Stone buying guidance

Stone is one of the most suitable and resistant materials used in the interior and exterior of the building. If the stone of the building is in harmony with its surrounding environment, it will create an eye-catching and beautiful space. In this article, we are trying to guide you to choose and buy a suitable stone.

According to the physical and chemical characteristics of the stones, each of them is suitable for a specific place. Therefore, buyers should choose and buy the stones according to the space they want to install them, such as interior and exterior paving or façade stones. In general, building stones are divided into the two general following categories based on their uses in the construction industry.

• Suitable stones for the floor (paving stones)
• Suitable stones for the facade (facade stones)

Flooring stones

Characteristics of suitable stones for the floor of the buildings:

• Stones are compatible with the environment.
• Stones are durable and long-lived.
• Stones can be modified and repaired.
• Stones are easy to maintain.
• Stones are not allergenic.

The flooring stones have also different uses which depend on various factors. And, in this part of the article, stones with different uses are separated according to their types and features.

Suitable stones for the floor of the residential units:

• The stones must be free of porosity.
• The stones should have little water absorption.
• The stones must have good polishing ability.
• The stones shouldn’t have high lime.
• The color of them should be light.

Marble, crystal and onyx stones have these features, and you should choose and buy between them according to your taste and budget. Besides, most of these stones are cut into slabs, and the smaller sizes have a lower price.

Suitable stones for the floor of the kitchen:

• Stones should have little water absorption.
• They should have low porosity.
• Stones should have high abrasion and bending resistance.
• They should also be resistant to stains.

Suitable stones for the floor of the office units:

• The stones must have high pressure resistance.
• The stones should not be porous.
• They must be free of any cracks and they should have a light color.
• They should have high abrasion resistance.

Flooring stones of the office units should have high resistance and low water absorption due to the industrial cleaning, constant movements of the office supplies and frequent traffic.

Suitable stones for the floor of the commercial units:

• The stones must have high pressure resistance.
• The stones should not be porous.
• The stones must be free of any cracks.
• The stones should have high abrasion resistance.
• Their water absorption should be very low.

Commercial places are dealing with various damages and pollutants, and due to the high traffic, they need to be washed more. Therefore, the most resistant stones for commercial units are all kinds of granite stones.

Suitable stones for the floor of the industrial units:

• The stones must have high pressure resistance.
• They shouldn’t be porous.
• They must be free of any cracks.
• They should have high abrasion resistance.
• They must have a high thickness.
• Their water absorption should be very low.

Industrial places deal with various damages due to the traffic of heavy vehicles, so the stones that are used in these places must be resistance to the pressure. And, the most resistant stones for these places are granite with a thickness of more than 2.5 cm.

Suitable stones for the stairs flooring:

• The stepping stones must have high pressure resistance.
• The stepping stones should not be porous.
• They must be free of any cracks.
• They should have high abrasion resistance.
• The stepping stones must have suitable thicknesses.
• They should have very low water absorption.
• They should be matched with the wall stones.

Because of the high traffic stepping stones should have high resistance and low water absorption.

It should be noted that outdoor stepping stones should be resistant to cold, heat, sunlight and other climate changes. Stones like granite, travertine, crystal and marble with the thickness of 3 or 4 cm.

Suitable stones for the floor of the parking lots:

• The stones must have high pressure resistance.
• They should not be porous.
• The stones must be free of any cracks and they should be as bright as possible.
• They should have high abrasion resistance.
• They must have suitable thicknesses.

Suitable stones for the floor of the outdoor spaces:

• The stones must have high pressure resistance.
• They should have low water absorption.
• They should be compatible with the general design of the buildings.
• They must be resistant to frost and heat.
• They should have suitable thickness.
• Their surfaces should not be slippery.

Conclusion

For the paving of outdoor spaces, crystal, granite, all types of waveless travertine and cubic stones are recommended, because of their resistance to impact, pressure, cold, frost and sunlight. And for indoor spaces, it is recommended to use marble, crystal and onyx, but it is better to use high-quality granite or marble stones in the parts with high-traffic.

Façade stones

Below are some of the characteristics of the suitable stones for building façade:

• They should be compatible with the environment and don’t pollute it.
• The stones should be durable and long-lived.
• They should be modified and repaired.
• Their maintenance should be easy and inexpensive.
• They should have a variety of colors and different forms of finishings.

The choosing of a suitable façade stone depends on various factors. The façade stones are divided into two general categories:

• Exterior façade stones
• Interior façade stones

Suitable stones for the exterior facade:

The exterior of the building is called the outer shell or the main facade of the building. In this part, the stones encounter atmospheric factors such as cold, heat, sunlight and etc. So, stones which are used in these parts should be resistant to all of these factors.

The suitable stones for the main or exterior facade should have the following characteristics:

• The stones must have high bending resistance.
• They should have low water absorption.
• They must be free of any cracks.
• They must have a good adhesion with mortar.
• They must have sufficient and suitable thickness.
• They should be resistant to acid rains.

Stones are the most used materials for the facade of the buildings today, and it’s due to their special beauty and high durability. Stones like travertine have a good adhesion with mortar due to their high porosity, and they are highly recommended for this purpose.

Suitable stones for the interior design of the buildings:

There is no need that the stones used for the interior design of the buildings be resistant to sunlight, acid rains and other weather conditions. For this part of the buildings, you can choose and buy all the stones according to your taste and budget.

Conclusion

For the main and exterior facade, travertine stones with different finishings and granite stones are more suitable. And, it is recommended to use marble, crystal, granite, sandstone, limestone, travertine and onyx for the interior designs or facade.