Elegant Granite Flooring
Are you thinking of whether or not to use granite flooring for your home?
Granite flooring comes in many different finishes, styles and colours. We aim to offer a one-stop crash course about granite, i.e. the pros and cons of granite flooring, the applications of granite flooring for homes, the types of granite finish, the myriad of colours available for granite flooring, etc. Hopefully, this will be helpful and allow you to decide on the kind of granite flooring that best suits your needs.
Firstly, we cannot forget the plethora of colours granite tiles come in. The most popular granite colour would be the classic black – a chic, easy-to-match choice that you can never go wrong. Granite tiles in white give off a shine that lightens a room better than any light. More bold colours would include steel grey granite, butterfly beige granite, Siena beige granite, Himalayan blue granite, rosy pink granite and many more. These colours are only part of the many colours that you can choose!
Granite Flooring For Homes
- Bathroom – Granite tiles in the bathroom are the right choice as they are stain-resistant, water-resistant and easy to clean! However, we should not use granite tiles with a polished finish in the bathroom. It can get slippery and pose a danger to you and your loved ones, especially if young children and the elderly are at home. It would be best if you used granite with a honed or leather finish instead, as these are granite tiles with a rougher surface.
- Kitchen – Granite tiles in the kitchen are also a logical choice as they are heat-resistant, scratch-resistant and more durable than most materials. The maintenance for granite flooring is easy with regular cleaning.
- Living Room – Granite tiles in the living room exude a dramatic and bold feel and act as the perfect foundation for a contemporary aesthetic for your house. They can bring both an industrial and urban touch to the room.
- Outdoors – Granite tiles outdoors add a splash of elegance that is usually not found outdoors. It is rugged and durable and is, therefore, able to withstand rain and wind.
Different Types of Granite Flooring Finishes
There are many different types of finishes for your granite tiles, and you can choose the best kind of tile to suit your needs. After all, there is no such thing as one-size-fits-all when it comes to flooring in your house!
- Polished Granite Flooring – These tiles have a glossy, reflective surface that is more popular in countertops than flooring as they can get rather slippery when wet. They bring out the natural colours in the stone and its one-of-a-kind characteristics. Polished granite is considered the best finish available and symbolises luxury and splendour. Polished granite flooring is a formal and graceful style of flooring. It is incredibly resistant to weather and chemical wear-and-tear, making it suitable for use in areas with heavy traffic, such as hallways.
- Honed Granite Flooring – These tiles have a smooth surface and, unlike the tiles with a polished finish, are not reflective. These tiles have been the most popular flooring style where granite is concerned. They are not as slippery as tiles with a glossy finish and have a comfortable and relaxing feel. However, a honed finish can wash out the colour in granite tiles and needs to be resealed regularly (every few months) as it is more vulnerable to stains. This type of granite is best-suitable in rooms with ample natural lighting as it reflects light that hits it and can make a room seem brighter. It can also provide a homey feeling, making it more realistic than polished granite.
- Leather Finished Granite Flooring – This style has become increasingly popular recently. It manages to combine the shine and glamour of a polished finish as well as the comfort the muted colours of a honed finish gives you. Granite tiles first begin as tiles with a honed finish. Diamond-tipped brushes are then used to create a textural appeal in the form of little grooves on the tiles. This style of tiles has a rustic appeal that adds a quiet charm to the room by retaining the stone’s original colour. It is more resistant to stains than a honed finish and can hide water spots and dirt stains well. Its bacterial resistance is the highest compared to granite with honed or polished finishes. However, the grooves in the tile can mean that it is more susceptible to scratches, and the cleaning could be challenging because of its unevenness.
The finishes of granite tiles are in no way limited to the finishes mentioned above. These finishes mentioned are merely the more popular styles of granite tile. Granite flooring with different finishes can be applied to bathrooms, kitchens, rooms and even outdoors! This versatile material can satisfy your every need.