5 o nā ʻano papa pōhaku maikaʻi loa no nā lumi kuke, nā lumi ʻauʻau a me nā mea hou aku

ʻO nā ʻano papa pōhaku like ʻole e hana i ka hapa nui o nā lumi, inā he hale hou a i ʻole kahi hale hou. ʻO nā tile pōhaku maoli i loko o nā lumi kuke kekahi o nā hiʻohiʻona kaulana loa. ʻOiai lākou e hana i kahi koho nani no nā lumi lumi a me nā alaloa. A, ʻaʻole ʻo ia wale nō ka hiʻohiʻona e hoʻolilo i ka papahele pōhaku maoli i koho paʻa.

From the palest marble and limestone to the darkest slate and granite, the design possibilities of stone flooring are vast and many are very durable, making them one of the best types of flooring materials to choose if you want to add value and character to your property.

HE POHAKU MAU MAIKAI NO NA PAPA KUMINA?

ʻO ka papahele pōhaku maoli i hoʻohanaʻia i loko o nā lumi kuke e hāʻawi i keʻano a me ka hana. ʻO ka pōhaku paʻa, lōʻihi, kahi koho kaulana i hoʻohana pinepine ʻia no nā countertops ʻoiai ʻo ka limestone e hāʻawi i kahi hoʻopau ʻoluʻolu mehana a ʻaʻole hiki ke maʻalahi. He kūpono inā loaʻa ka nui o ka wāwae o kāu lumi kuke. 

ʻEhia ke kumu kūʻai o ka papahele pōhaku maoli?

Prices vary enormously and will depend on the grade and quality of the stone. But, this is usually one of the downsides to natural stone flooring as prices compared to other types of floor tiles are elevated. Most stone is newly quarried but reclaimed slabs are available, which, although considered more environmentally friendly, are usually more expensive. Expect to pay upwards of £30 per m² from a high-street or national retailer and up to and over £500 per m² for high-grade or rarer stones. 

Ma US hiki iā ʻoe ke manaʻo e uku i kekahi mea mai $8 a i $18 no ka hoʻokomo wale ʻana. Me nā hoʻolālā kūʻokoʻa ʻē aʻe ke kumu kūʻai.

ʻO wai ka pōhaku maikaʻi loa no ka papahele?

Stone floors are widely considered to add value to a property, but choose wisely as once laid you won’t want to change them for years. The most durable option is granite while many would say that marble is the most popular (albeit expensive) option.

1. GRANITE

Loaʻa i loko o kahi ākea o nā kala, pinepine me nā ʻāpana mineral a i ʻole subtle veining granite kahi koho maʻalahi e hiki ke hoʻololi ʻia i ka hapa nui o nā ʻano hale. A no ka lōʻihi loa e hana ia ma nā wahi kaʻa kiʻekiʻe e like me ke alaloa. Hele mai ia ma nā ʻano hoʻopau like ʻole, akā ʻo ia ke ʻano poni e hōʻike piha i nā kala a me nā ʻano. ʻO ke kala ʻulaʻula mai ka uliuli a me ka poni a hiki i ka hina a me ka ʻōmaʻomaʻo ʻoliva, a loaʻa pinepine lākou i nā hōʻailona ʻulaʻula ʻulaʻula.

Granite floor tiles typically cost from £30 per m²/ $4/sq. ft. ($4 /case)for basic and uniform, black small format tiles. Expect to pay, on average, between £50-£70 per m²/ $14 for larger format tiles, that have a more interesting and colorful finish. The limitless variations of granite flooring colors and textures means that it is hard to put a price on some of the rare examples available. It is very possible to spend in excess of £150 per m²/$200 /sq.ft to find the perfect patterning for your floor.

2. PALAPALA

Hoʻokaʻawale maʻalahi i loko o nā mānoanoa like ʻole a loaʻa me kahi hoʻopau kikokikona, hana maikaʻi ka pāpaʻi ma nā wahi pulu e like me nā lumi ʻauʻau a me nā lumi kuke (e pili ana i ka mea e kuke ana!).

Slate sits at the cheaper end of the spectrum, costing as little as £10 per m²/$3.49/sq. ft. ($34.89 /case) from a high street or online supplier, up to £50 per m²/$11.00/sq. ft. for interesting colors and textures from specialist suppliers.

3. MAKEMAKE

E hoʻomaka ana i kona ola ʻana ma ke ʻano he pōhaku limestone, ma lalo o kekahi mau kūlana, ua crystallize kona mau ʻāpana e hana i nā veins maʻamau o ke kinikini. Ma kona ʻano maʻemaʻe, hiki ke ʻike ʻia i loko o kahi ākea o nā aka ʻē aʻe, mai nā hina like ʻole a hiki i ka ʻōmaʻomaʻo a me ka ʻeleʻele.

Marble floors come in at a similar price to granite, with an equal number of variations in color and texture on the market. It's as great in a kitchen as it is in a bathroom. Expect to pay from £50 per m²/$10.99/sq. ft for the most basic tile, to as much as £150 or £200 per m/$77.42/sq. ft. ($232.25 /case)² for decorative tiles or tiles with specialist color-ways and finishes.

4. LIMESTONE

Occurring in many tones, from nearly white to the more common warm honey, as well as rarer greys and dark browns Limestone is often a rustic. Textures range from even-grained stones through to smoother types with fossils and coarser, open-textured varieties. Some can be polished to resemble marble. It can scratch easily as it's quite soft so be careful in kitchens. However, as it's resistant to mold and bacteria, it works really well as a bathroom flooring option.

There is a lot of variation in the price of limestone tiles. The cheapest you will come across are around £30 per m² for a basic option, the average price is between £50 – £80 per m²/ $2-$11 per sq. ft, but much like granite and marble, you can end up spending up to £200 per m²/($200.00 /case)².

5. TRAVERTINE

He ʻili porous ʻo Travertine me nā puka liʻiliʻi e hāʻawi iā ia i kahi hiʻohiʻona like me ka sponge; papa kiʻekiʻe, ʻoi aku ka liʻiliʻi o nā lua travertine premium me ka waihoʻoluʻu ʻoi aʻe. Hiki ke hoʻopiha piha ʻia mai kekahi mau mea hoʻolako; i ole ia e pono e hoopiha ia ma kahi. Ke hoʻokomo pono ʻia, ʻo travertine kekahi o nā pōhaku paʻa loa no nā lumi ʻauʻau a me nā ua.

The cheapest travertine options are very affordable, starting from around £15 to £30 per m²/$468/case and giving a similar effect to limestone. The most you will look at spending on travertine tiles is around £70 per m²/ $50.30/sq. ft, $133.02 /case.

ʻO wai ka pōhaku kūlohelohe āu e koho ai no kāu kile?

ʻO ka hopena āu e koho ai e hoʻopili i ka nānā holoʻokoʻa o kāu mau tile a, ma muli o ka hopena, kou lumi. Hōʻike kēia papa ʻōlelo iā ʻoe i ka mea e hoʻopau ai i ka tile papahele.

• Honed – a smooth, matt surface for a natural look.
• Ua hāʻule – an aged or distressed finish created by the tumbling process, which uses a machine with water and stones to give softer edges.
• Riven – stone, usually slate, is split to expose the natural texture for a rustic look.
• Palaki – a finish that is created by stiff bristles for a slightly rough appearance.
• Hāmama – the surface has been finished with a pocked effect.
• Pillowed – a description used for stone that has soft, rounded edges.
• Hoʻomaʻamaʻa ʻia – smoothed for a glossy finish.
• ʻAi ʻia – a textured, non-reflective surface produced by a flame; sometimes referred to as a thermal finish.

He aha nā pōʻino o ka papahele pōhaku?

ʻO nā mea e nānā ai i ka wā e noʻonoʻo ai ʻoe i ka papahele pōhaku maoli ma kou home ʻo ke kumukūʻai a me ka mālama ʻana. Pono kekahi mau ʻano pōhaku e hoʻopaʻa mau ʻia no ka mea he porous lākou a hiki i ka pohō a me ka pohā. Pono ʻoe e noʻonoʻo i ko lākou lōʻihi e like me ka maʻalahi o nā ʻano papahele pōhaku ma mua o nā mea ʻē aʻe. Eia kekahi, hiki iā lākou ke paʻakikī a paʻakikī hoʻi e wehe.

Hiki ke anu a paʻakikī nā tile pōhaku ma lalo o ka wāwae, a pono kēia e noʻonoʻo i ka wā e hoʻoholo ai i kahi e waiho ai. Ma ka lumi hema, e hoʻohana ka pōhaku i ka mahana a me ka mahana me ka lā, akā inā he lumi ʻākau kou e hiki ke lilo i ke anuanu, ʻaʻole paha ka papahele pōhaku ke koho kūpono. Ua ʻōlelo kēia, hiki iā ʻoe ke hoʻopalupalu i ka papahele pōhaku me kahi ʻōpala. 

China and glass will almost certainly break if dropped on a solid stone floor. Some polished surfaces can be slippery in bathrooms, but there are textured tiles with non-slip finishes. The best way to find out if a floor covering is suitable for your space is to ask your supplier; if your selected tile isn’t appropriate, they will be able to suggest a similar option that is.

MAKEMAKE NEI NA KELE PAHA POHAKU ME KA PANAHANA MALALO?

Solid stone floor tiles are the perfect partner for underfloor heating because of the ease at which it absorbs and emits heat. This can be especially useful in a bathroom or kitchen. Not only will it feel pleasant under bare feet, but it is also an effective way of reducing the risk of damp because of the constant ambient temperature in the room.

KA HOOHOLO I NA KALE PAHAHAKU

It is possible to tile a floor yourself if you're a keen DIYer with the correct tools, time, patience and you don’t mind making one or two mistakes. For the sake of a weekend’s work, you could use the money o na koina hoonoho ma kahi e. Inā hoʻoholo ʻoe e waiho iā ʻoe iho, e hana mua i kāu haʻawina home a i ʻole ma ka liʻiliʻi loa e loaʻa i kahi loea e loiloi i ka hana nou.

This said, many suppliers recommend professional fitting for natural stone, so if you're not confident in your abilities it may be worth getting the help of a professional if you want the perfect finish – especially if you've spent a lot of money on your natural stone floor tiles. 

Other considerations include whether your joists will take the weight of large tiles or thick flagstones – timber floors may need strengthening. 

KE ANO E MALAMA ANA I NA KALE PAHA POHAKU MAU

Natural floor tiles will need to be sealed to prevent damage, staining, and to avoid repairing stone floors yourself. Your supplier or installer will be able to recommend the most appropriate products to use and should provide you with advice on looking after your chosen material. Once you have the correct product, cleaning stone floor tiles is a simple job.

Using cleaning products that aren’t recommended can leave behind a film, which can attract dirt and may need chemical removal at a later date. Regular sweeping will keep loose dirt away and, if needed, stone can be professionally cleaned and restored.