Natural Stones: What You Should Know

Choosing natural stones from stone center for example for your home requires a good assessment to avoid missing details. Each material has distinct characteristics, each with details that match the most varied style. Each of the natural stones has a more suitable way of installation and requires due care in its maintenance.

Each stone has characteristics that enhance its beauty and its peculiarity to other materials. For this reason, it is essential that when choosing natural stone, all details are evaluated to the environment in which it will be installed, its primary purpose, availability for cleaning, and materials that can react negatively with the stone.

GRANITE: It is a natural rock composed of quartz, mica, and feldspar and can be applied in internal and external environments, covering floors, walls, tops, pediments, and countertops. Also featuring high durability and strength. With several colors available and a low porosity index and demonstrates high resistance to wear, scratches, and impacts. It is a great option, considering quality and value for money. Cleaning should be done daily as the stone tends to stain more easily than other stones.

Marble: Natural rock originated from limestone exposed to high temperatures and pressure; it is preferably indicated in internal areas, such as bathroom countertops, wall coverings, pediments, and floors. Because it has a more homogeneous appearance than granite, with exposed veins, it can be found in many variations of colors and textures. Marble presents color changes over time because the material suffers from the action of time, sunlight, and pollution; for such reasons, it is not suitable for outdoor areas.

Silestone: Solid surface stones composed of natural quartz (more than 90%) and polyester resin to connect the particles and unique pigments. Such stones are always used indoors, covering floors, walls, tops, furniture, pediments, and countertops. They are highly resistant to wear, scratches and impacts and are ideal for bedrooms, kitchens, and bathrooms.

In addition, there are various color tones, offering countless decorative possibilities, from a simple kitchen sink to a project for a complete furniture set.

Limestone: A light beige natural limestone rock composed of calcite, aragonite, and limonite. It has two main models, Travertino Romano and Travertino Navona. Both have small cavities and elongated veins that resemble branches and leaves. Travertine is indicated mainly in internal environments, being possible to apply it in elements such as countertops, panels, walls, and floors.

Limestone is generally used indoors on floors, wall coverings, thresholds, countertops, pediments, tables, and counters. A material that does not absorb heat has high durability and a homogeneous appearance. It has low impact resistance and a high degree of liquid absorption. Therefore, it is not recommended for wet areas of kitchens and bathrooms.

ÔNYX:

Colored and translucent natural rock is widely used in bathroom furniture, kitchen, and even on walls. Natural onyx is a cryptocrystalline quartz with a hardness of between 6 to 7; it is a silica dioxide, a variety of chalcedony silicate with parallel bands. Onyx stone requires special care compared to other natural stones, as it wears out easily; for this reason, regular cleaning is necessary, preferably with water.

Quartzite:

Stone like Manufactured Stone Veneer is often used in civil construction coatings, which has been gaining more market space. Quartzite stones present the perfect combination between beauty and durability for a natural finish with noble textures. Used in both external and internal areas, this stone does not retain heat, making it possible to use it in areas exposed to the sun.