London Builders: How to Choose a Natural Stone. Part One

Natural stone has been used as a material forGranite is the undisputed leader among materials for
premises interior furnishing for a long time now. It isfloor tile. It is strong and wear-resistant enough; rich
used for walls tiling and floor tiling, wall columns,scale of colors of this natural stone allows not only
worktops, fireplaces, interior design elements. However,combining it with any designer's decisions but making
to provide a long term of service of all these items it isan accent exactly on the floor covering.
necessary to make a correct choice of stone andStone texture.
materials for finishing. This means to take into accountSpecial consideration should be given to stone texture,
service conditions of the materials used for thesince regularity of care and its complexity depend
exterior and interior decoration.much on the surface: whether it is smooth and
It is rather easy to do it; you should just know inherentpolished or rugged. Smooth surface is easier to clean,
characteristics of the type of stone you like and thebut with the lapse of time there appear worn-out
problems which you can face in the process of itszones in the areas of the highest usage. It is a little bit
usage. These problems have become fewer over theharder to clean rugged surface, because dust and
years as many centuries ago natural stone wasstreet mud get into the smallest hollows.
exposed only to mechanical treatment and now thereNatural stone care and maintenance liquids allow you
have been developed lots of means of its protection,to simplify cleaning: mug protective liquids which are
adding to its prolonged and more comfortableregularly applied on the tile will considerably reduce the
maintenance.time for cleaning and provide a perfect result. By the
However, house refurbishment or flat renovationway, the same liquids could be applied to the wall tiles
demand to choose a proper natural stone for thetoo.
decoration and knowledge of some useful tips wouldIf you are keen on smooth tile (well-polished dark
help to avoid even pinpricks in the future.granite reflects walls and ceiling of the lighted hall like a
Hallways decoration.mirror, giving the apartment more grandeur), use the
Since it is the hall that we immediately see when weanti-slip tapes. They are easy to apply, absolutely
enter the house, we shall start from it. In this small butinvisible and provide a good result. Just remember to
important chamber natural stone is generally used forrenovate protective film from time to time.
finishing of walls and floor. As a rule, walls are notBathrooms decoration.
exposed to aggressive influence of moisture, mud,Bathrooms decoration in general deserves special
chemicals or chafing, therefore, any type of naturalattention as the object of natural stone decoration.
stone finishing will be appropriate here. On the verticalBathroom tiles, being constantly exposed to the
surfaces both picturesque elements with rough chipsinfluence of water and steam, with the lapse of time
such as limestone, and smooth tiles will make aamasses lime scale on its surface and with very high
favorable impression. Polished marble and granite lookhumidity mould can appear. Certainly, there is a way
especially effective.out: in the first case to put filters for water purification
There are fewer options for floor making: it isand softening, and in the second one - to provide good
unreasonable to use stone with porous structure - itventilation. However, to provide long service of natural
won't serve long and will need too much time for care.stone you should correctly select its type.