5 ea mefuta e metle ka ho fetisisa ea fatše ea majoe bakeng sa kichine, likamore tsa ho hlapela le tse ling

Mefuta e fapaneng ea fatše ea majoe e tla sebetsa likamoreng tse ngata, ebang u na le ntlo ea mehleng ea kajeno kapa ea kajeno. Lithaele tsa majoe a tlhaho ka kichineng ha e le hantle ke e 'ngoe ea ponahalo e ratoang ka ho fetisisa. Ha ba ntse ba etsa khetho e ntle bakeng sa likamore tsa ho hlapela le li-hallways hape. Hape, ha se chebahalo feela e etsang hore fatše lejoe la tlhaho e be khetho e tiileng.

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.

NA LEJIKA LA TLHAHO LE MOLEMO BAKENG SA MAKATO EA KEKI?

Sefate sa majoe a tlhaho se sebelisoang ka kichineng se tla fana ka setaele le ts'ebetso ka bobeli. Granite e tšoarellang, e tšoarellang nako e telele ke khetho e tsebahalang e atisang ho sebelisoa bakeng sa li-countertops ha mokoetla o tla fana ka mocheso o mofuthu oa rustic 'me o ke ke oa senyeha habonolo. E loketse haeba sebaka sa hau sa kichineng se fumana maoto a mangata. 

HO FIHLELA MAKATENG KA LEjoe LA TLHAHO HO BITSA BAKAE?

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. 

Naheng ea Amerika u ka lebella ho lefa eng kapa eng ho tloha ho $8 ho isa ho $18 bakeng sa ho kenya feela. Ka meralo e ikhethang e bitsang chelete e ngata.

LEJWE LE LENG LE MOLEMO KA HO FETISA MABATO KE LEFE?

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. LEKANE

E fumaneha ka mefuta e mengata ea mebala, hangata e nang le li-mineral specks kapa granite e poteletseng ea veining ke khetho e feto-fetohang e ka ikamahanyang le mekhoa e mengata ea ntlo. 'Me kaha e tšoarella haholo, e tla sebetsa libakeng tse phahameng tsa sephethephethe joalo ka phasejeng. E tla ka liphetho tse fapaneng, empa ke mofuta o bentšitsoeng o senolang mebala le lipaterone ka botlalo. Mebala e fapana ho tloha ho boputsoa le bo pherese ho ea ho bohlooho-putsoa le botala ba mohloaare, 'me hangata e kenyelletsa matšoao a mafome a khubelu.

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. LETLATSI

E arotsoe habonolo ka botenya bo fapaneng 'me e fumaneha ka mokhoa o hlophisitsoeng, letlapa le sebetsa hantle libakeng tse mongobo joalo ka likamore tsa ho hlapa le kichine (ho latela hore na ho pheha mang!).

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. MARBOLA

E qala bophelo ba eona e le lejoe la mokoetla, tlas'a maemo a itseng likarolo tsa eona lia phatsima ho etsa methapo e tloaelehileng ea 'mabole. Ka sebōpeho sa eona se hloekileng ka ho fetisisa, e ka fumanoa ka mefuta e mengata ea mefuta e meng, ho tloha ka mefuta e sa tšoaneng ea bohlooho ho ea ho e tala le e ntšo.

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. LESOTHO

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. TS'ELISO

Travertine e na le bokaholimo ba masoba bo nang le masoba a manyane a fanang ka ponahalo e kang ea seponche; boemo bo holimo, premium travertine e na le mekoti e fokolang e nang le 'mala o hlakileng haholoanyane. E ka nkuoa e se e tletse ho tsoa ho barekisi ba bang; ho seng joalo e tla hloka ho tlatsoa sebakeng. Ha e kenngoa ka nepo, travertine ke e 'ngoe ea majoe a tšoarellang ka ho fetisisa bakeng sa likamore tsa ho hlapela le lishaoara.

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.

KE LEjoe lefe la tlhaho le Qetetseng O LOKELANG HO LE KHETHA BAKENG SA LITHALE TSA HAO?

Qetello eo u e khethang e tla ama chebahalo e akaretsang ea lithaele tsa hau, ka lebaka leo, kamore ea hau. Bukana ea mantsoe e u bolella hore na lithaele tsa fatše li qetella ka eng.

• Tlotlisoa – a smooth, matt surface for a natural look.
• Koetsoe – 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.
• Hlatsoa – a finish that is created by stiff bristles for a slightly rough appearance.
• E behiloe ka hamore – the surface has been finished with a pocked effect.
• Melameloa – a description used for stone that has soft, rounded edges.
• E bentšitsoe – smoothed for a glossy finish.
• E tuka – a textured, non-reflective surface produced by a flame; sometimes referred to as a thermal finish.

MOLIMO OA HO PHATLAA TSA LEjoe KE FE?

Lintho tseo u lokelang ho li ela hloko ha u nahana ka fatše ka majoe a tlhaho ka tlung ea hau ke litšenyehelo le tlhokomelo. Mefuta e meng ea majoe e hloka ho tiisoa khafetsa kaha a na le masoba 'me a kotsing ea ho fela le ho peperana. U lokela hape ho ela hloko ho tšoarella ha tsona kaha mefuta e meng ea fatše ea majoe e lla habonolo ho feta e meng. Ho phaella moo, li ka ba thata haholo 'me tsa bitsa chelete e ngata ho li tlosa.

Lithaele tsa majoe li ka ba tse batang le tse thata ka tlas'a maoto, 'me sena se lokela ho nahanoa ha ho etsoa qeto ea hore na se tla beha hokae. Ka kamoreng e shebileng boroa, lejoe le tla amohela mocheso o mofuthu le ho futhumala ha letsatsi, empa haeba u e-na le kamore e shebileng leboea e nang le monyetla oa ho bata, fatše lejoe e ka 'na ea se ke ea e-ba khetho e nepahetseng. Sena se boletse, u ka nolofatsa fatše lejoe ka leseka. 

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.

NA LITHAELE TSA MAKATENG EA MATŠEPA LI TSOELANA LE HO FUTHA KA TLAS'A FORO?

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.

MOKHOA OA HO BEHA LITHALE TSA MAKATO EA LEjoe

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 ea litšenyehelo tsa ho kenya libakeng tse ling. Haeba u etsa qeto ea ho ipehela eona, etsa mosebetsi oa hau oa sekolo pele kapa bonyane u be le setsebi se u hlahlobelang mosebetsi.

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. 

MOKHOA OA HO BOLOKA LITHALE TSA TLHAHO TSA LEjoe

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.