Cambria Color Swatch
How to Choose the Right Stone for Your Home
You have many options when it comes to beautiful, long-lasting natural stones for your home's interior and exterior: Slate., granite, marble, quartz-based stone, and limestone, just to name a few. Choosing a natural stone for your home is a very personal decision, much like selecting wallpaper or artwork.
 While there are scores of natural stones to consider, some are better suited than others to particular uses in and around the home. This guide, along with your architect and stone contractor, can help you explore your options and offer guidance on the right stone for the right home project.
Factors to Consider in Selecting a Natural Stone:
Color
Natural stones are available in a beautiful spectrum of colors. Colors in granite and marble, for instance, can range from soft beiges and pinks and classic black-and-whites to rich corals, greens, and multi-colors. Marble traditionally features swirls and “veins” of colors, while granite has a flecked or pebbled appearance.
Unlike the repetitive sameness of materials produced by machine or assembly line, natural stone’s naturally varied appearance has wonderful character and creates a one-of-a-kind effect everywhere it is used.
Finish
Natural stone can be polished, honed, or flamed for a distinct appearance:
·A polished finish has a glossy surface that reflects light and emphasizes the color and marking of the stone. This finish is typically used on walls, furniture tops, and floor tiles.
· A honed finish is a satin-smooth surface with relatively little light reflection. It is generally preferred for floors, stair treads, thresholds, and other areas where heavy traffic will wear off a polished finish.
· A flamed finish is a rough-textured surface used frequently on granite floor tiles.
 Usage
The harder the stone, the more it resists abrasion. One measure of a natural stone’s strength is its Measurement of Hardness (MOH) rating, on which 1 is the softest and 10 is the hardest. On the MOH scale, most marbles rate “3” and quartz-based granites rate “7.” Using a softer stone simply requires the homeowner to use gentler cleansers and more frequent dusting to prevent scratching.
Industry Term Definitions & Common Uses
- Granite - Granite is an igneous rock, which means it was once molten and formed as it cooled deep within the earth. Minerals within granite typically appear as small flecks throughout the stone, once creating a "salt and pepper" look. Other types have veining similar to marble. Granite is a dense-grained, hard stone. It can be highly polished or finished in a variety of other ways. A broad spectrum of color is available.
Most common uses: Interior and exterior wall cladding, Interior and exterior paving, Residential & Commercial counter tops, Monuments, Curbing, Statuary, Balance Tables, Novelty items
- Marble - Marble has both a scientific and commercial definition. Scientific marble was once limestone that achieved metamorphosis from intense pressures and high temperatures within the earth. This altered its crystalline structure and introduced other minerals that produced the valuable colors and veining. Commercially, any stone capable of taking a polish (with the exception of granite) is known as marble. This includes travertine, onyx, serpentine and limestone.
Most common uses: Interior and exterior wall cladding, Interior and exterior paving, Fireplace facing and hearth, Lavatory tops, Residential & Commercial counter tops, Table Tops, Statuary, Novelty items, Many non architectural uses, such as tooth paste, paint whiting, agricultural lime, etc.
- Travertine - Travertine marble is a variety of limestone formed in pools by the slow precipitation of hot, mineral-rich spring water. The "holes" characteristic of travertine were created when carbon dioxide bubbles were trapped as the stone was being formed. Although the classic travertine's are recognizable by their homogenous ecru to dark colors, dark reds are available to dark brown veining.
Most common uses: Interior and exterior wall cladding, Interior and exterior paving, Statuary, curbing
- Limestone - Limestone is widely used as a building stone because it is readily available and easy to work with. It is a sedimentary stone, layered and formed from the skeletons and shells of sea creatures that lived in vast, warm seas millions of years ago. Much domestic limestone is gray to buff in color, while some pastel shades of yellow to pink are available. Imported limestone's are available in colors ranging from light beige to dark brown, red and black. When the mineral dolomite is present, it makes the limestone harder and capable of being polished in the same manner as metamorphic marble.
Most common uses: Interior and exterior wall cladding, Interior and exterior paving, Limited counter top use
- Quartz-Based - Quartz-Based stones vary widely in color because of different materials and clays contained within the stone. These stones can be found in varying hues of light gray, yellow, green and red. (The dark, reddish-brown "brownstone" was widely used in building construction in the northeastern United States and Canada in the early 1900's.) They may be either sedimentary in formation (such as the sandstone's, bluestones and brownstones) or metamorphic (as in quartizite that is formed in exceedingly hard layers)
Most common uses: Interior and exterior wall cladding, Interior and exterior paving
- Slate - Slate is a fine-grained, metamorphic stone derived from sedimentary rock shale. It is uniform in color, available in shades such as dark to light green, mottled purple, black, gray or dark red. Veined patterns from overseas have also recently been introduced. Unless its surface has been honed smooth, slate can be recognized by its distinct cleft pattern.
Most common uses: Residential and Commercial counter tops, Fireplace facing, Roofing, Interior & Exterior (American only) wall cladding, Interior & Exterior (American only) paving, Fireplace facings & table tops, Many non architectural uses
- Soapstone - Soapstone is a metamorphosed, easily worked igneous stone characterized by a "soapy" feeling when touched. Colors range from dark gray to bluish or greenish gray. Its heat retention qualities make it an ideal cladding for free-standing coal or wood-fired room heaters. Soapstone is also chemical, stain and weather-resistant, and is useful for sinks and laboratory tops as well as general building purposes.
Most common uses: Chemistry and fire resistant work surfaces, Fireplace facings & inner hearths, Where heat is an issue
- Onyx - Onyx marble is a translucent, layered calcitic stone in pastel shades. It is typically formed in caves as stalactites and stalagmites by the slow precipitation of cold, mineral-rich water.
Most common uses: Interior wall covering. Can be used exterior in warm environments, Table Tops, Very light duty residential flooring, Novelty items
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Color Swatches
LG HI-MACS Conerstone Zodiaq
Quartz is extremely hard, with unique strength, depth, clarity and radiance. It has color uniformity that suggests a feeling of enlightened luxury.
Quick Quartz Facts:
- Quartz has superior strength and beauty.
- Quartz is a 7 in strength on Moh's Hardness Scale.
(A Diamond is a 10)
- Quartz is the most common natural mineral on the face of the earth next to water.
- Quartz grows in clusters that take millions of years to develop in the earth's crust.
- Quartz forms in large, single and faultless crystals.
- Quartz occurs in an infinite range of colors, the most commonly found are white and colorless.
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Visual Difference With Other Stones
Solid Surface Countertops are a revolutionary material that has their own character. Their versatility allows for a wide variety of projects including countertops, flooring, shower and tub enclosures, fireplace surrounds, wet bars and furniture. Quartz crystals capture the game of light on the timeless surface that brings a feeling of luxury into any setting where it is used. Their exceptional clarity and consistency in color, along with depth and radiance of quartz crystals give this material infinite potential in horizontal and vertical surfacing applications.
 Strength
Solid Surface Countertops has characteristics of superior strength and durability. Because it is composed of quartz crystals it has exceptional hardness. Thus, Solid Surface Countertops are structurally more resistant to surface damage than other stone. However, all stone can be damaged by excessive force or pressure.
Consistency
Solid Surface Countertops can be cut and installed to the exact specifications needed by the customer. This helps to reduce waste during production as well as ensures order accuracy. There is no sealing required for Solid Surface Countertops since they are dense, non-porous and resistant to stain. And, on top of everything, they are easy to maintain and keep their beauty for many generations to come.
Click below for industry articles on Quartz & Quartz Surfaces:
Note: to view above articles, you will need the free Adobe Acrobat plug-in.
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