Of the many materials available for flooring, limestone is one, and there are good reasons for patronizing it. For centuries this material has been in use. That is one reason that makes this material look beautiful on floors of buildings with old styled rooms housing wooden furniture of equally old style and design. People generally underestimate its ruggedness. As a matter of fact it is tougher than many other flooring materials. Though it is not hard like marble, and prone to wear and tear, it lasts for many years provided that it is treated and sealed properly at the outset. Let’s have a look at its positive and negative characteristics for being used as a flooring material.
Some good reasons for patronizing limestone as flooring material include its rugged nature and good looks. It perfectly jells with the country environment and compliments an old styled living area like a lounge or study room decorated with old wood furniture. No material better compliments those antiquated solid wood cabinets and bookshelves made from oak and pine. The rustic looks of limestone floor very harmoniously hold pieces of old rich furniture comprising of chairs and tables while adding to aesthetics of such a palace like place. This solid material provides a very cool touch to feet with that element of safety at the back of your mind.
The degree of hardness offered by limestone is much less than that of marble. That makes it unsuitable for areas that have higher level of activities or more foot traffic like say kitchens. It’s also susceptible to stains and some of the acids may badly damage its surface. It needs better maintenance and more frequent cleaning than marble. Moreover, it’s quite sensitive to sand particles that enter households thru soles of shoes and gets scratched rather easily. All these features of this stone discourage its being employed in kitchens, bathrooms or other such high traffic bearing rooms.
By way of maintenance, a limestone floor demands more than just regular sweeping and mopping. It needs to be cleaned by plain warm water, preferably warm water with a small, prescribed quantity of a pH neutral propriety floor-cleaning agent specially devised for being used on marble and limestone floors. Cleaning with strong acidic cleaning agents or those with bleaching powder will harm its looks and could stain or discolor the stone. Another important measure for its maintenance includes periodic and professional application of sealant after every few years, as being porous in nature it attracts dampness that goes to spoil its looks in the long run.
As one can understand that limestone needs better care thru proper and regular maintenance to prevent it from getting spoiled and stained. Nevertheless, it’s a wonderful medium for floors of an older style home with rustic setting. It surely makes a charming setting in such houses by adding to their overall appearance and décor.