Romancing the stone

5 April 2012

London is enjoying a new stone age. Of course this ubiquitous building material has dominated the capital almost for ever - from countless stately public buildings and monuments to imposing terraces and weathered pavements. But now stone has come through the door.

Today's home-owners are increasingly using it for modern metropolitan makeovers. They are laying creamy floors of lustrous limestone in new-style gadget-filled kitchens, where shiny granite makes even workaday worktops sophisticated.

In bathrooms, walls glow with marble tiles, and stone washbasins add a somewhat sacrificial element to daily ablutions.

This expanding domestic demand means bigger showrooms and more stone suppliers in London. Merchant Jo O'Grady, for example, has long been convinced of stone's home potential, and has now moved his company, Stone Age, to spacious new premises opposite Parsons Green Tube station.

Here he showed me an amazing array of more than a 100 limestones, sandstones, marbles and granites.

An intriguing patchwork of f loor possibilities shows off stone from around 40 quarries in Portugal, Italy, France and Spain. More stones come from further afield. I thought Indian limestone most attractive: each slab is cut and polished by hand to produce subtle and natural variations in tone and size.

Then there is Turkish travertine to explore, and even Vietnamese marble. See at first hand the different designs you can make by varying tile sizes. For serious floor planning, take along detailed dimensions of your room.

As O'Grady emphasises, stone gets better with age. "It may initially seem expensive compared with carpet, but a stone floor should last forever, and definitely adds value to a property."

However, stone does not, indeed, come cheap. Limestone costs from around £40 to £60 a square metre, but giving it an antique finish could push up the price by an extra £25.

Then you should add another £8 a square metre for stain proofing (this is essential) and between £40 to £ 60 a square metre for installation.

Architects and designers-often shop for stone at Roma Marble in north London, and now it has a retail showroom selling direct to the public. Roma's stone, marble and granite can be used for floors, worktops, vanity units and shower trays.

The company imports direct and makes to order in its own workshops.

Roma Marble says that travertine is a growing trend. This is a unique type of stone found at the mouth of hot springs in colours such as white, beige, cream and pink.

Full of natural character, it makes attractive floors, walls, basins and baths, at a cost of around £45 a square metre. Very smart are Roma Marble's new minimalist mosaics made from small squares of marble, limestones and granites in an attractive matt finish - ideal as an understated wall or floor surface for bathrooms and wet rooms.

Newly arrived at London Bridge is The Good Flooring Company's Limestone Centre, which is open by appointment - even in the evening or early morning. It is selling Italian Zeus lookalike "limestone", which does not need sealing and is said to be stain- and scratch-proof.

The minerals that make up natural limestone have been compressed and fired at volcanic heat (1,250 degrees celsius) to create robust tiles that are only 9mm thick (normal stone flooring ranges from 15mm to 25mm).

This Zeus lookalike "limestone" costs from £48 a square metre, but Homes & Property readers can claim a 15 per discount until the end of March.

On the tiles

Granite is hard and polishes to a high shine without wax. Colours vary from blacks and greys to greens and blues as well as delicate pinks.

Sandstone ranges from grey to yellow and even purple. Some is soft and some hard - take expert advice on what to fix where.

Limestone tends to be pale - yellow, beige or bluey grey - and needs sealing. It can be soft or hard and expert advice is essential.

Slate can be very affordable - particularly from countries such as India, China and Brazil. Its huge colour range includes greys and pinks.

Marble is limestone hardened by natural pressure and high temperatures. It needs polishing and is often used in bathrooms.

Common floor tile sizes are 400mm by 400mm, 600mm by 400mm, 800mm by 400mm, and 600mm by 600mm.

Square tiles can have cut corners to form octagons; add inserts in a contrasting colour/stone to make patterns. A common thickness is 20mm.

Upper floors may need strengthening for stone so consult an expert. Wood will need an overlay of external grade 18mm ply.

Contacts:
Stone Age: unit 3, Parsons Green depot, Parsons Green lane, SW6 (020 7384 9090; www.estone.co.uk)

Roma Marble: unit 1A, Ringway, Bounds Green industrial estate, N11 (020 8361 7544; www.romamarble.co.uk)

The Good Flooring Company's Limestone Centre: 4-5 Main Station Approach, London Bridge Station, SE1 (020 7378 6111; www.thegoodflooringco.co.uk).

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