosseum in Rome.
It is a very strong stone, which when cut into tiles exposes the small holes on the surface. These holes can be left unfilled to leave a natural texture or they are filled in the factory with a very hard resin and honed to give a smooth and shiny finish. Small holes may appear on the surface of the tiles over time; this is part of the charm of this ancient stone.
INDIAN SANDSTONE
Landscaping, Garden and Patio Paving Slabs and interior floor tiles
Indian Sandstone paving stones are ideal for your patio and interiors as they are hard-wearing, weather well, inexpensive and easy to lay. Sandstone is a very stable product and one of the best suited natural stones for use on patios, paths and driveways.
Indian Sandstone paving stones are ideal for your patio and garden as they are hard-wearing, weather well, inexpensive and easy to lay. Sandstone is a very stable product and one of the best suited natural stones for use on patios, paths and driveways.
Sandstone is a porous material and comes in a great deal of colours, from white to red and brown, and is composed essentially of cemented grains of sand. Sandstone has a granular texture and is the second most abundant of all sedimentary rock, shale being the first. In addition to quartz, sandstone may consist of sand sized particles of calcite, gypsum or various iron compounds.
Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow, red, grey and white. Sandstone is a classic sedimentary rock that forms from the cementing together of sand sized grains forming a solid rock and is therefore porous so will require impregnation and sealing when used internally or externally.
DT Stone supplies Indian Sandstone in a wide range of colours and styles. Our fine-cut stone has a varied thickness ranging between 11mm and 22mm, thick-cut stone between 25mm and 40mm and our calibrated stone has a fixed thickness of 22mm, so is easier to lay. Our internal riven stone and sawn finish stone gives agreat farmhouse effect to any property. We also supply sandstone with an antique finish where the stone is subtly aged by a tumbling action with pebbles. Sandstone paving slabs are frost resistant and will weather in well and quickly.
BATHROOM TILES
When choosing a stone floor tile for your bathroom, it's resistance to water and damp conditions and how slippery the stone tile may become under wet conditions are the most important considerations.
Stone tiles are inherently durable, waterproof and resilient and in most cases will retain this property under regular damp conditions. It is best to choose a tile made from a textured stone or a with a textured finish.
Stone tiles such as slate, travertine, sandstone or limestone are textured stone and a honed finish is an idea when looking for a less slippery surface. Honed natural stone gives a smooth and non-reflective finish, which helps to highlight the natural markings in the stone. On limestone floor tiles and travertine floor tiles, this satin surface will pass most co-effecient of friction tests unlike more highly polished stones.
Honed natural stone can often be less slippery than old-fashioned lino floors and shiny laminate flooring. Unlike wood or laminate natural stone tiles do not warp when exposed to water and humidity.
Slate is particularly durable and water-resistant. The natural finish of slate tiles is riven and textured and has a natural grip when wet so is a good choice for bathrooms. Travertine, sandstone and limestone, unlike slate, are more susceptible to staining, so a sealant must be applied.
DTStone supplies a wide range of sealants, adhesives and cleaners, specifically formulated for natural stone and we are very happy to advise on which is the best for each application.
Mosaics help to break up the design in a tiled area and so are ideal for borders and splash backs in a bathroom.
PATIO PAVING SLABS
Sandstone, limestone, slate and travertine paving stone for all your outdoor spaces and landscaping work.
Garden patios and terraces have always been popular outdoor spaces. Sometimes called flags, flagstones or slabs, our patio paving stones are flat, square or rectangular, hand-cut, natural sandstone, limestone, slate and travertine.
They are generally supplied as patio paving stone packs but are also sometimes supplied in individual sizes. Thicknesses can be varied with hand-dressed stone or fixed as with calibrated stone.
They are a very well-known and popular choice for our customers and are favoured both for their ease of installation and low price. Choose a colour that blends with your garden or house, or make a patterned patio with two different styles of stone slab.
Patio paving stones are especially attractive when combined with one of our edging stones of a contrasting material or colour. For an added touch you can extend your landscaping skills to walling with our stone walling pieces.
Some of our patio slabs have an antique finish, a term which encompasses various ageing/distressing methods which achieves an aged look to natural paving stones. To create an authentic antique appearance, the stone undergoes several processes to produce the final finish, where the stone is subtly aged by a tumbling action with pebbles. Tumbled paving stones deliver a rough, pitted surface with broken, rounded edges and corners.
