Why Choose Natural-Stone Floors for Your Home?

As a homeowner interested in upgrading your floors, the various options you can consider fall into two main categories: natural and engineered. Natural materials include hardwood, bamboo, and stones such as slate, granite, and marble. In the engineered category, you can find laminate materials, ceramic tiles, vinyl, carpeting, quartz, and engineered hardwood. Flooring materials tend to go through trendy periods. For example, vinyl and carpeting were very popular in the United States over many decades following World War II. Natural-stone flooring has been a hot interior design trend for most of the 21st century. If you’re thinking about choosing natural-stone flooring for your home, here are a few important things to consider. Natural Stone Is Reasonably Affordable There was a time when exotic marble and limestone were expensive materials that only wealthy property owners could afford to install, but the global trade resolutions of the 1990s changed this by easing up on import tariffs. Once the prices of Brazilian granite and Italian marble became more affordable, American quarries were forced to lower their prices to remain competitive. These days, quartz and hardwood tend to cost more than natural-stone flooring options. Natural Stone Can Add Value to Your Property Home appraisers who enter your home for a full property valuation will certainly notice the living spaces where you have installed natural-stone flooring. If your property is one of the few in the neighborhood that features natural-stone floors, this will give you an edge in terms of comparative value. A similar situation occurs when a real estate professional inputs information about your home into the multiple listing service. Prospective buyers who evaluate MLS entries pay attention to extras such as natural-stone flooring, which tends to justify higher sales prices. Natural Stone Is Ideal in Warm Climates Homes built in the Mediterranean and Spanish Colonial styles of residential architecture tend to feature natural-stone floors, and this has to do with regional climates. If you live in a sunny place where warm temperatures can be enjoyed most of the year, natural-stone flooring will stay cool to the touch and will not radiate heat. Natural Stone Is Durable and Easy to Maintain Unlike hardwood, natural-stone flooring does not require constant upkeep and refinishing. Marble, granite, travertine, and even soapstone tiles are easier to maintain than hardwood planks. You do not need to worry about waxing and buffing. As long as you regularly use a granite stone and tile floor cleaner and sealant, your floor tiles will look like new for years. You can also choose a glossy finish for your tiles that will do away with the need to apply wax and buffing. In fact, you shouldn’t polish stone floor tiles at all because it can make them too slippery. If you’d like tips on how to clean granite and natural-stone floors, reach out to Granite Gold®. All of our products are safe to use on natural-stone surfaces such as marble, granite, limestone, and slate. Give us a call today at 1-800-475-STONE.