Author: Stone Tile Emporium

When we hear the word marble we think shiny, decorative stonework or something with style that really brings out the best of interior design prospects.  The word “marble” actually comes from marmaros, which means shining stone. Pure marble would offer a shiny, whitish finish tough the majority of interior design ideas that use marble will have various minerals added to it, producing a variety of extravagant colours and patterns.

Marble is extremely popular in India and is often used in its natural form in households across the country. There are many genuine advantages of using marble in your home, including their wonderful design and decoration prospects. Its natural patterns are ideal for anyone looking for something unique for their kitchen or bathroom tiling. It’s genuinely spectacular look is an excellent alternative to something like slate. Marble is also very easily cleaned, especially if has an added sealant.

Marble is an extremely tough product which is why you often see entire constructions or buildings made completely of marble. Marble is also one of the most heat resistant types of stone around, making homes during the summer time much cooler than that of buildings made from other forms of stone. This could explain its popularity in Asia and other countries that experience a hot summer.

Here at the Stone Tile Emporium, we make the most of the potential marble has to create a stunning array of marble tiles that are perfect for all sorts of interior design ideas. Contact the Stone Tile Emporium today for more information on our range of stone tiles.

With kitchens being one of the most popular rooms for stone tiling, you can expect your cherished tiles to be affected by the daily kitchen routine. Over time, tiles can become dirtier as a result of frying food nearby and this can lead to long term staining. In addition, your tiles could get ruined before you’ve even had a chance to enjoy them if you haven’t applied an effective sealant beforehand.  Here are a few ways to deal with stone tiles that have attracted stains and gathered dust over the years.

The most effective way of cleaning stone tiles is to use a mop. You can create a solution yourself that will get rid of any stains that have resided for months or even years. First off, equip yourself with a broom and sweep up the dust that has collected on the surface. Use a dustpan for any difficult areas that need to be freed of dust.

The next thing to do is to get a bucket of warm water. Mix the water with a mild detergent or a soapy substance that is intended for cleaning stone. With mop in hand, press it into the bucket of solution and target the areas of the flooring that have accumulated the majority of stains. Mopping helps to get rid of any collected dirt that has gathered in between the tiles themselves. It’s important that you empty the bucket of dirty water so that you aren’t just applying dirty water back on to the tiles.

After mopping, dry the area with a cloth or leave it to rest for an hour or so. The cleaning solution will take effect and those troublesome stains will be gone. It’s as simple as that. Make sure you check that your specific stone tiles, whether it’s marble or limestone flooring, are capable of working well with the solution that you use.

Limestone is a porous rock that has given us the opportunity to build, sculpt and create all sorts of different products thanks to its versatility. As well as providing a more than adequate service when constructed into stone tiles, limestone has many other capabilities thanks to its high calcium content. Here are some of the most notable uses of Limestone, some of which you might be surprised by.

Cooking

Due to limestone’s high calcium count, it has actually been used in cooking in the past to boost the amount of calcium in foods. Bakeries are known to use limestone in many of their cakes and breads to improve their calcium count. You can also find limestone in other condiments such as salt, whilst many farmers will use the high nutritional value of limestone to feed their animals.

Glass

Limestone can be used to create decorative glass when it is heated and mixed with other chemical compounds. It contributes to the sturdiness of the glass, making it a useful product when constructing thick cooking dishes and other kitchen items.

Soil

Limestone often contains prehistoric remains of marine animals, providing it with further nutritional value. This is why it is also used to aid the growth of plants. Plants need a certain amount of nutrients to grow successfully and limestone is the perfect substance to restore the nutritional value of soil. Plants also need a certain pH level and this can also be restored through the addition of limestone.

When shopping for new stone tiles you need to have a plan that outlines you intentions for the interior design of your home. Purchasing a stone material that you favour might seem the obvious choice in the short-term but in truth, it’s vital to make the right decision for your specific requirements. Here are three key things to consider when shopping for stone tiles.

Thickness

Depending on where your stone tiles are located thickness can be a very important factor. If you plan on using stone tiles such as granite for countertops then you will need to address the issue of thickness. Using tiles meant for walls on a surface can be a huge mistake as they won’t have the same resistance to everyday usage, regardless of the strength of the material.

Spanning Distance

Tiles are designed specifically to provide a certain purpose. In some cases, stone tiles will be designed to span across a further distance, as is the case with kitchen tops. However, you need to make sure that the portion of stone you are using has the strength to cover wider ground. This is one of the reasons why wall and floor tiles are separate.

Does It Match?

Most importantly of all, are you getting the right material to suit your home? There are plenty of different materials available that offer different designs. Some are more beneficial for contemporary homes such as slate, whilst antique homes might benefit from marble instead. It’s always important to view the stone tiles you are purchasing in a home environment to see the effect they would have in your property.

If you’re looking to install your own stone tiles in the near future, you’ll probably need them to fit a certain space. It can be difficult finding the right-sized tiles for your particular flooring space, so here’s a quick guide on cutting your own tiles and the steps you should take depending on what it is you want to do.

Making a Straight Cut

It’s always important to mark out the cut with a pencil before proceeding. This gives you much more precision and accuracy.

Next you’ll need a tile cutter. Use the tile cutter slowly and gradually to avoid jagged edges, until the entire line has been cut.

Finally, push on the breaker to complete the cut. It’s this particular step that gives you a good even cut.

Cutting a Shape

If you fancy creating some unique tile designs or you have to cut a tile to fit a curved space, you have to make the cut slightly differently. Here’s what to do:

Again, mark with a pencil the line that you’re looking to cut.

This is where it gets a bit more complicated. Rather than cutting with the tile cutter, you need to create a slight groove along the line instead.

Now, take an electric grinder and use this to cut the shape. Start with the ends of the marked out line and proceed to the centre at the end.

Stone Tile Emporium has a range of dazzling stone tile ideas available, so why not take a look at our range of stone tiles here.

If you’ve decided to get your spring cleaning done a little earlier this year in an attempt to beckon the nicer weather towards us, you’re probably going to have to concentrate on the stone tiles in your bathroom, kitchen, tabletops or conservatory. Here’s a quick guide to getting your spring cleaning done quickly and efficiently.

The first thing you should do is sweep away any dust particles or unattached dirt from the flooring. Once you’re certain the surface is clear, you can reach for the mop. If you’re finding the sweeping process a bit tedious, try vacuuming instead.

The next step is to mop the floors of any sticky substances or short-term stains that have built up. Sticky substances that are too tough to remove with a mop can be scraped off the floor with any kind of scraper. Depending on the floor tiles you’ve got, you should try and find the cleaning solution that works best.

Once you’ve finished mopping up, you can leave the floor to dry for over an hour or so. It really is as simple and as straightforward as that. Remember, cleaning solutions for certain materials such as slate, granite and limestone can be found and purchased online or in any specialist cleaning store.