Stones Fit

Stones Fit

Natural Stone Flooring - Add Durability and Lasting Beauty to Your Space

Natural Stone Flooring - Add Durability and Lasting Beauty to Your Space

If you're considering a remodel, whether large or small, you may want to take a close look at natural stone flooring.

Natural stone flooring can add lasting beauty to your space, be it bath, kitchen or living areas. Stone flooring is strong and durable. After all, some of the oldest buildings still in existence were made of stone - can you see how well it lasts?

Natural Stone Flooring Is Available in Many Styles and Textures

It used to be that only the wealthy could afford to have stone in their homes. Stone was difficult to mine, and so required many man hours to pull the stone pieces from the earth.

After it was mined, there was the extensive and labor-intensive shaping process where the stone was cut into tiles or tumbled to smooth rough edges.

Today mining practices for stone are much more efficient, allowing production costs to be reduced and placing natural stone flooring within the grasp of almost anyone.

What Sizes Are Available in Natural Stone Flooring?

Natural stone flooring is available today in many styles and textures. You can find flat tiles in sizes like 12 x 12 inches, 13 x 13, 16 x 16 and as large as 18 x 18 inches.

If you're looking for something more varied and unique, you might consider pebble tiles. This is a new product made recently available.

The pebbles are small, hand-selected stones that are glued to a wire mesh. The wire mesh makes it very simple to place the piece on the floor or wall with thinset, so even the do-it-yourselfer will find this attractive. Once the thinset cures, about 24 hours, then you simply grout the little pebbles like traditional square tiles.

The result is a modern, crisp feel that will be sure to wow your friends and neighbors!

What Types of Stones Are There?

Natural stone flooring tile is available in granite, limestone, travertine, slate and marble.

The more commonly known large square tiles are always popular.

In addition, you can choose natural mosaic or glazed mosaic tiles which are small flat stones with crisp edges, moon mosaic tiles which are small, completely round stones, "sliced" pebbles which are small oblong stones, or natural, glazed or polished pebble tiles which are simply little stones in various colors.

Natural pebble stones look just like the stones you might see at the bottom of a running stream.

If you opt for these type of tiles, the pebbles are hand-selected and applied to mesh backing so that the stones "fit" like puzzle pieces. This makes installation a breeze!

Whether you like a small or large tile look, you'll be sure to find what you're looking for.

What Are the Advantages to Natural Stone Flooring?

Actually, there are several advantages.

The first is quite simply that your home will look elegant and up-to-date with natural stone flooring.

Another advantage is that stone is highly durable. Stone does not absorb spills, and clean up and maintenance are easy.

Natural stone flooring can increase the resale value of your home. After all, stone flooring has been the epitome of "opulence" for centuries!

Stone tile is also slip-resistant, naturally, so safety is improved in your home. There is no sealant or conditioner required to maintain your natural stone flooring, and stone is naturally resistant to stains.

Stone is versatile, and flooring is just one application. If you'd like to modernize a room, simply tile one (or more) walls. Try a stone tile wainscot. Add a stone tile border. Accent a specific area, like perhaps a counter top or backsplash with tile.

Let your imagination run wild, because stone tile can make your ideas shine.

Where Can You Find Natural Stone Tile?

Actually, many retailers offer stone tile. Your local home improvement stores will carry a few lines of stone tile, but to find the greatest variety you'll want to look online.

Many stone masons and stone specialty retailers will provide a large selection of their products online so you can decide which look and color you prefer as well as get a good idea as to what it will cost.

Bear in mind that if you do buy from an online retailer, shipping costs can be a major factor in determining your budget. For example, one sheet of the wire mesh natural stone pebbles can weigh as much as 5 pounds.

Ask the retailer if they offer shipping discounts. Some retailers will ship free if you place an order of a certain size.

Whatever your choice, you'll find that natural stone flooring is a great way to improve your home's look!

About the Author

This author really loves home and family, and lives life to the best. Do you also like to experience new things? Then feel free to read more at

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How can I get fit again from 2 years off any activity?

I haven't been active for about 2 years, and I mean not active!

I finised university 2 years ago and I've gained about 2 stone since. I was a rugby player but I dont want to get back into that as I dont want to risk injury of that sort of contact sport! I really want to get fit but I don't know where to start, how should I get back into getting fit? I would like to do it realitively fast too.

Any ideas?

Hey Shane, I've been where you are, only it was more like five years. You know, wanting to get fit is not the same as wanting to get started getting fit. So many people just want to be in shape BUT see the process of getting there to be so daunting they'll never get started. The other issue that really works against you is wanting to get fit quickly. It's going to take as long as it takes so thinking in terms of time is not helpful. In other words, you could've said, 'I want to work really, really hard", (he he he). So the psychology we come to is, "Wanting to get started working really, really hard to get in shape and not get injured in the process."
Next, realize 80% of people who start a fitness program will quit within only eight weeks. Your goal from the start is to be in the minority group that keeps on going. Starting a program at a pace you can stay with is the correct approach. Think of starting something you will stay with for the rest of your life.
You could start out by going out and joining a gym but who knows if you will even want to stay with this in a few weeks. Depending on how out of condition you are why not start out with walking. If you can plan to walk or jog so many times a week for a certain amount of time then actually complete your goal, you will know you are serious. See, that's the thing about most people, they think they want to do something until they start doing it.
You were a rugby player so I'm sure you know about training. You ran and trained with weights and did sprints and zipped up and down the stairs, no? Just start slow with whatever you can get done in like 30 minutes three times this week. Do some sit-ups and push-ups and a little fast walking. Ok, now . . . that's the end of day one and you are started on your way.
Let me know if you got started after week one.

INCAN STONE FITTING DESCRIBED IN PERFECT DETAIL (part 3)