How do you compare cheap stone flooring cost? Whether you live in Montana or any other location within the US, you are likely to have this and other questions when you are in the market for stone flooring services.
What you have here is a brief guide on how to compare stone flooring prices that may be offered by different contractors within your location.
Stone flooring has been a medium through which homeowners beautify and glamorize their homes. Some years back, this type of flooring was seen as a luxury that only the rich and people in the upper class could afford.
Today, it’s a different story as a lot of changes have gone into the production technology of stone floorings. That’s why we see a reduction in the price of this home feature.
Now, we shall discuss all the basic things you need to know about stone flooring. Fortunately, this will guide you on how to compare prices and then make an informed purchase decision at the end of the day.
The Basics of Stone Flooring Cost
Unlike other types of flooring services, natural stone tends to stand out because it doesn’t go through any form of alteration. As the name implies, it’s totally “natural”. As stated earlier, natural stones are luxuries. This is because when it’s used for flooring your home or a particular space, it brings an entirely different look.
Natural stones are also highly preferred by some people because you don’t get to see your floor designs elsewhere. That’s to say that no stone floor looks like another.
We have different types of natural stone floorings and they include granite, limestone, travertine, marble, slate, etc. Each of these possesses a unique factor that differentiates them from one another. We shall discuss them soon.
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How To Choose Stone Flooring Services
When trying to compare the cost of stone flooring in Montana, one has to be sure of the characteristics to look out for. This is to ensure that certain mistakes aren’t made in the process of purchase. The factors are
- The type of stone flooring
- Friction
- Absorption
- The grade of the stone
Types of Stone Flooring
There are different types of stone flooring. The cost and value of each of these flooring vary according to the quality of the stone that’s been processed. Let’s have a look at the different types of stone floorings that can be used to beautify the home.
1. Travertine Stone Flooring
Travertine is a type of stone flooring that is known for being porous. To be able to prevent acidic substances from getting in and stain the travertine floor, you’d need to introduce a stone sealer to it.
This type of stone has the ability to go soft after a couple of years and would start producing different shades of color. They are capable of having a semblance with marble floors when polished. In terms of stone flooring cost, it is one of the most expensive types to use.
2. Marble Stone Flooring
Marble is a type of stone that is largely considered the most expensive type of stone flooring. It’s also said to be the longest type of natural stone in existence.
When luxury stone floors are mentioned, marble tends to make the list courtesy of its classic appearance. They are usually identified by their grain patterns which have a soft feel. Then, the colors range from creamy, green, red, and white.
If you are looking to floor your bathrooms and kitchens with marble stones, it’s advised that you don’t go for polished marbles. That’s because it tends to become very slippery when it’s wet.
Instead, go for honed marble as it’s said to possess a much better surface. Generally, marble stones are soft and it’s liable to stain couples with scratch. Sealing the floor is the best way to avoid these. However, this may add up to the stone flooring cost in some cases.
3. Granite Stone Flooring
Made from pressure, granite stone happens to be one of the toughest materials that have been used for flooring homes.
However, unlike travertine and marble stone, granite is a natural stone flooring material that can withstand scratch and stains. They do not need any form of sealant to protect them from these elements.
Purchasing Granite stone flooring in Montana can be pretty cheap if you’re going for the locally-made stones.
4. Limestone Flooring
Limestone floorings are porous and are very prone to stains and scratches. Using this natural stone to floor your home means that you have to protect it with a sealant. The maintenance of the floor is solely dependent on the measures you apply.
Asides from the fact that it is a much harder type of stone flooring, limestone flooring shares some qualities that can also be found in travertine stones.
5. Slate Flooring
If you are looking for stone flooring that saves time and requires lower maintenance, then you should consider going for a slate. It’s a type of natural stone flooring that gives a beautiful dark finish to the home.
This stone is one of the most durable and it’s known to last for a long period of time. To maintain properly, it has to be resealed once you notice that the shine is beginning to wear off.
They are identified by their colors which range from gray, brown, and some other warm color shades. Slate is usually sharpened to have a smooth surface. Other times, it’s left in its rough state, which is considered better.
The Cost of Stone Flooring
The cost of every stone flooring is usually determined by your location, the material of the stone, and the square footage.
A lot of the time, stone flooring might cost around $2 to $10 in square footage. Other times, we have stone flooring installers who charge differently according to their services or an exceptional service that they are willing to offer.
Related: Homeowners Guide To Bathroom Flooring Installation
Average stone flooring cost per square foot and material
- Cost of marble floor: $5 – $50 per square foot.
- Cost of Granite stone floor: $2-$20 per square foot.
- Cost of Travertine stone floor: $3-$20 per square foot.
- Cost of slate stone floor: $2-$20 per square foot.
- Cost of limestone stone floor: $5-$20 per share foot.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the best inexpensive flooring?
A: Here are some of the inexpensive flooring options we have:
- Laminate flooring
- Vinyl flooring
- Ceramic tile
- Stained concrete
- Linoleum
- Cork.
When it comes to choosing some of the home floorings that aren’t inexpensive, laminate and vinyl flooring turns out to be among the best.
Laminate flooring is suitable for the rooms in the home. Laminate flooring alongside vinyl flooring is a really good option when it comes to affordable flooring for your kitchen.
Q2: Are stone floors expensive?
A: If you mean, “how much does it cost to install stone flooring”, stone floorings are not all that expensive. But according to per square foot, it costs between $2 to $10. On average, stone floors cost about $6 per square footage.
Some professionals and home floor installers will want to give you a quote according to their rate and the kind of stone flooring services they have on their list.
Q3: Which is cheaper to install, laminate, or tile?
A: Laminate floors are cheaper to install. While laminate floors cost about $2 per square footage to install, tile floors cost about $5.75 per square footage.
Laminate floors are cheaper to install because they do not require the whole labor-intensive process that goes into installing tile floors. Laminate is also one of the cheapest stone floorings we have.
Q4: Which floor is the most expensive?
A: Tile floor is the most expensive kind of floor to install. This is because a lot of work is involved in the installation process. The stone floor tile price is always higher.
Q5: Which type of flooring is the best?
These are the types of floors that are most preferred:
- Marble: Marble floors are mostly used to add more glamour to the home.
- Hardwood: They are used to upgrade the home interiors.
- Indian patent stone: Used for giving the home a concrete look.
- Vitrified tiles: Used most times to provide the home with a clean look
- Vinyl floors: It’s used to give warmth to the home.
- Laminate flooring: it’s used for decorating homes and is a very affordable kitchen option.
Q6: Is wooden flooring good?
Wooden floorings come in the form of a laminate, hardwood, bamboo floorings, etc. All of the aforementioned tends to allow warmth into your home.
They also tend to introduce glamour and give your home the luxurious look you crave. Laminate flooring is mostly used because it tends to last longer. Even though it isn’t waterproof and it’s quite hard to maintain, it’s still the most used.
Q7: Is Granite good for flooring?
A: Yes. Granite is one of the hardest stones that has been used for home flooring. It’s also known for its durability and much better than marble floors. Granite floors are made from igneous rocks and a lot of people highly recommend them.
In addition to its qualities, it doesn’t scratch or stain like some other types of stone flooring. That’s to say that they do not require resealing.
Conclusion
As you have seen in this post, there many interesting benefits of cheap stone flooring. From the above sections, you now know the exact types of stone flooring commonly found in the market. With this and other information provided in this brief buyer guide, you can now be able to engage stone flooring contractors to request a quote.
If you want to find out the closest service providers in this space, consider using search queries like ‘cheap stone flooring companies near me’ or ‘stone flooring service providers in Montana’ or anywhere else for that matter.
While you are getting into the actual cost comparison, it is also important to decide if you are specifically in need of indoor or outdoor stone flooring.
Related: Laminate Flooring vs Luxury Vinyl Flooring
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