Natural stone vs stone effect flooring

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

I am having new flooring laid in my kitchen, hallway and cloakroom and am after a rustic, country style look. I am totally in love with travertine floors but people keep putting me off! I am told that the sealer will quickly wear away in the areas people walk, and I will be left with an uneven finish unless I completely strip and re seal every year or so. I have therefore been considering stone effect ceramic or porcelain, or something like Karndean. But I don't feel it would be the same...

Any words of wisdom?

Many thanks,

Laura

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Comments (5)

User
5 years ago
It's difficult to truly replicate the natural beauty of something like Travertine, Laura. However, Karndean and other luxury vinyl tile (LVT) manufacturers can get close and can offer additional benefits that Travertine cannot offer.

Main points being the one you hit on… general maintenance. With a natural stone floor you will need to have some kind of routine maintenance factored into your "free time". Depending on the tiles thickness, you do also run the rick of potential cracks over time.

Here's a reply we recently posted to a Houzz user posing a similar question:

Karndean and Amtico are the brand LVT leaders. Amtico been about for 50+ years, Karndean 25+. They are great at marketing and their position in the market means you pay over the odds for what you get. They both deliver very, very good products and designs but compared to other reputable manufacturers on the market they are pricey.

Viable man made alternatives with easier to live with on a day to day basis are:

Amtico -> Click here for manufacturer's site. Click here to view on our site.

Polyflor -> Click here for manufacturer's site. Click here to view on our site.

Cavalio -> Click here for manufacturer's site. Click here to view on our site.

Natural Solutions -> Click here or manufacturer's site. Click here to view on our site.

If you want to learn more about the benefits and advantages behind luxury vinyl tiles (aka LVT), why not have a read of our blog, explaining all about Amtico by clicking here.

Hope this is all helpful, Laura.

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Laura Connolly thanked User
User
5 years ago
I'm also having this debate (mostly with myself) at the moment and really want someone to tell me that natural stone is great and to go for it! Yet all I get is 'ooh, I wouldn't do that' for the same reasons you state. But, however nice porcelain tiles and LVT are, they just can't replicate the look. What to do?!
Laura Connolly thanked User
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PRO
Italian Design Ltd
4 years ago
Hi Laura, sealant will last a very long time and you won't see an uneven finish do not worry.

Natural stone is a bit more delicate than manmade products such as LVT or porcelain, but under normal circumstances and with regular maintenance, travertine will last a lifetime without major issues.

Natural look vs technical excellence what to choose?

LVT will be much cheaper to buy and install so that may be a factor to consider. Porcelain is the most durable product out there but will cost you as much as real travertine to buy and install.

If you like natural stone go for it!
Laura Connolly thanked Italian Design Ltd
PRO
The Designer and The Decorator
4 years ago
Natural stone is fabulous and looks amazing when installed, however it does come with practicality problems.

I have seen the effects of Travertine flooring after being installed into my mother-in-laws place and after 2 years of family and cats, the floor is badly scratched and does not look like it did when it was new. Natural stone is beautiful and obviously can not be replicated by a man-made ceramic tile, however if you have a young family and like things that look new and clean i would say stay away (personally) as it is also expensive to have resealed and will need maintenance and you can not use generic cleaners on it.
Laura Connolly thanked The Designer and The Decorator
PRO
Quorn Stone
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Natural stone is a beautiful option full of character - limestone tends to be more hard-wearing than travertine as it is a denser material. Our best seller is Dijon Tumbled limestone which only needs re-sealing every 4-5 years (something you can do yourself). It is of course important to maintain the floor correctly e.g. no steam mopping and no harsh cleaning products such as bleach.

Stone Effect porcelain has become increasingly popular over recent years and there are now some very realistic ranges on the market. This requires no maintenance and can come in modern designs as well as more rustic, aged effects. It is important that the porcelain is colour bodied and rectified to produce the best result.

This a helpful read for Best Stone Kitchen Floors and runs through the options in detail :)

Best of luck!

Natural stone vs stone effect flooring

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