There are many different types of stone or stone-like products available in today’s marketplace. These items are composed of unique materials that have undergone both geological and man-made processes before being fabricated into a finished product for your home. But what do you know about these materials? Where did they come from? What kind of stone should you choose? Which of these materials would best suit your particular needs?
While looking for your stone product, you probably have heard of many different kinds of stone or stone-like materials. For example, marble, granite, quartz, maybe even soapstone or onyx. Each of these is an amazingly unique material that will exceed your expectations when used in the correct setting.
The simplest way of describing many of these products is whether they are a Natural Stone or a Man-Made Stone. Natural Stone is any rock found in nature that is used for building or decorative purposes and like all rock, it was formed by natural geological processes over thousands, millions or even hundreds of millions of years. Every piece of natural stone is a wholly unique blend of colours and minerals. Each type of stone will have its own specific properties. The most common types of natural stone are granite, marble and limestone, but there are a few others that are often used in residential applications – quartzite, soapstone, travertine and onyx.
The vast majority of Man-Made Stone can be divided into one of two types, Engineered Quartz slabs or Porcelain slabs. Each of which has been fabricated using specific and often closely guarded manufacturing processes to ensure that both types will perform as per the design criteria of the manufacturer.
See our FAQs page for more information on the different Types of Stone.
Now that you know a little about how each stone is unique and what they’re best used for, you can start thinking about what kind of stone you want for your particular application. Of course, nothing beats speaking with a certified building professional or a properly trained sales individual prior to choosing your stone or “stone-like” product! Contact us today for a quote or to book an appointment.
I hope this helps you on your journey with stone.
– Dennis Centis