Belgian bluestone tiles and tile floors
Belgian bluestone, or Arduin, bluestone, coal limestone or petit granite is a coal limestone with a blue/grey color. This sought-after bluestone has been highly wanted for years for laying a durable, beautiful, old tiled floor. Churches and monasteries have been provided with beautiful floors with these bluestone tiles for centuries. These bluestones are also called church dalles.
Color and origin of blue stone
Belgian bluestone is therefore often referred to with the term ‘blue stone’. Blue Belgian bluestone floor tiles can have this pronounced color to a greater or lesser extent. This depends on how much carbon the stone contains. This carbon is formed by remains of crinoids, i.e. animals with a limestone skeleton that were left behind in the seabed millions of years ago. Because the rock is so hard and dense, it is popularly called ‘petit granit’. A well-known French term is pierre bleue.
Bluestone comes mainly from Belgium and especially from the Ardennes and Hainaut. The latter production region accounts for 80% of all bluestone. The limestone originated there in a shallow marine environment where there was a lot of life to be found.A tile is characterized by its blue color, white veins and coal lines and visible fossils.
Versions
Antique Belgian bluestone tile floors are available in various sizes, colors and finishes. Antique they look extraordinarily well lived, but also new is a beautiful tile. Sleek and dark for more modern interiors or aged for a more rustic look. Some differences in designs are listed below:
- from slightly aged to roughly aged
- from light grey Belgian bluestone to quite bright blue stone
- suitable for jobs or wild bandages
- from thick church halls to thin Belgian bluestone tiles
- mostly square shape, but also in combination with cubes/cabochons
- original or recovery
- collars, white veins and fossils
Belgian bluestone floor tiles are often aged to give an old, antique or rustic look. Sometimes it is difficult to see the differences. Let us inform you well. Church dalles or other Belgian bluestones can almost always be laid in running bonds or wild.
Belgian bluestone floor tiles and sample floors
We have more than 100 old and authentic types of flooring in stock, including about 20 Belgian bluestone tile floors. In our showroom we have several large example floors with Belgian bluestone tiles in various finishes. We would like to invite you to visit our showroom to admire the Arduin floor tiles in real life.