STONE FLOORING

Stone floors bring to an interior both beauty and durability. Found in an array of colors, finishes,
sizes, and patterns, stone is one of the most versatile materials available to the designer and
is suitable for walls and counters as well as flooring. The qualities of stone vary from soft to
hard and from porous to impermeable. It is best to confirm with the manufacturer that the prod-
uct is correct for its intended use. In flooring applications, stone comes in two configurations:
dimension stone and dimension stone tiles.

Dimension Stone

Dimension stone floors are assembled from natural quarried stone that has been cut to a
specified shape, size, and thickness. Dimension stone has one or more mechanically dressed
surfaces—for example, flamed or honed—and is set in a thick mortar bed.

Flamed or Thermal Honed Polished

This rough finish is achieved
by heating the stone to a high
temperature and then rapidly
cooling it. Its slip-resistant
surface is ideal for bath-
rooms and other wet areas
where stone may be used for
flooring.
This smooth satin finish is
achieved by stopping the pol-
ishing process early. It pro-
vides a softer looking surface
that is less prone to showing
damage.
This highly reflective, glossy
finish is achieved through
successive polishing with
increasingly fine materials.
It brings depth and color to
a stone, but is also prone to
slipping unless appropriately
sealed.
Dimension Stone Tiles

Dimension stone tiles are quarried to standard sizes and thicknesses, usually less than
3
/4 inch (19 mm). Typical sizes range from 6 square inches (3 870 mm²) to 36 square inches
(23 226 mm²), though the larger the tile, the more prone it is to cracking. Tiles are typically
installed with a thin layer of mortar, thus the subfloor should be even and not prone to warping.

Stone Type Formation Description Best Use

Limestone sedimentary 1
varies in hardness and is flooring, countertops,
quite suitable as dimen- interior cladding
sion stone; soft lime-
stones should be used in
low-traffic situations
Travertine sedimentary variety of limestone flooring, interior cladding
that is more compact
and often banded in
appearance
Marble metamorphic2 varies in hardness and flooring, interior cladding,
comes in a wide range of vanity and tabletops,
colors and types hearths, sills
Granite igneous3 hard and dense; flooring, countertops,
extremely resistant to tabletops
scratching and etching;
very difficult to stain but
available in many colors,
though most commonly
black
Slate metamorphic easily cleaved into thin flooring, hearths, counter-
slabs; thermally stable tops, tabletops, laboratory
and chemically inert; tables
when sealed, is stain
resistant and durable
Sandstone sedimentary made from quartz and sil- flooring, interior cladding,
ica; available in a variety countertops
of colors, but most com-
monly the warm browns,
yellows, and reds associ-
ated with sand

1
Stone formed from sediment deposited by water or air.
2
Stone formed by heat, pressure, or other natural agencies.
3
Stone having solidified from lava or magma.