Surface Guides

Porcelain tiles are ceramic tiles with a water absorption rate of less than 0.5 percent that are used to cover floors and walls. They can either be unglazed or glazed and are available in a variety of colours, textures and finishes. Porcelain is much harder than ordinary ceramic tiles and is usually selected, despite its higher price etc. in areas where strength is more important, such as floors...

Encaustic cement tiles are handmade, decorative, colorful tiles used primarily as floor coverings. Floors or walls covered with these tiles are noted for their multi-color patterns, durability and sophisticated look. Cement tiles are not fired and derive their durability from the combination of finely dehydrated ground Portland cement layer and a more coarse layer of sand and Portland cement....

Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains. Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth’s crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any color, but the most common colors are tan, brown, yellow, red, grey, pink, white and black. Since sandstone beds often form highly visible cliffs and...

Marble is a non-foliated metamorphic rock composed of re-crystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble was once limestone, compacted by heat and pressure that re-crystallized into marble when mineral changes occurred. This produces the colors and veining seen in the stone. Sealing marble is highly recommended as stain removal can be limited due to its chemical...

By definition, granite is an igneous rock with at least 20% quartz and up to 65% alkali feldspar by volume. Granite differs from granodiorite in that at least 35% of the feldspar in granite is alkali feldspar as opposed to plagioclase; it is the potassium feldspar that gives many granites a distinctive pink color. The extrusive igneous rock equivalent of granite is rhyolite. Granite is very...

Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Most limestone is composed of skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera. Sealing limestone is highly recommended as stain removal can be limited due to its porosity and chemical sensitivity.

Travertine is a form of limestone deposited by mineral springs, especially hot springs. Travertine often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, cream-colored, and even rusty varieties. It is formed by a process of rapid precipitation of calcium carbonate, often at the mouth of a hot spring or in a limestone cave. Sealing travertine is highly recommended as stain removal...

Terrazzo is a composite material, poured in place or precast, which is used for floor and wall treatments. It consists of chips of marble, quartz, granite, glass or other suitable material, poured with a cementitious binder (for chemical binding), polymeric (for physical binding), or a combination of both.

Basalt is a common extrusive igneous (volcanic) rock formed from the rapid cooling of basaltic lava exposed at or very near the surface of a planet or moon. Basalt is defined by its mineral content and texture, and physical descriptions without mineralogical context may be unreliable in some circumstances. Basalt is usually grey to black in colour, but rapidly weathers to brown or rust-red due...