What Stone Is Right for My Fireplace?

Is there anything to compare to the comfort and grandeur of a stone fireplace? Stone has always been a popular material for fireplace design, and for good reason. Stone is incredibly versatile; you can literally create any style of fireplace, from the most grand to the most rustic and everything in between, with stone. But which stone is right for your fireplace? Here are a few ideas to keep in mind when designing your ideal fireplace.

Overall Design

Your overall design will steer you towards certain stones. The elegance and beauty of marble perfectly elevates a more formal room, while the rustic curvature of fieldstones can lend organic comfort to a cottage-style den. Determine what style you want for the room as a whole, and see if any stones immediately evoke that aesthetic for you. Marble may be expensive, but it's worth every penny if it perfects your room's look.

Maintenance Issues

Some stone is very easy to care for, requiring only a gentle cleaning every so often to maintain its luster and beauty. Other stone is more complicated to keep in pristine condition. Marbles and limestones are softer than other stones, so extra care needs to be taken to ensure these stones aren't dented by accident. In addition, marble can take more effort to clean than, say, granite. Which brings us to the elephant in the room: soot.

Soot and Staining

If you use your fireplace with any frequency, soot will be an issue. Using a dark material for your fireplace can certainly help to mask soot stains. Darker grey or black stone will keep your cleaning to a minimum, but what if your heart is set on something lighter? If you plan to use your fireplace often, aim for something easy to clean, like granite or slate.

Don't Forget Your Hearth

Make sure your hearth design complements your fireplace design. Depending on the material you choose for your fireplace, you may be able to use the same material to create your hearth. If not, or if you don't want your hearth made from the same material, try to use a product that complements your fireplace's style and coloring. Tile is an excellent option for hearths, as are other stone varieties with similar coloring to the main stone you pick. Be sure that the hearth design itself works well with the design of the fireplace; you don't want a cottage-style fireplace thrown off by a modern hearth or vice versa.

Ultimately, the beauty of well-designed and well-constructed stone will make your fireplace the show-stopping centerpiece of whatever room you incorporate it into. Discuss with your designer or salesperson which stones will be right for your fireplace.

5 Reasons Why Manufactured Stone Is Becoming So Popular   Installing Cultured Stones   

How to Select the Right Sandstone for Paving

Sandstone pavers are an eternal favourite for all kinds of locations. Not only are sandstone pavers natural, strong, weather-proof and beautiful to look at, they can be counted on to lend a classic look to any area of home or commercial establishment such as hotels and function centres. Sandstone pavers can also be used to create a homely, earthy look for cottage style gardens and to create attractive and welcoming residential driveways and pool surrounds.

Because of the nature of its formation, sandstone is a very hard stone that can be cut into pavers in a range of colors from red and gold tones, to streaked black, grey and white. In fact, sandstone can be purchased in so many different shades, how do you know what is going to be the right selection for your paving needs?

To help narrow down your dazzling array of options, here's a brief outline of the main colors and the types of construction where they are best put to use:

Dark brown: Deep brown or chocolate toned sandstone acquires its unique, rich appearance due to a high content of iron oxide. It is a great choice or exterior paving due to its ability to camouflage marks and staining and can be found in a variety of different surface finishes including sawn and polished.

Grey: Grey varieties typically range in tone from blue-grey to light grey, with some options of very dark grey available. The grey color arises from the silica calcite that has formed between the quartz grains, cementing them together. Due to its neutral tones, grey sandstone is exceedingly versatile.

Yellow: Yellow sandstone is an ideal choice for paving in seaside properties or beside saltwater pools. Its particular qualities of composition make it especially resistant to acid erosion and saline wind damage. Like all sandstone, it is highly porous and so suitable for very wet locations.

Beige: Light coloured beige and white varieties are one of the most widely used ranges due to their classic appearance and elegant light grey or purple 'veins' that become visible when the stone is wet. Beige sandstone extremely strong and durable making it a top choice for use in paving.

Red: Red and deep pink sandstone is particularly smooth and soft due to its uniform grain size and can be found in natural, sawn or polished surfaces. Although it is durable and very tolerant to weathering, its soft nature makes it more suitable for ornate, carved detailing rather than paving.

Rainbow: If none of the above hues sound suitable for your paving needs, rainbow may be the answer. Rainbow sandstone acquires its stunning colour from a singular combination of quartz and other natural minerals. Its range of tones can span violet, red, brown and teak depending on the percentage of each constituent mineral.

5 Reasons Why Manufactured Stone Is Becoming So Popular   Installing Cultured Stones