Stone Flooring

By Aamir Kaiser
Prashan Pradhan
Omkar pujari
Wasim
Marble
General Characteristics

 Marble is a very attractive,

elegant and popular option for
flooring as it gives a
sophisticated look to a room.
Like Granite, it has been the
material of choice for houses by
designers and architects
throughout history. But Marble
cannot be used in kitchens since
it stains easily and in bathrooms
because it is slippery when wet.
Chemical Compostion

 Marble is chemically a
limestone and a base in an
acid-base relationship. If acidic
substances such as fruit
products, juices, sodas, vinegar
etc fall on untreated marble
floor, they will cause a
chemical reaction and
permanent
discoloration/stains. To protect
the marble, regular sealing
should be done.
Physical Characteristics

 Marble is hard, smooth,

heavy and durable. It has
a tight crystalline
structure which can take
very high polish.
Advantages of Marble Flooring

 Beautiful, timeless: and will always look as elegant as the

day it was installed.
Natural Grains: Being a naturally occurring material,
Marble has unique grain movement and flowing veins that
give it a life of its own, making it the most compelling
reason to use it instead of man-made material like
terrazzo, ceramic/vitrified tiles.
Durable: and long lasting. It can be polished any number
of times without it fading.
 Easy to maintain: because of it’s highly polished surface.
Cool: Marble has an inherent ability to reflect heat and is
always cool and comfortable underfoot.
Seamless flooring: Marble is available as big slabs of sizes
4’x2′ to 9’x4′ and can be laid with paper thin joints to
create a seamless floor.
Paper thin joints: prevent dust accumulation and fungal
formations making it easy-maintenance.
Wide range: of colours and polish are available to suit any
purpose and taste.
Inlay work: with other coloured marble strips is a unique
advantage of Marble flooring.
Disadvantages of using marble flooring

 Expensive: Marble flooring is very expensive.

Scratches: Compared to Granite, Marble has a lower
abrasion resistance and so takes scratches.
Porous: Because of it’s porosity, Marble is not water
resistant.
Discoloration: Marble stains easily and gets discoloured by
acidic substances. It may yellow over time if it is of
inferior quality.
 Quality: is just a matter of chance as it is a naturally
occurring material. Low quality marble develops cracks
easily.
Time consuming: Marble needs 48 to 76 hours to set
before it can be polished and polishing on site is generally
a time-consuming and messy affair. Also it needs sealing.
Very cold: under feet in winter.
Care in cleaning: Marble flooring needs
regular cleaning to maintain its shine.
 Maintenance

 The shine on marble flooring is

maintained by regular mopping with
a mild detergent and water. Instead
of using costly specialty cleaners or
regular floor wax, make a
homemade paste of baking soda and
water and apply it to the floor. Then
using a clean cloth wipe away the
baking soda paste using a circular
motion. Lastly, buff the floor with a
dry cloth to achieve a waxy shine.
Conclusion

 Marble being beautiful, elegant, natural and seamless, is

preferred in homes, as back splashes and in bathroom
countertops. However, since it is not very stain resistant
and is slippery, it is not used in Kitchens and bathrooms.
An alternative, luxurious stone that can be used is
Granite. Eco-friendly and cheaper options are Kota stone
flooring or Slate flooring.
Granite
General

 Granite is the hardest, most durable and long lasting

among natural stones. It has a natural beauty like Marble,
that can give your home an aura of richness. Granite
flooring doesn’t easily scratch and is stain-resistant –
making it ideally suited for residential flooring especially
kitchens, which are subjected to spills, dropped objects
etc. Granite is used sparingly in commercial buildings due
to its high cost.
Origin and Processing

 Granite is a natural stone product obtained from quarries.

Chemical Compostion

 Granite is a
mixture of
quartz and
feldspar which is
not adversely
affected by
alkalis and acidic
substances.
Physical
Characteristics
 Granite is hard, smooth,
very heavy and durable.
Due to it’s weight it is
advisable to check the
strength of the sub-floor
before laying.
Advantages of Granite

 Durable: Granite is virtually indestructible– It lasts a

lifetime with good care.
Very beautiful:The unique grain movement and colours of
Granite flooring makes a room look elegant and rich.
Natural stone: unlike terrazzo, ceramic/vitrified tiles
etc. Therefore it is bio-degradable and a green option.
Non-porous: unlike Marble, therefore, water and stain
resistant. It does not have to be sealed.
 Hygienic: because Granite is hypoallergenic, bacteria
resistant and highly resistant to water/moisture.
Easy to maintain: because of it’s highly shiny surface.
Cool: Granite has an inherent ability to reflect heat and
so Granite flooring is always cool underfoot.
Seamless flooring: Granite slabs are available in sizes
4′x2′ to 9′x4′ and can be laid with paper thin joints to give
a seamless floor.
Paper thin joints: in Granite flooring prevent dust
accumulation and fungal formations ensuring easy
maintenance.
Wide range: of colours such as rich browns, vibrant golds,
warm creams and cool blues, greens, grays and decadent
black, to suit any purpose.
Disadvantages of granite

 Expensive: – much more expensive than other flooring

types because it has to be obtained from quarries,
polished and installed by experts.
Time consuming in laying: as granite needs professional
installation and is very cumbersome.
Very cold: Granite flooring can be quite cold under feet in
the winter, though not as cold as Marble.
Very hard: and so fragile items dropped on the granite
surface probably will break.
 Slippery: when wet because of the highly polished (glossy)
surface of granite.
Difficult to repair: Restoration of badly scratched granite
is an expensive affair, with a possibility of alteration in
the colour as well.
Quality: is just a matter of chance because granite is
naturally occurring. Low-quality tiles may chip easily.
Regular care: for granite to remain shiny and last a
lifetime.
Conclusion

 Due to it’s high durability, scratch and stain-resistance

and rich aura, granite is becoming a popular choice in
residences. It is also used in the flooring and wall cladding
in lift lobbies of commercial spaces, as it gives a luxurious
feeling. But it is very expensive and most people opt for
cheaper alternatives like Kota Stone or Slate.
Kota Stone Flooring
Introduction

 Kota Stone is a fine-

grained variety of
limestone obtained from
Kota, Rajasthan, India. It
is available in attractive,
earthy colours. It is non-
slippery, water-resistant,
non-porous, can be rough
finished or polished to a
high shine.
 However, it does not have
the sophisticated
appearance of Marble or
Granite. It is more rustic
looking. It is used both in
interiors and in exteriors,
commercial spaces,
external staircases,
pathways, corridors,
driveways, and balconies
etc. A very similar stone is
the Shahbad stone found in
North Karnataka. But
Shahbad is mostly grey.
Chemical Composition

 Kota is a very
fine grained,
siliceous calcium
carbonate rock
of sedimentary
nature.
Physical Properties

 Kota is hard,
compact, tough
and homogenous
natural stone. It
is non-slippery.
Advantages of Kota Stone Flooring

 Beautiful: Polished Kota Stone looks beautiful because of

it’s nice smoothness and shine.
 Natural: Like Marble or Granite, Kota is a natural stone
and is bio-degradable and a green option.
Finish: Kota stone can be finished according to
requirement such as one-side honed, both-sides honed,
hand cut, machine cut, polished, mirror finish and
calibrated etc.
 Hygienic: Kota, being non-porous and moisture resistant,
is a hygienic flooring option in humid regions.
 Cool: Kota reflects heat and is always cool and
comfortable underfoot.
 Affordable: Unlike Marble or Granite, Kota stone is very
affordable. In fact it is the cheapest stone among other
natural stones.
 Wide range: Kota is available in beautiful colours like
black, pink, grey and beige. though the rich greenish-blue
and brown colours are the most popular.
Disadvantages of Kota Flooring

 Flaking: The stone tends to flake over a period of time.

However, periodic polishing using polishing wax can
eliminate this phenomenon.
 Lustreless: Kota lacks the luster of Marble or granite.
 Small sized tiles: Unlike Marble and Granite, Kota is not
available as large slabs, due to the brittleness of
limestone. The maximum sizes are around 240 cm x 75
cm.
 Many joints: Unlike Marble or Granite, Kota stone flooring
does not give the appearance of a seamless flooring
because Kota tiles are available only in small sized tiles.
Also, there is a lot of variation in colour between tiles.
Conclusion

 Due to it’s durability and affordability, it is the most

preferred choice among natural stones in large spaces like
industries and commercial buildings and homes of eco-
conscious people. It is sometimes used as a wall cladding
because of its natural colouring and sheen. A very good
alternative to Kota is Shahbad stone or Slate.
Mosaic Flooring or Terrazzo
Introduction

 Terrazzo, like crazy

marble flooring is a
composite material used
for floor and wall
treatments. It originated
in Italy a long time ago
and has gone through
enough changes to make
it as good a choice now.
 It consists of a
combination of sprinkled,
stone chips like marble,
quartz, granite, glass and
a cementitious binder that
is poured into place.
Terrazzo is then cured,
ground and polished to a
smooth surface.
Composition

 Marble, granite, quartz

and/or glass chips mixed
with a binder like
portland cement,
polyacrylic-modified
portland cement or epoxy
resin.
Physical Characterstricts

 Terrazzo flooring
is hard, heavy,
durable and long
lasting.
Advantages of Terrazzo Flooring

 Durable: and should last a lifetime, if maintained

properly.
Dense: and if sealed well, is impermeable to water.
Water resistant: due to its low moisture absorbency and
hydrophobic nature (non-affinity for water).
Easy to maintain: Just have to sweep the floor often to
remove the dust that can act as an abrasive.
 Cool: under foot.
Appearance: Terrazzo provides an elegant look to a room
if done well. It almost looks like Granite.
Environment-friendly: Terrazzo flooring doesn’t harm the
environment as it is constructed out of natural materials
including sand, marble, and other types of stone. You can
even recycle this type of floor.
Disadvantages of terrazzo flooring

 Professional installation: Terrazzo flooring can be

installed only by a professional because it is made, poured
and cured at the point of installation.
Relatively expensive: Because of the specialised
installation, the upfront cost is considerably higher than
resilient flooring.
Slippery: when wet.
Hard underfoot: as it does not have any cushioning- It is
hard to stand on for an extended period of time.
 Cold: Being a good conductor of heat, it causes heat loss
in a room.
Stains: Terrazzo tiles are prone to stain marks caused by
acidic substances like vinegar and tamarind.
Maintenance: Terrazzo requires heavy polishing at the
time of laying and periodic polishing to retain the shine.
Conclusion

 Terrazzo, once was used only by the affluent but now, is

commonly used as it is a cheaper option to marble and
granite flooring. Due to its extreme durability, many
homeowners are willing to pay more for the initial
installation of terrazzo because they know that it
probably will last their lifetime. A slightly different type
of flooring is the crazy marble flooring.
Thank You