Marble quarries above Carrara, Italy.
The where the what and the how of
selecting stone…..
Selecting the right stone for your project
requires some careful consideration of the
where, the what and the how.
Given the changing political landscape,
you may also want to consider UK
quarried stone ahead of imported stone.
Unless they are in stock in the UK you
might find your stone at the back of a very
long queue of lorries in Calais.
There are a great many UK sandstones,
slates and limestones from which to
choose. Less granites and no marbles,
unfortunately. The Stone Federation of
Great Britain represent many quarries
through their quarry forum and have
a wealth of knowledge on types and
locations. As does The Stone Specifiers
Source Book, also produced by the Stone
Federation.
Marble, granite limestone, slate, basalt,
sandstone, quartz – there is a vast pallet
of natural stones from which to select the
right stone for your project, large or small.
Colours are a good starting point, but you
will definitely want to consider how the
chosen material is likely to perform in the
location.
For instance, bathrooms need to be
beautiful, functional and easy to maintain.
Most Limestone and Marble is formed with
a high proportion of calcium carbonate,
which is soluble. It doesn’t mean the stone
will dissolve underwater, but some will
be more susceptible to water staining.
If water softeners are being added to
filtration systems, it is worth checking if the
contents will affect the stones surface and
increase limescale build-up or contribute to
deterioration of the stone surface. The 4 am cleaning shift is often a man
with a bucket full of dirty water and an old
mop. This only serves to move dirt around
the floor rather then remove it.
Stone floors in receptions and kitchens
should be hard wearing and relatively
easy to maintain, providing you use the
correct cleaning regime. I know of a stone
cleaning company to be found regularly
in the foyers of some of the top hotels in
London at 4am in the morning. Almost
silently, machine cleaning the floors to their
original condition, some weekly, some
fortnightly, all with excellent results. Sealing stone is not really sealing. It is not
like a varnish for wood. The real name is
impregnator. These come in two types –
water based or solvent based. The solvent
based impregnators last longer but less
environmentally friendly. The impregnator
sits below the surface and should prevent
deep staining. You still need to wipe
spillages off the surface as quickly as
possible – particularly wine and acidic
liquids – but it does help to provide a
barrier against deep staining.
There are many occasions where I am
asked to visit “problem” floors to report to
the client on the condition and why their
floor looks so poor after a relatively short
life span. Invariably, amongst other issues,
the cleaning regime leaves much to be
desired.
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Use pH neutral cleaners and make sure
they are suitable for stone. Clean regularly
and aim to have surfaces professionally
cleaned at least every 18 months.
Removing dirt and any limescale build-up
will keep the stone fresh and prevent long
term damage.
Other than cleaning, give careful
consideration to the type of stone and
where it is being used. There are a couple
of key areas to investigate for your chosen
stone.