When it comes to flooring options, few are more beautiful and elegant than natural stone. The types of natural stone include granite, slate, sandstone, marble and limestone. What makes it different from most flooring types is the variability in porosity, fragility and maintenance. There are many things to consider when considering natural stone flooring, so we recommend you speak to one of the professionals at Herb's Carpet & Tile to make sure you’re choosing the right type of natural stone flooring for the room in which you’re placing it. Some things to consider are:

Flooring retailers use this ranking to portray the uniformity of the natural stone materials involved in the floor. A grade 1 is given to flooring that is uniform throughout and high quality, while a grade 3 is given to flooring stone that has a lot of variability in smoothness, shape and quality

Specific types of natural flooring can be more slippery than others. This ratio should be considered when you’re looking to place natural stone in an environment that can get wet, such as bathrooms, kitchens and high traffic areas.

This is a rating given that determines the porosity of natural stone. It ranges from impervious, where the materials involved resist moisture from spills and liquids to non-vitreous, where there is a high absorption level and should not be used in any damp environment.

Combining all of the other elements of grading in natural stone, you’ll notice certain types won’t lend themselves well to outdoor spaces due to lower absorption rating or lower coefficients of friction.

Feel free to browse our catalog of natural stone HERE or stop by the Herb's Carpet & Tile to speak to one of our natural stone flooring experts.