Stone Flooring Features and benefits
Consumers who select stone flooring for their home attribute their selection to stone’s durability and style. With a variety of beautiful styles and colors, Express Flooring makes it easy for you to find the perfect stone flooring to meet your needs.
Durability:
There’s a reason why most ancient structures are made of stone…it’s an extremely strong natural material. Additionally, compared to other types of flooring, stone does not require significant maintenance. If you want flooring that can stand the test of time, stone flooring is a great choice.
Stays naturally cool:
Especially in Arizona, Texas, Las Vegas, & New Mexico, you’ll appreciate stone floors even more. That’s because stone remains cool to the touch as temperatures rise. Walking barefoot on the stone floor will bring a satisfying feeling year-round, not just during summer.
Keep dust and allergens at bay:
The hard, nonporous surface of stone floors makes it impossible for dust and allergens to hide, which makes cleaning more effective at reducing contaminants. This makes stone a perfect solution if you or one of your family members is prone to allergies.
Consumers who select stone flooring for their home attribute their selection to stone’s durability and style. With a variety of beautiful styles and colors, Express Flooring makes it easy for you to find the perfect stone flooring to meet your needs.
Durability:
There’s a reason why most ancient structures are made of stone…it’s an extremely strong natural material. Additionally, compared to other types of flooring, stone does not require significant maintenance. If you want flooring that can stand the test of time, stone flooring is a great choice.
Stays naturally cool:
Especially in Arizona, Texas, Las Vegas, & New Mexico, you’ll appreciate stone floors even more. That’s because stone remains cool to the touch as temperatures rise. Walking barefoot on the stone floor will bring a satisfying feeling year-round, not just during summer.
Keep dust and allergens at bay:
The hard, nonporous surface of stone floors makes it impossible for dust and allergens to hide, which makes cleaning more effective at reducing contaminants. This makes stone a perfect solution if you or one of your family members is prone to allergies.
Consumers who select stone flooring for their home attribute their selection to stone’s durability and style. With a variety of beautiful styles and colors, Express Flooring makes it easy for you to find the perfect stone flooring to meet your needs.
Stone Flooring Considerations
As you shop for stone flooring, these are the additional factors you should consider:
Absorption Rating
This refers to how porous a given stone material is. The more absorbent it is, the more vulnerable it is to staining and cracking damage. Natural stones have different absorption rates. For example, granite is nearly impervious to water, even unsealed. Travertine, slate, and limestone have normal absorbency. Compared to honed or cleft surfaces, polished stone materials are less absorbent to water.
Grade
Some stone flooring retailers use a grading system to evaluate the quality of materials. This can pertain to the shape, thickness, and size of the stone flooring. Usually, the grading system comes in three levels:
Coefficient of Friction
This measures and compares how slippery a stone material is. This is a very important consideration if you have kids, pets, or anyone with physical limitations living in your home.
In general, marble can be a bit slippery when wet. If this is a concern you should consider slate, which provides decent grip. If you are worried about slippery stone flooring, you should consider using an anti-slip surface coating.
PEI rating
The Porcelain Enamel Institute (PEI) rating evaluates materials on a scale of 1 to 5 based on their ability to resist wear and tear. For safety, choose a PEI rating of at least 3 for residential homes. If you live with pets or children, we recommend selecting a material with a 4 or 5 rating.
Absorption Rating
This refers to how porous a given stone material is. The more absorbent it is, the more vulnerable it is to staining and cracking damage. Natural stones have different absorption rates. For example, granite is nearly impervious to water, even unsealed. Travertine, slate, and limestone have normal absorbency. Compared to honed or cleft surfaces, polished stone materials are less absorbent to water.
Grade
Some stone flooring retailers use a grading system to evaluate the quality of materials. This can pertain to the shape, thickness, and size of the stone flooring. Usually, the grading system comes in three levels:
- Grade 1: The highest quality of materials.
- Grade 2: May have some minor defects, such as scratches.
- Grade 3: Consists of major flaws making them suitable only for accent pieces.
Coefficient of Friction
This measures and compares how slippery a stone material is. This is a very important consideration if you have kids, pets, or anyone with physical limitations living in your home.
In general, marble can be a bit slippery when wet. If this is a concern you should consider slate, which provides decent grip. If you are worried about slippery stone flooring, you should consider using an anti-slip surface coating.
PEI rating
The Porcelain Enamel Institute (PEI) rating evaluates materials on a scale of 1 to 5 based on their ability to resist wear and tear. For safety, choose a PEI rating of at least 3 for residential homes. If you live with pets or children, we recommend selecting a material with a 4 or 5 rating.