Give it a once over

Clear any abrasive dirt, sand and other particles from the surface of the stone daily. Use only dust mops and gentle bristle brooms. A good once over a day will keep the floor shining perfectly. Plus, if you keep up on cleaning, it’s easy each time, taking merely seconds every morning to keep the cleaned-grittiness of natural stone.

If you prefer to use a vacuum cleaner, avoid one with a beater bar. You should only use one that has suction only, as any other may damage your floor and leave abrasive marks.

Throw rugs in well traveled spaces

Entrance rugs at the entrance to well traveled areas help keep the dirt to a minimum. Place rugs in hall ways and the entrances of rooms. With the right rugs, the floor will look richer and warmer, giving the toes a soft graceful feeling if you like to pad around in your bare feet.

Control the slide

Stone floors are naturally slick. Use small furniture covers on the feet of all your furniture for safety. A cozy chair can easily go crashing in the event of wrestling children, which could result in accidents. Placing sticky edges on your furniture keeps it in place, as well as protects the surface of your floor.

Clean up spills quickly

It’s important to wipe spills up as soon as they happen, especially in the kitchen. This is especially true if the spill is acidic such as orange, tomato, or lime juice, which will tend to disrupt the surface of your floor for a short time after exposure. Stains that are left to fester gather up extra dirt which sticks to the surface and mars the floor. The longer stains are ignored, the more noticeable and permanent they can be.

It really doesn’t hurt to mop your floor regularly, even several times a day with a lightly wet mop. When you keep up on the floor cleanliness, you don’t have to break out a big bucket of sud water each time. Simply get the mop wet, and go over the surface. If you do this often enough, cleanliness is simple and easy. You hardly even realize you are doing it.

Keep it ecological

Always clean your floor with a biodegradable, non-toxic cleaning solution, especially if you have small children or pets. Babies get everywhere, and dogs will lick anything. You don’t want your child or your pets contaminated with toxic chemicals. A good vinegar and biodegradable dish soap solution will work, giving the floors a nice lemony, vinegar scent.

As a basic rule of thumb, you shouldn’t use any cleaning product from the grocery store on your stone, unless it is completely natural and biodegradable. Avoid chemical bubbles that claim to eat dirt. They may just eat the finish of your floor too.

A little bleach

Bleach works great at eradicating algae from pool and patio areas, but it’s important to rinse the areas well so the bleach isn’t left sitting in pools. It’s a great way to get rid of the dirt, but be sure you’ve also gotten rid of the bleach when you are done.

Get your floors professionally sealed

It’s also a good idea to have your floors sealed by a professional so they can keep their natural quality for years to come.

For more tips on maintaining your natural stone floors visit our floor care section.

Here are some other reasons to consider tile with color or range:

• Dirt, hair, and scratches are much easier to hide, because the inconsistency of color creates a camouflage effect.
• The flooring appears to have more ‘depth’ & richness.
• More colors present makes designing easier- there are more color choices for you to pull for accents into your decorating scheme.
• It looks less ‘grid-like’ and mathematical. When there is no pattern or color interest, the eye falls onto the grout lines, which are emphasized and give a very geometric, sharp feeling.

Tile flooring is filled with options, and with the right choice, it can dictate a design scheme, bringing life and versatility into your décor. The best advice if you’re hesitant is to take home samples, and look at them laid on the floor, not up to your face (as this is the height you’d see the tiles from every day).

Stone Tile in the Kitchen

Considering how many times you drop things, leaving dribbles of spaghetti sauce here, grape juice spills there; putting stone in the kitchen is a natural step. There’s no reason to cry over spilled milk when all it takes is a paper towel to clean the damage. Natural stone has the capabilities to handle any stain in the kitchen, plus its classical, sound structure makes it feel like you’re cooking a medieval feast.

Making a Monumental Backyard

Stone is a perfect addition to the scenery in a backyard, creating structures that are monolithic in shape and influence. You can add stone to create a scenic backyard waterfall, build seating areas or places for plants to catch their rays. Stone is a perfect way to sculpt walking areas, separate flower beds, and tie the backyard together in a shape of wonder and nostalgic classicalism. You can add birdbaths and sundials for more scope in an outdoor garden.

If you create your own cement blocks, you can get creative and submerge items of interest for decoration. This could include other ornamental stones, statuary or rubber balls for a fun approach to style. Children’s toys make a nice addition, as do figurines or plants that leave fossil like impressions.

Fireplaces as good as a classical novel

Nothing creates classical beauty like a hearth made of impressive granite, marble or other solid stone. It’s perfect for gathering in front of the fire to tell stories like the days of yesteryear, a romantic evening in front of the glow of a fire, or just cuddling up to a hot cup of chocolate and a good book. Stone fireplaces can take a home back to life’s basic meanings with a solid goodness that’s been fashionable for centuries.

Stone for Bathrooms

Absorbing dampness yet following the suggestion of classical beauty, stone is perfect for the bathroom setting. It’s easy to cover up the surface of most bathrooms, yet suggests a classical feel that’s feels good on your feet coming out of the bath. It adds a decorative touch to meet the designs of most bathrooms. There’s something solid about stone that’s as functional as it is decorative.

Proper Installation a Plus

As equal as choosing which type of stone to use, proper installation is integral to the job looking great. Make sure you hire a professional as it means all the difference. If you are going to make the investment, be sure to do the job right. Stone lasts a long time, so be happy with the job because it may have a longevity that outlasts even you.

Solidness that lasts

When properly cared for, natural stone lasts virtually forever. It’s the stuff of castles and Greek monuments, surviving through the years to tell the legacy of the tale. Stone is classic because it is so enduring. Choose what you want wisely and carefully. What you create out of stone will definitely stand the test of time.

Here are some quick tips on how to integrate these accent tiles into your decorating scheme:

• Create a decorative band in a shower, or as a tub surround.
• Backsplashes and sink splashes are great opportunities to use these decorative options.
• Wainscoting border- install a tile border about wainscoting level to create a divide along the wall.
• Tile-framed mirrors are fun and unique- you can build a tile border and have it installed directly to the wall, surrounding the mirror
• Hard surface area rug- create the look of a rug with a tile border or inlay, used to set off an area like a dining room or a foyer.
• Line the perimeter of a countertop, and create the effect of an outline or border.
• Trace the base of a kitchen island, using a border to set off the island within the kitchen.

Remember, there are no real “rules” to using decorative tiles & accent tiles- your design opportunities are a endless as your imagination!

Although laminate flooring looks natural, its cleanliness far surpasses any natural material. While most wood floors have cracks and crevasses between the boards that make it almost impossible to get the floor fully clean, Armstrong laminate flooring is seamless. By simply running a vacuum over the surface of the floor you can feel confident that you are doing your part to keep your house allergen free.

Travertine Stone Tile

Of course, there is also the traditional carpet alternative: stone tile. Travertine stone tile comes in a wide variety of colors and sizes, but also features great adaptability of installation. It can easily go either inside or outside, replacing unsightly concrete on decks or near swimming pools. But indoors it makes a lovely accent and a beautiful base for any room. Plus, the smooth, non-porous surface is easy to clean and won’t provide a catch basin for dust.

Quickstep Laminate Flooring: Another Popular Option

Quickstep takes allergy prevention to a new level by closing the joints between each board completely and providing an easy-to-clean surface that, when kept properly clean, is inhospitable to bacteria. Quickstep laminate flooring is made from the highest quality materials to rigorous design specifications and is available in a wide variety of styles and colors.

In today’s world, almost everyone suffers from allergies. Whether its pet dander, ragweed, pollen, or dust, small particles get trapped in eyes and noses and turn a perfectly pleasant afternoon into an itchy sneezing mess. But even once you enter your home you still aren’t safe from those contagions: if you have carpeting in your house, no matter how much you clean it, you are creating a breeding ground for allergens.

In order to improve the quality of life for yourself and for your family, you need to investigate the many stone tile, Armstrong, and Quickstep laminate flooring options that are available today. Any of these flooring styles provides a healthy, easy-to-clean surface that doesn’t trap dust. Experts have seen incredible changes in allergy sufferers just from the changing of a carpet; don’t you deserve relief from your allergies?

But despite this crucial role, many bathrooms remain in the design dark ages. Most are covered with dated and worn bathroom floor tiles, relics of a bygone era rather than shining beacons of modern style. Toilets and plumbing fixtures are often tarnished and loose. Some full baths have remarkably dirty and mildewed showers. No matter how nice your foyer might look, no guest will be thinking of the entry hall when they enter a bad bathroom!

Luckily, today’s tile market offers many different options to help you get the ceramic mosaic tiles your bathroom deserves. These tiles provide an incredible variety of design options, everything from standard stone-finish flooring to intricate inlays. With the right company, you can go from design concept to installation quickly and efficiently. Even better, ceramic mosaic tiles are less expensive than stone and much more pleasant to walk on: where stone can sometimes grow chilly, ceramic mosaic tiles stay much more reliably at room temperature.

Ceramic Mosaic Tiles

Without a doubt, tiles are an excellent option for giving your bathroom a vibrant new look. But don’t just think of them as bathroom floor tiles; good ceramic is much more versatile. Here are just a few ways you can use a seemingly common tile to give your bathroom unexpected flair:

• Create a pattern on the floor.
• Vary the size of the tile while keeping the color constant.
• Incorporate a tile accent.
• Install tile on your walls or counters as well.
• Design your own wall art to highlight a sink or architectural feature.

With so many options, ceramic tile is the clear choice for the bathroom and beyond. Check out Travertine stone tile.