What are the orange marks in natural stone flooring?

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Also known as rust spots, oxidation can appear as spotted flecks of rusty colours on stone.

This is a natural phenomenon that occurs when the natural mineral content of the stone is exposed to different types of weathering.

Natural stone is, well, natural and after millions of years in formation the stone is exposed to a range of elements and minerals, including iron.

You often find that iron is so obvious in the stone tiles – you can literally see the orange, amber or golden-coloured hues in the surface of the stone, but this isn’t always the case. 

Once exposed to moisture, iron will begin to oxidise – a similar effect is if you think about rusting metal. Iron begins to oxidise if it is exposed to moisture â€“ much like rusting metal.

“Oxidation”

Rust spots will not affect the stone’s durability or performance and can dissipate over time.

As natural stone is quarried out of the ground, there is no guarantee of exactly how it will look when it arrives. Therefore, if you cannot accept the idea of oxidation in natural stone, you should choose a ceramic tile that is guaranteed to look exactly like the sample.

Part of the beauty of natural stone is not knowing exactly how it will look until it arrives and over time a natural stone floor will change a great deal. Oxidation marks that are noticeable the first few days after an installation can fade over time and become much less obvious.

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