Buy Granite Tile (here)

Bathroom tiles come in many different styles and varieties. Widely considered the most attractive of all these are Natural Stone Tiles. However as with most things, if you want the best you must be prepared to pay for the best. Natural stone bathroom tiles do not come cheap.

Natural stone bathroom tiles can be broken down into 3 categories based on the type of rock they come from; Igneous, Sedimentary and Metamorphic.

Granite (its name coming from the Latin for "grain" due to its texture) and Basalt are both types of Igneous rock used to make tiles. Igneous rock is created by the cooling of magma (molten rock). As the magma cools into rock, it crystallises giving it its granular appearance.

Granite comes mainly from India, although Brazil, and, closer to home (unless you live closer to Brazil or India), Scotland has large occurrences of Granite.

Not just a product of planet Earth, Basalt is known to have formed on the Moon, Venus and Mars. When we discover Martian habitats I’m 99% sure they we will find that they have tiled their bathrooms with Basalt! (My 1% of doubt leans towards them having ceramic bathroom tiles.)

Formed at the surface of the earth and at the bottom water bodies, Sedimentary rock consists of Limestone among others. It is created in 2 ways; the first is created by the compacting, over millions of years, of mineral and organic material. This could be stones, dust, dead animals and plants, bits of rock weathered away, anything really. Over time, as more and more sediment gets deposited to the top of the stack, the pressure at the bottom increases. As the pressure increases, the water in the stack is squeezed out leaving behind its dissolved minerals. These dissolved minerals act as a glue to bind the sediments.

The second means by which sedimentary rock is created is crystallisation from dissolved minerals. This occurs in shallow water bodies (the sea or lake) when water evaporation is greater than precipitation. As the water in the water body evaporates, it leaves behind its dissolved minerals and these settle at the bottom of the water body to form sedimentary rocks.

Limestone is proving a very popular tile among the contemporary crowd due to its light and neutral tones. Limestone can be coloured anywhere from cream to gold!

 Find Natural Stone Bathroom Tiles Here 

Metamorphic rock includes Marble, Coal, Quartz and Slate. Simply put, ‘metamorphic’ means to change form. Metamorphic rocks are Igneous or sedimentary rock which have changed form, this usually occurs by the extreme heats and pressure deep in the earth’s crust.

Marble has long been associated with luxury and affluence. It is a very hard stone and because of this it is possible to achieve a high polish. It is also suitable for and is used frequently in hospitals where sanitation is of paramount importance.

As noted at the start of this article, natural stone tiles can be expensive. You can realistically expect to pay a number of times more than an equivalent ceramic or porcelain tile but if you have the budget for it, it is certainly an attractive option.

Something else which needs to be considered is weight. Natural stone bathroom tiles are a lot heavier than their Ceramic or Porcelain counterparts so you want to check that your floor or wall can take the load. In general your Subfloor should be at least 1 1/8" thick. It may be worth asking an expert for advice on this as there are no hard and fast rules.

Author: Rodney Munch

Check Out These Bathroom Tile Prices!

Beautiful Marble Bathroom Pictures With Carrara Marble …
Bath times become bliss if the atmosphere and character of the room has been updated with a touch of home remodeling. If you can get wholesale Carrara marble tiles, it becomes that much…  

Bathroom Tile Ideas for the Chic Woman
Marble - This is a type of natural stone. Marbles are know for its own textured appearance. An advantage of natural stones is that they have their own distinct color and texture. Bath… 

How to Install a Bathroom Countertop » DIY
Marble countertops provide a stain resistant, water resistant, rugged, and durable surface for any bathroom. They are easy to clean and if they need repairs a little sanding is more than…  

All About Bathroom Tiles
At the top end of the scale are natural stone bathroom tiles. Common types of natural stone bathroom tiles are Granite, Slate and Marble. Many people prefer the look of natural … 

Why to Choose Bathroom Tiles instead of Concrete Bathroom …
The bathroom is also a crucial part of your home. Hence, the bathroom tiles have become an integral part of home decorations. You can construct your bathrooms through various ceramic…

 Mail this post

Technorati Tags: bathroom shower tiles, granite tile buying, granite tile installation, how to install granite tile countertops