How To Buy Natural Stone

At Baker Bros., we’ve invested over 6 decades working in the world of flooring, studying its history, advancing its techniques, and, frankly, leading its industry.

We’ve advised thousands and thousands of customers and installed millions of square feet of flooring. In the process we have become this area’s most trusted flooring business.

Our professional sales team brings an average of 15+ years of flooring knowledge to every customer relationship. Knowledge that includes today’s styles and trends, which is why the Baker Bros. motto is “Where Fashion Meets Flooring”.

The bottom line is, you won’t find more flooring understanding, more design savvy or more installation know-how than with our team.  Baker Bros. offers you…

More experience per square foot.

And in this section we’ve laid down what we know and what you should consider before making a stone floor buying decision.

Because knowledge about stone specifics and characteristics, about its traits and subtle differences, can be invaluable.

It’s a fact. Choosing the best stone flooring for your home is really about knowing the right combination of characteristics, aesthetics, performance and budget to best meet the needs of your lifestyle.

So, we invite you to read on, check out these notes and considerations and get the upper hand on the flooring that may soon be underfoot.

You’ll never see your stone floor over at the neighbors.

The beauty of natural stone is that no two pieces are ever the same. Each piece of stone has its own natural characteristics such as color, veining and markings, as well as hardness and porosity. Your floor is truly unique and completely individual. Exclusive.

A natural stone tile floor begins with giant pieces of stone that are mined from the earth and transported to factories where they are cut into thin slabs.

Each slab is different, displaying the affects of the physical course of its ancient history.

The stone slabs are then cut into individual tiles. Depending solely on Mother Nature, and Father Time, each tile cut from the same slab might look completely different from the next.

Veining and crystallization may be abundant in one, yet non-existent in another.

Appearance may vary from tile to tile, but that only adds to the elegance, charm and magic of natural stone.

Stone floors are anything but consistent.

Variations in natural stone are to be expected and, frankly, enjoyed.

So the samples you view in our showroom can have completely different veining patterns or color variations compared to the stone we will install in your home.

Also, please remember that it is not possible for you to hand select each tile of your natural stone. However, if you are concerned about the final appearance, it is recommended that you work with our sales associate to preview a dye lot sample of the actual tile to be installed, prior to final installation.

You should be aware that irregular markings, lines, veins and crystallization are not cracks or imperfections, but rather a natural part of the stone’s beauty.

Think of them all as forming the “personality” of your floor.

Additionally, if you select a combination of natural stone products, of the same color and type of stone, for different areas of your home, they will not match.

And no natural stone tile will have a perfectly smooth surface. Even after the tiles are polished there may be small chips or pits that may be apparent in different lighting.

Being a natural product, natural stone tiles will vary more in thickness, squareness and length compared to man-made ceramic tile.

As a result, once your natural stone tile is installed, it will not be a perfectly smooth surface from tile to tile.

Finally, natural stone also varies in hardness, which is the scratch resistance of a mineral. Talc is the softest mineral and diamond is the hardest.

This is important when picking a stone. Make sure to consider what types of activities will be taking place where the stone is installed in your home.

For example, you would not want to install a soft, porous type of stone floor in a high traffic area. Our best advice is to consult with your retailer.

Six stones and the hard facts on each. To help you shop smart for natural stone flooring, here’s a rundown on six popular stones: granite, marble, limestone, travertine, slate and tumbled stone.

Granite is one of the hardest and densest of all natural stone.

In fact, made up of quartz, feldspar and mica, granite is one of the hardest stones next to diamond.

It also resists staining and scratching better than any other natural stone due to its density.

Granite makes a powerful impact in kitchens, entryways and bathrooms, or as an accent with other natural stone tiles.