Sandstone – A sedimentary stone formed by various layers of sand being deposed and compressed in layers. Sandstone varies widely in color due to the different minerals and clays found in the stone. Sandstone includes a dark reddish brown material called brownstone and a fine grained dense hard greenish-gray or bluish-gray material called Bluestone. As sandstone re-crystallizes it turns into quartzite. The typical texture of sandstone is rough like sandpaper; however, there are some smoother surfaces like Bluestone. All sandstones benefit dramatically for thorough sealing.
Onyx - A calcite based substrate that is almost translucent. An agate-like stone formed by precipitation in cold mineral springs. Onyx is mined, not quarried, and can be treated like most marble with protection, maintenance and restoration products and procedures. However, it needs to be approached with caution and a good level of expertise.
Granite - Derived from the Italian word-Granito-meaning grained. Granite is very hard, crystalline. Igneous or metamorphic rock primarily composed of feldspar, quartz and less amounts of dark minerals. Mineral grains are visible to the eye and are a distinct characteristic of granite. These grains are developed as the magma cools. Fast cooling granite is very finely grained. Slow cooling granite has larger grains.Granite is frequently characterized as more resistant to damage and wear, harder and more uniform than marbles, travertine, limestone, onyx or slate. Granite is an average of 10 times harder than most marble, which makes it much more difficult to cut, shape and polish. Although granite is usually less porous than most marble and travertine, the grain structure can create absorption challengers that many people do not realize exist when sealing many granites.
Marble – In current language, marble is- any stone used for decorative purposes and that can be polished. The Greek word for marble is Mar mores which means glistening. Marble is a limestone that has crystallized due to geological metamorphism over long periods of time ranging from 7-120 million years.
Natural Stone
Like any classic, natural stone goes anywhere and will always look the part-on its own, set off with borders or contrasted with other stones.We offer a wide range of quality travertine, limestone and marble from the tried and tested Italian products to the new and innovative stones coming out of India such as Cairo and Luxor which are available in polished, honed or brushed finishes.
Please look at the points below that give some explanation to what exactly these products are:
Marble -
Travertine -
Limestone -
Granite -
Onyx -
Slate -
Sandstone –
Bolero
Tiles & Stone
Travertine - Ivory, silver, and golden brown colored limestone formed over approximately 600,000 years by precipitation in hot mineral springs. It comes out of the ground relatively hot compared to marble but hardens with age and exposure to the elements. It has a sponge like texture with up to 2” holes. These cavities are frequently filled with matching cement or epoxy. There are many soft spots in travertine a challenge to care for. Although travertine is softer than most marbles, it is very abusive to tools used during maintenance and restoration due to its cavities.
Limestone - A sedimentary rock, which while relatively soft, weathers quite well. Typically, limestone has a tight grained appearance and can sometimes have the presence of visible fossils. Tan, buff, beige, light gray, and light blue in color with natural voids, seams, and variables. Limestone tends to be more porous than marble or travertine and therefore has special sealing needs. Although typically found in a honed finish, contrary to popular belief, most lime stones can be polished, however, the polish is generally not very durable, therefore a lot of maintenance is ahead to keep the patina in good condition.
Slate - A fine grained metamorphic rock derived from clays and more often, shale. Fine grained clays are squeezed and pressed into elongated planes allowing easy splitting into elongated layers. This cleavage permits slate to be readily split into thin smooth sheets. Slate that is more reflective is re-crystallized. Most popular colors include green, black, gray, dark red and multicolored. It is very commonly used as roofing or floor tiles and must be sealed thoroughly to avoid staining.
