Granite is an excellent building material that provides some outstanding interior design opportunities whilst being incredibly sturdy and reliable. It has become one of the most popular building materials in modern construction, from kitchen surfaces through to paving slabs. Here are some of the notable uses of granite in today’s construction market.

Tiling

Granite tiles are tough and easily cleaned so they can easily resist long term wear and tear. Most people actually focus on the design features of granite when purchasing for their household and granite tiles are no exception. Granite tiles can come in all sorts of natural designs and colours due to the way in which it is formed. They have plenty of decorative uses which is why their reputation as a form of tile is so substantial.

Paving Stones

Not only does granite make a pavement, pathways and garden patios a bit more interesting, it also offers excellent resistance to the general demands of the outdoors. From damaging weather conditions to constant usage, granite is incredibly sturdy for tiling and paving slabs alike.

Statues

Granite can be shaped to create stunning sculptures, whether it’s a memorial statue, garden decorations or a fountain centrepiece. The natural design is formed as a result of small minerals present in the stone itself after molten magma solidifies. Next time you visit the garden centre be sure to consider granite products as they are extremely sturdy against all sorts of weather conditions.

Limestone is a porous rock that has given us the opportunity to build, sculpt and create all sorts of different products thanks to its versatility. As well as providing a more than adequate service when constructed into stone tiles, limestone has many other capabilities thanks to its high calcium content. Here are some of the most notable uses of Limestone, some of which you might be surprised by.

Cooking

Due to limestone’s high calcium count, it has actually been used in cooking in the past to boost the amount of calcium in foods. Bakeries are known to use limestone in many of their cakes and breads to improve their calcium count. You can also find limestone in other condiments such as salt, whilst many farmers will use the high nutritional value of limestone to feed their animals.

Glass

Limestone can be used to create decorative glass when it is heated and mixed with other chemical compounds. It contributes to the sturdiness of the glass, making it a useful product when constructing thick cooking dishes and other kitchen items.

Soil

Limestone often contains prehistoric remains of marine animals, providing it with further nutritional value. This is why it is also used to aid the growth of plants. Plants need a certain amount of nutrients to grow successfully and limestone is the perfect substance to restore the nutritional value of soil. Plants also need a certain pH level and this can also be restored through the addition of limestone.

When shopping for new stone tiles you need to have a plan that outlines you intentions for the interior design of your home. Purchasing a stone material that you favour might seem the obvious choice in the short-term but in truth, it’s vital to make the right decision for your specific requirements. Here are three key things to consider when shopping for stone tiles.

Thickness

Depending on where your stone tiles are located thickness can be a very important factor. If you plan on using stone tiles such as granite for countertops then you will need to address the issue of thickness. Using tiles meant for walls on a surface can be a huge mistake as they won’t have the same resistance to everyday usage, regardless of the strength of the material.

Spanning Distance

Tiles are designed specifically to provide a certain purpose. In some cases, stone tiles will be designed to span across a further distance, as is the case with kitchen tops. However, you need to make sure that the portion of stone you are using has the strength to cover wider ground. This is one of the reasons why wall and floor tiles are separate.

Does It Match?

Most importantly of all, are you getting the right material to suit your home? There are plenty of different materials available that offer different designs. Some are more beneficial for contemporary homes such as slate, whilst antique homes might benefit from marble instead. It’s always important to view the stone tiles you are purchasing in a home environment to see the effect they would have in your property.

If you’re looking to install your own stone tiles in the near future, you’ll probably need them to fit a certain space. It can be difficult finding the right-sized tiles for your particular flooring space, so here’s a quick guide on cutting your own tiles and the steps you should take depending on what it is you want to do.

Making a Straight Cut

It’s always important to mark out the cut with a pencil before proceeding. This gives you much more precision and accuracy.

Next you’ll need a tile cutter. Use the tile cutter slowly and gradually to avoid jagged edges, until the entire line has been cut.

Finally, push on the breaker to complete the cut. It’s this particular step that gives you a good even cut.

Cutting a Shape

If you fancy creating some unique tile designs or you have to cut a tile to fit a curved space, you have to make the cut slightly differently. Here’s what to do:

Again, mark with a pencil the line that you’re looking to cut.

This is where it gets a bit more complicated. Rather than cutting with the tile cutter, you need to create a slight groove along the line instead.

Now, take an electric grinder and use this to cut the shape. Start with the ends of the marked out line and proceed to the centre at the end.

Stone Tile Emporium has a range of dazzling stone tile ideas available, so why not take a look at our range of stone tiles here.

If you’ve decided to get your spring cleaning done a little earlier this year in an attempt to beckon the nicer weather towards us, you’re probably going to have to concentrate on the stone tiles in your bathroom, kitchen, tabletops or conservatory. Here’s a quick guide to getting your spring cleaning done quickly and efficiently.

The first thing you should do is sweep away any dust particles or unattached dirt from the flooring. Once you’re certain the surface is clear, you can reach for the mop. If you’re finding the sweeping process a bit tedious, try vacuuming instead.

The next step is to mop the floors of any sticky substances or short-term stains that have built up. Sticky substances that are too tough to remove with a mop can be scraped off the floor with any kind of scraper. Depending on the floor tiles you’ve got, you should try and find the cleaning solution that works best.

Once you’ve finished mopping up, you can leave the floor to dry for over an hour or so. It really is as simple and as straightforward as that. Remember, cleaning solutions for certain materials such as slate, granite and limestone can be found and purchased online or in any specialist cleaning store.

Stone brings an appealing sense of tradition and character to our homes and its uses are many when it comes to interior design, tiling, outdoor decoration and so on. Stone has always been the stalwart of basic construction techniques which is why many people have embraced its unique design and structure to develop the character and overall attractiveness of their homes. Let’s have a look at a few examples of the use of stone in our homes today and how these ideas have been inspired by period tradition.

Tiling has become the norm for most bathrooms, whether it’s on the floor, on the walls or even to add a decorative spark to various bathroom appliances such as sinks and shower areas. Limestone tiles emit a natural atmosphere that helps us feel strangely comfortable when taking a shower for example. The stone decorated baths that look to imitate Mediterranean rock pools gives us an example of how stone has become the comfortable material to be around.

Sometimes stone can be boring, like with drive ways for example. Let’s face it, you hardly care to notice what platform the car is situated on and you’re probably far more interested in the car itself. However, many homeowners have looked to make the most of their driveways to create some pretty nifty design ideas. Beautifully rounded pebbles are commonplace on many designer drive ways these days, whilst flat concrete slabs are being swapped with shingle to provide a touch of uniqueness. You can potentially use a variety of stones that have come fresh from the ocean to further decorate your driveway and really impress the neighbours. Without doubt, there are options available to you.

Stone has become a much more popular choice of material in recent years thanks to the aspects of character it can potentially bring to a home. Stone Tiles Emporium have a wide range of stone tiles available that come in all different shapes and designs. If you’re interested in integrating some natural beauty into your home, contact Stone Tiles Emporium for further details.

Many new builds nowadays can really thrive with the addition of some modern tiling, especially in the kitchen area. Your new build may have an isolated kitchen, though the majority of modern houses create a wide open space for the kitchen to expand out on to. Here are a few modern kitchen tiling ideas that could really work with your current contemporary interior design.

Slate is made of mostly microscopic clay materials and can sometimes have a few granite minerals, making it a reasonably sturdy option. Slate has a beautifully natural colour and its texture is capable of creating a unique style and feel. Slate can also be regarded as environmentally friendly thanks to its hardwearing nature. It is an affordable option whatever level of quality you’re looking for.

Limestone can be used on both modern and traditional interiors thanks to its adaptability. It is an extremely popular choice on the market. It is a reasonably simple style of tiling and doesn’t provide the distinct natural effect that you get from slate, though it can come in an array of unique colours. You can use it on your kitchen walls or floors thanks to the vast amounts of choice that you have with this particular form of tile.

If you want something that screams contemporary interior design in a modern household, granite could be the choice for you. Granite tiles are sleek and polished to perfection. They are easy to maintain and will last a lifetime, so they can be regarded as environmentally friendly. They are a trendy option at the moment thanks to their eye-catching shape and structure.

If you need further advice about improving your modern kitchen designs or feel your kitchen could really come to life using any of the tiles mentioned above, why not check out the Stone Tile Emporiums great range of stone tiling or contact us today for a further consultation.

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