Sandstone paving indoors?

mariat

Has anyone laid sandstone slabs indoors? I'm looking for a relatively cheap flooring for my kitchen/diner. It's a large area, 34sm, so can't spend alot pm.
I love the natural, rustic look of sandtone, but I've never seen it advertised for use indoors. Is there a reason for this? I imagine it would need sealing somehow, you can't use a pressure washer indoors!

Leif

The sandstone slabs I have seen are rough, so I imagine it would look awful, and be an absolute dog to clean. Your table and chairs would wobble too. I think you will have to pony up the readies to get a proper floor surface.

DVardysShadow

I would avoid external grade products myself. Unless you are relaying the concrete underfloor, external slabs will probably be way too thick, leading to low steps and an associated tripping hazard. And they would probably shed grit left right and centre unless you sealed them, which would then give rise to more issues.

mariat

OK, back to the drawing board.

redlee

There is Sandstone available with a smooth rather than the riven finish you see on most Indian Sandstone and this is more suitable for internal use but more expensive. It's usually 20mm thick as a minimum and would require sealing to prevent staining.
For a rustic look try slate it tends to be the least expensive stone - it will also need sealing but this isn't a big job.

mariat

I looked at slate but the cheaper stuff is very dark, which I don't want. The lighter ones are out of my price range. I have quite a few reclaimed, mellow old bricks and I originally wanted a brick floor (I live in an old cottage). Trouble is, cleaning the old lime mortar off is going to take forever and there is always a thiin layer that refuses to budge. Does anyone know what acid is in patio cleaner? I know that would shift it, but I'd need lots of it and I need to keep costs down to the bare bone.

mariat

The slate I can afford is too dark I'm afraid. I have quite a few reclaimed, mellow old bricks, as I originally intended to have a brick floor (I live in an old cottage). Problem is, cleaning the old lime mortar off takes forever and there is always a thin layer that won't budge. I've tried soaking then scrubbing with a wire brush to no avail. Does anyone know what acid in in patio cleaner? I know that would shift it, but I'll need lots of it and need to keep costs down to the bare bone.