At Stone Age we have found the following to be the twelve most commonly asked questions about natural stone:
Is stone cold underfoot?
Not necessarily so. Stone will absorb ambient room temperature to a great extent and so usually feels only slightly cooler. Stone is an extremely good storer of heat. If you've walked on a Mediterranean rock after the sun has gone down you'll understand this perfectly. A stone floor will feel toasty warm next to the Aga. It also works brillianlty well with underfloor heating, as it disperses the heat so well
Does stone stain easily?
Once stone has been protected properly with recommended penetrators or sealers such as Lithofin Stainstop it will be, for the most part, stain resitant. These sealers or protectors are invisible and so protect your floor without leaving a coating
Will my stone floor scratch?
Even very hard stone will scratch - it is all part of the wearing process. Eventually the scratches will disappear into the general patina of the floor. One can argue that a five-year old floor will be even more attractive than a brand new one
How do I clean it?
Sweep the floor regularly. Wash as necessary with a mild soap such as Lithofin Easy-Care. The French use Savon de Marseille, which is more normally used for washing wollens. The Norwegians use Green Soap. Regular washing with the right soap helps to keep the floor "healthy". For more comprehensive notes on protecting, cleaning & maintaining your stone floor see the notes in our Technical Data section on this website
How do I choose the right stone?
Usually it's a question of colour, tonal variation and markings. For a more formal room such as a hallway or conservatory you may not want a strongly-coloured stone so choose a more neutral one such as Deschamps or Piedra Plana Extra (PPX). For a kitchen with a lot of daylight, you may want to choose one of the darker stones such as Acero or Italian Basalt
What size does the stone come in?
The most common sizes are 400 x 400 mm, 600 x 400m, 800 x 400mm and 600 x 600mm, though with a suitably large order Stone Age will supply stone in any size
How do I choose the size and shape of tile?
This will depend on the sort of room you have, formal or informal. For instance a square tile set out on the diagonal looks extremely good in a conservatory, with or without tozzettos in each or every other corner. Rectangles or running lengths may look better in a country kitchen. As a rule of thumb: the bigger the room, the larger the tile
How thick is the stone?
The usual thickness is 20mm, though we have many tiles at 12mm
Is stone slippery underfoot?
No more so than any other surface such as linoleum, wood or ceramic. Stone or any other surface can be slippery if the floor is both dirty and wet
Can you lay stone on suspended wooden floors?
You can lay stone on any surface provided it is strong and rigid enough. You may need to reinforce the floor. Stone Age can advise on the most appropriate way of preparing your floor. You should also study the notes provided in our Technical Data section on this website
What about steps?
We have supplied stone for many different types of steps and staircases, residential as well as commercial. Steps are usually 30, 40 or 50mm thick but as they are cut from slabs they can be of almost any thickness and can feature a variety of finished edges
Is limestone and sandstone soft?
It is impssible to generalise about the strength of natural stone. Some limestone is soft, whilst most is very hard. The same is true of sandstone. That is why it is important to select the type of stone you require very carefully and seek advice from a specialist supplier such as Stone Age from the outset
