1. Q. IS NATURAL STONE A GOOD CHOICE FOR HOME USE?
A. YES. Natural stone is a terrific (not to mention beautiful) material to
use in all areas of your home. Knowing the different types of stone,
their finishes and applications will help you to make an informed
decision on which stone is the best for your project.
2. Q. CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENT FINISHES FOR STONE?
A. There are many finishes and options available. Here are the most
widely used:
3. Q. DOESN'T STONE STAIN? I DON'T WANT STAINS!
A. YES. All natural stone can stain and etch (a dull spot in a polished or
honed surface), including GRANITES. Sealers DO NOT prevent
staining as they are a moisture barrier only, yet they will help to give
you a small amount of time to wipe up spills. It is nearly impossible to
prevent staining or etching, but serious stains can be almost
completely removed and any etching can be resurfaced if either is
truly bothersome to you. To help keep a perspective on choosing to
use natural stone, remember the following:
1. For centuries, many European countries have used
natural stone from floor to ceiling, inside and out. The
stone becomes stained, cracked, pitted?and that is why
we love it! These characteristics only make it that much
more beautiful. (Only we Americans get uptight about
such things!)
2. Because stone is quarried from the earth and not "man"
made, it is improbable to ever find two exact matching
tiles or matching slabs for that matter. One slab may even
look different from each end of itself. That is also the
beauty because each piece is different, but when pieces
are put together as a whole it is a masterpiece! (Be sure
to purchase enough to complete your project as you may
not be able to get more from the same lot.)
3. Stone is timeless. It does not get dated like the 70's
Avocado Green and Harvest Gold décor did.
4. Stone will last longer than any of us will. There are
centuries old castles, made of 100% stone and still
standing today!
5. It is a natural resource that will never run out.
6. The more it is used, the faster a "Patina" (light sheen on
the surface) will develop. The "Patina" will also aid to
prevent staining to a lesser degree.
4. Q. WHAT IS THE BEST STONE TO USE IN MY HOME?
A. It is really a matter of choice and the look you want to achieve. Ask yourself the following questions when making your decision: Is it
beautiful to me? Do I love it? Could I live with it for years?
The best advice that I can ever give to anyone choosing stone is: Go
with what you are drawn to from the beginning. First, because you
will only spend a lot of time and become confused when laboring over
the "right" decision by looking at many different stones and colors;
secondly, you will probably not be happy with your selection if you
have to settle on something else; and finally, you will more than likely go back to what you liked the first time. Reviewing the following most used
stone types will help when you are ready to make your choice.
5. Q. IS STONE MORE DIFFICULT OR COSTLY TO INSTALL THAN
CERAMIC TILE?
A. On the whole, it is not more difficult to install. There are exceptions
of course such as the difficulties with thickness gauges, which takes
more time in planing the layout and whether a complex pattern is being used. As for cost it is generally not more expensive except for time spent on laying out patterns and the thickness gauging again, at least for the tile contractors I have worked on projects with. The setting supplies and procedures are the same, but stone is heavier to work with. I suggest talking it over with your installer and also taking the time to look at previous jobs he or she has installed if possible. I will be giving tips on selecting a tile contractor/installer in my next article.
6. Q. CAN A STONE DESIGN BE USED OR MIXED WITH OTHER
KINDS OF MATERIALS?
A. Absolutely! The possibilities are endless. You can incorporate stone
with ceramic, porcelain, glass, and terracotta?anything you can
think of, even mixing different types of stones together.
7. Q. HOW DO I FIGURE THE QUANTITY THAT I WILL NEED?
A. Generally, tile and stone for a "field" area (space where plain tile will be) is figured by the square foot. To figure square footage, measure the area that you will be putting the tile with a tape measure. Examples:
1. You measure your room and it comes out to be 10-1/2 feet
wide by 15-3/4 feet long?you would calculate it by
multiplying 10.5x15.75 = 165.38. Round this number off
to the closest whole number (165). I suggest adding on a
10-15% overage to plan for cuts, breakage and a little
extra to store in case a piece needs to be replaced later in
time.
2. You measure your wall area to be covered and you get
18" tall and 33" long. Multiply 18x33 = 594". Now divide
that number by 144, resulting in 4.13sf. (There are 144 sq.
inches per square foot). Again, round it off and add on
for overage.
When figuring for decorative tile or trim, it is usually by the piece
and calculated by the lineal foot.
For slabs, it is best to let your fabricator figure the quantity for you.
8. Q. WHAT SIZE GROUT JOINTS SHOULD I USE?
A. Again, this is a matter of choice and the look you prefer. Honed stone
can usually be butt-jointed (tight to each other) with very little grout
showing if you want to see much grout or grid pattern; tumbled stone
usually has a 1/8" to 1/4" grout joint which will show off the edges
more.
9. Q. WHAT SIZE OF STONE TILE SHOULD I USE FOR MY
PROJECT?
A. It depends upon the project itself and the area size. Something to
keep in mind is that if the area to be tiled is small, it is better to use a
bigger size tile, if you want the area to appear larger. It is not
uncommon to believe that if you have a small perimeter of floor that
you should use a 4", 6", or 12" tile, which is not necessary. When
doing so, it will make the area feel small and you will have more grout
joints.
10. Q. I DON'T LIKE THE GRID PATTERN I SEE FREQUENTLY.
WHAT CAN YOU SUGGEST FOR AN ALTERNATIVE?
A. There are many pre-set repeating stone patterns available, or you can
make your own "random" pattern from different size pieces of stone.
A pre-set pattern is easier to use and the amount of stone that will be
needed for the project will be easier to figure. To also help from
keeping a grid pattern from being so obvious is to use a grout color
that is as close as possible to the color of the stone. Using dark grout
with light tile, or light grout with dark tile was a popular look in the
80's. However, I think it is better to see as little grout as possible. Your stone is the expensive part of your project so you should want to show it off, not your grout!
11. Q. CAN YOU HELP ME WITH DESIGNING MY STONE LAYOUT?
A. Yes, I can. I charge an hourly fee of $75 and I will need several things
from you:
1. A copy of your blueprints, including the elevations if you
have them and the area to be tiled clearly marked; or a
drawing of the area, including the dimensions and the
area to be tiled shown. Make sure to specify what
room/location it is, if it is not marked on the blueprint.
2. The style of home you have; or the look you prefer,
i.e.?rustic, contemporary, elegant, traditional?
3. Whether or not you have already chosen your stone. If
so, what did you pick and what size? If not, do you want
me to make suggestions for you? If yes, do you have a set
budget?
4. Will you want to use decorative trim pieces? If so, did you
choose one yet? What are the dimensions of a piece(s)?
Watch for my next article: FAQ's On Choosing A Tile Contractor/Installer
I have worked within the Building & Trade industry for 19 years and have specialized in Stone for the last 5, including Stone Design and Layout, which enables both the end-user (Homeowner) and Tile Contractor to visualize the final result in drawn format.
Kim Keefer
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