What is Natural Stone?
June 2nd, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
Tip! As with any Natural Stone, color matching can be a challenge and it is important that you purchase some extra tiles to ensure that the Limestone tile was all cut from the same slab of material. The rule of thumb, if you are using a square grid pattern, is a minimum of 10% more than the calculated square footage of the area to be covered.
1. What is Natural Stone?
Natural Stone is a highly selective product with individual feel, touch and color sensitivity, subjected to desire for uniqueness and satisfaction of individuality. A classic look developed by nature over millions of years, that is not affected by fashions, nor perishable over a period of time.
Natural Stone is being created as a result of millions of years of different geological changes that take place in the Earth”??s crust. This has resulted in the creation of a wide variety of vibrant colors and characteristics. Depending on the process, composition and characteristics, the Natural Stones have been categorized into Granite, Marble, Limestone, Travertine, Slate, Quartzite, Sandstone, Onyx, etc.
Tip! The sealing of Natural Stone such as Marble, Granite, Limestone and Slate is very different. Natural Stone is made up of crystals that interlock together.
2. Who needs Natural Stone in U.S.A.?
Natural Stone has been a popular housing and building material all over the world for centuries. However, in America, wood has been the primary material used for housing. Natural Stones were mostly used for road construction and monuments. However this trend is now shifting towards the usage of Natural Stones in the Entry way, Kitchens, Atriums, Bathrooms, fireplaces, Floors, Facades and many surfaces in homes and offices.
3. Why should I use Natural Stone in my home?
With the flooding of our environment with artificial equipment and material, Americans look for relief at home, and Natural Stone gives a timeless, realistic feeling and proximity to nature. When compared to all the visible items like wallpaper, paints, curtains, appliances, furniture, etc, only Natural Stone gives the classic look and a distinctive feeling.
Tip! Usually, top quality Marble, Sandstone, Natural Stone, cast coral stone, stucco, and Granite are used for building the outdoor stone fireplaces. An awesome combination of these stones can also be used for the construction.
Natural Stone gives a hint of luxury, while still being affordable. Natural Stone is the real thing in today”??s artificially decorated homes.
4. What are the different kinds of Natural Stones?
There are various different Natural Stones: Granite, Marble, Limestone, Travertine, Slate, Quartzite, Sandstone, and Onyx, etc.
Granite
Granite is an important structural and ornamental stone, due to its high compressive strength and durability. It is the hardest of structural stones. Its mineral-
Marble
Marble has been valued for thousands of y ears for its rich palette of beautiful colors and appearance. It is perfect for use in almost any part of the house. Generally, calcite and dolomite marbles are of pure white color. Variations of whiteness of pure marbles are due to the mixture of foreign substances. Such impurities form bands, streaks and clouds. Black and grayish shades are due to graphite; pinks, reds are mainly due to the presence of manganese oxides or hematite.
Slate
A great combination of earth tone colors and the finish makes this stone one of a kind. The vibrant colors and unique textures make slates appropriate for interior as well as exterior applications. Because it is formed in layers, it can easily be split to expose beautifully textured surfaces. The usual colors of slates are earthy (various shades and mixes of browns, beiges, yellows), black, dark-
Quartzite
Quartzites are very similar to slates, but with a higher content of Quartz, which gives them, a sparkling texture. They are so close in appearance to slates that usually they are referred to as quartzitic-
Sandstone
As the name suggests, Sandstone is made of sand cemented by silica, iron, lime etc. The color of Sandstone depends on the cementing material; ferruginous (iron) sandstones are reddish, brownish; carbonaceous, black; siliceous, white and argillaceous, earthy to buff. Other than the hardness, the porosity of the Sandstone is also a key factor in deciding the suitability for its applications.
Limestone
The muted tones of Limestone are perfect for today’s more casual and comfortable lifestyles. Generally these soft beiges and tans, either polished or honed, are appropriate for Bathrooms, fireplaces, counters and less-
Travertine
The cozy tones of Travertine range from the sandy beiges to shimmering gold giving a feeling of warmth and comfort. The Coliseum in Rome, having stood for over 2000 years, is perhaps the most famous Travertine structure in the world. Travertine is commonly used outside as cladding and pavement, as well as inside for Floors, walls and countertops. Travertine is generally filled with cement before it is honed or polished, which produces a uniform surface more like other marbles. Unfilled Travertine is quite beautiful, and is often seen as exterior cladding on buildings. Travertine’s result from hot spring water percolating up through underground Limestone. When the water evaporates, it leaves behind layers of dissolved Limestone and other minerals, giving it its banded appearance. The characteristic holes in Travertine are the result of trapped gas bubbles; as the gas escapes, crystals form in the cavities. Travertine’s are generally light-
Onyx
Translucent, generally layered, calcite with colors in pastel shades, usually yellow, brown, green, orange, and white. True Onyx is nearly pure crystalline silica closely related to agate, a semi-
5. How Natural Stone tiles differ from Ceramic Tiles?
The very first and basic difference between Natural Stone and Ceramic Tile is that Natural Stone is a product of Mother Nature where as Ceramic Tile is man-
Homogenous Composition Unique composition
Low absorbency, thin 7 light corrugated backing Differs from category to category
Acid resistant Acid sensitivity varies from stone to stone
Have only one plain finish and practically no edge finishes. Have a whole spectrum of finishes like Polished, Honed, Antiquated, Tumbled, Leather, Rugged (Split face, River Rough, River Wash, Flamed) and more. Different types of edges like beveled, bull-
The sizes in ceramics are restricted and patterns are very uniform and geometric. Sizes are not very restricted. Once can extract huge slabs of sizes as large as 125”x75” to small tumbled mosaics of 1”x1”. Random and more natural patterns are found in Natural Stones.
6. Where in my home can I use Natural Stones?
Natural Stone can be used for Flooring, Kitchen counter tops, Vanity Tops, Bathroom, Patios, Walkways, Fire Places, Facades, Wall cladding, Garden, Landscaping etc., practically on every surface, inside and outside of your house.
7. Why is Granite preferred for Kitchen / Bar counter tops?
Granite is the hardest and densest of all the Natural Stones. The main minerals that can be found in Granite are Silicates, Feldspar & Quartz. Silicates do not react much to the acidic substances like lemon (citric acid), vinegar, alcohol etc., something found regularly in our Kitchens. The second aspect to note is that Granite is highly durable and scratch resistant. This means that the kitchen countertop will not get easily scratched with the heavy traffic of knives and vessels on it, and retain its fine luster over a longer period of time as compared to other stones or Ceramic Tiles. Feldspar in Granite makes it the least water absorbent (0.02-
Hence Granite is the first preference for Kitchen or Bar Counters.
It is often asked, “Why marbles cannot be used for kitchen counter tops?” The answer lies in the composition of marbles. Most marbles have high carbonate contents, which easily react with all acidic material.
8. Why are Limestones and Travertines preferred for family or living room?
Limestones have the most muted tones and subtle shades and are perfect for today’s comfortable and casual lifestyles. Generally Limestones carry the soft beiges, tan, yellows and gold that give a neutral and warm look to the surroundings. Limestones can be processed with antiquated textures that create a very comfortable ambience. These properties of Limestones make it easy to match or compliment all types of furniture and upholstery. So when you want to relax and unwind, you would obviously look for the soft tones and cozy textures of Limestones in your family room.
9. Why is Marble preferred for Bathrooms and fireplaces?
Marbles have a very wide spectrum of colors. People often want the Bathrooms to have bold colors and smooth flowing patterns. This makes marbles visibly the best choice for Bathrooms. In general, Marbles are comparatively less expensive than Granite. Additionally, marbles can be easily detailed, carved and fabricated to provide traditional and artistic look.
Bathrooms and fireplaces are susceptible to lesser wear and tear, so marbles can be freely used here. Unlike kitchen, bathroom substances have alkaline content to which property treated Marble does not react easily.
10. Why is Slate preferred for Patios or Atriums?
Slate is a great combination of earth tone colors and rustic look. This creates a very comfortable and natural atmosphere that goes with the exterior landscaping, plants, gardens etc. Another reason for using Slate in patios or atriums is that these are usually open, so dust can settle. Dust tends to show up easily on polished Granite or Marble. The slip resistance of Slates makes them the best suited for sue in patios and Atriums, even when they are wet.
Slates offer a very vivid collage of colors at an extremely low price. The beauty of Slate lies in its bold and earthly impressions.
11. Where do Natural Stones come from?
Natural Stones are products of Mother Nature. They are quarried from the earths crust. They are not man-
12. Why are most stones imported?
Natural Stone knows no political boundaries. The Natural Stones existed even before man appeared on the face of this planet. The various Natural Stones that can be economically quarried and processed and shipped are spread all over the world, from USA to China, from India to Africa and to South America. Not all the stones can be feasibly quarried and used. Some Natural Stones are too brittle, while some are too hard. Some look good and some don’t. So only those Natural Stones that can be quarried economically can be used.
A second aspect to consider here is that labor in USA is very expensive, as compared to other countries. Therefore the cost of processing and importing the material from other countries is more cost effective. Most of the countries around the world have been using stone as a building material since time immemorial. These countries have established good systems for extracting and processing stone. The US, on the other hand has until recent times, used mostly wood for building purposes. So it is often works out more economically viable to import the stones than to generate a supply within the country.
13. What is the quality different in stone from different countries?
As we know, Natural Stone is a product of Mother Nature, and the stones from different areas do differ due to the various geographical aspects. The distributions of minerals in nature are different from place to place and it shows up in the quality and characteristics of the stones. For example, the mineral Mica might be found more frequently in certain areas of the Earth, hence we will get bigger shiny crystals than that we can get from the places where less Mica is found. Some countries may fall in the region which has more Limestone than Granite or otherwise. So stone from some countries is good for one application and not for the other. Basically the Natural Stone qualities and characteristic differ by Geological configuration and not Geographical boundaries.
14. Why some stones cannot be used for exterior applications?
The biggest reason why some stones cannot be used outside is that they cannot withstand the weather extremes. In places where you have weather conditions like snow and rain, or drastic changes in climate from cold to heat, some stones develop cracks or weather out easily. These stones cannot be used outside. Another factor to be considered is the slip resistance. If polished stone was to be used on a walkway, it could become slippery when wet. Yet another factor in considering the use of stone in exterior applications is how the color holds. Many green stones lose color when exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet rays for long periods of time. Additionally, some multicolored slates bleed colors as a result of a oxidation with water. Therefore it is very important to determine the suitability of a stone long before using it on exterior applications.
Technorati Tags: Granite, Limestone, Marble, Natural Stone, Onyx, Quartzite, Sandstone, Slate, Travertine
Related Tags: No Tags
What are typical stone sizes?
June 2nd, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
1. What are typical stone sizes?
Different standard sizes available in tiles are 12”x12”, 16”x16”, and 18”x18”. Also available sizes are 4”x4”, 6”x6”, 8”x8” and 24”x24”. The standard thickness of the tiles is 3/8” i.e. for 12”x12”. For 16”x16” to 24”x24”, it varies from 0.50” to 0.75”. The slab sizes vary from 104”x70” to 125”x80”. There are smaller sizes available too. The thickness of the slabs is generally ¾” and 1 ¼”. States and Quartzes are produced in nominal and not exact sizes. E.g. 12”x12” states are actually 11.87”x11.87”.
2. How can I decide which sizes are appropriate?
The size to be selected is completely a personal choice. However the sizes of the tiles should be proportionate to the size of the room or the visible area of the room. Smaller the size of the room, smaller the size of the tiles to be used should be. This helps in bringing out the colors and the look of the stone.
3. What is thickness tolerance for different types of stone?
The thickness tolerance of the stone varies from stone to stone. Slates generally have a tolerance of 0.38”, while Granite tiles have tolerance of 0.06”.
4. What is stone pattern?
A combination of different sizes can be placed together to make a pattern. This adds to the beauty and uniqueness of the stone installed. Of late the use of patterns has become trendy
Technorati Tags: Natural Stone, natural stone sizes, stone sizes
Related Tags: No Tags
