Stone Floor Tiles: What to Expect While Installing These Natural Tiles?

Natural stone floors are a new trend in the flooring realm in addition to stone countertops and vanities.They are a natural and stylish addition to any space and have been in use for over thousands of years. You can find natural stones in a variety of colors and patterns. Each stone comes with its own distinct qualities.

Popular Natural Stone Flooring Options

Following are some of the natural stone flooring types and their characteristics. They are described as:

• Granite: This is a highly sought after stone normally used in high traffic bathrooms and kitchens because of its slip resistance nature.

• Limestone: It has a little variation from tile to tile and is chosen for its natural and earthen appearance.

• Marble: It brings a sophisticated and elegant look, especially for formal spaces due to its resistance to scratch.

• Slate: It offers a rustic and classic look but is usually found in rough, irregular and geometric pieces.

• Travertine: It is a crystalline limestone often mistaken for marble.

Installing stone flooring tiles is very labor intensive. So, hiring a professional tile contractor is highly recommended. Their skills and experience ensure a proper installation that will help to maintain your floors easily and give them a longer life also. One important tip is to remove everything on the floor being replaced and consider removing wall hangings and other decors as well to avoid any further damage.

Steps Required for a Proper Installation

Step 1: The tile contractor firstly removes the old flooring and this is typically a time-consuming and messy process, regardless of what type of flooring is being removed. Tip:It is advisable to verify with the contractor whether or not the removal cost is included in the total installation price.

Step2: This is a crucial step as the installer preps the sub floor. As the old floor is removed, subfloor is required for sealing the moisture. If the subfloor is concrete, then minor crack repairs are required and if the subfloor is of wood, then a cement backing material is needed. Due to the difference in height of the existing and new floor, the installer will determine if any transition pieces are needed.

Step 3: In this step, they are ready to place tiles and will start by spreading the mortar and placing each tile in place according to the layout they have prepared until the floor is complete.

Step 4: After the setting of tiles, it’s time for grouting. Grouting is very much needed for keeping the tiles together and in perfect place. Here, the natural stone tiles should be sealed before grouting.

Step 5: After the grouting process, the tiles should be sponge cleaned for removing any dust or grout residue. It is important that new tiles should not be walked on for a minimum of 48 hours. Kitchen and bathroom tiles should be left completely moisture free.Just make sure that grout dries completely. Now you can enjoy using your new stone floor tiles to the fullest.

People residing in the Tampa Bay Area, FL can purchase and install the best-quality natural stone floor tiles from Way Floors, which is among the reputable floor tile stores in this region. Their products include marble, granite, travertine, limestone, shell stone, etc. You can also hire an experienced tile contractor of Way Floors to get the installation job done right. Visit their shop to explore varieties of other flooring options like laminate wood flooring, ceramic and porcelain tiles, wood looking tiles, vinyl flooring for bathroom, hardwood flooring, and Arabic and Mediterranean tiles. Have a look at Wayfloors.com for more information!