Granite Tiles in Ottawa for Exterior Decorating

Summer Cottage Living
 
Life in the city can get overwhelming, which is a reason why many people in Canada have summer homes or cottages. Summer homes in rural Ottawa can provide a peaceful and relaxing experience, just the thing your family needs to rejuvenate from the bustling city. If you have a home in rural Ottawa or perhaps rent it out to people for their summer holidays, you may want to consider adding tranquil and natural stone touches to the exterior of your home, to help it blend into the peaceful surrounding environment. Granite is a hard and durable natural stone that can be used in both interior and exterior decorating. If you are eco-conscious, you may opt for reclaimed and salvaged granite stone from the quarries located in Quebec. Add a touch of romance to your country home in Ottawa with granite tiles in your backyard or with reclaimed pieces that lead up to your home.
 
Interior Granite Versus Exterior
 
Granite stone that is used in the interior of the house tends to be highly polished to reduce absorbency and to give a chic and finished look to the home. Granite tiles are often used in flooring in bathrooms, sometimes in kitchens and slabs are commonly used for countertops. Granite stone that is used for decorating the exterior of homes tends to be in a honed or flamed finish. A honed finish gives a matte or satin-like appearance to the stone and flamed is more grooved and texturized.
 
Exterior Décor
 
 
The exterior of your home is just as important as the interior if you plan on spending time in your garden. Given the function of your home, opt for a more naturalistic style of decorating, incorporating many natural stones, pebbles, reclaimed wood accent pieces and items that blend into and emphases the lush beauty of your property. Some ideas for installing granite tiles to the front of your home are:
  • Have them cut in unusual or rounded shapes: a square or rectangular tile is too structured to blend into the unusual shapes and forms that nature provides. Rounding the tiles will give the natural stones a softer appearance to complement their intrinsic beauty.
  • Leave space in between tiles: allowing one to two inches of space between the tiles will allow for the grass to grow in between. This will give your entrance a more traditional cottage feel. If, however, you are laying them in an area or walkway that receives a lot of traffic you may want to put them closer together so the surface is more even when transporting items inside and out of the house.
  • Choose grey or dark stones: though it may be unique to use pink or red coloured granite, these may impose on the environment. Also if you are going for reclaimed granite stones and tiles from the quarries, you will most likely only have the option of grey! The lighter gray flamed granite has the colour and texture to match the earthy and homely design of your summer house.

Integrating salvaged granite from Quebec is a great way to add some beautiful Canadian flair to your Ottawa summer home.