Stone is a natural solid formation of one or many minerals. Most of these minerals can be identified by their colour, hardness, and crystal formation. Crystals come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The wide array of these minerals is often difficult to identify, since many stones look similar to each other; however, they are all very different.

GRANITE Primarily made of Quartz (35%), Feldspar (45%) and Potassium. Usually have darker colours. Provides a heavy crystalline and granular appearance with mineral grains. It is a very hard material and easier to maintain than marble. Yet, it is still porous and will stain.

MARBLE: A recrystalized limestone that formed when the limestone softened from heat and pressure and recrystalized into marble where mineral changes occurred. Marble has a range of many colours and is usually heavily veined and shows lots of grains.

LIMESTONE: Consists mainly of calcite. It does not show much graining or crystalline structure. It has a smooth granular surface and varies in hardness. Some dense limestone can be polished. Common colours are black, gray, white, yellow or brown. It is more likely to stain than marble. Limestone is known to contain lime from seawater.

TRAVERTINE: Usually a cream or reddish colour. It is formed through the accumulation of calcite from hot springs. It contains holes that were formed from water flowing through the stone. These holes are often filled with synthetic resins or cements. Travertine requires a lot of maintenance if the holes are not filled. It is classified as both a limestone and a marble.

SLATE: A fine-grained metamorphic stone that is formed from clay, sedimentary rock shale, and sometimes quartz. It is very thin and can break easily. Usually coloured black, gray or green.

CERAMIC: Ceramic tiles are impermeable and are made of a clay body with or without a ceramic glaze. The raw materials used to make the tiles come from the earth, which, together with the water and firing, produce a natural high quality. Ceramic tile is a thermal product that absorbs both heat and cold, depending on the room temperature – stays cool in summer and warm in winter. Ceramic ware is characterized by its easiness to clean and it ability to be kept free from dirt and any type of corruption Surfaces repel electrically atmospherical dust and prevent humidity which prevents the development of germs. Tiles with a lower absorption percentage are often referred to as porcelain tiles and have superior technical properties but are aesthetically limited. The low absorption means they were kilned longer and hotter resulting in a product that costs more.

VICTORIAN TILES: Made in England by generations of Devon craftsmen, these tiles represent the art of English tile making at its very best. Hand decorated and using up to 20 colours in a single tile, they are richly coloured, deeply translucent, and exquisitely beautiful.

SURFACE TEXTURES

HONED: Provides a flat to low sheen gloss generally used in high traffic areas. Different levels of gloss can be selected. A honed surface is very smooth, but often very porous. Honed stone colours are not as vibrant as a polished stone.

POLISHED: This surface is very smooth and not very porous. The reflectivity of polished crystals brings out the brilliant colours and grains of natural stone. The shine is not from a coating; it comes from the natural reflection of the stone’s crystals.

FLAMED: A rough surface that is developed through intense heat. During fabrication, the stone is hated up and the crystals begin to pop, thus forming a rough surface, which is very porous.

TUMBLED: A slightly rough texture that is achieved by tumbling small pieces of marble, limestone and sometimes granite to achieve an archaic/worn appearance.

SAND BLASTED: This surface is the result of a pressurized flow of sand and water that provides a textured surface with a matte gloss.

RESTORATION

RESTORATION: Simple restoration or resurfacing of stone is accomplished with a two-step process. The first step is the process of honing the surface, whereby the very top of the stone is filed away, eliminating all etching and almost all scratches that cause the stone to look dull. (Honing does not always eliminate deeper scratches and nicks).
The second step of the process is called polishing and will produce the highest possible gloss on the stone surface.

GRINDING: This procedure is for floors only and is used to eliminate all nicks and deep scratches or to level all components of floor tiles so they will be flush with one another.