Flooring Archives - Flemington Granite

Choosing the Perfect Stone Tiles For Your Home

When you are trying to pick the flooring type to install for your home renovation, choosing natural stone can add elegance, durability and beauty. You’ll want to make certain to choose the stone that will fit best with your home.

Part of this is understanding what types are available as well as the characteristics and features of each.

There are several different natural stone options that can work well in different rooms of your house.

Travertine Tiles

Travertine tiles are formed out of calcite, and they are a bit softer than limestone. These tiles come in several different earthen hues and come in either polished or porous forms. Because of the porous nature, these tiles do require professional sealing to prevent them from being stained, especially if you have children or pets.

Marble Tiles

A classic choice dating back thousands of years, marble tiles are truly one-of-a-kind. Marble comes in several different shades and is characterized by its veins. The veining of marble occurs while the stone is being formed, making each stone completely unique. Unfortunately, marble is highly porous, making it susceptible to staining and scratching.

Granite Tiles

Granite is a terrific choice for flooring, both when you use it inside as well as outside. Highly lustrous, granite can make your floor shine with a high polish. It is one of the strongest stones available and is just below diamond in hardness. It repels water and can be trusted to stand the test of time. It is a cold stone, so you’ll want to keep that in mind if you are considering it for your flooring.

Slate Tiles

Formed out of metamorphic rock, slate has a very rustic appearance. It is great for providing traction and resistance to slipping. Slate tiles do come in a fairly limited range of darker hues, making that one of its downsides.

Limestone Tiles

Formed from calcitrate, limestone shows the natural striations when it is formed into tiles. This gives it a similar striated appearance to wood flooring. It comes in lighter colors and is very durable, but it does absorb water, making it a better choice for indoor renovations.

Sandstone

Yet another metamorphic stone, sandstone provides terrific traction and is very durable. It is a good choice for bathrooms, kitchens and hallways alike. One limitation is that it lacks much color choice.

With better familiarity with the available types of stone, here are some additional factors you should consider so you can choose the one that’s right for you and your home.

1. Expense

Installing stone flooring tiles requires the use of qualified professionals. Cutting these stones is much more complicated than cutting wood. Installing stone on your home’s subflooring also requires a lot of additional work. You’ll also need to think about other materials that you’ll need, such as grout, plaster or cement. Thinking about where in your home and how large the space is is important, as natural stone flooring is one of the more expensive choices.

2. Purpose

While stone blends beautifully into almost any room in your home, you’ll want to consider how the room is used. For example, slate may be a better option for bathrooms. Children’s bedrooms may not be the best place for most types of natural stone tiles since most are rather hard or prone to staining.

3. Lifestyle

You’ll want to think about the lifestyle you have when you are choosing stone flooring. Pets may not like them. They may also take a longer period of time for installation.

If you are wanting a terrific choice for flooring in your home, choosing stone tiles is definitely a good option. By keeping your tastes and needs in mind, you are sure to find the stone tile that will best fit you and the room in which it will be installed. To learn more about the different options, give the professionals at Flemington Granite a call today. You can also complete your information in our provided contact form, and we will get back to you shortly.

Selling Your Home? These Upgrades Will Give You The Biggest Return on Investment

When selling your home, you want to be sure that you get the most out of your investment. Although you may be very pleased with the way your home looks, there are a few inexpensive upgrades that can help increase the value of your home and may make your home more appealing to buyers.

Make Your Kitchen Look Amazing

Kitchens are the most important room in the house when it comes to selling. A dated kitchen can make the difference between a buyer who falls in love with your house and one that simply walks out the door without interest. One simple way to update your kitchen is to refinish or repaint cabinets and update the hardware, adding new handles and hinges.

Choose colors that appeal to a wide range of home buyers and not those that are trendy. Consider replacing plain white appliances with stainless steel or laminate countertops with granite. There are builder-grade granites available that are less expensive than higher-end cuts. Granite countertops can add significant value to your home and be an excellent selling point for buyers.

The Bathroom of Your Dreams

Bathrooms are the second most important room in the house to buyers. Today, many buyers are looking for bathrooms with a spa-like feeling. Replace your plastic tub surround with tile, giving it a modern look with inexpensive white subway-style ceramic tile. For just a little more money, you can even add a recessed wall shelf in the bathroom as well. Old pedestal sinks are trending right now, so instead of replacing the sink, change the faucet fixtures to a more retro style and hang colorful towels next to it.

Many buyers now are seeking large, walk-in showers rather than whirlpool bathtubs. Neutral colors in bathrooms are the most well-received, so consider tones in light blue or green with white accents. Add some scented candles and fresh-smelling soaps to increase the spa feeling. Consider replacing a regular shower head with a handheld model that can be adjusted for different types of spray or add a rain shower for more of a spa feeling. Replace dated lighting and replace wallpaper with textured finishes.

Don’t Forget to Paint

One of the least expensive ways to update your home is by painting each room. A room that is freshly painted looks clean and updated. In addition, painting may force you to eliminate clutter which may also be a turn-off to buyers. Choose neutral shades like cream or beige so the buyer looks at the room as a blank canvas. If you have bright furniture or accessories, earth tones will mute those colors and look perfect with wood flooring. Consider bright pops of color in small rooms, like powder rooms and alcoves.

Reasons to Improve Your Flooring

Wood floors are trending today and it is possible to get a hardwood floor look at a reasonable price. Today, laminate flooring is affordable and other Earth-friendly options like bamboo and cork are growing in popularity. If you have covered hardwood with carpet, consider removing it and refinishing the wood to increase the value of your home. If you have hardwood floors that are scuffed or dull, consider renting a sander and refinishing them or hire a professional to do it for you. Many buyers are turning away from carpet completely, even in bedrooms, so consider replacing all carpeted floors with wood to increase the value of your home.

These tips can make your home look more appealing to buyers and can increase the value of your home without costing a significant amount of money. Selling your home? Give us a call or complete our easy contact form so that we can help you get the most value for your home without emptying your wallet.

Before Flooring home improvement

Natural Stone Flooring is Trending, Here’s What You Need To Know

Every homeowner can appreciate the use of natural stone pretty much anywhere in the home. It has become trendy over the last few years because there is so much versatility in the ways that it can be used, from tiny tiles to large countertop slabs. Marble and granite are materials that most people are familiar with, but onyx and travertine are unique options gaining popularity.

Before you commit to a particular stone flooring, consider the options based on the requirements in the area of application. As long as you do the research, you are sure to find a material worth making the long-term investment.

Absorption Rating

Manufacturers use a specific rating of each material to specify how porous and absorbent it is. This provides an indication of how easily it will accumulate stains and take on damage. These 4 levels rank from the most absorbent to the lowest.

Non-vitreous: This type of tile should never be installed in an environment that might become damp because it will be damaged.
Semi-vitreous: Although these tiles can stand up to some moisture, they will require maintenance when exposed.
Vitreous: Ideal for mid to low traffic areas, this type of flooring tile material features the standard absorption level.
Impervious: High traffic and commercial applications require these liquid resistant materials because they are very easy to maintain.

Grading Your Materials

Thickness, size, condition, and shape are some of the qualities referred to in the material grading system.

Grade 1 is given to uniform materials that are of the highest quality.
Grade 2 materials typically have minor irregularities, chips, and other defects that prevent complete uniformity.
Grade 3 is typically used in rustic decorations or accent pieces because they have major flaws and are highly irregular.

Is Friction Important?

It’s not always necessary to choose a material with low traction, but this measurement is important in high-traffic applications. In most environments, a low coefficient of friction basically means that it’s going to get slippery. Flooring materials need to have a .6 dryness coefficient or higher to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Indoor vs Outdoor Rating

Use the above factors to decide if different natural stone materials are suitable for the application area. An outdoor environment is going to expose the material to dirt, moisture, and other elements that could cause damage. Avoid using non-vitreous materials outside and make sure that the coefficient of friction is high enough to prevent slipping hazards.

Oxidation

A problem that can arise when working with natural stone materials is the potential for iron to be present. It’s not man-made so there is no way to control the composition. If applied outdoors, iron will eventually oxidize and begin to degenerate through rusting.