Granite Floor Tiles: Sturdy yet stylish

Granite is a kind of igneous rock that is formed below the surface of the Earth, under tremendous heat and pressure. The rock is granular in texture, and is thus called granite. It is the origin that makes granite highly resistant to heat, moisture, and regular wear and tear. Granite floor tiles thus make the ideal choice for kitchen floors, and bathroom floors. This is because these floors have to withstand a lot of punishment from falling utensils, lots of moisture, spilled liquids of various kinds and at various temperatures, scratches from sharp utensils and metal buckets, and so on. Kitchen and bathroom floors also require frequent cleaning, so the material used in the floor must be able to withstand it.

The granite tiles are cut, shaped, and polished on one side. Being very hard in nature, the slabs of granite cannot be cut easily. Special types of abrasive cutters or sandblasters are required to cut the granite slabs to size. These tiles may be hard, but the polished surfaces are smooth and cold to touch. Granite is not only preferred for its hardiness, but also for its aesthetic appearance.  The tiles are available in various colors, such as grey, green, yellow, black, red, white, brown, silver, etc. Differently colored granite tiles can spice up almost any kind of kitchen or bathroom set up. The polished surfaces also provide little or no room for bacteria to thrive in, thus making granite tiles the safest option for floors.

The best choice would be to use medium sized, square-shaped granite tiles with 1/8 inch close grout lines. This would ensure cost-effective usage of filler material and will also bind the tiles strongly enough to give a long lasting end result. The medium sized floor tiles will make the room look more spacious. The polished granite tiles tend to reflect some light, thereby improving the lighting in the room.

Granite floor tiles, in spite of their hardiness, do require some care and frequent cleaning. Stone soaps (highly concentrated water based cleaning solutions) are formulated especially for cleaning granite floors. These do not leave any residues on the tiles and do not make them slippery either. Stone soaps can clean granite floors all the way down to the pores, removing dirt, dust, grime, and grease. Frequent cleaning and responsible usage will keep the granite floor looking brand new for years.