When you set out to tile a surface, you are likely to do some research. There are countless options from color and texture to size and price. To sift through the options and help you reach decision faster, we at Flooring Solutions of Oklahoma would like to discuss natural stone VS man-made stone.
What is Natural Stone good For?
For thousands of years beautiful hand-crafted natural stone has been a paragon of luxury in homes and businesses. You can find natural stone flooring in kitchens, bathrooms, living rooms, fireplaces and outdoor pools in modern homes. Natural stone tile types include quartzite, granite, marble, onyx, limestone slate, soapstone, sandstone, travertine and basalt. Marble, quartzite, and granite are the most common natural stones used for countertops. For fireplaces, floors, and home features such as kitchen islands, marble is also a popular stone. Slate and limestone, among others are commonly used for backsplashes, as they often created from decorative mixtures of natural stone types.
Used by designers to enhance a home’s beauty, natural stone is crafted by expert artisans. Natural stone tile is safe, hygienic, and durable as well as forgiving and practical. More often than not, countertops when they’re made of natural stone, families with children or pets often report the ease of cleaning their floors and countertops. On a natural stone floor, typically, the pet hair, dust, and dirt from shoes are easy to clean.
Types of Man-Made Stone
Typically, it is often available at lower material standards than the real stuff as man-made stone is manufactured to look like natural stone. Many consumers will mistakenly buy man-made tile believing it is natural stone. Though appearance imitates the look of natural stone, it made with cheaper materials, which makes them less durable and even tougher to clean.
Also, because of the lesser durability, man-made stone is not recommended for outdoor use. Moisture and decay can be a real problem for outdoor spaces decked out with manufactured stone, so the garden pathway or patio flooring won’t perform or hold up as well with man-made stone. Natural stones are never true duplicates of each other, but man-made stone uses repeatable grading. Manufactured material may not be able to keep up with the trends as well. Ultimately, the natural stone has more authentic and artistic characteristics, making it a more practical choice for your long-term needs.
Man-Made & Natural Stone
Lifespan: Natural stone will last centuries vs the 10–20-year lifespan of manufactured stone since natural stone is more durable and provides greater longevity. This is only applicable with proper installation, care, and maintenance.
Style & Color: Natural stone has an advantage is that no two stones are alike while the faux stone offers a wider range of colors. Note that natural stone does come in a variety of colors from green, yellow, blue, black, pink, white, red, gray and a wide spectrum within from the accents (veins and deposits).
Eco-Friendly & Sustainable: This is more complex as it depends on where the materials are being sourced or produced, and what process is being used to extract or produce the material etc. It really depends on your personal priorities and the project you are planning, so the comparison here is not accurate.
Natural & Man Made Stone Cleaning & More in Tulsa, Norman, Broken Arrow, Lawton, Edmond & Oklahoma City, OK
No matter which tile you decide to use in your Oklahoma home or business, call in the professionals of Flooring Solutions of Oklahoma and let us assist you with top-quality installation services!
