Suitable Stone for Building Facade

A stone for the facade of a building should be chosen according to the weather conditions of the building’s environment. Using of building stone in the facade of a building has many advantages. Among other things, façade stone gives a special grandeur and glory to a building. Availability, compatibility with the environment, natural and nature-inspired colors, resistance to fire, cold, heat and long durability are among the natural stone advantages. Of course, the usage of stone in the facade of a building has some points that can increase the durability and beauty of the building and reduce the costs of repair and reconstruction.

The first point which you should consider when you want to purchase it, is that stone is a mineral substance and it is extracted from the heart of the nature, and you shouldn’t expect it to have uniform and monochrome texture like ceramics, tiles or etc. Stones are the sign of the beauty hidden in the heart of nature. And, if you choose a natural stone, then you accept the mixture of colors and designs in its surface. Most of the building stone buyers get confused when they want to choose a suitable stone and their choices are based on the right and wrong beliefs they heard before. By the way, if you intend to buy stone, you should consider the place you want to install stones in, including:

  • Building facade (external)
  • Interior design
  • Stairs
  • Residential interior paving stones
  • Commercial building’s paving
  • WC
  • Kitchen

According to each part of a building, a suitable stone should be chosen for.

Façade stone

The facade stone of a building must have high resistance to UV rays of sunlight, heat, humidity and cold. Among the types of building stones, travertine, granite, sandstone and crystal stones are suitable for the exterior design of the building, according to the cost, availability and your taste, you can choose from the stones above. Travertine stones have almost high resistance to cold, heat and UV rays compared to other stones. Acid rain in big cities has a great impact on choosing the suitable facade stone. Therefore, when you want to choose it, you should pay attention to the factors such as stone’s polish, thickness, degree of porosity and etc. Against travertines, marbles which are sedimentary stones, are not recommended for building facades due to their porosity. Of course, nowadays, this problem has been solved by using nano technology methods or different stone finishings. In recent years, the use of travertine stone has increased significantly compared to the past. The reason for this general popularity can be considered the advancement of stone cutting machines and equipment, including resin and polish which are applied to the surface of the stone and give a more beautiful and uniform appearance to the stone. The problem with this method is the durability of the resin applied to the surface of the stone, which is almost equivalent to 20 years, and after this period, the stone may no longer have its former beauty. Among the features that have led to the popularity of travertine stone for facade, we can mention its great variety in design and color and its low price compared to other stones. Travertine is inherently a porous stone. And, this feature has effected good adhesion with mortar during installation. The use of travertine stone is about several hundred years ago. For example, the use of travertine stone can be seen in the remaining Roman facades from several hundred years ago. The different temperature of day and night and climate changes during different seasons can cause the result of the expansion and contraction of the stone. So, in this situation the possibility of stone breakage will be increased. And, if it is installed with cement mortar, it will be removed easily. Furthermore, there are different methods which by using them you can prevent stones from falling or removing.

According to the above, travertine stone is one of the best options compared to other stones. One of the other available stones for using in the facade of the building is crystal stone. Crystal stone is a good choice for facade and outdoor spaces. Resistance of crystal stone to heat, cold and climate changes is relatively good, crystal stone can compete with travertine and granite in this field.

Notes that you must notice when you want to install the stone of the building façade:

  • The stone should be selected according to the climatic conditions of the region
  • To connect stones, the best method is to use a stone scoop
  • The windows of the same size on the floors should be completely in the same direction

Marble, A Marvelous Stone

Marble is a metamorphosed limestone with colorful minerals, the main mineral of which is calcite. This constructional and decorative stone has many adherent & lovers. Actually it is used in different parts of the buildings to beautify and strengthen that part . And, similar stones that are formed in nature today play an important role in interior design and decoration. In the following article, we will learn about the use of marble in different spaces.

As you know, marble is transformed exposure to high pressure and heat . This stone is produced in two sorts of uniform surface and the sort with streaks. These streaks are due to impurities in this stone. The color you see in marble stone is due to the presence of materials such as iron oxide, silica, graphite and other calcareous materials. Marble colors are not found in any other building stone. Because of the presence of calcite in this stone, it can be cut and polished well. When the stone is well cut and polished, it becomes clear and shiny, and this will lead to various uses for this beautiful stone.

Characteristics of Marble Stone

The first and most important characteristic of marble is its hardness and resistance. The high resistance of this stone has made it to be used in the parts of the building that require stones with high hardness and resistant. This beautiful stone can be used for several many years because of its high resistant to atmospheric conditions such as humidity, heat and cold. Marble rarely gets polluted, so this stone is able to maintain its beauty for a long time. The beauty and uniqueness is one of the other characteristics of this stone, which has made this stone abundantly used in luxury and special buildings. The dens and good structure that marble has is resistant to heat and it maintains the energy; this is a special advantage for this building stone.

Application of Marble Stone

Due to marble’s unique features and properties, this stone has a variety of uses in different parts of the building , including :

Marble Stairs

Since marble is a heavy and strong stone, using it for stairs and steps is a very good choice. The stepping stone must be resistant to pressure. So, by having this feature, marble is a well option for building stairs.

Usage in Cabinet Stone

Undoubtedly, marble creates a stunning atmosphere in each part of the building. One of the most important parts of each house is the kitchen. By using marble in this part ,  you can double the beauty of your house. The use of marble stone for cabinets and wall coverings between cabinets creates a beautiful and special kitchen. One of the best advantages of using this stone in kitchen design is the ease of cleaning it .

Marble Flooring

Undoubtedly, the use of marble is very impressive and it creates an attractive and stunning atmosphere in each part of the building. When you use marble for the floor of your building, you can easily clean it and as we mentioned before ,this is an important advantage of marble stones. Due to marble’s light color, when it used for flooring , it will make the space bigger and brighter .

Marble Tables

By the time, perhaps the use of marble tables is not common among people, but by using this special and unique type of stone for table , you can create a special and stylish atmosphere. These tables have great hardness and stunning beauty. They can be used as dining tables or tables in front of or next to the sofa.

Application of marble in the exterior of the building

In luxury buildings, architects use marble to enhance the charm and beauty of the exterior of the building. The facade of the building is generally considered the face of the building. If you intend to use this stone for the facade , you should consider its beauty, strength, heat-resistant and also its price. Installing marble for facade has its own principles that requires high skill for this work.

Features of Slab Stone

After leaving mine, the stone is sent in raw form to stone cutting factories for processing. In stone-cutting factories, in order to manufacture and produce stone, they must first cut the raw material by special machines called cutters or saws. Different dimensions of block stones are cut for various construction purposes, and the largest size is called a slab. In this article, we will introduce the types of slab stones.

What is slab stone?

If we want to know more about slabs, we must first know it’s meaning. In the Latin language, slab is a word that means sheet or leaf, and nowadays slab is one of the new methods of stone processing. In order to cut the slabs, special devices such as saws and wire cutters must be used. In this cutting method, the saw cuts the raw stone and turns it into several slabs.

Slab dimensions are much larger than tiles or stones that are cut by a cutter. The size of slabs depends on the size of the stone from which they are cut (generally 220 x 120). After cutting slab, it will be ready for other stone processing such as epoxy work, sanding and polishing, round cutting, etc.

Characteristics of slab stone

As mentioned in the previous paragraphs, slab processing is a new method that has more advantages than other old methods. After epoxy work , the back of slabs become strong and resistant by gluing nets. And, it minimizes the possibility of breakage and crushing.

One of the other important features of slab stones is that they have less waste than other tile stones due to the large dimensions of the stone cutting. Also, this type of stone is easier to move and carry. This stone creates a uniform and stunning design for your building. Another feature that has made slab stones popular is their lighting capability. Marble is one of the most famous and different building stones, which has been used in decorations since ancient times. Another important point is their high variety of colors and patterns. In the slab processing, no artificial colors are used and this natural and unique beauty of slabs has attracted many fans.

Types of slabs

Slabs are divided into different types according to the origin stones they are made of.

Travertine slabs

This type of stone has a warm nature. And, the appearance of a travertine slab is very similar to limestone.

Granite slabs

Granite slabs with their high strength and various colors, are used a lot in exterior and interior designs.

Quartz slabs

It is one of the strong and durable slabs that has a high resistance to scratches, cold and heat, and it is very suitable to use for countertops and other kitchen stones.

Application of stone slabs

These stones are used in different construction sectors due to their special dimensions and beauty, and this has made them one of the most useful construction stones. In the other hand, slabs are widely used in the following parts :

  • Interior designs
  • Building entrance
  • Lobby walls
  • Elevator walls
  • Fireplace walls
  • Kitchen stones and counters
  • TV rooms
  • Decoration of luxurious halls
  • Meeting and conference hall
  • Flooring
  • Stylish pool walls
  • Modern stores design

The price of slab stones

The reason why the price of this stone is very high compared to other construction stones is about it’s difficult production process. So, the cost of buying and installing this stone is high. According to the points mentioned about the price of this type of stone, many other factors also can affect the price.

Among these factors, we can mention quality and abrasion. When a slab has high abrasion and quality, it usually has a higher price than other lower qualities. Also, the uniformity of color and design is important in determining the price. The stone which has these factors is considered in the category of super or high quality stones and it will have a higher price than others.

Stone Flooring

Since ancient times, stone has been one of the most common materials used in indoor and outdoor spaces of the building . It has been very common to use all kinds of stones for flooring. According to the specific conditions, you can choose the stone that creates an eye-catching space. In the following, we will discuss about the best stone which you can choose for the floor of a building. Stones have different types and different uses. So, it is very important to choose the best stone for flooring. Because, the stone used for flooring has a direct relationship with the durability and beauty of a building.

The most suitable stone for flooring

Stone is one of the best materials used for the flooring of a building. Because, stones have a long life and they resist to climate changes. Also, they have a high variety colors for people with different tastes.

Which stone is suitable for each part of the building?

Stones are generally cold in nature, and if they are used in cold areas, floor heating is also necessary for that places. When the stones with polished surface get wet, the friction of them reduce, so they may cause some problems. That’s why we don’t use these types of stones in bathrooms and swimming pools. For these places, it is better to use a stone with honed surface. The stones used in reception floor, bathroom and parking lots are different. The best stones that can be used for the mentioned places are:

Crystal

Crystal stone belongs to the family of marble stones. This stone is usually processed in the form of slabs also bookmatch and formmatch. This stone has low water absorption and it has a good resistance to heat and cold. This stone can be used for toilets, hall and reception floors, and stepping stones.

Marble

Marble is one of the most widely used building stones. This stone is available in a wide range of colors and also it has a good polish. Polished marble can be used for the floor of the hall,reception,rooms and lobbies,office and commercial complexes .Also, it is used for the stairs as well.

Granite

Granite is one of the most strongest stones in the natural world. Granite stone with different types is resistant to cold and hot weather. This stone has low water absorption and it is difficult to cut, so this stone is generally used in high traffic places such as parking lots and stairs. Also, this stone is suitable for the floor of the commercial complexes.

Onyx

Onyx is one of the most beautiful and luxurious stones in the heart of the nature, which has a high resistance to sunlight. One of the great features of this stone which has made it popular among designers and architects is the ability of passing light. Due to it’s special feature, this stone has a higher price than other natural stones. Onyx can be used for interior floors and walls of a building.

Advantages of stone flooring

As mentioned before, stones are one of the most widely used building materials. Here are some of the reasons :

  • The durability and strength of the stone
  • Special design and color
  • Low water absorption , as well as high resistance against sunlight
  • Reasonable price and high quality
  • The maintenance of stone in any situation is easy
  • High polish

Disadvantages of stone flooring

According to the experience of using stones in the construction industry, this building material also has disadvantages, which are mentioned in this section:

  • The non-uniformity of it’s design and color in the big area
  • The coldness of stone because of it’s nature
  • Having a very smooth surface due to it’s high polish ability

Which stones can be used for indoor and outdoor spaces?

Stones that can be used for outdoor spaces should have high resistance and stability against sunlight, cold and heat and acid rains. Also, they shouldn’t break and change their appearance over time. The stones that are used for outdoor spaces must have more than 20 cm thickness and a high weight, which does not lead to stone erosion and breakage. A stone with a smooth and shiny surface should not be used in outdoor spaces. In these case, it may cause some skid problems when it rains or snows.