5 o ituaiga sili ona lelei o fola maa mo umukuka, faletaele ma isi mea

O ituaiga eseese o fola maa o le a aoga i le tele o potu, pe iai sau fale faʻaonapo nei poʻo se fale faʻaonaponei. O maa masani i totonu o umukuka o se tasi lea o foliga sili ona lauiloa. A'o latou faia se filifiliga matagofie mo faleta'ele ma alatele. Ma, e le na'o foliga e faia ai le fola ma'a masani o se filifiliga mautu.

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.

E LELEI LE MA'A NATURA MO fola o le umukuka?

O fola maa masani e faʻaaogaina i umukuka o le a maua uma ai le faiga ma le faʻatinoga. Ma'a'a'a tumau, umi umi, ose filifiliga lauiloa e masani ona fa'aoga mo fa'amaufa'ailoga a'o le ma'a'amu e maua ai se fa'au'uga mafanafana mafanafana ma e le faigofie fo'i. Lelei pe afai o lau umukuka avanoa e maua ai le tele o vae. 

E fia le tau o le fogafale ma'a?

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. 

I le US e mafai ona e faʻamoemoe e totogi soʻo se mea mai le $8 i le $18 mo naʻo le faʻapipiʻiina. Faatasi ai ma mamanu tulaga ese e sili atu le tau.

O LEA LE MAA SILI MO LE FOLOGA?

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. KRANITE

E maua i le tele o fusi o lanu, e masani ona i ai i fasi minerale po'o maamora veining maaleale o se filifiliga fetuutuunai e mafai ona fetuunai i le tele o sitaili fale. Ma ona o le umi tele o le a aoga i nofoaga maualuluga o feoaiga e pei o se alatele. E sau i faʻamaʻi eseese, ae o le faʻailoga faʻalelei e faʻaalia atoatoa ai lanu ma mamanu. O lanu lanu mai le lanumoana ma le lanu viole e o'o atu i le efuefu ma le lanumeamata olive, ma e masani ona aofia ai faʻailoga mumu elea.

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. PAPA

Fa'afaigofie ona vaelua i mafiafia eseese ma avanoa fa'atasi ma se fa'ama'i fa'auma, e aoga lelei le pa'u i nofoaga susu e pei o faleta'ele ma umukuka (fa'alagolago i le tagata e kuka!).

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. MAPULE

Amataina lona olaga e pei o le ma'a limestone, i lalo o tulaga patino o ona vaega e tioata e fai ai veins masani o le maamora. I lona foliga mama, e mafai ona maua i le tele o isi lanu, mai le lanu efuefu eseese e oo atu i le lanumeamata ma le uliuli.

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. OLEO

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

Travertine o loʻo i ai se porous luga ma ni pu laiti e maua ai se foliga pei o le omomi; maualuga maualuga, premium travertine e itiiti lua ma se lanu vibrant sili atu. E mafai ona maua mai ua saunia-faatumu mai nisi o sapalai; a le o lea e tatau ona faatumu i totonu. A faʻapipiʻi saʻo, o le travertine o se tasi o maʻa sili ona umi mo faletaele ma taʻele.

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.

O LE A LE MA'A NATURA E FA'I'U E TE FILIFILIA MO AU TILE?

O le fa'ai'uga e te filifilia o le a a'afia ai le va'aiga atoa o au ta'ele ma, o le i'uga, o lou potu. O lo'o ta'u atu e lenei fa'amatalaga mea o lo'o fa'aumaina i le fola.

• Fa'aaloalo – a smooth, matt surface for a natural look.
• Pa'u – 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.
• Fufulu – a finish that is created by stiff bristles for a slightly rough appearance.
• Samala – the surface has been finished with a pocked effect.
• Aluga – a description used for stone that has soft, rounded edges.
• Faila – smoothed for a glossy finish.
• Mumu – a textured, non-reflective surface produced by a flame; sometimes referred to as a thermal finish.

O LEA LE LELEI O LE fola o maa?

O mea e te va'ai i ai pe a e mafaufau i fola ma'a faanatura i lou fale o le tau ma le tausiga. O nisi ituaiga o ma'a e mana'omia le fa'amaufa'ailoga faifaipea ona e pupule ma e ono mata'utia ma mata'e. E tatau foi ona e gauai atu i lo latou umi ona o nisi ituaiga o fola maa e sili atu ona faigofie nai lo isi. E le gata i lea, e mafai foi ona faigata tele ma taugata e aveese.

O maa maa e mafai ona malulu ma malo i lalo o vae, ma e tatau ona mafaufau i ai pe a filifili po o fea e tuʻu ai. I totonu o se potu e faʻasaga i saute, o le maa o le a faʻaaogaina le vevela vevela ma mafanafana i le la, ae afai e iai sau potu faʻasaga i matu e mafai ona malulu, o se fola maa atonu e le o se filifiliga lelei. O le tala lea, e mafai ona e faamaluluina se fola maa ma se fala. 

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.

E FEAGAI ILE FOTO MA'A MA FA'AVAE I LALO?

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.

FAAPEFEA ONA FA'ATA'U AI LE FOTO MA'A

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 tau fa'apipi'i i isi mea. Afai e te filifili e faataatia e oe lava ia, fai muamua lau meaaoga po'o le i ai i se tagata tomai faapitoa e iloilo le galuega mo oe.

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. 

FAAPEFEA ONA TAUSIA ILE FALOGA MAA NATURA

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.