What is Dijon limestone?
Dijon limestone is a beautiful natural stone quarried from the earth. The tones featured in the Dijon limestone range from subtle beige to grey, containing occasional crystallised calcite veining along with unique fossils in every tile. Being a natural stone, the Dijon limestone is very dense and hardwearing, making it a perfect option to give a traditional, flagstone look whilst standing up to everyday wear and tear in kitchens, ground floors and bathrooms alike. The neutral tones of the Dijon limestone mean that it complements a vast range of colour schemes and styles of spaces, from rustic country barn conversions and cottages to more contemporary homes and new builds, along with outdoor patios and pathways. As a much loved and best-selling stone, this post will cover things to know when buying Dijon limestone tiles with helpful information and frequently asked questions.
Why choose Dijon limestone tiles?
One of the main reasons why Dijon has become one of the most popular flooring options over the years is its versatility. With its neutral, beige toned hues, the Dijon limestone really does complement so many different colour palettes, offering a wonderful addition to your home or garden. As well as being suitable with underfloor heating, the Dijon limestone is also incredibly versatile in terms of usage, with a vast array of different size formats, thicknesses, and finishes, suiting a whole host of spaces no matter the size or style of project you have. Whether you are looking for a more contemporary, clean cut smaller format for a bathroom, a large rustic flagstone for a traditional kitchen, or a small format cobble for an outdoor space, there are plenty of sizes and finishes to choose from.
What is Dijon limestone used for?
Dijon limestone can be used for a whole host of applications, both indoor and outdoor, modern and traditional. A firm customer favourite, the Dijon free length format is a timeless option for kitchen or living room flooring, with fixed widths and varied lengths ranging anywhere from 500-1000mm. This is then laid in a random bond pattern to accentuate the traditional flagstone look of the tiles. However, it isn’t just flooring that Dijon limestone can be laid on. It can also be used on walls, or as a bespoke step, skirting or cobble paving, to suit many different types of projects. A more recent addition to the Dijon range, the herringbone brick cobbles make for a beautiful garden path, patio, or even a driveway, and can also be used as an edging stone to other sizes of Dijon limestone pavers.
Advantages of Dijon limestone
The main advantage of the Dijon limestone from an everyday perspective is its hardwearing nature. As a particularly dense stone, this product is more durable and forgiving than softer stones, such as travertine. Combined with a well applied sealant, this makes for a stone floor option that is suitable for the comings and goings of everyday busy family homes. Another advantage of the Dijon limestone is its beauty as well as practicality. Featuring natural patterns and fossils, each and every tile laid is entirely unique, not only within your own space but also when compared to all other Dijon produced. Lastly, another advantage of the Dijon limestone is its price. As one of the biggest importers of Dijon in the country, we have great buying power and are subsequently able to offer this beautiful stone at a competitive price. We also stock a ‘Blend’ selection which comprises of tiles that to not meet the aesthetic threshold of our premium Dijon tumbled offering great value for money.
Things to consider with Dijon limestone
As with all natural stone products, there is a level of maintenance and upkeep to consider when choosing your perfect Dijon limestone flooring. Limestone is porous, so we recommend sealing your Dijon tiles upon installation. Sealing natural stone tiles is a common and simple process and acts as a protective barrier against water and potential stains. We recommend that you reseal every 3-5 years for internal applications such as kitchens or hallways. Whilst sealant can protect natural stone against many day-to-day spills, it cannot protect against harsh chemicals or acidic spills. This includes things like wine, orange juice, lemon, coffee, and puppy accidents.
It is also worth understanding how to clean Dijon limestone tiles. We advise against steam cleaning, as this can strip or lessen the lifespan of the sealant, and we also advise only using cleaning products that are suitable for natural stone – namely ones that are PH neutral. With that being said, the cleaning process itself is nice and simple. Regular hoovering with a soft brush attachment and occasional mopping with water and a suitable cleaning product will ensure your Dijon limestone will stay looking its best for years to come. With the odd occasion where stains may occur from a mishap, we advise having a bottle of Lithofin Power Clean at the ready in your cupboard.
Different types of Dijon limestone
A big reason why Dijon limestone tiles are such a favoured flooring choice is the variety of finishes available. There are a few factors to consider when deciding which finish is right for you, with options of tumbled, brushed, honed, and seasoned. The most popular finish is Dijon tumbled, due to its low maintenance and hardwearing nature – great for the coming and goings of everyday life. The tumbled finish is achieved through a gentle ageing process, softening the stone markings, and giving a tumbled edge and pastel-like appearance. This is perfect for country style homes wanting a rustic look. Brushed tiles have a matt-to-slight-sheen surface, with a subtle texture and straighter edges than tumbled. The brushing process is with steel brush heads, wearing away at the softer minerals within the stone. The Dijon brushed limestone is a versatile option suiting all styles of spaces. A honed tile is essentially polished but to a lower grade, with a smooth matt appearance. You can expect straight cut edges, creating clean and close grout joints and a contemporary feel. Another exclusive offering to our Dijon limestone range is the Dijon seasoned limestone tiles. This finish provides worn edges, increased texture, and a slightly warmer appearance – ideal for outdoors and ground floor areas for a slightly rustic feel.
Another choice to consider is the Dijon Blend selection. Our premium Dijon limestone is the top selection of the highest grade of Dijon, yielding lighter and more consistent tones. However, if you would prefer a more rustic and cost-effective floor or outdoor tile, then the Blend selection features a higher level of colour variation, with some darker tones mixed in, along with a higher array of natural features, such as calcite veining, fossils, pitting and oxidisation within the stone. As the second selection, this is perfect for very traditional properties, such as cottages or barn conversions, as well as for outdoors with the added natural surface texture. Offering both premium Dijon tumbled, and Dijon Blend tumbled means you can select with full transparency between the two grades.
Dijon limestone comes in a great variety of different tile sizes, formats, and thicknesses. For more traditional projects or larger spaces, a ‘free length’ or ‘random length’ format works well. Free length tiles have a fixed width and varying lengths ranging anywhere from 450mm up to a maximum of 1000mm, laid as a random brick bond. Alternatively, you may prefer a smaller, fixed size tile like the 600×400 for bathrooms or utilities. Dijon limestone is also suitable for outside and is available in a 20mm and 30mm thick paver for outdoor areas and gardens. Additionally, there are stocked step pieces on offer that can also be used as wall copings. Featuring a beautifully shaped bullnosed edge. Standard sized skirting is also available, but if you require specific sizes for your project, then bespoke steps, copings or skirting can be made to order to suit your requirements.
Overall, this feature should help you make a more informed decision on the best Dijon limestone for your project and inspire you with the many different finishes and sizes available. Dijon natural stone tiles make a beautiful addition to any home, offering a stone floor that will stand the test of time and suit a wide variety of different projects, and so you are sure to love your Dijon flooring. Hopefully you will now also know the best ways of choosing, installing and maintaining your Dijon limestone to keep it looking its best for years to come.
