FLOORS | SLATE

SLATE - NATURAL MATERIAL 

Slate is a smooth, soft, natural stone available in a wide variety of textures, colours and sizes though it frequently appears to be grey. Being very common in Europe, Slate like hardwood has long been used as a flooring material in these places. But, it is not common in India. Kota stone is the closest alternative to Slate.

Here, I have described the characteristics of Slate floors along with my rating. The overall rating will help you compare Slate with other floor options. 

CHARACTERISTICS OF SLATE:

Composition: Slate is a  metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is mainly composed of quartz and muscovite.
Occurrence: Slate is quarried from mines, but is not found all over the earth. Ninety percent of Europe's natural slate originates from Spain. China and Brazil too have vast slate deposits. *9

Physical properties: Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous stone and extremely durable. It is a good electric insulator and fire proof.  * 8

Porosity: Slate is resistant to water to a large extent. * 9

Stains: Unlike  Marble or Kota, the strong bonding of the Slate elements, prevents liquids from permeating the surface of the slate tile, keeping the stain on the surface of the floor. So if it is wiped immediately, there will be no stain. * 8



Scratches: Slate is a soft stone and gets scratched easily.  * 6

Cost: Slate is relatively cheaper when compared to other natural stones.  * 9

Seamless flooring:  Since Slate is available in small sizes and there is variation in colour from tile to tile, the flooring does not appear seamless. *6

Maintenance: Slate is easy to maintain but care should be taken not to drag furniture over it as it scratches easily. * 8

Choice:Slate is available in small tiles and the colour options are limited. * 6

Green rating: It is eco-friendly and bio degradable.  * 10

OVERALL RATING OF SLATE AS FLOORING MATERIAL:  7.9

ADVANTAGES OF SLATE :

Beautiful: Slate has a subtle, natural beauty.

Timeless: Slate resists fading and can remain as beautiful as the day it was laid even after many years.

Durable: Properly installed slate tile floors last virtually forever.

Hygienic: Slate is hypoallergenic, bacteria resistant and highly resistant to water/moisture making it a hygienic choice for flooring.

Frost resistance: It's low tendency to absorb water also makes it very resistant to frost damage and breakage due to freezing. Hence it is suitable as roof tiles.

Natural colours: The elements that make up slate, including silt, clay and fossil material often create striking blends of colours such as shades of green, deep reds, black and hues of grey.

DISADVANTAGES OF SLATE FLOORING: 

Expensive: Slate is more costly than man-made flooring materials as it has to be mined, polished and installed by experts.

Difficult to repair:  Once broken, Slate cannot be repaired and the broken tile should be replaced.

Slippery: Slate is extremely slippery when it is wet.

Scratches: Slate takes scratches more easily than Granite.

Visible joints: Slate tiles are not available in large sizes and cannot be laid with paper-thin joints. Hence the joints are very visible.

SUITABILITY OF SLATE:

As slate offers good durability, it is recommended for indoor flooring and specialty uses like tabletops and cladding. But it's most popularly used as a roofing material since it has an extremely low water absorption index and resistance to breakage due to freezing. However,  it is not used as exterior flooring in places subjected to rain, as Slate is very slippery when it is wet.  Kota or Terrazzo are better alternatives in such places.

For information on other types of Floors, go to:

FLOORS

FLOORS | KOTA

KOTA STONE - NATURAL MATERIAL

Kota Stone is a fine-grained variety of limestone obtained from Kota, Rajasthan, India.It is non-slippery, non-porous, can be used in the rough form or polished to a nice shine. It looks natural and beautiful. Kota stone can be rough finished or polished according to requirement.


Here, I have described the characteristics of Kota floors along with my rating. The overall rating will help you compare Kota with other floor options.

CHARACTERISTICS OF KOTA STONE:

Composition: Kota is a very fine grained siliceous calcium carbonate rock of sedimentary nature.

Occurrence: Kota stone is quarried from Kota district, Rajasthan in India. It is a natural material. * 10

Physical properties: Kota is compact, tough and homogenous natural stone. It is non-slippery. * 9

Porosity: Kota is resistant to water to a large extent. * 8

Stains: Since Kota is a limestone like Marble, it is not resistant to acid and alkali and gets stained easily. Moreover, the stains are difficult to remove. * 6

Scratches: Kota is a soft stone and gets scratched easily.  * 6



Cost: Kota is relatively cheaper when compared to other natural stones.  * 9

Seamless flooring:  Since Kota stones are available in smaller sizes than Marble and there is variation in colour from tile to tile, the flooring does not appear seamless. * 8

Maintenance: Kota is easy to maintain but care should be taken not to drag furniture over it as it scratches easily. * 7

Choice: Kota is available in small tiles and the colour options are limited. But it can be polished as per requirement. * 7

Green rating: It is eco-friendly and bio degradable.  * 10 

OVERALL RATING FOR KOTA STONE:  *  8.0

ADVANTAGES OF KOTA STONE FLOORING:

Beautiful: Polished Kota Stone has a nice smoothness and shine.

Natural: Like Marble and Granite, Kota is a natural stone and exudes a natural beauty.

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 so Kota flooring 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 as slabs or as tiles, butin small sizes. Kota is also  available in beautiful colours  like black, pink, grey, and beige though the rich greenish-blue and grey colours are the most popular.

DISADVANTAGES OF KOTA STONE FLOORING:

Flaking: The stone tends to flake over a period of time. However, periodic polishing using 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. This is due to the brittleness of limestone.

Many joints: Since Kota tiles are available only in small sized tiles, there are too many joints visible and this does not look very aesthetic.

SUITABILITY OF KOTA STONE:

It can be used both internally and externally.  Since it is durable and affordable, it is most often used in large areas like industries and commercial buildings. Being water resistant, Kota is also used in external staircases, pathways, corridors, driveways, and balconies etc.  It is sometimes used as a wall cladding. A similar stone is Slate.


For information on other types of Flooring, go to:

FLOORS | GRANITE

GRANITE - NATURAL MATERIAL

Granite has a natural beauty that quite surpasses most other flooring materials and 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. However, Granite is used sparingly in commercial buildings due to its high cost.


Here, I have described the characteristics of Granite floors along with my rating. The overall rating will help you compare Granite with other floor options.

CHARACTERISTICS OF GRANITE

Composition: Granite is a mixture of quartz and feldspar which is not adversely affected by alkalis and acidic substances.

Physical Characteristics: Granite is hard, smooth, heavy and durable. Due to it's weight it is advisable to check the strength of the sub-floor before laying.  *10

Occurrence: Granite is a natural stone product obtained from quarries. *10

Seamless flooring: Paper thin joints gives the appearance of a seamless flooring. *8

Porosity: Granite being less porous than Marble is water and stain resistant to a large extent. *8

Stains:  Granite is stain resistant.  *8



Scratches: Being very hard, scratches on Granite are less likely to show. *9

Choices: Granite is available in a wide choice of colours, textures, and shapes though, light shades are not so common. *7

Cost: Granite is very expensive.  *5

Maintenance: Granite flooring is very easy to maintain because of it’s highly shiny surface. With regular sweeping and mopping, granite  can remain shiny and last a lifetime. *9

Green rating: Granite is completely bio-degradable and eco-friendly. *10

 OVERALL RATING FOR GRANITE: * 8.4


ADVANTAGES OF GRANITE

Durable: Granite flooring is very hard, durable and virtually indestructible– It lasts a lifetime with good care and will always look as elegant as the day it was installed.

Very beautiful: Granite flooring is beautiful, with unique grain movement and colours that adds a natural beauty and elegance to a room.

Natural: Granite is a natural stone unlike man-made material like terrazzo, ceramic/vitrified tiles etc.

Non-porous: Unlike Marble, Granite is not porous and so does not have to be sealed.

Hygienic: Granite is hypoallergenic, allergen and bacteria resistant and highly resistant to water/moisture making it a hygienic choice for flooring.



Easy to maintain: Granite flooring is very easy to maintain because of it’s highly shiny surface. With regular sweeping and mopping, granite  can remain shiny and last a lifetime.

Cool: Granite has an inherent ability to reflect heat and so Granite flooring is always cool and comfortable underfoot.

Seamless flooring: Granite slabs are available in sizes 4′x2′ to 9′x4′ and can be laid with paper thin joints. This gives the appearance of a seamless floor.

Paper thin joints: The paper thin joints in granite flooring prevent dust accumulation and fungal formations and ensures easy maintenance.

Wide range: Granite is available in a wide range of colours, styles and patterns such as rich browns, vibrant golds, warm creams and cooler blues, greens, grays and decadent black, to suit any purpose and to the delight of architects and interior designers.

DISADVANTAGES OF GRANITE

Expensive: Granite flooring is very expensive - much more expensive than other flooring types because it has to be obtained from quarries, polished and installed by experts.

Time consuming laying: Granite needs professional installation and is very cumbersome and time consuming. It is advisable not to attempt installation of granite flooring by yourself since Granite is very heavy and requires extreme precision and know-how to install.

Very cold: Granite flooring can be quite cold under feet in the winter, though not as cold as Marble.

Very hard: Fragile items dropped on the surface probably will break because of its hardness.



Slippery: Highly polished (glossy) granite tiles can be slippery when wet.

Difficult to repair: Restoration of badly scratched granite may turn out to be an expensive affair, with a possibility of alteration in the granite colour as well. Also, cracked or broken Granite requires a professional to repair it.

Quality: Since it is naturally occurring, one cannot guarantee the quality and good quality is just a matter of chance. Low-quality tiles may chip.

Care in cleaning: Grout lines can be hard to clean. For it to last and retain it's shine, Granite needs regular cleaning.
 

SUITABILITY OF GRANITE:

Since Kitchen floors are subjected to spills, dropped objects and require regular cleaning and maintenance, Granite floors are best suited in kitchens. Granite is acid and alkali resistant; therefore oil, boiling water, tea, coffee, fizzy sugary drinks or sauces will not discolour the flooring. Granite being very hard, will not get scratched or dented by falling cutlery or splintering crockery. But it is very expensive and a cheaper alternative is Terrazzo floor.

For information on other flooring options, go to:

FLOORS | TERRAZZO

TERRAZZO - MAN-MADE USING NATURAL MATERIAL

Terrazzo is a composite material made of stone chips like marble, quartz, granite, glass, etc. sprinkled or un-sprinkled, and poured with a cementitious binder. Terrazzo is then cured, ground and polished to a smooth, shiny surface.

Here, I have described the characteristics of Terrazzo floors along with my rating. The overall rating will help you compare Terrazzo with other floor options.

CHARACTERISTICS OF TERRAZZO:

Composition: Marble, granite, quartz and/or glass chips mixed with portland cement or epoxy resin.

Occurrence: Terrazzo is man-made, but with natural materials like marble or other stone pieces and a sand/cement mix. Because of it's all-natural material, Terrazzo lasts so long. * 8


Physical Characteristics: Terrazzo flooring is hard, heavy, durable and long lasting.* 8

Seamless flooring: Terrazzo floors are poured and polished at the site and so has a seamless appearance. * 10

Porosity:  Terrazzo is impenetrable to water.  * 8

Scratches: Terrazzo floors tend to take scratches because of the embedded Marble pieces. * 7



Stains: Terrazzo floors are not completely stain-resistant. *8

Choices: Terrazzo is available in a wide choice of colours, textures, and shapes. * 7


Cost: Terrazzo is relatively expensive as it needs specialized installation.  * 8

Maintenance: Terrazzo flooring is easy to maintain because of it’s shiny surface. *9

Green rating: Terrazzo is made of natural materials and doesn't harm the environment. Also it is recyclable. * 8

 OVERALL RATING OF TERRAZZO FLOOR:  * 8.1

ADVANTAGES OF TERRAZZO FLOORING:

Durable: It is very durable material. This type of flooring should last a lifetime if maintained properly.

Dense: Terrazzo flooring is very dense and if sealed well, is impermeable to water.

Water resistant: It is nearly impenetrable to water due to its low moisture absorbency and hydrophobic nature (non-affinity for water). Therefore, it keeps the floor from harboring bacteria.



Easy to maintain: It requires less and inexpensive maintenance. You simply have to sweep up the floor often to remove the dust that can act as an abrasive.

Cool under foot: It is cool under feet.

Appearance: Terrazzo provides an elegant look to a room as it almost looks like Granite. Because of the unique way that terrazzo flooring is made, it is quite unlike any other flooring and no two floors will be exactly alike.

Environment-friendly: Terrazzo flooring doesn't harm the environment. It is constructed out of all 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 only be installed 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 but when viewed long-term, it can actually be less expensive.

Slippery: Terrazzo can be slippery when wet.



Hard underfoot: Terrazzo doesn't have any cushioning, so it will be hard to stand on for an extended period of time.

Cold: It is a good conductor of heat so it leads to a lot of heat loss in room heating.

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. Periodic polishing is required to maintain that shine.

SUITABILITY OF TERRAZZO FLOORING:

Terrazzo is a durable, long lasting and cheaper option to marble and granite flooring. It is used in entryways, the entire house and public and commercial buildings. Terrazzo is hypoallergenic and is water and bacteria-resistant. For these reasons, it is often used in kitchens, bathrooms, laundries and recreation rooms. A similar type of flooring is the Crazy marble floor which is mostly used in driveways and outdoors.


For information on other flooring options, go to:

FLOORS | MARBLE

MARBLE - NATURAL MATERIALS
Marble is a very attractive, elegant and popular option for flooring as it gives a sophisticated look to a room. For this reason, it has been used throughout history in the finest buildings.

Here, I have described the Characteristics of Marble floor along with my rating. The overall rating will help you compare Marble with other flooring options.



CHARACTERISTICS OF MARBLE:

Composition: Chemically it is a limestone.

Physical Characteristics: Marble is hard, smooth, heavy, durable and can take very high polish. * 10

Occurence: Marble is a natural stone product obtained from quarries.  * 10

Stains: Since Marble is a base, if any acidic substance (fruit product and juice, soda, vinegar) falls on an untreated marble floor it will cause a permanent discoloration/stain on the marble. Such spills should be wiped up immediately with a damp cloth. And, regular sealing of the marble tiles will help to protect them to some extent. * 6

Seamless flooring: Paper thin joints gives the appearance of a seamless flooring. * 8

Porosity: Marble is quite porous and so, is not water resistant unless it is sealed. * 7



Scratches: Marble has a low abrasion resistance and so, takes scratches. * 7

Choices: Marble is available in a wide choice of colours, textures and shapes. * 9

Maintenance: Mopping using water and a mild detergent is sufficient to retain its shine. But periodic polishing may be required. * 8

Cost: Marble is expensive.  * 6

Green rating: Marble is completely bio-degradable and eco-friendly. * 10

OVERALL RATING FOR MARBLE:  * 8.1

ADVANTAGES OF MARBLE FLOORING:

Beautiful: Marble flooring is beautiful, timeless and will always look as elegant as the day it was installed.

Natural Grains: Marble being a naturally occurring material, has unique grains and veins in the stones that gives it a life of its own. This flow and blending of colours is the most compelling reason to use Marble as flooring unlike man made material like terrazzo, ceramic/vitrified tiles.

Durable: Marble flooring is durable and long lasting. It can be polished any number of times without it fading.

Easy to maintain: Marble flooring is very easy to maintain because of it's highly polished surface.



Cool: Marble has an inherent ability to reflect heat and so Marble flooring is always cool underfoot.

Seamless flooring: Marble is available in big slabs of sizes 4'x2' to 9'x4' and can be laid with paper thin joints which gives the appearance of a seamless floor and the paper thin joints prevent dust accumulation and fungal formations.

Wide range: An exquisite range and choice of Marble is available to suit any purpose and taste.

Inlay: Flexibility in design and inlay work with other coloured Marble strips is a unique advantage of Marble flooring.

DISADVANTAGES OF MARBLE FLOORING:

Expensive: Marble flooring is very expensive.

Scratches: Marble has a relatively lower abrasion resistance and takes scratches.

Discoloration: Marble may yellow over time if it is of inferior quality and can get discoloured by acidic substances like juices, soda, vinegar.



Quality: Since it is naturally occurring, one cannot guarantee the quality and good quality is just a matter of chance.

Cracks: Marble can develop cracks easily.

Time consuming: Marble laying is very cumbersome and time consuming.

Very cold: Marble flooring can become very cold under feet in the winter.

Care in cleaning: For Cleaning Marble flooring only neutral stone cleaners or mild detergents can be used.

SUITABILITY:

Marble flooring can be used in all rooms of the house as it looks nice everywhere, is timeless and hygienic. However, since Marble develops cracks easily, scratches, chips and stains easily, it should not be used in rooms which are subjected to spills, dropped objects and water such as bathrooms, kitchens or children’s rooms. But Marble is expensive. Kota floor is a cheaper option.


For information on other types of Floors, go to:

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