What is Natural Stone?
MARBLE has both a scientific and commercial definition; scientific marble was once limestone that had achieved metamorphosis from intense pressures and high temperatures within the earth. This altered its crystalline structure and introduced other minerals that produced valuable colors and veining. Commercially any stone capable of taking a polish (with the exception of granite) is considered marble. This includes travertine, onyx, serpentine, and limestone.
INTERIOR USES:
Vertical- Fireplace surrounds, wall cladding, shower/ tub surrounds, backsplashes.
Horizontal- flooring in every room of the home or office, bathroom, countertops, tub decks and surrounds, kitchen counters.
EXTERIOR USES:
Vertical- Walls to 20' without the use of mechanical anchors.
Horizontal- Flooring if material is scarified in some fashion to increase slip resistance.
LIMITATIONS:
Marble is susceptible to staining and etching from acidic and alkaline products. Marble is also a fairly soft stone, and can scratch and show signs of wear in high traffic areas. Use caution if specifying it in the kitchen, as marble can be stained from cooking oil and can be etched from wine, lemon juice, and other acidic foods. In a commercial application, marble can be used on the flooring as long as there is a maintenance plan specified.
LIMESTONE is widely used as a building stone because it is readily available and easy to work with. It is a sedimentary stone, layered and formed from the skeletons and shells of sea creatures that lived in vast, warm seas millions of years ago. Much domestic limestone is buff to gray in color while some pastel shades of yellow and pink are available. Imported limestones are available in colors ranging form light beige to dark brown, red and black. When the mineral dolomite is present, it makes the limestone harder and capable of taking a polish in the same manner as metamorphic marble.
INTERIOR USES:
Vertical- Fireplace surrounds, wall cladding, shower/ tub surrounds, backsplashes.
Horizontal- Flooring in every room of the home or office, bathroom countertops, tub decks and surrounds, kitchen countertops.
EXTERIOR USES:
Vertical- Walls to 20' without the use of mechanical anchors.
Horizontal- Flooring.
LIMITATIONS:
A softer stone more susceptible to scratching and staining than marble in many cases.
GRANITE is an igneous rock, which means it was once molten and formed as it cooled deep within the earth. Minerals within the granite typically appear as small flacks throughout the stone often creating a "salt and peppered" look. Other types have veining and movement within the stone similar to marble. Granite is a densely grained, extremely hard stone.
INTERIOR USES:
Vertical- fireplace surrounds, wall cladding, shower/ tub surrounds, backsplashes.
Horizontal- flooring in every room of the home or office, bathroom countertops, tub decks and surrounds, kitchen countertops.
EXTERIOR USES:
Vertical- Walls to 20' without the use of mechanical anchors.
Horizontal- Flooring if material is scarified in some fashion to increase slip resistance.
ADVANTAGES:
Granite will repel oil and grease; even muriatic acid will not affect the polished finish. Make sure you do your cutting on a cutting board, for the granite will dull your knife blades. Granite is the most durable finish material you can use.
LIMITATIONS:
Beware of cheap granite! There are a number of new stones available in the market today that were not available a few years ago: hence that have not been around long enough to see how durable they are. Stones from china and India are cropping up with very low price tags and disastrous results.
SLATE is a fine-grained, metamorphic stone derived for sedimentary rock shale. Domestic slate is typically uniform and dark in color and available n shades such as dark to light green, mottled purple, black, gray or dark red. Imported slates from India, China and Africa are also available in these shades as well as browns, russet, rose, and all shades in between (even many different shades within the same piece!). Unless its surface has been honed smooth, slate can be recognized by its distinctly cleft, textured surface.
INTERIOR USES:
Vertical- Fireplace surrounds, wall cladding, tub surrounds, backsplashes.
Horizontal- Flooring in every room of the home or office, tub decks and surrounds, kitchen countertops (for those risqué enough)
EXTERIOR USES:
Vertical- Walls to 20' without the use of mechanical anchors.
Horizontal- Flooring.
ADVANTAGES:
Slate is ideal for flooring as well as for the cost-conscious client as it is the least expensive of all natural stones. It is also perfectly suitable for designs that involve a rustic or natural ambiance.
LIMITATIONS:
Due to its rough, natural cleft surface, slate can be impractical for kitchen counters and tables.