The Right Stone To Get The Design Right

Once settled on the usage of stone, the next question is about selecting the right stone out of too many varieties. Most of the homeowners and the designers make a selection based on the color. Ironically, the other properties of the stone play a major role in providing the durability and essence in the long run.

This write up is intended to educate the common mass about the critical properties of the stones, while they decide upon the application:

Veining Indicates Brittle:

Certain stones have a lot of veins, which makes it look attractive. However, the more the veins in the stone, the more brittle it is. These veins are formed due to the minerals which have flowed through the stone. The softer texture of these minerals always poses the risk of these eroding out. This is when the stone wears down. Similarly, there are many stones where the large gaps are filled by the other solutions. This is usually done in the big factories, where the filler is deposited within the stone using machines of some kind. The cement is filled in most of the cases. These cement filled stones are more brittle than the ones without these. Such stones should be avoided.

Grout Width:

If stone tiles are being used, grout width is a factor to consider. The grout joint in between the two tiles should not be in excess. For the marble and limestone, the sand grout should be avoided which causes scratch on the stone. Granite is comparatively harder. It can resist the scratches due to sand grout, as well as can handle the thicker grout width. A good choice when selecting the grout is ‘Epoxy’. This is preferred for most of the commercial applications, due to its stainless property.

Stone Finish:

The finish of the stone is thought to be associated with the look. However, the finish can tell a lot about the maintenance that the stone requires over the time.

  • The polished stone has a reflective surface. To keep the shiny surface timeless, it needs the maximum maintenance and a constant re-polishing. Compared to such stones, the Honed stones are the matte-finish ones with little or no reflection.
  • When opting for the sandblasted finish, consider using the sealer to keep the surface clean. This finish is achieved by blasting the surface with the sand, which makes it highly porous. The sealer keeps the pores clean and provides durability to the stone.
  • Hammered finish is seldom found on granite and limestone. This is achieved by hammering the stone and imprinting with the hammer face. The marbles cannot sustain this hammering.

Color:

The color of the stone is indicative of its appearance in the near future. The dark colored stones tend to reveal the wear and tear more easily than the light colored ones. Similarly, the light colored stones have the iron content in those. These tend to appear darker with time. This applies more specifically to the white marble, which gets yellow when exposed to the moisture. When using white marble, it should be avoided in the wet areas.

The Green marble called Serpentine, has a peculiar tendency when set in the water based materials. It may curl at the edges and turn white. For these marbles, Epoxy based mortar is the recommended setting material.

Abrasive Resistance:

This indicates the durability of the stone. It is the most important factor to be considered, if the stone is to be laid for a longer duration of years. The stone is tested with the commercial machines to judge the abrasive resistance. The more is this number, the lesser the chances of it wearing down with time.

Author Bio
Colin Boykins is a passionate blogger and he writes for mermerturkiye.com that has the finest collection of turkish marble.

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