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We commonly offer 3 finishes in natural stone – polished, honed and leathered (LF)

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We offer 3 finishes on natural stones – Polish, Hone and Leather.

• Polish – This finish is glossy, shiny and reflective in some cases like metal or mirror.
• Hone – This finish is reminiscent of a matte surface. It is smooth and soft without a shine and easy to maintain.
• Leather – This finish has texture and depth to it and adds character to a space when used correctly. This finish is also the best for slip resistance and outdoor use.

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The best color for your home depends on your personality, preference and the look you are trying to achieve. As a general guideline,

• light stones reflect light making a room appear bigger and brighter while dark stones absorb light making a room appear smaller and more intimate.
• However, using a dark stone or a stone with a lot of drama on 1 wall in a well-lit area or a light-colored room, will help attract focus and highlight the wall.

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The major difference between the two products is that ceramic/ porcelain tile is a manufactured product while natural stone tile is made from stone quarried from the earth. Ceramic/ Porcelain tiles are also easier to maintain than natural stone tiles.

Quartz is a manufactured product designed to emulate natural stone or other surfaces whereas, Quartzite is a natural stone found in the Earth’s crust. This article does a great job at comparing the 2 products.

Cosmos makes every effort to maintain a consistent pallet but, our collections do change depending on trends and seasonality. While there is a high chance that we will have the same product in stock, please note that it is normal to have slight variations in the background color and vein patterns between production lots. We will make every effort to get you the closest match. Please contact your nearest location and we will be happy to help you out.

Yes, Cosmos Quartz is non-porous, creating the ideal surface for hygienic food preparation and if properly cleaned it is virtually bacteria free.

Yes, Cosmos Quartz is highly heat resistant but, NOT heat proof.

Quartz is the second most abundant and naturally occurring mineral found in the Earth’s Crust. Quartz is also the fourth hardest mineral known to man.

Quartz is a manufactured product designed to emulate natural stone or other surfaces whereas, Quartzite is a natural stone found in the Earth’s crust. This article does a great job at comparing the 2 products.

Porcelain tiles are made up of 50% feldspar and are fired at a much higher temperatures than regular ceramic tiles. This makes porcelain tile harder and denser than other tile products. Because of its highly durable make-up, porcelain tile is more resistant to scratches and can withstand temperature extremes. Also, because porcelain is non-porous, it is very stain resistant, has very low water absorption ratings (Less than 0.5%) and can be used for interior and exterior applications as well as heavy-use and commercial areas.

Unglazed porcelain tiles are a solid color all the way through the tile body and do not have a top glaze. These tiles are generally referred to as through body or full body tiles. They are typically denser and more durable than glazed tiles and also have good slip resistance. However, they do need to be sealed to avoid staining. These tiles are especially good for high traffic areas due to their ability to withstand wear and tear.

Grout joints are an aesthetic preference. The general trend has been to use thin grout joints that are 1/8” to 3/16” with a 1/4” joint being the optimal size for a layout with multiple tile sizes. An important factor to remember when deciding grout joint size is that the bigger joints attract more dirt and tend to crack versus thin joints.

Tile is usually referred to by its nominal size, not its actual size. During the firing process, ceramic tile will shrink, on average, by about 10% in size. For example, a 12” by 12” floor tile will actually measure 11-7/8 inches square. Currently, the most popular ceramic floor tile are the larger sized tiles such as 13” by 13”, 16” by 16”, 18” by 18” and 36” by 36” sizes.

Rectified tiles have all the edges mechanically finished to achieve a more precise facial dimension. Rectified tiles can have smaller grout joints thus needing lesser amounts of grout and can be more aesthetically pleasing.