There is no denying that real stone materials are all the rage in home design. Marble, limestone, slate, and granite (maybe you’ve heard of these kinds of countertops, once or twice perhaps?) are HGTV darlings. Natural stone is beautiful, durable and versatile.
Unfortunately, it is also outrageously expensive, not economically-friendly, and extremely high maintenance.
Fortunately, there are stone alternatives, and none of them have to be in the form of formica.
Advantages of Stone Alternatives
Popular faux stone materials are generally ceramic or porcelain and can take on different looks. Homeowners who use stone-like tiles, as opposed to real stone, experience a multitude of benefits:
- Low Maintenance. Most natural stone must be sealed, and because of their porous nature, require regular re-sealing. On the contrary, glazed ceramic tiles are not penetrable by water and only sealing along grout lines.
- Easy-to-Clean. Acidic cleaners run the risk of causing a chemical reaction if used on natural stone, resulting in permanent staining. This is not the case for stone alternatives. Fortunately, stone alternatives can take on practically any cleaning product.
- Price. Natural stone, in general, tends to be much more expensive than non-stone options.
- Eco-friendly. Since stone alternatives are not made from limited natural resources, they using them will help reduce your carbon footprint.
While natural stone is the current trend in home design today, homeowners should consider the benefits of faux stone. Natural stone may be beautiful, but it is also high maintenance and expensive.
Please feel free to contact us. A Solid State Tile representative will be more than happy to help you find the solution best-suited to your home improvement needs.
