Stone Flooring Pros and Cons
By Sandy
Posted on
Tuesday, December 26, 2017 7:20 AM
Stone Flooring Pros and Cons
updated 10/26/2021
Stone flooring is no doubt one of the most beautiful of all flooring choices, but it has its drawbacks too.
Pros
All Natural and Beautiful
Among the very best Mother Nature has to offer, stone flooring is an all- natural floor with unparalleled visuals across a number of materials – slate, granite, marble, travertine and more – and a range of colors in every shade. Not only do you have an unlimited design palette to work with, the custom opportunities for stone flooring are also unlimited.
Long Lasting
It will last and last – forever. All you need is light ongoing maintenance and the floor will last a lifetime – or more!
Adds Value
Stone flooring can add value to your home and makes it especially attractive to future buyers.
Indoors/Outdoors Seamlessly
With natural stone, you can literally bring the outdoors in with seamless transitions from indoor spaces to outdoors.
Radiant
Stone Floors are cool to the touch, even in warm weather, but also are suitable for radiant heating systems which can keep your floors toasty warm in colder temps.
Cons
Expensive
Stone flooring is quite expensive both for the material itself as well as installation. Throw in any level of customization and you have more suited to the very wealthy than the average home.
Brrrr!
Stone flooring can also be cold, especially for bare feet. That can easily be remedied by using radiant heating systems, but that will only add to the already high cost. It may be worth it, however, if you plan on using it in bathrooms or even sunrooms (that can get quite cold during winter months).
Seal or Stain
Some stone flooring needs to be sealed against staining. Marble, travertine, and others readily accept stains if not properly cared for. Careful though, some of these sealers give the floor a shiny look that is falling out of favor as matte finishes have taken hold.
Wear and Tear
For all its hardness, stone flooring can begin to show signs of wear over time. Of course, that wear may be part of its charm – or not. If you chip a stone slab, it’s not so easy to replace.
Installation
Flooring installation is already expensive and expect to pay even more for flooring. Then again, if your floor is going to last a lifetime (or more), it's definitely worth the up front cost to do it right.
Hard and Slippery
We know it's hard, and that can really make a difference in the case of slips and falls. Worse, some do have a tendency to get slippery when wet. Careful out there!
- Sandy