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About Natural Stone
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| Granite
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Limestone
| Marble
| Onyx
| Precious
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Quartzite |
Sandstone
| Slate
| Travertine |
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Granite
- view all granite
colors
here
The
hardest of all natural stone, is actually a very hard
crystalline, igneous rock, gray to neutral skin tones in color,
composed of feldspar, quartz, and lesser amounts of dark
ferromagnesian materials. Black granite is similar
to the true granites in composition and graining, but are
composed of different minerals, and thus the different
colors.
Granite slab and tile work is used extensively
throughout the home, hotel or office complex.
Whether used for flooring or countertops, elevators,
statues or whatever the need might be, granite has
served the architectural world for centuries.
Granite slabs come in every imaginable color and pattern
from neutral shades to elegant movement stones and the
family of Juperanas. Granite's beauty is always in
the eye of the beholder, and a very important decision
to make when selecting granite for your home. It is an
expensive option, but the overall benefits besides it's
beauty is the value that it will lend to you home,
office or business.
Granite comes in two thicknesses and called either 2cm
[3/4" inch thick] or 3cm [1-1/4" inch
in thickness] any other thickness would be custom
ordered direct from the quarry though us. Granite slabs
of course are mostly used in the kitchen because of
their durability and being able to withstand extreme
temperatures cold to hot. No other stone including
the quartzite manufactured granite type stones today,
can truly go these extreme temperatures being inflicted
upon them without some sort of problem resulting.
The use of granite tiles
over the last decade has increased considerably, as they
are an excellent alternative to the solid granite
countertops and considerably less expensive.. Granite tiles
are
laid edge to edge, without the wide grout line, that
gives the look and feel of a solid granite countertop is
quite elegant at a fraction of the cost.
In the bathroom, granite adds a luxurious feel to any
decor. It can be used for every type application
from the countertops, to flooring, for walk-in showers
[and steam showers] on the walls and ceiling, the shower
floor [see safety
notes] and of course tub surrounds as well.
This is beauty and luxury beyond the norm, and the look
from rustic casual to the most elegant formal look.
Granite tiles are also very popular for
flooring, their polished look is perfect for formal areas,
and by honing granite tiles, they can be used for bathroom
for less of a non-skid surface in the
shower and and kitchen flooring where water or other
liquids might make the polished granite or marble like
an ice skating rink. Honing, acid washing or
evening flamed tile is a must for tiles [or slab] that
will be used for a floor in a shower. These
techniques take the polish off the stone making it less
slippery, and giving it somewhat of a texture to resist
slippage. Polished granite tiles
range in size for mosaic tiles of less than an inch, to
sixteen inches
or custom cut larger sizes. Granite tiles are very popular
for backsplashes in the kitchen .
The fireplace is another area where using granite tiles
that are either polished or honed [depending upon the
look that you wish to achieve] provides wither a formal look
with polished, or informal look with the honed tile over
the
fireplace with hewn stone or brick. The entire fireplace
is tiled, including the hearth, mantle and surrounds
that are complimentary and the overall cost a minimal of
that of a slab fireplace achieving an elegant look.
This last decade has made available granite sinks at an
affordable price. Sinks are available in most stones,
and come in the drop-in sink,
countertop vessel sinks and for the kitchen the lovely
and casually elegant farmhouse-style kitchen
sink. Not only are sinks available, but tubs as well,
and we'll be offering these items in our catalog.
When using natural stone sinks or tubs, appropriate support is needed, but
what a sensational look for your bath, you'll know the
feel of the Roman tub as it was millenniums ago.
Outdoors, granite is a superb choice because of its
resistance to the elements. Honed or flamed granite will need less
maintenance to retain its look than polished granite
will. And honed granite should always be used near a
pool or hot tub, as well as stone mosaic tiles,
medallions and other decorative focal points are used
where grouting will
provide some traction and prevent slippage.
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Limestone
- view
all limestone colors
here
Limestone is a
sedimentary rock composed primarily of calcium carbonate. Limestone
that contains approximately five percent magnesium
carbonate is considered calcite limestone, as
opposed to those limestone that contains between five and
forty percent as magnesium carbonate, and from those that
contain in excess of forty percent as the mineral
dolomite. Re-crystallized limestone are compact, dense,
relatively pure microcrystalline varieties are
capable of taking a polish and are known as marbles.
Limestone has been used for buildings for centuries, as
well noted in all the major cities of Europe.
Limestone caves in Champagne France is where you'll find
the fine Champagnes of the world are stowed during their
budding and aging process. Limestone is also rich in
fossils, mostly of marine origin, and add to the beauty
of the stone. It is an extremely popular stone that
comes in various sizes and finishes including polished,
honed, brushed, antiqued, tumbled, beveled or with a
chipped edge.
Limestone applications in both slab and tile are used
for flooring, countertops, showers, tub surrounds, and
the last few years have seen these beautiful stones
enter the kitchen as countertops and island tops.
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Marble
- view
all marble colors
here
Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of re-crystallized limestone
composed
predominately of crystalline grains of
calcite, dolomite, or
serpentine and is capable of taking a polish. This
along with other components [minerals] give it it's
coloring and texture and hardness. Marble has been used for
thousands of years as a building stone.
Marble has been used since Roman times, with a place in
history as rulers built their palaces, their
cities, monuments, cathedrals and
abbeys
and buildings in general with these magnificent stones. Marble is
now affordable to everyone, and is most popular in today's home in the
bathroom in many forms and shapes of tiles, and of
course in slab form for countertops, showers and tub
decks and surrounds. Statues and other marble
decorative items are widely available today.
Marble is occasionally used in the kitchen in the US,
but widely used in kitchens in Europe. Marble really
isn't recommended unless the owner fully understands the
maintenance upkeep of using marble in the kitchen. The
master bath will have a marble vanity or sink, and is
the only choice for the discriminating homeowner. While
marble can etch and become stained by water and
chemicals, there are sealants available to reduce this
risk significantly.
Marble tiles for the bathroom floor in combination with
slab vanity tops, creates a most luxurious bath.
These tiles are available polished or honed, and for
non-slip surfacing, honed or acid washed tiles
will provide more traction. Polished tiles will provide
a more elegant look, but are very slippery when wet,
so besides honed or acid washed stone tiles, you can
also use tumbled marble for non-skid flooring purposes.
No other natural stone adds the formal,
elegant, soft look that marble does. Historically,
marble was most often used in hallways and foyers,
though it can be effectively applied in almost any room.
The lighter marbles are most popular for flooring,
though colored tiles can make a dramatic statement, with
beautiful accent designs.
Marble steps and columns add a stately
touch to homes and office buildings. Marble tiles on a fireplace add formality to
the overall look, and for an extravagant adaptation you
can find elaborately carved marble fireplaces -- truly
the ultimate fireplace.
Marble is softer than granite, but is still quite durable.
Sculptors have used marble for centuries, and because of
it's exceptional beauty, and had unlimited uses in
artistic items such as vases,
statues, frames, moldings, and accent pieces. Marble adds elegance,
and a superb finishing touch anywhere in the home or
office.
Tumbled marbles popularity has
increased tremendously this last decade. The rustic tiles look like travertine,
and some are travertine, but overall they
have a rough finish, with little pits full of
crystal, and different edge designs and are usually
rounded at the corners. They are available in many sizes
from a 1" square to 8" square, and can be used in a
variety of designs for mosaics, medallions and murals.
Tumbled tile products are popular for backsplashes,
showers, and flooring. The overall look of the tumbled
product is for a casual and warm look and feel. |
Onyx
- view
onyx colors
here
Is a crystalline from commonly microcrystalline, of
calcium carbonate deposited usually from cold water
solutions. It is generally translucent and shows
characteristic layering. Onyx is a gemstone, and has
been used in making jewelry for centuries; commercially
onyx is considered a marble because it can be polished.
However it is not a marble, it has it's own stone
classification, and most unusual applications have been
used with theses magnificent works of art.
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Precious
Gem Stones
- view
precious stone
colors
here
The many precious and semi-precious gemstones available to the ancient Egyptians were employed primarily for beads, pendants, amulets, inlays, and seals. Agate, amazonite, carnelian (including sard) and other colored chalcedonies, garnet, jasper, lapis lazuli, obsidian, rock crystal and milky quartz, steatite (usually glazed), and turquoise were used from the
late pre-dynastic through Roman periods. Amethyst was employed mainly during the Middle Kingdom and again during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods.
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Quartzite
Is an
extremely hard metamorphic sandstone, the rock is a granular
compacted rock composed of quartz crystals, usually so
compacted as to make the overall mass consistent. It is
usually quarried in
stratified layers, the surfaces are very smooth, and the
compressed and tensile strengths are
extremely high. The color range is similar to that of
limestone in somewhat neutral colors that range from
beige, blue, gold, green and reds.
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Sandstone
Is a accumulative sedimentary rock that originated from
the weathering and breaking down of other rocks.
Sandstone instead of being formed by silt or clay, was
formed from grains of sand, thus the end result is a
stone that in appearance looks like sand. It is
possible for sandstone to be polished and can be used as
a gem rock, however if sandstone becomes compacted,
pressed, hardened and heated enough it then becomes a
metamorphic rock known as quartzite [noted above].
Sandstone in slab form is somewhat unstable. It's
applications must be considered carefully, because
sandstone slabs are fragile when being shipped and
fabricated. However, this stone can be used for
fireplace applications making quite a spectacular
showing in from mantel to ceiling and surrounds. The
colors are earthy warm colors, great for a southwest
look or mountains type decor.
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Slate
Is a metamorphic rock
of fine-grains derived from clay and
shale, in many fine layers upon layers, with cleavage that permits it to be
easily split into thin, smooth sheets. Slate isn't
nearly as crumbly as shale, and uses other than tile for
indoors or outdoors [check which type tile is suitable
for indoor or outdoor conditions] as all slate is not
equal in hardness and usages. Slate's been used
for foyer flooring, and for chalkboards forever, roofing
tiles and primarily for outdoor patio areas and
walkways.
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Travertine
- view
travertine colors
here
Travertine is a sedimentary rock, and has probably become the most used and
versatile stone for home flooring and full bath
applications and even kitchen countertops over the past
decade. It's cost is much less than that of
granite or marble. It is a
variety of limestone formed in caves resulting from
deposits of calcite from groundwater. Travertine is cellular
with the cells usually concentrated in thin layers that
display a stalactite or stalagmite structure. Some
travertine types that take a polish
are sold as marble and may be classified as a 'travertine
marble' under the class of commercial marble.
In todays
construction, travertine is used for flooring, cladding
on buildings, showers, wall coverings and counter tops. |
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