Natural Stone Tiles in Interior Design

Natural stone has been used as a building material since ancient times. The structures from it were durable and did not succumb to the influence of the elements. Stone is a symbol of strength, durability and reliability.

Modern buildings are constructed of concrete and brick. But the decoration of natural stone interior creates an image of reliability and luxury interior. Stone slabs look great and adorn both public buildings and residential premises. Natural streaks, pores, holes, unexpected inclusions, non-uniform color and natural transitions allow you to create a living image of the interior, which can never be made from artificially made plates. Therefore, natural stone is still popular in the decoration of architectural structures, despite its high cost.

Modern technologies allow you to cut any stone of the desired size and texture.Each of them has certain properties that are suitable for a particular room. Therefore, it cannot be said that one stone is better for use and the other is worse; they are simply used differently.

For decoration now use granite, marble, travertine, onyx, slate and sandstone. The first four rocks are considered the most popular; shale and sandstone are used less frequently, but they also find their uses. It is possible to find on sale also other breeds of a stone, for example, diabase, basalt, labradorite, but they are seldom used in finishing of buildings and only when absolutely necessary.

Granite - the stone is very durable and resistant to the external environment. It does not wear out for a long time due to the loads, does not change its appearance under the influence of water and household chemicals. It can be polished to a shine. Most often used for decoration of public buildings and premises, and for its quality they prefer to use for floor constructions.

Granite has a rich variety of shades, from gray to deep red and pink, which allows you to create different floor decoration and look for an image of the internal space depending on the style andassigned task. Also it is used for facing works outside and inside various structures.

Marble possesses average wear resistance. It should be protected in order to keep it in its original form longer. Also, the stone is resistant to sub-zero temperatures and alkalis, but is exposed to acid. It has a variety of shades with an interesting texture in the form of veins, which allow you to create a living unusual pattern when laying out the plates.

Travertine prone to abrasion under load. It has a cellular and porous texture resembling wood. On the floor can only be used after pre-finishing, it must be rubbed. When operating it is important to take care of such flooring. The stone is very beautiful, nature has created it in white and gray-white. Due to delicate shades it is easy to fit into the interior, so travertine is used to decorate walls and floors.

Slate has a layered structure, but very durable when used, with good wear resistance. Easy to handle. Slate practically does not absorb moisture at its layering, therefore, suitable for use on the floor. Sometimes black, gray and blue. For appearance and strength, close to granite, has found application in the interior decoration of buildings, in the exterior, as well as in garden compositions.

Sandstone - stone, which is periodically covered with gray bloom, therefore, requires the application of wax on the surface in order to preserve a beautiful appearance. It is very fragile, so it is rarely used for sex. Most often they trim the interiors, and its unusual texture is suitable for creating rooms in the old style. It has a lot of shades and textures, so with its help you can create different interiors.

Onyx - difficult to process and expensive stone. It has a unique translucent texture. Thanks to these qualities, it can be combined with lighting from different sides. Light, penetrating the structure of the stone, will create unusual effects, although such repairs will be very expensive.Due to the high cost of onyx is often used as an accent in the interior, for decoration, as a detail, but not as a solid wall covering.

Modern equipment allows you to cut a stone in a clearly defined size. Stone slabs are ideally suited to one another, leaving no gaps between the joints. The front surface of the tile can also be processed in different ways, and there is a choice between different options.

Now make tiles with a front surface in the form of gloss, matte plane, relief and others. Polishing reveals the texture of the stone, allows you to make a beautiful shiny surface, but not very suitable for flooring, as it creates a slippery surface.

There is another type of treatment that creates a rougher surface - bouchard. This option is suitable primarily for the floor, but it looks beautiful on the facade decoration and in the interior. Heat treatment allows you to make the surface of the stone more resistant to aggressive environmental influences and moisture. Therefore, a tile with such a surface is suitable for rooms that are not heated or have high humidity.

There is also a variant of sawn and crushed stone, which has a rough texture with large irregularities. That is why it is more suitable for decoration of facade walls.

Given the properties of natural stone, its porosity and the susceptibility of some rocks to moisture, it is made of two types - in its natural form and with filling the pores with resin, wax and other grouting, which allows less to perceive moisture and longer retain the original appearance. The grout version is more expensive, but due to the production processing such material becomes more resistant to various influences.

The sizes of the plates produced are limited as stone requires caution in the work. This is not a plastic ceramic mass from which any shape can be formed. Plate thickness can be from 10 to 30 mm. Sizes range from 300 millimeters to 600. Dimensions are limited - 30x30 cm, 30x60 cm, 40x40 cm, 60x60 cm.Cobbles are irregularly shaped, but the plates for the facades and floors are rectangular or square.

Stone tile is quite expensive - from 40 to 80 dollars per m2, marble is usually more expensive than other stones. Natural stone decoration is expensive, but it makes an excellent impression both on the facade and in the interior decoration. You can buy such tiles in special shops selling natural stone for finishing architectural structures.

In stores where ordinary tile is sold, such materials are not sold. Prices can vary widely depending on the type of stone, country of origin, method of processing and size of products. Features of production and the field, the cost of transportation, transportation across the border also affect the formation of the final price.

Stone decoration of premises belongs to the category of elite. It is expensive, but also looks great. That is why most often stone tiles are used in interiors and on the facades of public buildings where organizations are located that can pay for expensive repairs from their own budget.This is especially true of representation facilities, where visitors always come. This decoration is suitable for museums, high-traffic centers, banks, embassies and government bodies.

But stone tiles can be used in an ordinary residential building. In order to bring a highlight to the interior or exterior of the house, it is not necessary to buy a lot of stone and finish it with all the walls and floors. You can make a small insert in the interior or on the facade, combining with other finishing materials.

In a residential building, you can trim floors with natural stone, and their appearance can vary from a smooth polished shiny surface to a rather coarse texture. A variety of colors of the stone allows you to make combinations of different stones of the same type, and even create drawings and patterns. Polishing reveals the beauty of the stone and its internal structure.

But you can use more rough tiles, which will create an imitation of a dwelling built from natural materials. Such plates are suitable for the most diverse variants of ethno-style, imitation of antiquity, family estates of various eras and nations.

You can use stone slabs to trim a part of the interior, a separate wall, a fragment of the wall, a part of the room around the fireplace. You can apply them only in those areas in which there are often guests - the living room, kitchen, dining room, study, hallway, billiard room, pool.

For family rooms and especially technical rooms for children, bedrooms and rooms for house maintenance, it is worth choosing cheaper materials, for example, ceramic tiles. Among them, you can also choose a pattern that imitates natural stone. As a result, real stone and artificial tiles can be perfectly combined in the same room.

You can also trim the house with natural stone outside. And it will also create a certain style and spirit of the house. Depending on the architectural solution, it is possible to use not solid stone finishes, but fragments. The stone can be trimmed with vertical or horizontal stripes, flowing down or, conversely, protruding parts. Stone tile on the facade in combination with other materials, such as concrete, on the background of a monochromatic surface will show all its beauty.

"Noodles" of Derbent or volcanic stone is sometimes used for the manufacture of countertops.

Stone on a natural basis has many advantages compared with other materials in the finish. But it also requires increased attention.

The subtleties laying tiles of natural stone, see the following video.