Essential Information

Limestone is a sedimentary rock formed by the consolidation of sediments, seashells and other organic matter. This calcareous stone forms our largest product range. Each limestone exhibits its own characteristic colours and markings. Some degree of edge chipping can be expected together with occasional surface pitting, fossilised shells, fissures and mineral striations.

Travertine is created by hot mineral springs. The result of this method of formation is a honey-combed structure which when finished has visible surface pitting and voids. Our travertine is available in either ‘filled’ or ‘unfilled’ finishes. With an unfilled travertine the surface voids will be filled with grout during the installation process. Filled travertine has had these pits and voids filled at source with a colour matched stone resin. Whilst this gives a smoother surface, through general usage, some small areas of fill may dislodge or previously unexposed holes may become visible. This is not unusual and the holes should be re-filled with a suitable resin or grout.

Marble is a metamorphic rock historically used in ancient buildings. Marble encompasses a vast spectrum of colours with mineral veining generally contrasting to the base stone colour. Some marble tiles or slabs may have a meshed backing or resin on the rear to help strengthen the tiles when the veins are particularly predominant. Marble is a very dense stone that readily lends itself to a polished finish.

A fine-grained metamorphic rock that is characterised by its ability to be split into broad sheets. Slate is a durable stone which presents a diverse range of colours and textures. We offer ‘riven’ slate, which has a naturally cleft surface and is rustic by its nature, with chips and chisel marks present on some surfaces. Some of our ‘riven’ slate varies in thickness or is ‘uncalibrated’ and therefore requires ‘bedding up’ with the appropriate thick bed adhesive during installation. We also offer ‘honed’ slates that are machined to create a smooth, even surface. Some of the dark honed slate can be prone to scratch marks.

A coarse-grained sedimentary rock formed by compressed sand deposited by water or wind. It is commonly characterised by a granular surface. Sandstone is a hard yet very porous stone that requires thorough impregnation and surface sealing when used internally. Sandstone in its large flag format is a very popular external choice.

A dense metamorphic crystalline rock that offers considerable shade variation, ranging from light pearl grey to dark gold, with an undulose, riven surface texture.

Terracotta is made from natural clay which has been moulded and then kiln fired to bake the clay and produce rigid tiles. The clay is either moulded by hand, these tiles offer a more rustic feel, or machine-moulded for a more consistent finish. All Terracotta tiles will be subject to edge chipping and variation which is part of the finished look of an authentic Terracotta floor. Terracotta when untreated is very porous and as such any unsealed tiles will look very different from your finished floor.

A hard igneous rock originating from the slow crystallisation of molten magma cooling deep beneath the earth’s surface, this is the hardest stone in our range. Available in a polished finish this shows off the ornate crystals which serve to make up Granite.

A fine grained, dark coloured igneous rock generally formed from volcanic lava flows, it is made up of minute crystals barely visible to the naked eye.

Stone tiles can be potentially used for any residential or commercial project, but do check your substrate prior to fixing to enable us to advise you on installation procedures. Taking the inside out, driveways, terraces and gardens can also be paved or cobbled.

Many of our stone tiles can be installed on both floors and walls. The underlying substrates should be checked prior to installation for their suitability. Bear in mind most of our stone becomes thicker and heavier when the tile sizes are larger.

The choice is yours! Mandarin Stone offer stone from the smallest mosaics to very large slabs, so there are no limits to your choice. Please note that large tiles often make an area look bigger and rectangular format tiles tend to give a room a direction whereas a square format tiles will not. Also consider laying square tiles ‘on the diagonal’ to make a room space look larger.

There are often misconceptions that certain types of stone are ‘better’ or ‘more hardwearing’ than others. This is generally not the case. The look of the stone you want is essentially more important than the type.

The style of the property or the 'look' you are trying to create should reflect your decision here. A smooth ‘honed’ stone or a ‘polished’ stone can create a modern or classic feel. Whereas a ‘riven’ slate or an ‘antique’ stone will give a more traditional or rustic look.

Natural stone offers a wide spectrum of colour shades so the choice is endless! From stones that are reasonably plain and uniform to others that offer extensive tonal variation. Like any other material the lighter, plainer stones tend to be less forgiving for cleaning purposes than those that are a slightly darker and more mottled in shade.

Yes, all natural stones are porous to varying degrees and therefore need to be thoroughly sealed during the fixing process to prevent staining etc. Please go to the Installation & Sealing information for more details.

A finish which offers a gently softened edge to the tile and a very light surface texture.

A term which encompasses various ageing/distressing methods which achieves a worn look to the stone. Please note that where stones originate from different countries, antiquing methods will vary, and therefore ultimately the look of the stone will vary.

A form of antique stone, which has only slight surface texture and a softly rounded edge.

Where the stone has been finished to a uniform thickness.

Virtually the same as ‘brushing’. A finish which is used by the Italians in our Renaissance range, leaving the stone with a silky texture.

Where the edge of the stone has been worked to give a hand-chipped appearance.

Where the edge of the stone has been chiselled by hand to recreate a traditional looking floor.

Generally a smaller stone of greater thickness. Normally used externally.

Relates to travertine where the blocks are cut horizontally to achieve its well known mottled appearance.

A term used to describe the process in which large stone slabs are made into bespoke worktops, vanity tops, bath surrounds etc.

This term is related primarily to travertine. Travertine is characterised by surface pits and holes, these can be pre-filled at source by a stone resin which is as similar as possible to the colour of the stone. Not every single pit/hole may be completely filled, and therefore even a pre-filled stone may require some filling by grout during the fixing process.

This is thin mineral veining which can be mistaken for a crack in the stone.

Generally a larger stone of a thicker depth for use externally or internally.

Fossils are remnants of past animals or plants. Fossils can exist in many different types of mineral.

A laying format for tiles, where the width of the stone is static i.e. 400mm or 600mm and the length of the tiles vary randomly. Offers a look which is reminiscent of traditional stone floors. Please see Stone Layouts on page 142.

The stone is run through a machine to give a smooth surface to the face of the stone.

One, two or more minerals combine to form rock. They are non-living solids that are found in nature. Quartz and calcite are commonly found in stone.

A small variation from stated sizes and thicknesses.

Where the stone is laid in a repeated pattern which gives a random effect. There are various Opus patterns depending on the stone. Please note you cannot choose a stone to come in a particular Opus, a stone will come in an Opus specified by us, please see pricing tables throughout the site.

A form of antique stone, where the edges have a soft, but almost pronounced ‘pillowed’ edge.

Where the stone is worked to achieve a high reflective gloss to the surface of the tile.

A finish where each piece of stone is finished by hand. Some pieces will have a soft stippled surface, whereas others will have smooth undulations. These combine to recreate the effect of an original antique stone floor.

A naturally cleft or riven face simply achieved by splitting blocks of stone. This term usually relates to slate or sandstone, giving a fairly rustic feel.

A large piece of stone which can be fabricated into worktops, vanity tops, bath surrounds etc.

A decorative linear border tile in the marble range.

A form of antique stone, where the stone has been ‘tumbled’ which gives a rounded edge to the tile and the surface may be slightly textured.

Where the thickness of the tile varies to a greater or lesser degree.

This term is primarily related to travertine. Travertine is characterised by surface pits and holes, and an unfilled finish leaves the travertine in its natural state. This then requires the surface of the stone to be filled with grout during the fixing process.

This is the term describing the natural, irregular mineral lines found in stone.

This term relates to travertine, where the stone is cut in such a way which shows the natural striations, giving a banded appearance to the stone.