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Q.Why are travertines filled or unfilled?
A. Travertine is characterized by the presence of many tiny holes, caused by trapped gas bubbles during its formation. This creates a porous, uneven surface, which is referred to as Unfilled Travertine. When these cavities are filled with cement or another material, the result is called Filled Travertine and may be honed and polished to provide a uniform surface similar to marble.
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Q.Why should I use natural stone in my home?
A. Natural stone is prized its distinctive beauty and the sense of peaceful tranquility it creates, but there are also many practical benefits to using Natural Stone in your home. Natural Stone products are more durable than many artificial products, often lasting for decades with very little maintenance. With Natural Stone there are no worries about exposure to harmful chemicals in the home or released into the environment during production or disposal. Why invest time and money into a look-alike? Natural Stone is the real thing that the artificial products try to emulate.
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Q.What is Natural Stone?
A. "Natural Stone" refers to a number of products quarried from the earth, used over many thousands of years as building materials and decorative enhancements. These products include Granite, Marble, Limestone, Travertine, Slate, Quartzite, Sandstone, Adoquin, Onyx, and others. They are more than just rocks – natural stone is hand selected from the best, most consistent sources for durability and beauty.
Natural stone products differ in composition, color, and texture even among pieces from the same source. This is usually considered a benefit, lending itself to one of a kind designs and distinctive, dramatic applications.
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Q.Can I specify that there be no grout joints?
A. Creating an installation without visible grout joints is difficult, but if the surface of the floor is straight and the tiles are perfectly cut, very little grout should be seen. A professional, experienced installer should be chosen to create this look.
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Q.Why are some stones more expensive than others?
A. Stones that are harder and denser are more difficult and expensive to quarry and process. Quarrying methods vary as well; stones may be quarried below ground, which is more expensive than above ground. Also, since natural stone is quarried all over the world, long distance shipping factors into the price.
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Q.Why is granite preferred for kitchen/bar countertops?
A. Countertops in kitchens and bar areas are often exposed to acidic substances such as lemon, vinegar, alcohol, and tomato sauce. Knives, dishes, pots and pans, and other implements may cause scratching of lesser materials. Granite is the hardest and densest of all natural stones – the feldspar content keeps it water resistant, and the silicates it contains won't react with acid. These properties help Granite resist staining and retain its fine luster over a longer period of time than ceramic tiles or other stones.
Although Marble is commonly requested for countertops in bars and kitchens, marble's high carbonate content makes it vulnerable to acidic substances.
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Q.How do natural stone tiles differ from ceramic tiles?
A. The most important difference is this – Natural Stone is a product of nature, and Ceramics are man-made. Most man-made materials cannot compare in durability to natural ones. While damaged ceramic tiles usually need replacing, natural stone usually needs minimal restoration if stained or scratched. Other differences are explained below:
CERAMIC
Homogenous composition;
Low absorbency, thin and lightweight, corrugated backing;
Acid resistant;
Have only one plain finish and practically no edge finishes;
The sizes in ceramics are restricted and patterns are very uniform and geometric.
NATURAL STONE
Unique composition;
Differs from category to category;
Acid sensitivity varies from stone to stone;
Have a whole spectrum of finishes like Polished, Honed, Antiquated, Tumbled, Leather, Rugged (Split face, River Rough, River Wash, Flamed) and more. Different types of edges like beveled, bull-nosed etc. are possible;
No size restriction. Available in huge slabs as large as 125' X 75' or in small tumbled mosaic pieces of 1”x 1”. Natural, random patterns are found in Natural Stones;
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Q.Can you put 5 colors of granite inside one container?
A. Yes,it is not problem for us.But if one color for one container,the price will be much cheaper.