| About Stone |
Common Descriptions & Uses of Natural Stone MARBLE Ideal for foyers, bathrooms, floors, and hearths. Marble is found in the mountainous regions of Canada, Italy, Germany, Spain, China, the U.S., and other countries worldwide. Because of its beauty and elegance, marble is a popular choice for countertops, floors, foyers, fireplace facings and hearths, walls, and windowsills. Marble adds a sophisticated element to your home, and its wonderful appearance, superior engineering characteristics, and ease of maintenance makes it a natural choice for floors, wall coverings, table tops, and bathroom walls, floors, vanity tops, tub decks, and showers. Marble should be cared for as you would a fine wood finish. Using coasters on table tops and cleaning up spills immediately will preserve marble’s natural beauty. Another option for marble-loving homeowners is using another natural stone -- serpentine -- for kitchen counters. Sometimes called the "green" marble, serpentine is not a true marble but offers a marble-like look. And, because it is magnesium-silicate based, it is not sensitive to citric acid and other kitchen spills. GRANITE An excellent choice for kitchen countertops, floors, and other heavily used surfaces. Granite, quarried from the mountains of Italy, the U.S., China, India, and dozens of other countries around the world, is one of the most popular natural stones on the market. Available in a striking array of colors, granite’s durability and longevity make it ideal for kitchen countertops and other heavily used surfaces, including table tops and floors. While some synthetic surfaces scratch easily and melt under hot cookware, granite resists heat. Granite is also one of the most bacteria-resistant kitchen surfaces, and it is not affected by citric acid, coffee, tea, alcohol, or wine. It is also nearly impossible to scratch, and with proper cleaning, will not stain under normal use (ask your professional contractor about sealants available to further improve resistance to staining). A leading consumer magazine recently compared granite with engineered stone, ceramic tile, laminate, butcher block, and other manufactured surfaces. Granite received the highest overall performance rating as a kitchen countertop material. Because of its exceptional strength, granite is well suited for exterior applications such as cladding, paving, and curbing. Average Chemical Composition of Granite (from Handbook of Physical Constants) Oxide Weight % SiO2 70.18 TiO2 0.39 Al2O3 14.47 Fe2O3 1.57 FeO 1.78 MnO 0.12 MgO 0.88 CaO 1.99 Na2O 3.48 K2O 4.11 H2O+ 0.84 H2O- 0.03 P2O5 0.19 Thermal expansion of granites and rhyolites in the range of 20-100 C = 8±3 X10-6 (change in length/change in T) 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 and one of the most popular natural stones for interior and exterior wall cladding, interior and exterior paving, statuary, and curbing. Limestone 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 popular flooring material and sandstone and slate are often used for exterior paving stones, or pavers. Other sandstone applications include fireplace facings, chimneys, garden walls, patio benches, and poolside. Additional slate applications include kitchen countertops, fireplace facings, tabletops, and roofing. _____Partially from Natural Stone Council |
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