subject: How To Choose Features Of Granite Tiles While Tiling House [print this page] Granite tile is a natural stone that possesses a lot of features, but all features might not suit ever corner of your house when you are planning to tile your entire home interior. Granite tiles come in huge variety, varying in color, texture and behavior. Therefore, you have to make selection considering the demand of the placed to be tiled. Here are some features of the granite that may help you choose the best option around.
Color: As said above, it is natural material which comprises mineral and crystal. The color of the stone entirely depends on their ratio, which varies drastically from place to place from where they are excavated. It can be found in white, green, gray, brown, blue, yellow along with hues of burgundy and pink. Certainly such diversity provides an array of choices, but one has to be careful to make that perfect selection. For instance, places to be used frequently and if there is any chance for stains like kitchen countertops, it is better to go for darker shades. Similarly, if the room is small using lighter shade will help the room look more spacious, bright and open.
Finishing/Texture: Granite comes in several finishing types and texture such as polished, honed, leathered, antique, and brushed. Polish bring extra shine to the stone, while honed is similar but bring little less shine than the polishing. Leathering is to obtain textured matte surface and it works well on darker shades. Antique is another finishing type that make the granite appear old and rustic, but this is not advised for high trafficked area or place having excessive sun exposure. Brushed also called flamed is another form of finishing used for better grip for walkers. They are perfect for swimming pool sides.
Edging : Edging matters a lot in applications and is chosen as per the requirement. For instance, bullnose /rounded edged tiles are preferred for tiling the top row on a wall. Similarly, beveled edges on granite tile deliver an "in view" appearance, because at the edge the beveling opens the tile outward. Cleft-stone edging is another edging type that brings out a roughened finishing at the edge, which cannot be obtained by a saw cut edge.
Porosity : Though, Granite is a porous stone but the intensity of this feature differs from tile to tile. For example, black granite is the most nonporous type of tile and is therefore a perfect choice for kitchen and bathroom countertops. Other granite tiles are more porous, which increases the chances of staining while using. You can protect them by sealing on yearly basis. Sealing is also good because apart from saving the tiles from stains, it keeps them shining and durable.
