There are many types of stone flooring which can be sourced within the UK. Over recent years as stone has become more and more common the market for different finishes has expanded dramatically. There are also many different sources for stone ranging from heritage products such as Cotswold Flagstones, Bath Flagstones right through to contemporary floors from Egypt, Turkey and further a field.

Key Types of stone flooring are

Limestone: The most common and wide ranging of natural stones. It generally has soft matt tones, which make it suitable for any home in the UK. There are a substantial number of limestones now on the market ranging from traditional English stones such as Cotswold, Purbeck, Bath, Portland, and Lincoln. You can also easily source materials from such far-flung places as Egypt, Israel, India, and China. These stones tend to have much lower cost but offer a slightly different appearance. Limestone from Portugal and Turkey should generally be avoided, as most are soft and not suitable for heavy traffic domestic areas.

Marble: Marble can still be seen in many English homes. It tends to be found in more grand halls, living spaces and kitchens. Marble tends to have a reflective shine to the surface due to the fact in contains quartz. It also tends to have quite prominent veins throughout the stone. It is very important when considering a marble to ensure you have seen a big quantity of the stone to understand the variations you will encounter. One area where marble comes into its own is when it is used for bathroom counter tops or walls. In this scenario you can add an extra element to a space which could not be obtained in a limestone.

Travertine: Travertine is a natural material that is geologically half way between limestone and marble. When quarried it has holes in the surface. Better quality travertines are filled in the quarry with an e epoxy resin. It has a naturally swirly colour and is the perfect material for bathrooms. The filler can pop out of even the best travertine's in heavy use areas and therefore if used in a kitchen ( or any heavy use area ) it will need much more maintenance than a limestone or marble.

Terracotta: Terracotta is fired and dried clay. It has a wonderful warm colour typical of the Mediterranean countries where it is most prevalent. Due to the fact it is formed of fired clay it tends to be found in smaller sizes than limestone, marble or travertine. Antique Terracotta such as Parrefeuille is readily available in the UK and this is a route to a traditional warm country kitchen floor. It is also possible to source inexpensive modern terracotta which can be used effectively in any rustic project.

Slate: Slate is a naturally riven material. Slate historically was sourced from Wales, the Lake District or Caithness in Scotland. Recently slate from Brazil, China or India has become prevalent in the UK. It is possible to get colours from slate which cannot be found in any other natural material. Welsh slate comes in Black or Brown, Lake District Slate has fascinating green tones and slate from Scotland is a grey / brown texture.