“Natural Stone” refers to a number of products quarried from the earth, used over many thousands of years as building materials and decorative enhancements. These products include Granite, Marble, Limestone, Travertine, Slate, Quartzite, Sandstone, Adoquin, Onyx, and others. They are more than just rocks – natural stone is hand selected from the best, most consistent sources for durability and beauty.

In past eras, Natural Stone has mainly been used for large-scale construction and in formal applications such as churches and government buildings. It has also been used for road construction and monuments. For residential construction, wood and brick have been the traditional choice. However, there has been a growing trend in recent years to use Natural Stone in residential construction for both structural and decorative use. Popular applications include entryways, atriums, bathrooms, fireplaces, floors, countertops, and many other surfaces.

Natural stone is prized its distinctive beauty and the sense of peaceful tranquility it creates, but there are also many practical benefits to using Natural Stone in your home. Natural Stone products are more durable than many artificial products, often lasting for decades with very little maintenance. With Natural Stone there are no worries about exposure to harmful chemicals in the home or released into the environment during production or disposal. Why invest time and money into a look-alike? Natural Stone is the

Stones that are harder and denser are more difficult and expensive to quarry and process. Quarrying methods vary as well; stones may be quarried below ground, which is more expensive than above ground. Also, since natural stone is quarried all over the world, long distance shipping factors into the price.

The larger the stone, the more difficult it is to process, handle, pack, and transport. Larger sizes also tend to have a higher amount of waste compared to the part that is used, which makes them more expensive.

The availability of a particular stone is the most important factor in determining price. However, handling and transportation cost does drop slightly for a larger quantity. The best way to reduce cost is to find a stone dealer who is running a special on a particular product.

The different types of stone finishes include:

Natural Cleft

Unique to slate, it has a slightly uneven surface that is still usable for flooring. This finish cannot be created, but occurs naturally as the layers of slate are quarried. One side (back side) can be gauged to facilitate ease of “thin set” installation. Some marbles, sandstones and limestones are available with heavy clefting, suitable for wall installations only.

Polished

Grinding, sanding, and buffing produces a high gloss, mirror-like surface.

Honed

Grinding and sanding produces a smooth, yet not glossy finish. This is best for low maintenance, high traffic applications.

Flamed

A flamed surface is achieved by subjecting the stone to the high temperature flame of a torch and burning most of the carbon content, leaving textured quartzites with gentle coloration.

Sandblasted

This is a rough, but tidy look created by applying a high pressure blast of sand to the stone’s surface.

River Wash

This finish is often given to granites, and provides a non-slippery surface while retaining the coloration and grain structure of the stone.

Leather

Available only in Melange marble, this finish gives the stone a suede look and feel. This texture is smooth and slip-resistant.

Tumbled

Tumbling stones in a solution of sand, water and mild acid creates an old world, weathered look.

Split Face

Mainly used for cladding, this is achieved by splitting stone either by hand or by machine so that the surface exhibits a natural quarry texture. It has a flat back and uneven front surface, and creates the uneven look of protruding bricks.

Fleuri Cut

This is achieved by cutting quarried marble or stone parallel to the natural bedding plane.

Cross-Cut

The cross-cut method involves end-cutting blocks of travertine to display a less linear, more rounded “wavy” pattern.

Vein Cut

Opposite of cross-cutting, the veining of the stone is shown as a linear pattern.

Veneer Stone

Any stone used as a decorative facing material as wall cladding which is not meant to be load-bearing. Veneer may be made from different finishes, such as split face, cleft, honed, polished, flamed or tumbled.

Gauged vs. Ungauged

Slate is cleft out of blocks to form tiles. When it is cleft by machine or saw, it is gauged because a uniform thickness is formed. Ungauged stone is hand-cleft and its thickness may vary up to 5/8 of an inch.

Marble is considered one of the softer natural stones. Bullnose marble tiles are rounded tiles used for corners and edges. It is advised that marble bullnose tiles be fabricated by a professional using a grinder and bugging pad.

There are three important reasons for choosing one finish over another in certain applications:

Safety

When choosing flooring, it’s important to choose a slip-resistant surface for outdoor applications where the floor may become wet. Highly polished surfaces should only be used for interior floors. Also, highly clefted, uneven surfaces may cause a tripping hazard when used for flooring.

Maintenance

Softer, less dense stones such as marble or limestone are unsuitable for high traffic areas because they will quickly become dull and will need frequent restoration to maintain their finish.

Usability

The application should be consistent with the type of finish selected. A rough finish such as flamed would be a poor choice for countertops, due to the difficulty in cleaning it. Clefted material should not be used for tabletops, because it would present an uneven surface.

Polished flooring may be used in a commercial application if the floor is unlikely to become wet and slippery. It is advisable to have the floor material professionally tested prior to installation. Sealers are available that can improve the slip resistance of the surface without removing its gloss.

A honed finish creates a soft, matte, appearance that is more suited to casual, comfortable environments than a formal, polished surface.

Creating an installation without visible grout joints is difficult, but if the surface of the floor is straight and the tiles are perfectly cut, very little grout should be seen. A professional, experienced installer should be chosen to create this look.

The tightest grout joint that you may request is 1/16″.

Because stone is a natural product, there is always some variation within a selection. By sorting out the stone tiles before installing, it is possible to place the tiles on the surface before installing, blending the varying colors, grain, and veining as desired.

Natural stone is available in a nearly endless variation of colors, patterns and veining. These may include shades of beige, gray, gold, red, pink, blue, and green.

Granite, marble, and slate may be available in nearly any color, so it may be possible to specify stone color, with some tolerance for shade differences. Not all stones are available in all colors, however. Travertines, for example, are only found in shades of beige, yellow, and gold.

The criteria for selecting stone color will depend on the application. Color choice can make a room appear larger or smaller, formal or warm and inviting. Consider the following characteristics:

• Lighter colors tend to make a smaller room seem larger.
• Dark colors tend to make a room more intimate and cozy.
• Solid colors, smooth and polished tiles show more dirt and require more maintenance.
• Patterned material, usually in a honed finish, is one of the easiest to maintain.
• Dramatic patterns can help highlight and accent portions of the room, including architectural features.

Many popular items are readily available from current stock. Others may take 90 to 120 days for delivery.

Since stone is a natural product, it is not possible to order a specific stone.

Natural stone is prized its distinctive beauty and the sense of peaceful tranquility it creates, but there are also many practical benefits to using Natural Stone in your home. Natural Stone products are more durable than many artificial products, often lasting for decades with very little maintenance. With Natural Stone there are no worries about exposure to harmful chemicals in the home or released into the environment during production or disposal. Why invest time and money into a look-alike? Natural Stone is the

• Standard stone tile sizes include squares of 4”, 6”, 8”, 12”, 16”, 18”, and 24”.
• Standard thickness for 12” square tiles is 3/8”.
• Standard thickness for 16”-24” square tiles varies from 0.5” – 0.75”.
• Slab sizes vary from 104”x70” to 125”x80”. Smaller sizes are available as well.
• Thickness of slabs is generally —————
• Slates and Quartzites are produced in nominal sizes, not exact sizes – a 12” square tile may actually measure 11.87” square.

Tile size is a personal choice, but should be proportionate to the size of the room. Smaller spaces should use smaller tiles in order to make the most of the stone’s color and other qualities.

The thickness of a kitchen countertop is generally either 0.75” or 1.25”. In the eastern U.S. the larger thickness is preferred, and western consumers prefer the thinner.

Stone surfaces are very easy to maintain. Clean stone floors with warm water and a mild liquid soap. Never use acid cleansers or abrasive chemicals on stone. Natural stone should be sealed after installation and every one to two years thereafter, depending on its application.

Impregnator sealer consists of microscopic balls of silicone that attach themselves to crevices inside the stone. These balls become a permanent part of the stone, and act as a waterproof shield.

There is no set rule on how often to seal your natural stone. Sealing can be as frequent as six months for higher traffic areas on marble, slate, travertine, and limestone or every couple of years for granite countertops. Also some sealers provide for only a single application every ten years. Please review the guidelines for each individual sealer.