4 Types of Stone Floors to Use in Your Mudroom

Some coastal homes have side entrances that serve as spaces where residents and guests can drop off their sandy shoes, towels, surfboards, and fishing gear as they return from the beach. There was a time when mudrooms exclusively preceded the foyer. These days, they are more likely to be connected to the garage or the laundry room. In other homes, these spaces may be connected to the basement. Since mudrooms by design are destined to get dirty, they are ideal places for natural-stone flooring. The idea is to choose flooring materials that can withstand a certain amount of abuse: muddy shoes, snow shovels, gardening tools, outdoor toys, hunting equipment, and other objects that could take a heavy toll on the floor. Here are some natural-stone options for you to consider. 1. Granite This natural stone is known to be rugged and durable as well as attractive. Whereas marble is considered too delicate and porous for a mudroom, you can safely choose granite as long as you do not go for a polished finish. The last thing you want to is to make the mudroom floor slippery. Just because you shouldn’t polish granite floors doesn’t mean you shouldn’t seal them. In fact, you should reseal granite floor tiles in the mudroom more often than in other living spaces, and this is something you can do by yourself with a granite sealer formulated for household use. 2. Flagstone If you already have flagstone installed in your patio or front yard, you can apply some continuity by choosing it for your mudroom. Uneven flagstone tiles of various colors look great in any space, and they are very easy to maintain with a granite stone and tile floor cleaner. Since many homeowners choose to give their mudrooms a rustic look, flagstone will certainly be appropriate. 3. Slate This stone comes in various colors, but two of the most common options are gray and dark gray, which happen to be perfect for a mudroom. The advantage of dark slate is that it does not have to be cleaned as often since the mud and dirt streaks will not show as much. Although some slate tiles present a porous texture, they are easy to scrub. 4. Quartzite Broken pieces of quartzite can be more attractive than flagstone when they are creatively installed. When you select your mix of quartzite pieces, try to choose as many dark-colored ones as possible, or at least make sure the larger pieces are dark. Saltwater will not be kind to quartzite. If your mudroom welcomes people coming back from the beach, make sure the floor is cleaned and resealed often. To find out how to clean natural-stone floors, get in touch with the Stone Care Experts at Granite Gold®. All of our stone care products are safe to use on granite, slate, marble, travertine, and other types of natural stone. Call 1-800-475-STONE today to speak with one of our knowledgeable representatives.