Marble

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Marble flooring is the best choice for indoor areas like foyers, halls and bedrooms. Polished marble surfaces also tend to be slippery when used in Bathrooms. 

Since Marble absorbs water and stains easily, it's not a practical choice for Kitchen applications.

It requires some maintenance to keep it pristine, though many prefer the gradually aged surface with etches and stains that blend into the grey veins over time. As a result, Marble is less porous and slightly stronger than Limestone, but still less durable than Granite.

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Types....

Honed Marble

Tumbled Marble

Polished Marble

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Travertine

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Travertine stone is a type of Limestone, that lacks uniformity or a consistent appearance, as it's natural product, meaning that the colours, veining and shades of tiles vary.

Only a first class quality tile will have less variations and more uniformity than a lower graded one. Travertine is a very durable material in flooring to heavy traffic. Also, it's a very hard material compared with Marble. Due to the very porous structure of it, Travertine needs more care.....

In it's unpolished and unsealed form, it's more susceptible to damage. this is why sealing is highly recommended. The sealant helps to protect against dirt buildups and prolongs the life of the tile. Resealing them periodically is also important.

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Cons

They are highly reactive to acidic substances.

You cannot use vinegar or salt for cleaning tiles.

Tend to be heavier.

Chance of fine cracking of tiles if laid onto heated floors.

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Although...

Cheaper than Marble or Granite tiles.

Come in different colour and tones.

Durable.

Enviromantally friendly.

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Types..

Polished

Honed

Tumbled

Brushed

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Slate

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Slate is mainly composed of the minerals Quartz and Muscovite or Illite.

It is durable. non-slip and very hard wearing. This makes it a great choice of floor tile. That can be used in wet or high traffic areas. Sealing is done to strengthen tile or grout defences against dirt, spills and erosion of grout. They are often  used more  in areas such as kitchens, bathrooms and conservatories.. It is also frost and weather resistant, without spoiling. Applications such as exterior paving/patios are sensible choices. Types that could be use are Brazillian, Chinese and Welsh.

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Applications...

Paving

Patios

Swimming Pool Surrounds

Wetrooms

Showers

Hearths/Fireplaces

Windowcills

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Types

Tumbled

Riven

Honed

Sanded & Brushed

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Terracotta

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Terracotta translates from Italian as "baked earth", and as a category of ceramic tile, it is created from a particularly porous and easily shaped clay, that gives it a characteristic reddish/brown colour.

It can be used in limited outdoor  applications, but only in climates that don't get regular freezing temperatures. In colder climates, water absorbed into it can freeze and crack tiles. It's surface remains porous unless it is glazed.

They are readily available and less expensive than other natural stone tiles, due to the  popularity of it's attractive natural colours. 

Terracotta tiles are sometimes categorised as high-density or low density materials, although high-density is more resistant to cracking... so better for heavy use areas. Low density are more porous, so not a good choice for bathrooms & kitchens. They also need protecting from staining with the addition of impregnating sealing, or specialist oils.

Terracotta ranges in colour from yellow to dark brown, with a wide range of reddish hues between the extremes.

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Porcelain

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Porcelain tiles are commonly used to cover floors and walls, with a water absorption rate of less than 0.5 %. The clay used to build porcelain tiles is generally denser. They can  either be glazed or unglazed. They are one type of vitrified tile, and are sometimes referred to as porcelain vitrified tiles.

It is much harder than ordinary ceramic tiles and is usually selected, despite it's higher cost, for it's hardwearing nature. porcelain can be used in both wet and dry applications, such as kitchens, showers & bathrooms.

Porcelain is denser and therefore heavier to handle than other ceramic tiles, so is more expensive. Being harder it is more difficult to cut or drill through., so requires professional tolls. Polished porcelain may need sealing, where ordinary glazed tiles do not. the glazed surface is coated with less than two microns.

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Ceramic

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Tiles are most often made from this, typically glazed for internal uses. They range from simple square tiles to complex or mosaics. Although not rated as a dense tile, ceramic ones are more readily available and are more widely available to improve walls and floors.

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