The natural beauty and soft colouring of stone flooring, for both interiors and landscaping, seem to be the key to its runaway popularity in Australian homes. Tiling retailers are reporting an even greater demand for the stone look now that an even larger format — a generous 900 x 450mm — has been introduced.
Geo Travertine - meets the demand for large format stone look tiles.
Tile supplier, Amber, claims consumers are showing a preference for the larger stone tile as it creates a less cluttered look to the floor due to fewer grout lines while creating a feeling of even greater space. The other significant factor in the current trend is that the choice is for man-made stone — read full-bodied porcelain — that replicates the exact look of natural stone but without the extra maintenance and at a more affordable price. Unlike natural stone, full-bodied porcelain will not stain or discolour, is salt and chlorine resistant and requires no sealing. It can also be significantly less expensive.
The latest addition to the Amber large format portfolio is Geo Travertine — a full bodied rectified porcelain that is an extremely accurate copy of the irregular texture and creamy beige markings of natural travertine.
The term ‘rectified’ indicates the tile’s edges are a very clean, straight cut giving the effect of an uninterrupted slab-like surface. The 900 x 450mm Geo Travertine tile has matching steptreads.
Geo Travertine is specifically designed for interior applications and while laying the tile in a stretcher bond configuration is one of the most popular looks, many are now choosing to lay the tile in a herringbone pattern.
The same range of tiles also features a white slate look alike — called Geo Slate — with the same dimensions and in a beautiful weathered off-white. With its R11 rating (excellent slip-resistance) this product is a good choice for external areas.
Source: Building Products News.
