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Granite is an excellent building material that provides some outstanding interior design opportunities whilst being incredibly sturdy and reliable. It has become one of the most popular building materials in modern construction, from kitchen surfaces through to paving slabs. As a top-rated, small local business, we can tell you some of the notable uses of granite in today’s construction market.

Tiling

Granite tiles are tough and easily cleaned so they can easily resist long term wear and tear. Most people actually focus on the design features of granite when purchasing for their household and granite tiles are no exception. Granite tiles can come in all sorts of natural designs and colours due to the way in which it is formed. They have plenty of decorative uses which is why their reputation as a form of tile is so substantial.

Paving Stones

Not only does granite make a pavement, pathways and garden patios a bit more interesting, it also offers excellent resistance to the general demands of the outdoors. From damaging weather conditions to constant usage, granite is incredibly sturdy for tiling and paving slabs alike.

Statues

Granite can be shaped to create stunning sculptures, whether it’s a memorial statue, garden decorations or a fountain centrepiece. The natural design is formed as a result of small minerals present in the stone itself after molten magma solidifies. Next time you visit the garden centre be sure to consider granite products as they are extremely sturdy against all sorts of weather conditions.

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.