Staircases and Stair Stone Cladding
Staircase cladding, flooring and wall cladding have long been a trend among hotels and beautiful homes. The fact that the same material or combination of complimentary materials can be used to stylise indoor spaces has been on many interior designers schedules since the beauty of stone was discovered. Not only is the stone magnificently beautiful but it has serious practical purpose as well. Solid treads supported by solid risers make for a very strong and sturdy staircase.
Stone vs Tile Stairs
If compared to a tiled staircase, you will find that the tiles are never even and tend to chip or break as there are a lot more individual pieces making up a whole. There are also joins that can never really be lined up perfectly and leave corners that can chip or break. Contrary to popular belief, polished stone is not all that slippery. In fact, the grip between a rubber soul and polished stone is quite good. For safety sake, we often sandblast or groove the leading edge of the treads to allow for extra grip. This also looks very tidy and gives a person a sense of security.
For homes or buildings with staircases visible from the entry, stone staircases are an absolute must and an absolute WOW. There are also different finishes that can be chosen for the stone like “Honed” which is more a slightly sandblasted effect that still allows the colour and grain of the material to shine through. This is generally a very good idea for aiding grip and countering visible wear. One can often find granite in “Flamed” as well. This is an amazing finish for exterior and staircase use. Flaming is a process whereby stone slabs are slowly passed under a very small but very hot flame, the stones surface is then heated too quickly for it to expend properly and causes a very thin layer from the top of the stone slab to chip off, much like a small smooth chip in a glass. This finish doesn’t show wear, aids grip and looks fascinating. Staircase cladding is not limited to any set of rules, shapes, patterns, thicknesses or colours as the pieces needed are cut from any thickness, colour, texture or grain. Treads and risers can also be cut from different materials for contrast effects or to match a colour scheme.
