Natural Stones For Your Home
Natural Stones’ elegance can certainly add style to your home’s aesthetic. Not only does it bring beauty to your interiors and exteriors, but it is also a durable investment that can last for many years. Stones can work well in any area of your home and presents a lot of potentials–not only for functionality but also as decorative ornaments. While the durability of natural stone is pleasant, the material cannot be cleaned like other areas of your home.
First, Let’s look at some of the popular choices of natural stones preferred by builders and owners, and the necessary care to keep your investment looking flawless for years to come.
Commonly Used Stone Types
- Granite
Granite is one of the hardest natural stones that are ideal for your homes. It has a grainy and flecked mineral appearance that can give a sleek appearance to your home. The natural grain texture of granite makes it great for both interior and exterior areas of your homes.
Polished granite can give your walls and tabletops a refined look. With color variations in black, brown, white, and pink; the design options are endless (and fabulous).
- Marble
One of the most luxurious natural stones used in homes is marbles. It is commonly used as flooring and bathroom or kitchen sinks. Its polished look makes it the right choice for countertops as it is very porous and durable.
Marble also gives a classy look when used for the home’s exterior areas, such as the pool area or patio. It also comes in a wide variety of patterns and colors to suit your home’s design.
- Sandstone
Another popular choice for builders is sandstone. Sandstone is easy to sculpt and cut into shapes and sizes, perfect for custom requests. One unique quality of this natural stone is its color-changing quality when reflected with the sun’s rays.
Sandstone is ideal to use on floors, posts, and pillars of your home. Standard color choices for this stone are white, red, brown, and hues of gray.
- Quartzite
This hardstone is exceptionally durable and looks similar to marble. Quartzite is often used in heavily used surfaces like a table or kitchen countertops because of its hardness and smooth texture. You can also use it to add timeless character to your homes’ exterior areas, such as facades, walkways, and driveways.
- Limestone
Limestone is a preferred material for many builders. It has an even texture and is relatively easy to tailor fit to areas in your home. Fine-textured limestones are used for flooring and pavements. However, you should avoid using it for kitchen countertops as its porous quality makes them prone to stains and scratches.
- Cobblestones
Cobblestones are one of those distinctive stones that give a home a rustic vibe. Its timeworn appearance can add character to specific areas of your home, like a fireplace or your garden pavement. Professional builders find these stones relatively easy to install. It can also be arranged in a variety of patterns to suit your space.
Cobblestones are also versatile as they can create an antique look but add a modern character to spaces in your homes. Choosing the right color and pattern will also create either a minimalistic or creative look in walls or garden pavements.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Natural Stones
Stones have different qualities such as strength, texture, colors, and patterns. They are an excellent choice for tiling, walling, and flooring needs for home constructions. Here are some factors to consider before making a stone-type choice.
- Type Of Structure Or Space. Determine if the stone type will suit the space or area.
- Color Hues. Choose dark-colored stones for frequently used areas such as kitchen and dining countertops or outdoor barbecue areas. Light-colored stones can make space look larger and brighter.
- Desired Aesthetic Effect. You can choose a single or combination of stones and stone finishings to achieve the right effect of either being rustic, elegant, warm, or inviting.
- Hardness Quality. Choose porous stones on areas of high foot traffic to avoid scratches. Harder stones are ideal for exterior areas like pools, porches, and walkways.
A stylish and unique home look can be challenging to achieve, but these natural stones can help with that goal. All these stones can offer you a range of patterns and sizes that can complement different areas in your home. Consider using stone materials as a wise investment as it can significantly increase your property’s value.
