To this day, natural stone is still considered a popular material for its timeless appeal and timeless elegance. Since there are so many natural stone materials available in the market, choosing the best one can be confusing. The following characteristics will make it easier for you to choose the most suitable natural stone samples.
1. Select stone material according to an application area
The same is considered a group of natural stones, but the material of each stone is different due to the composition structure or depth in quarries or underground. These materials have other appearances and properties. When choosing natural stone for applications, it is necessary to consider which natural stone material is more suitable. Some of the primary materials of natural stone are:
- Granite: This material is durable, scratch-resistant, and highly resistant, suitable for applications such as countertops, driveways, and floors in areas with heavy traffic.
- Marble: This is considered an excellent and most prominent natural stone flooring material due to its many variations and rich natural vein patterns. Ancient Greek & Roman marbles or in some central mining markets today, such as Vietnam, are highly porous and absorb stains. Therefore, it is not recommended to use marble for kitchen countertops as it can easily absorb stains and be corrupted by acidic kitchen ingredients.
- Limestone, slate, and sandstone: They have a rough texture and rustic touch, making them suitable for outdoor and indoor use.
- Travertine: This stone has a rough, porous appearance and is an excellent cladding material for accent walls.
- Onyx: This material has eye-catching, translucent, onyx stones that give off a warm glow with backlighting. This stone is often used for decoration or feng shui items, and if used for the interior, there must be sophisticated stone care and installation process.
See also: Different types of stone wall cladding
2. The surface of natural stone slabs
Natural stone comes in various finishes, such as polished, honed, fired, and kneaded finishes. Polished stone has a luster that brings out the stone’s color but makes the floor slippery when wet. On the other hand, natural stone has a rough texture when the finish is fired and flipped, making it the perfect non-slip flooring material for the outdoors.
3. Color of natural stone slabs
Natural stone has a wide variety of vein patterns equivalent to a collection of different colors. Light-colored stone materials visually expand the space and create a more prominent look, while dark stone does not show stains easily.
Choosing the stone vein color to match the overall space architecture is also a factor to consider before buying the natural stone.
4. Quality and thickness of the stone
When choosing natural stone, carefully check the quality of the front and back of the slab to ensure it is free from cracks and stains. Should select thick stone slabs for flooring and countertops and thin stone slabs for wall cladding.
5. Investment cost
If you are looking for an affordable material, choose natural stone materials from reputable suppliers or distributors. Even domestic or foreign natural stone suppliers have their advantages and disadvantages. For businesses that buy in bulk, it is advisable to learn about reputable branded natural stone suppliers in the global market to compare quality & price compared to domestic manufacturers, and sometimes you will have favorable searches and enjoy many benefits from foreign suppliers.