How to buy Natural Stones – Shopping Guide

1. How to buy Natural Stones – Shopping Guide

2. Introduction • These are common expressions when a buyer visits first time at the premises of World of Stones USA. Not here, everywhere it happens when a buyer looks at ranks demonstrating a variety of stones even after touching many of those. It is true that the catalog mostly contains brand names of stones, which usually differ from one brand to another. • Thereby, our natural stone consultants got inspired to write a stone shopping guide as a reader-friendly post accessible on the web for all. 

3. Introduction to Natural Stone Types Based On Their Origin • If you are tech-savvy and use Google-like search engine to know about the origin of natural rocks, which we are quarrying and obtaining dimension stones for construction and other purposes, you may have come across three major geological terminologies: • Igneous rocks: It comes from molten volcanic stuff like magma. • Sedimentary rocks: It forms when eroded fragments of other rocks is settled and compressed in the crust of the earth. • Metamorphic rocks: It forms when igneous and sedimentary rocks are transformed due to pressure and heat.

4. Whole Stones Cubes Slabs Veneer

5. Crushed Stones Gravel Cobble Pebble

6. Defining Areas/Spaces for Natural Stone Applications

7. The Most Common Types of Natural Stones Used In the Industry: • The biggest trouble in the natural stone industry is colloquial naming. The majority of stones are known by their local names instead of their generic types. For instance, Bluestone and Flagstone are not generic or technical names but used based on some of their properties like colors and shapes. • Thereby, I have presented a short & sweet list of the most common and generic types of natural stones used in the present day in the US and elsewhere.

8. Quartzite Natural Stone • Quartzite is a metamorphic type of rock. It has high silica content – nearly 90% of the total mass. • The Best Application Areas: • Interior Spaces • Kitchen countertops, cabinet-tops, tabletops, floors, and other heavily used surfaces including floors and stairs. • Exterior Spaces • Façade, porch, and patio paving. Pool decks, paths, walkways, and driveways.

9. Granite Natural Stone • Granite is a mostly igneous-origin type of rock, but in many instances, it is found as sedimentation-origin. It has high availability around the planet. • The Best Application Areas: • The same as Quartzite.

10. Sandstone Natural Stone • Sandstone is a sedimentary type of rock. It contains sand particles. It is available across the globe and many sea floors. • The Best Application Areas: • The same as Granite. It is highly used as the structural elements and architectural elements in the interior as well as exterior places.

11. Slate Natural Stone • Slate is a metamorphic type of rock. It contains volcanic ash and clay particles. • The Best Application Areas: • Due to facility, it has limited applications but is considered as the best material for roof tiles. Exterior applications are many. It is the best choice as a paving material. 

12. Learn About Properties of Natural Stones & How to Test It with Simple and Handy Tools • If you want your natural stone material for a long service lifespan within the surrounding environment contexts, durability is the term used for it. According to common sense, stones in the construction industry have the following kinds of possible threats. • Impacts:  • Hit by other strong objects, whether by accident or intentionally.  • Structural load, be it dead or live traffic. • Earthquake, a storm like natural disasters. • Climate: • Heat, cold, wind, humidity, rain, frost/thaw cycle, and Sunrays

13. Metrics of Durability: • The American Society for Testing and Materials has defined the following metrics to measure durability factor in for the construction material, including natural stones. However, it is pure scientific terms, and you might get puzzled by it, so I have tried to simplify it the most possible ways. • Absorption and specific gravity  • Modulus of rupture  • Compressive strength  • Flexural strength  • Abrasion resistance 

14. How to Measure Durability? • Applied geologists take help of testing laboratory to measure the durability factors of natural stones by taking various approaches, including: • Accelerated Laboratory Durability Tests: freeze-thaw cycling, wetting–drying, and salt crystallization resistance. • Environment Tests: complex environmental testing in test cabinets. • Exposure site testing. • Unfortunately, an ordinary client cannot afford to pass through such testing and mostly rely on the results hanging on the walls of the office of stone supplier or distributor.

15. Learn About Natural Stone Finishes Prevailing In the Industry • Natural stones have their inherent rock textures, but finishing treatments can leave impacts positively by enhancing it. The following is the list of the most common stone finishes prevailing in the industry to know what the best is for you and where to apply which treatment. • Natural Finishing • Polished Stone Finishing • Tumbled Stone Finishing • Bush Hammered Stone Finishing • Sandblasted Stone Finishing • Leather Stone Finishing • Sawn Stone Finishing

16. Conclusion • If you have any confusion regarding natural stone buying, our consultants are always available to assist you. Feel free to take their help online or in-person.

17. Thank You Contact Us https://worldofstonesusa.com info@worldofstonesusa.com

18. Source • https://worldofstonesusa.com/blog/natural-stones-shopping-guide