Natural Stone Or Porcelain: Which One Is A Better Fit For Your Project?

Sareen Stone explores the differences between using natural stone or porcelain to make you confident in determining which material will be more suitable for your installation.

When selecting tiles for your project, there are endless options. Along with natural stone, there is a growing range of porcelain tiles available today, offering a timber, Marble, Limestone, Granite, as well as concrete look.

While selecting the right design can be overwhelming, there are further differences between natural stone and porcelain to help you figure out whether the material is the best fit for your project.

We will cover the differences in terms of design, texture, cost, installation, maintenance as well as longevity of both materials.

While deciding between the two comes down to personal preference and the requirements of the project, this article aims to explain the differences and things to consider that will enable you to make an informed decision about which material will be most suitable for your project.

FAQs | Architects and Designers About Natural Stone

In this article, we’ve talked with Michael to find answers to the most frequently asked questions about natural stone he gets from architects and designers.

Our natural stone specialist, Michael Mastro works predominantly with architects and designers and in this article, he answers their FAQs.

Sareen Stone’s natural stone specialist, Michael Mastro works predominantly with architects and designers and helps them to find products that meet their design requirements while making sure the selected material is suitable for the application.

He talks to architects and designers every day helping them to understand natural stone, manage expectations, highlight benefits, and dissolve myths surrounding this natural material.

In this article, we’ve talked with Michael to find answers to the most frequently asked questions about natural stone.

Porphyry Stone: Paving Tradition that Lasts Centuries

The two newest additions to our premium cobblestone range have arrived, Porphyry stone Filetti and Crazy Paving. In this article, we’ll learn more about tradition, history, versatility, symbolism, benefits and common uses of Porphyry.

The two newest additions to our premium cobblestone range have arrived, Porphyry Stone Filetti and Crazy Paving.

The two newest additions to our premium natural stone range have arrived; Porphyry Stone Filetti and Crazy Paving.

In the article below, we explore and learn more about the tradition, history, versatility, symbolism, benefits, and common uses of Porphyry Stone.

9 Reasons To Choose Natural Stone

Natural stone is a material that has been used in architecture for centuries. Apart from its high design value and the unique natural variation, there are many other reasons why to choose natural stone for your project.

 

Today, we talk about 9 benefits of using natural stone.

The What, Why, and Where of Natural Stone in Wall Cladding

Stone wall cladding is an affordable, stylish option for a range of residential and commercial projects, from feature walls and columns to fireplace surrounds to something completely unique.

Stone wall cladding is like the icing on a cake – it adds that final touch that takes a design to the next level.

7 Reasons to Choose Large Format Tiles

The popularity of larger format tiles continues to grow because their benefits are many.

Designing a space to flow seamlessly from indoors to out is easy with larger format tiles.

Limestone Moves Outdoors

Your client loves limestone and wants to use it indoors and out. You know all limestones are beautiful – soothing, relaxing and soft to walk on, but you also know that not all limestones are suitable for outdoors. Sareen Stone’s Alfresco range of Limestones offers the solution.

Limestone for outdoors has traditionally been ‘tumbled’ to provide a relaxed ‘outdoor’ feel. While these Limestone tiles look beautiful, the tumbling process on limestone can result in a very slippery tile, totally unsuitable as an external finish particularly for uncovered areas.

 

This is predominantly why Sareen Stone has developed the Alfresco Limestone range. The Alfresco range provides the opportunity to achieve an indoor/outdoor flow that Australians love – the same stone can flow from inside the home to out – providing a safe and seamless transition.

Granite vs Granite Lookalikes

This week we compare natural granite to porcelain granite lookalikes. You might be surprised to find out that all is not what it may seem!

Written by Michael Mastro, Natural Stone Specialist, Sareen Stone.

Filling Holes in Tumbled Travertine

To fill or not to fill, when it comes to travertine – that is the question! Our outdoor stone specialist, Gary Bazzana, explains why our customers usually fill in the holes in the travertine when using travertine outdoors.

Travertine is a freshwater sedimentary stone composed of calcite which is usually formed at the mouth of hot springs or in limestone caves. It naturally has open holes that once held little bubbles of trapped gas.

The most popular finish for Travertine to be used outdoors is the tumbled finish.

The tumbled finish has a higher slip rating than the filled and honed tiles, favoured for indoor use.

Tumbled Travertine pavers and tiles are imported with the holes in the stone still open, known as “Tumbled and Unfilled”.

How do we select our Premium Natural Stone?

As importers and suppliers of natural stone our team regularly visits stone quarries throughout the world. But, how do we choose the right block from a quarry, how is it processed and how does that block of stone find its way to our warehouse?