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Guide to Choosing Natural Stone
The Benefits of Natural Stone
Natural stone has been the premium building material of choice since the beginning of time. Quarried from rock beds formed over millions of years, natural stone used in residential and commercial settings comes from all over of the world including Italy, Spain, the United States, Brazil, Canada, china, France, Israel, Greece, India, Mexico, Germany, Taiwan and Turkey.
Marble and granite, two of the most popular stones among homeowners, are quarried in the form of huge blocks, some weighting up to 35 tons. These blocks are cut into slabs generally 3.4” or 1 ¼” thick and the faces are polished to the specific finish. The slabs are then carefully crafted and shipped to fabricators worldwide who process them into the final product.
Whether you’re building a new home or remodeling, natural stone offers you unparalleled beauty, performance and uniqueness that adds thru value to your home.
Because stone is a natural, not manufactured product, no two pieces are exactly alike, which means each finished countertop, wall, mantle hearth, or windowsill in your home is distinctive.
Natural stone can be used as columns, statuary, balustrades, doorjambs and even furniture pieces. When used in exterior applications, natural stone has proven superior to manufactured or engineered stones in withstanding the effects of nature.
How to Choose the Right Stone for Your Home
Factors to Consider in Selecting a Natural Stone
You have many options when it comes to beautiful, long-lasting natural stone for your home’s interior and exterior: Granite, Slate, Marble, Quartz-based stone and Limestone just to name a few. Choosing a natural stone for your home is a very personal decision, much like selecting wallpaper or artwork.
While there are scores of natural stone to consider, some are better suited than others to particular uses in and around the home. We can help you explore your options and offer guidance on the right stone for the right home project.
COLOR
Natural stones are available in a beautiful spectrum of colors. Colors in granite and marble, for instance, can range from soft beiges to pinks, classic black and whites, to rich corals, greens and multi-colors.
Unlike the repetitive sameness of materials produced by machine or assembly line, natural stone’s naturally varied appearance has wonderful character and creates a one-of-a-kind effect anywhere it is used.
FINISH
Natural stone can be polished or honed for a distinct appearance:
A polished finish has a glossy surface that reflects light and emphasizes the color and marking of the stone. This finish is typically used on countertops, walls, furniture tops and floor-tiles.
A honed finish is a satin-smooth surface with relatively little light reflection. It is generally preferred for floors, stair treads, thresholds and other areas where heavy traffic will wear off a polished finish.
Types of Natural Stone
GRANITE
An excellent choice for kitchen countertops, floors and other heavily used surfaces. Granite is an ingenious rock, which was formed by slowly cooling pockets of magma (hot liquid) that was trapped beneath the earth’s surface. Quarried from the mountains of Italy, United States, India and dozens of other countries around the world, granite is one of the most popular natural stones on the market. Consisting of mainly feldspar and quartz, granite is the hardest known material used in commercial and residential applications.
Available in a striking array of colors, granite’s durability and longevity make it ideal for kitchen countertops.
While some synthetic surfaces scratch easily and melt under hot cookware, granite is nearly impossible to scratch, resists heat and is one of the most bacteria-resistant surfaces, second only to stainless steel.
Many studies have shown that granite, when compared to engineered stone, ceramic tile, laminate, butcher block and other manufactured surfaces, received the highest overall performance rating as a kitchen countertop material.
MARBLE
Ideal for foyers, bathrooms, floors and hearths
Marble is formed from limestone by heat and pressure in the earth’s crust. Marble is a metamorphic rock. The term metamorphic means, “changed form”. This process took well over 540 million years. Marble is mostly made up of calcite – a mineral form of calcium carbonate. The purest calcite marble is white.
Found in the mountain regions of Canada, Italy, Germany, Spain, United States and other countries worldwide, Marble adds a sophisticated look to vanity tops, floors, foyers, fireplace facings and hearths, tub decks, shower walls and windowsills.
Marble should be cared for as you would a fine wood finish. Use coasters on table tops and clean up spills immediately to preserve marble’s natural beauty. Marble is not recommended for food surface applications since it is much softer than granite and scratches more easily. Green and black marbles should not be installed in water areas.
TRAVERTINE, LIMESTONE, SANDSTONE & SLATE
Beautiful enhancements for your home, inside and out
Travertine, limestone, sandstone and slate are other examples of natural stone frequently used in residential applications.
Travertine is a type of limestone that has formed over a long period of time. This product is porous with many visible holes which can be filled with a color epoxy, grout or resins upon request. Travertine is one of the most popular natural stones for interior and exterior wall cladding, interior and exterior paving, statuary and curbing.
Limestone is made primarily of calcite which is a mineral form of calcium carbonate. It is also thought of as a “young” marble. Limestone was formed over many years (320 million) at the bottom of oceans and lakes – a sedimentary stone. Limestone has an accumulation of shells, bones and other calcium rich ingredients. It is widely used as a building stone because it is readily available and easy to handle. Popular applications include countertops, flooring, interior and exterior wall cladding and exterior paving.
Slate is a metamorphic rock. Most slate is formed below the earths surface by changes in the makeup and appearance of shale, a sedimentary rock. Shale consists of clay and fine particles of quartz. Heat formed deep in the earth changes some of the clay in shale into mica and chlorite. Slate results when pressure created by mountain-forming movements in the earth’s crust squeezes the mica and other minerals into parallel layers.
Primarily used as a flooring material, sandstone and slate are also popular in exterior paving stones or pavers. Other slate applications include kitchen countertops, fireplace facings, table tops and flooring. Sandstone is frequently used for fireplace facings, chimneys, garden walls and patio flooring.
Caring for Your Stone
You’ll find caring for your natural stone easy. Warm water, mild dishwashing liquid and a soft clean cloth are generally all that is needed to maintain most natural stone surfaces. Should a stain occur, it can usually be removed.
Tips for preserving your natural stone’s beauty:
- Dust mop natural stone floors frequently and protect floor surfaces with non-slip mats or area rugs.
- Wipe up spills immediately.
- Protect countertop surfaces with coasters or placemats.
- Clean surfaces with a mild detergent of stone soap.
- Do not use vinegar, lemon juice or other cleaners containing acids or ammonia.
- Never use abrasive cleaners on any natural stone surface.
- Never mix bleach and ammonia: this combination creates a toxic and lethal gas.
- Seal your natural stone every 1 to 2 years to protect the stone. Products are available for purchase or you can contact us to seal it for you.
