Building stones and their features

As you know, in recent years, stones have been one of the most common used construction materials. Stones can’t be compared with other building materials due to their unique features. Various types of building stones are used in different parts of the buildings, including internal and external parts, facade or to decorate multiple parts. In this article, we will mention these stones and their various uses.

Characteristics of the building stones

Building stones must have unique features so that they can be used for long periods of time. The first and important characteristic of building stones is that they should have a light weight. Technically, buildings shouldn’t be heavier than a certain limit, and if the stones used in buildings are light, they don’t add more weight to them and ultimately the buildings remain light. The next point is that the building stones must be strong and durable. In addition, they must be resistant to pressure and scratches. Building stones generally have high polishing ability and they are resistant to erosion that happens due to the passage of time. There are many stones to be used in different parts of the buildings. For example, stones that have high water absorption shouldn’t be used in humid or wet places such as bathrooms and toilets, and it’s better to use stones with high density for these parts.

Uses of stones in the buildings

Stones play an important role in the constructions. Each type of building stones has a certain use and it is suitable for a specific part of the buildings. Therefore, we want to check that each stone is suitable for which parts of the building.

Stairs and floor

As you know, stairs and floor of the buildings are against much traffic. As a result, the stone used in these parts must be resistant to the pressure, abrasion and impact. So, sedimentary or metamorphic stones have these advantages and they are a suitable option for these parts.

Facade

For the facade of the buildings, you should use durable and resistant stones which take no damages against the weather conditions such as sunlight, dust, frost, acid rain, and air pollution which all can affect the resistance of facade stones. Travertine stones are among the stones that are very useful for the façade of the buildings.

Interior walls

Using various types of building stones for covering the internal walls can create a very stylish and beautiful appearance for the building. In general, building stones are usually used to cover the wall of the bathrooms and toilets, halls, offices and etc. The stones that are used for this purpose should have a beautiful, smooth and polished surface, they should have low porosity, also they should have resistance to acidic detergents.

Roof

Stones have been used for the roof coverings of the buildings in the last few decades. But even today, these stone coverings can be seen on some buildings roof. The stones used for the roof coverings should have a light weight, non-porous structure, and also have high bending resistance.

Types of building stones

After checking the features and various uses of building stones, now it’s time to get acquainted with the types of building stones and their uses.

Granite

Granite is a type of igneous stone which is a durable and strong building material due to its high density. Granite is used to decorate building floors, interior walls, stairs, columns and sculptures. It can be said that granite has a high price, because extracting, processing and polishing it is costly. This stone is also used in the foundations of the facilities. Also, using as the flooring and decorating of the buildings are some other of this stone usages. Having a great resistance to impact and water penetration is among the advantages of granite stone. The polishing ability of this stone is very good, and after polishing, it becomes particularly beautiful.

Onyx

This stone has a mirror and transparent surface, and it also has a high polishing ability. Due to its high polish and attractive colors, this stone is usually used in the interior decoration of the buildings. This stone has the ability to pass the light, so it can be used for decorative purposes. Onyx has red, gray, white, yellow, purple and green colors. This stone has a higher price than other building stones, so it is considered one of the expensive stones.

Quartzite

Quartzite stone looks very similar to granite, but it is harder and more durable than granite. This stone has red, brown and gray colors, and it is used to cover the interior walls, building facades, stairs and floors. This stone is very resistant to weathering, and it has a reasonable price compared to other stones. As a result, using this stone for large and luxury projects is recommended.

Marble

One of the most used building stones is marble. Marble has nothing in common with onyx, and it doesn’t absorb water, but it shows relatively low resistance to weathering and acid rain. So, according to these features, it’s better to use this stone in the interior parts of the buildings. Among the various types of marble, we can mention Dehbid marble, Hersin marble, Khoy marble, Abadeh marble, Pietra grey marble, Black marquina, Spider black marble and etc.

Travertine

Travertine is one of the most famous building stones. This stone is used for both the façade of the building and interior decorations. Choosing this stone for the facade of the buildings and the decoration of hotel lobbies will be a wonderful choice.

Guillotine

Guillotine is a kind of decorative stones. The main use of this stone is for the building facade and interior decoration design. There are different types of guillotine stone that you can choose and buy according to your taste. Guillotine stone is created by placing pieces of travertine stones with resin-based mortar.

Sandstone

Sandstone is a type of sedimentary stone which has white, brown, yellow and gray colors. Sandstone is one of the stones that is used in different parts of the buildings due to its compatibility with the inside and outside environment. Sandstone can be used for building roofs, wall coverings, swimming pools etc. Sandstone has attracted many fans due to its many uses and advantages.

Gabbro

Gabbro stone is a type of internal igneous stone. This stone is found in dark colors like green, black and gray in the market. Gabbro stone is used in the kitchen counters, building floors, facade and it also use as the decorative stones. This stone is very resistant to weathering, and because of this advantage, it is also used for building facade and floors.