Natural Stone

Available in a striking array of colors and finishes (polished, honed, textured), granite’s durability, longevity and affordability make it ideal for most applications including kitchen countertops and other heavily used surfaces, including table tops and floors. Granite has long enjoyed use as an exterior cladding and pavement material and it’s inherent strength, abrasion resistance and superior weathering durability are likely to keep it one of the preeminent material selections available to today’s architects.

Because of its beauty and elegance, marble is a popular choice for vanity tops, floors, foyers, fireplace facings, hearths, walls and windowsills. Marble with its inherent warmth, adds a sophisticated element to the area in which it is installed. Many marbles are well suited for wet area application, which extends the versatility of this material to include tub decks and showers.

A traditional use of both these materials was the laboratory table top in chemistry labs. That application alone should serve as a great testimonial to the chemical resistance of the materials. Being of the softer varieties of dimension stone types, neither of these materials is known for particularly high abrasion or scratch resistance, yet both are used for flooring and countertop products. Soapstone is highly heat resistant and has been used in fireplace surrounds frequently to take advantage of this property.

Since these stones are some of the softer varieties of natural stone materials, they have long been a popular choice for intricately carved features and moldings, as well as statuary. The combination of acid sensitivity and absorption limit the number of varieties that are suitable for countertop applications and the user of limestone countertops should be well educated in its properties to accurately anticipate its behavior in service.

Quartzite is a metamorphic rock that is formed from sandstone. Quartzite can be of exceptional strength, density and hardness. The strength, abrasion resistance and weathering durability of this rock type expand its application possibilities to include most any of the common uses for natural, dimension stone.

Quartz surfaces are the ultimate combination of nature and technology. An engineered material create through a manufacturing process that mixes approximately 95 percent ground natural quartz with 5 percent polymer resins. The result is a super hard, low maintenance, natural stone-looking countertop available in a dazzling array of colors.