Limestone in bathroom

Does limestone really work in a bathroom?

That is the first question almost everyone asks, and the answer depends on what you mean by work.

Does it stand up to water? Yes. Limestone has been laid in bathrooms, baths and thermae for two thousand years, and laid properly it stays put for decades. A limestone slab is coloured through, all the way — there is no surface layer to wear a hole in.

Will it look the same as the day it was laid? No. Stone is a living material. It takes on a patina, the colours deepen and the surface carries the marks of a room in use — much like a leather sofa or a solid wood floor.

Most of the question is about the shower. A cloakroom without a shower, or a bathroom where the stone lies around a bathtub, is in practice trouble-free — the stone meets no more water than a kitchen floor does.

It is in the shower area, on both floor and wall, that it matters how the stone has been laid. Some of that is decided before the slabs are in place and cannot be put right afterwards. That is why we have an installation guide for bathrooms — send it to your tiler in good time, and that part is taken care of.

Limestone and underfloor heating

Stone is made for underfloor heating. It stores the heat efficiently and distributes it evenly, so the floor stays warm long after the heating has been switched off. Limestone works with both water-based and electric underfloor heating.

Just one thing: wait four weeks after laying before you switch the heating on.

Honed, brushed or diamond milled — which surface suits a bathroom?

Our feet and hands are among the most sensitive parts of the body. A material that looks the same to the eye can feel completely different underfoot. Several of our limestones come in different surface finishes, and the choice is as much about feel as about looks.

• Honed — smooth and soft, matte without being glossy. The most common surface in bathrooms and the one that shows the veining of the stone most clearly.
• Brushed — a touch rougher, with a texture that brings out the natural character. Many choose it where they want a little more grip underfoot.
• Diamond milled — rawer and lighter in tone, a Nordic and pared-back character.

There is no right answer. Order samples, stand them in the bathroom and see how they feel — both in daylight and under the lamp that is actually going to hang there.

Elingstrand honed in a bathroom

One stone, two surfaces: Öland limestone grey-brown.

Give this to your tiler

A bathroom floor is to be laid by a certified tiler in accordance with industry rules, and what calls for the most care is the shower area — floor and wall. Some of those things are done before the slabs are in place, but it is nothing you need to keep track of yourself.

Do this instead: send our installation guide for bathrooms to your tiler in good time before the work begins. It sets out everything that applies to limestone and marble in particular. The last page is an installation certificate that the tiler fills in and hands to you when the floor is finished, so that you know what has been used in your bathroom.

Two things are worth saying at the first site meeting: no tape on the stone, not even briefly when painting — tape leaves marks that are stubborn to get out. And a metal drain grate. Glued stone frames around the drain, of the Unidrain type, we advise against: the drainage is poorer and the upkeep harder.

After that the floor is yours

Once the floor is down, most of the work is done. The stone is protected with VERNA Protect, and after that there are three simple things that meet it day to day.

Rinse the shower area down after showering. Soap and shampoo gather around the floor drain. It takes ten seconds and is the single best habit you can give the floor.

Nothing acidic. Limescale removers and most bathroom cleaners are acidic, and acid etches the surface of limestone matte — that includes citric acid and vinegar, which are found in many "natural" products. Check what is in it, or stay with VERNA Daily Clean, which is made for natural stone. Gentle on the stone and on the drains.

Stains from make-up, oil or grease settle on the surface rather than in the stone and can be wiped away. If they stay, VERNA Deep Clean takes care of them.

The water test

We are not asking you to re-impregnate the floor every year as a matter of routine. A treatment that is not needed does no good.

Do this once a year instead, ideally in spring: pour a little water on the stone and see what happens. If it stays there as a bead on the surface, the protection is intact — then you do nothing. If the water is drawn in, it is time for a new coat of Protect. Do the same test after a deep clean with Deep Clean.

Stains and patina — the difference

A stain can be removed. Patina is something else.

A scratch in the floor usually needs nothing done about it; it wears away over time and adds character. If something acidic has etched the surface, that is a change that stays — smaller etch marks are gradually worn into the patina, and if the damage is large the slab is replaced by a tiler.

Where ceramic with a printed surface layer grows dull, natural stone goes the other way: the veining comes forward and the colours deepen. The never quite perfect but genuine. The kind of thing the hand feels.

Start with samples

Stone cannot be chosen on a screen. The light in your bathroom, the tiles you already have, the brass on the mixer — all of it affects how the stone reads.

Order samples in the 20×20 cm format. Buy three and you get 10 % off. Lay them on the floor in the room in question and look at them over twenty-four hours, in daylight and in lamplight.

Frequently asked questions

Can limestone be laid over underfloor heating?
Yes, both water-based and electric. Wait four weeks after laying before you switch the heating on.

Does limestone work in a cloakroom?
Yes, and there it is simple. Without a shower or a bathtub the stone meets no more water than a kitchen floor, so it comes down to ordinary cleaning — without acidic products.

Does limestone get slippery?
A honed surface is smooth but not slippery in the way glossy ceramic tiles are. If you want more grip, choose a brushed or diamond milled surface.

How much stone should I order?
The area plus 15 %. Later orders can differ in shade, since the stone is quarried block by block.

How do I look after the floor?
Rinse the shower area down after showering, clean without acidic products and do a water test once a year. No more than that is needed. It is all in our care instructions.

How large a share of the bathroom budget is the stone?
Four to five per cent, as a rule. Most of what a bathroom costs to build goes on work that is not visible afterwards.

Can I lay the stone myself?
No. A floor in a wet room is to be laid by a certified tiler in accordance with industry rules. Give your tiler our installation guide for bathrooms in good time before the work.

Bring nature indoors

Which stone suits your particular bathroom comes down to the light in the room, the format and the feeling you are after. All stone has its very own character. Every pattern, texture and surface is unique.

See the whole limestone range or our marble, and order samples of the ones you take to.