Sunroom Stone Flooring
The choice of flooring for your sunroom depends on the use to which you wish to put it. If it is an addition to the house then it may be decorated in the same manner as the house, possibly with carpet. However, you may see it as an extension of the garden or perhaps wish to distinguish it from the house and hence may consider using stone or fake stone flooring. This can give a hard wearing elegant surface but there are several options each with advantages and disadvantages as a sunroom floor.
Limestone sunroom flooring
Limestone is a sedimentary rock and is porous in nature. The porosity means that it can stain easily. To reduce the risk of staining the surface of the limestone sunroom floor use a sealant to impregnate the surface. Before you do this you must make sure that it is very clean, else you will fix the stain in-situ. Limestone can also be quite soft and easily damaged, although other types of limestone can be very hard wearing. Think carefully about the amount of use the floor will get and if it is likely to wear or chip. Limestone varies in color from white to light-brown.
Sandstone sunroom tiles
Sandstone is also porous and hence will also require sealing before it gets too dirty. One advantage of sandstone over limestone is that it is available in many more colors (red, brown or even white) but this can mean it is difficult to get a consistent color match across a large floor as it can vary from tile to tile.
Marble sunroom floors
The Romans and Greeks used lots of marble. Why? Well it can look fantastic and is very hard wearing. It's derived from Limestone by natural heat and pressure treatment. Despite its hard wearing it should be noted that it's again wise to protect the surface of a marble floor with a coating. An issue with marble is that it typically has lots of 'veins' running through (swirls of different color material). These look attractive but make trying to lay the tiles difficult. It is key not to try and tile the floor to follow a vein, but instead roughly follow the patterns but with a bit of randomness added so that if the one vein stops it isn't abrupt as others are nearby. A marble with lots of smaller veins is easier to lay than one with larger, thicker veins.
Slate flooring for sunrooms
Slate used to be used to roof many houses in Europe and as you would hope its waterproof or non-porous. That is not to say it can't be marked and so you might want to consider coating it as well. It can vary in color from the 'standard' gray to black, green or even light brown. Slate splits very well produces a tile of a smooth finish.
Granite
Granite is a very hard wearing, igneous rock. It is available in many colors from black down to a spotty pink color. Despite is non-porosity and hard wearing it should be protected. It is an expensive investment after all.
Stone Floor Coatings
These coat the surface preventing dirt and grease impregnation. They don't cost much and are worth the effort.
Which stone flooring?
The final choice of which stone floor to choose will come down to personal preference and the look of the surrounding sunroom. Having a slate or granite jet black floor may be a must have or perhaps the brilliant white of limestone or marble is preferred. For any of the choices it is recommended that you apply a protective finish to the floor to prevent oil and grease penetration. The floor material dealer should be able to recommend a suitable one. It is recommended that for the best finish get a professional to lay the floor, unless you are competent and patient.