If you’re in search of hard-wearing flooring of the highest possible quality, as well as your very own piece of the local landscape, then Mandale Derbyshire Fossil Limestone will tick the box
Whether you’re adding an extension to your property, renovating a space or building your dream home from scratch, choosing the material for the floor will feel like one of the biggest decisions – the right flooring can completely transform a space, and you will want to make sure that you invest in a style that is durable, timeless and well-suited to the feel of your property. If it’s natural stone floor tiles that you are after, then Mandale Derbyshire Fossil Limestone is one of the most sought-after materials on the market: it’s all quarried here in Derbyshire, and each slab contains millions of years of history, so there’s no doubt you’d be getting your hands on something truly special. The finishing and production of this limestone is carried out by Natural Stone Sales Ltd, who have built up a reputation for their specialist knowledge and expertise since their beginnings in 1997.
Mandale Derbyshire Fossil Limestone is sourced from a limestone quarry nestled in the very heart of the Peak District, just between the villages of Monyash and Sheldon. The Mandale Stone Ltd quarry is also fondly known as the ‘Once-a-Week quarry’, in reference to the fact that the workers here were paid on a weekly basis. “We’ve got four or five guys quarrying there on a daily basis, which we quarry the old-fashioned way with plugs and feathers,” explains Lisa Middleton, Sales Director at Natural Stone Sales Ltd. “We don’t use any dynamite so it is environmentally friendly, but this method also looks after our stone too,” she adds. The limestone originates 365 million years ago, and it gives a snapshot of the local geological history. “It’s full of gorgeous fossils such as Brachiopods and Crinoids,” says Lisa, and some of the natural stone slabs even contain details like a shark’s tooth.
The limestone is available in various different products, including worktops, fire surrounds and hearths, table tops, raw building materials and of course natural stone floor and wall tiles. The limestone floor tiles can be made bespoke to suit any project, however big or small, and they are available in varying thicknesses, finishes and colourations. This means each design is completely unique. “We can do small, medium or large, with a honed finish or polished finish. Some customers will reserve their own slabs, so they can choose the fossil content and colouration,” Lisa says. The stone floor tiles are incredibly versatile, and work just as well inside a property as they do out. “Some of my customers have laid them internally into the kitchen, and then they have big sliding bi-folding doors, with the tiles going out to the exterior in the same material but perhaps in a different thickness or honed,” Lisa adds. This limestone flooring has also been used in a barn conversion, as well as on a smaller scale in bathrooms where just five or six tiles are required. It can even be used for swimming pools, too. “One customer had bought a chapel, and it actually had our limestone already in the chapel flooring but because it was so badly damaged, we had to replace some of the stones. We worked with the customer to replicate them and give them an aged look, and it was really effective,” Lisa recalls.
The spectacular finish isn’t the only reason why Mandale Derbyshire Fossil Limestone floor tiles are so popular. As well as looking great, this limestone is highly durable and extremely hard-wearing. “It doesn’t attract algae like a brick stone would do and it’s non-slippery, so it doesn’t turn a green colour over time when it’s been outside,” Lisa adds. The service provided by Natural Stone Sales is second to none: they will guide clients through all the options that are available, and will go above and beyond to ensure they get the flooring that is right for them. “Because of Covid-19, I have been sending out samples so that clients can see the variation of the fossil,” Lisa explains. “With my client in Guernsey, I worked with the interior designer and we chose the exact slabs, but with another client in London, I sent him images of the slabs and a sample and he ordered that way.” The team’s scrupulous attention to detail means plenty of happy customers, and stunning end results.
Find out more at mandalelimestone.com and naturalstonesalesltd.co.uk
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