Stone look floor tiles
Stone look floor tiles can be as stylish as a real stone floor but with all the benefits of hardwearing porcelain. Those benefits form a long list with everything from easy clean to super hardwearing and a lot of features in between. So, what are the differences between stone look floor tiles and real stone? And just how realistic are porcelain stone look floor tiles? Â In our blog we compare and explore these two materials and look at the reasons you might want to opt for a porcelain tile over real stone.
Real stone
A real stone floor can enhance any space and adds a beautiful look and feel to a room. From the hallway to the kitchen, dining area to lounge, bathroom to bootroom, a traditional 900 x 600mm stone floor just oozes charm and is a great canvas for ground floors. However, just like real marble or real wood, these natural materials deal with the daily wear and tear of living in different ways to porcelain. Marble, real wood and natural stone are soft materials and that means they can wear, dent and stain more easily than porcelain. It also means they can wear unevenly, particularly stone and marble, in well-trodden areas. Â
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With natural stone an initial seal is usually imperative, and this process may need to be repeated over the course of its life. In addition, natural flagstones tend to have a tumbled edge. This gives tiles an organic look and feel and a softness to the tiles but also means grout lines tend to be 5 mm or more.Â
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Of course, it can be hard to beat the patina of aged worn stone, however, tile technology is continuously moving forward and there are some incredible tiles available now that can even emulate the feel of time-worn tiles. Manufacturers at the forefront of design are using clever manufacturing techniques to not only create tiles that look like real stone but that actually feel like real stone.Â
Porcelain stone look floor tiles
So why would you opt for a porcelain stone look floor tiles? Well, to start with, unlike natural stone, Porcelain doesn’t need sealing. It is pretty much install and go. All porcelain needs is a good thorough clean down following initial installation, and then ongoing a mop and warm water should do the trick followed by a dry cloth and an occasional good clean with a cleaner formulated for porcelain tiles. There certainly isn’t any regular maintenance regime required.
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Porcelain is a particularly dense material that is incredibly hardwearing. It is highly scratch resistant and wear resistant so it won’t show the dents from the thrills and spills of everyday living – think dog bowls, shoe scuffs and more! It also won’t show signs of wear even in well trodden areas. Because it doesn’t easily chip porcelain will also keep its initial look and appearance for years to come.
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Porcelain is also highly stain resistant so it won’t mark in the same way some natural materials can. That’s good news for busy kitchens or dining areas where the likes of red wine, highly coloured foods and spices and other ingredients that might tend to stain may be used. Whilst it is always advisable to mop up spillages quickly, with porcelain, your tiles won’t mark. Â
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Another key benefit of porcelain stone look floor tiles is you can still capture the rustic feel of the tumbled edge of natural stone, but with rectified tile edges. Rectified edges means tile edges are straight, but if we take a closer look at our Bliss stone look floor tiles, the tile surface around those edges is cleverly tumbled to give the look and feel of tumbled edged stone. So you have the best of both worlds, that gorgeous rustic vibe coupled with modern functionality and a super slim 3mm grout line.
Bliss stone look floor tiles
Let’s delve into our Bliss stone look floor tiles in a little more detail. Firstly, this flagstone collection is in the 900 x 600mm format that brilliantly echoes real stone. These porcelain tiles also feature a beautifully simple stone look with subtle veining and a lovely tactile silky matt finish giving a soft sheen to the tile surface. That soft sheen bounces the light softly to diffuse it and give a lovely ambience to spaces. The surface finish also echoes with the feel of aged, worn stone. There are three tones ranging from the lighter taupe tones of Parchment to the warming notes of Caramel and the grey of Storm. These porcelain tiles can be used on walls and floors and are full of the same rustic charm you would expect from real stone.
The large format of these tiles works perfectly in spaces large and small. And as with any traditional flagstone you may want to consider laying patterns. In the image above tiles are stacked rather than offset. The great thing is you have both options to choose from!
Bliss Flagstone Gallery
Want to know more?
Click the images with a description underneath to head straight to these tiles on our website.
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The TilePortfolio specialise in Italian and Spanish Porcelain and Ceramic tiles, in particular large format Porcelains and Porcelain tiles for inside and outside. Our carefully curated, stunning tile portfolios are beautifully presented online and supported by our fuss-free ‘go-the-extra-tile’ service. In addition, you can view our entire tile collection at our Northamptonshire Showroom. Visit our website for unmissable interiors inspiration. The TilePortfolio team are always available to chat, we’d be delighted to help with your project so please do get in touch.Â
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Please note: We strongly recommend using a professional tiler for your project. Installation requirements may vary depending on the tiles you choose, the fixing products used and the specific conditions. Always check with your tiler regards the suitability of the tiles. Please get in touch with us if you have any questions.