MARBLE, TERRAZO, AND MOSAIC FLOORS AND MORE...

• Flagstone: This is the most rugged and casual of these materials. It is usually supplied in irregular, amoeba-shaped sheets at least an inch thick or in large rectangles. It has an uneven rippling surface. Because of its informal, natural appearance, it is most often used for porches and outdoor terraces.

• Slate: Slate can come in a variety of textures, colors, and shapes. As a result, it can be installed more easily than flagstone and does not require the same thick concrete bed. Slate can be extremely effective indoors—in entrance halls, kitchens, fireplace hearths, and stairs.

• Marble: This is the most elegant, most varied, and most expensive of the natural stone flooring materials. It comes in such a wide variety that you can find marble in just about any color. We usually associate marble with wealth and formality. Marble is available in a variety of finishes from rough to highly polished.

• Terrazzo: Terrazzo consists of marble dust and marble chips are mixed with cement and poured onto a concrete slab. Terrazzo is installed on concrete slabs or wood subfloors. The result is an attractive surface that is just about the most durable, most easily maintained flooring material that you can find. However, it is not commonly used in homes.

• Mosaic: Mosaic consists of designs produced by embedding small pieces of marble, glass, or ceramic in a bed of cement. A mosaic floor is a work of art. Each tiny piece is inserted by hand. Mosaic ceramic tile is a common flooring used in bathrooms, as we will explain.

• Ref: New York Institute Of Art and Design