Types of building stones and their uses

With the advancement of science and technology, today stone extraction has become easier and its use in the construction industry has increased significantly. Stones have unique capabilities that cannot be compared with other building materials.

Perhaps the most important features of stone can be seen in its very high durability and resistance, good polishability, high abrasion and impact resistance, cutting and polishing ability, washing ability, color stability, resistance to heat and humidity, good tensile and bending resistance, impenetrability, resistance to weather changes, hardness and high pressure resistance, stability against acidic and alkaline substances and many other things.

In general, the application and use of stones is in covering building facades and inner walls, road infrastructure, street floor and sidewalk and various decorations. This article is a comprehensive guide on the types of building stones and its uses.

Types of building stones
Types of building stones

5. Quartz stone

Quartz stone is a very hard metamorphic forming due with a lot of pressure and heat applied to sandstone in earth layers. This stone has a rough and hard and crystalline surface and can be seen in red, gray and brown colors. On the one hand, quartz is a stone with an appearance similar to marble, but with more resistance, and on the other hand, it is similar to granite, but harder than that. It should be noted that the price of quartz stone is lower than other stones.

 

6. Marble stone

Contrary to what may come to your mind the first moment you hear the name of this stone, we must admit that marble stone is nothing like marble. It is interesting to know that this type of stone does not absorb water and has little resistance to weathering and acid rains which is why it is solely used inside the buildings. It should also be noted that marble stones are classified into three categories: porcelain stone, crystal stone and cloud stone. Meanwhile, crystal marble has a coarse and crystalline texture, and cloudy marble is formed by non-parallel bands resulting from the accumulation of light and dark minerals.

 

7. Sandstone

You might be surprised if you found out that sandstone is the result of sand accumulation in the bottom of streams and that is why this rock is considered sedimentary. In general, you can see white, gray, reddish brown, yellow, red, and brown sandstone in the market, and this variety of colors is a factor for the high versatility of this type of stone in construction. Sandstone can be used in making flooring, wall covering, roof covering, balconies and swimming pools.

 

8. Gabbro stone

This stone is a type of internal igneous rock with a dark color and coarse texture. Gabbro is green, black and greenish gray and takes a unique effect with polishing. Gabbro is used in making cabinet counters, floor tiles and building facades. The resistance of gabbro stone to weathering is high, that’s why it is used for building facades and flooring.

 

9. Antique stone

Antique stone is in the category of decorative stones made by placing pieces of travertine next to each other. It is interesting to know that this type of stone is decorative and used in the interior and exterior of buildings and landscaping gardens.

 

10. Crystal or porcelain stone

Crystal or porcelain stone is another type of metamorphic limestone whose fine crystals can be seen on the surface of the stone. This stone has higher hardness due to the presence of more quartz. It is also interesting to know that the presence of impurities in this type of stone has caused gray or black, green, pink or red, yellow streaks in its texture.

 

It should be noted that the porosity of this stone is low and its water absorption is low, so this stone can be used in humid environments.

 

11. Plinth stone

Plinth stone is used in buildings, prevents moisture from penetrating the walls, and is generally used at the bottom of the walls.

 

12. Artificial stone

Artificial stones (onyx) are a type of decorative material obtained by combining natural stones with other additives. This type of special additives has the ability to reduce the weight of natural stone composition and facilitate installation.

 

Features of artificial stone:

High physical and thermal resistance

Low moisture penetration, less erosion and low weight

Variation in color with the ability to implement different designs

Ability to stick more to the wall or floor

Freezing resistance up to fifty degrees below zero

High resistance to atmospheric factors and color resistance to solar radiation

In general, the applications of artificial stones include the use in the bathroom and kitchen, the use for the pillars of the house, in addition to the use in the floor and the interior and exterior facades of the building.

 

13. Gneiss stone

Gneiss is another type of metamorphic rock formed during the process of metamorphism of granite. Gneiss is a resistant and durable stone with the specific weight of 2.69 and high resistance against crushing. It can also be sued in in paving.

 

14. Diorite stone

Another stone used for building facades, floors and stairs is diorite, a kind of coarse-grained igneous rock with equal; shape and size in grain texture. This stone is found as light and dark gray.

 

15. Tuff stone

Tuff is a flaky volcanic ash stone with low particles adhesion due to weathering and separated from it in the form of small grains. This stone is used in wall construction, park construction and retaining walls due to its attractive green color.

Types of building stones
Types of building stones

Wide range of stone applications

As we mentioned in this article, stones are widely used in construction due to their resistance and stability against various factors. Nowadays, due to the ease of stone extraction operations, its use is expanding and it is used in different places of the building. Among the uses of stones in the construction industry, the following can be mentioned:

 

1. Covering building interior walls

It is interesting to know that the use of stone for the interior wall of the building gives it a very magnificent and cool appearance. Basically this stones has a special and beautiful appearance with a low porosity resistant against washing and detergents.

 

In fact, the use of stone in interior covering includes buildings wall covering for bathroom and toilets, offices, stores, dining halls etc.

 

2. Facade of buildings

Another use of stone is building facades. As you know, in order to implement the facade of the building, they use durable and resistant stones resistant against environmental factors. Variable weather conditions, sunlight, frost, dust, acid rains, air pollution and many other factors affect stone resistance. Therefore, we recommend that you check its minerals before stoning the facade and buying the stone, because stones with iron minerals do not have a high resistance to wear and tear and are oxidized by the weather. In addition, if impurity is seen in a part of the stone, it can lead to its destruction.

It should be noted that the facade is chosen based on the region and weather conditions in which the building is built. For example, stones with low porosity are suitable for cold regions because frost or wind will not destroy them. In general, due to exposure to the open air and changing weather conditions, the facing stone must have the necessary stability to be considered a suitable choice for the facade.

 

3. Paving stones

The stone used for stairs and flooring will be subject to wear and impact, so it must be very hard and have high wear and impact resistance. In addition, due to being exposed to pollution, the stone floor and stairs should have a small porosity so that it is impervious and not damaged by washing with detergents and pouring acidic or alkaline substances on it. It should also be noted that quartz and gneiss are suitable for floors and stairs.

 

4. Stones for covering the walls

The stones that are used for the walls and foundation are arranged irregularly without a specific shape. In general they use local stones to reduce construction costs. They also use smaller rocks of stone to fill the gap between the stones. Porous and layered stones are highly soluble and not suitable for walls and foundations; but hard stones with high compressive strength and specific weight are. In general, sandstone and limestone are suitable options for walls and foundations.

 

5. Decorative stones suitable for embellishing the space

In general, stones with a good color, appearance and durability, have a good bending and tensile strength and are thus used in building interior decorations. These stones are used to decorate the wall of the fireplace, columns, door and window frames and many other important places in terms of beauty.

 

Important points when buying stones

Remember that each stone is suitable for a specific place according to its physical and chemical characteristics; Therefore one must pay more attention in buying stone to the place for which we get the stone. For example, travertine is suitable for the exterior, marble is suitable for decorating a luxurious interior, floor covering and interior design, granite is suitable for flooring and stairs according to environmental conditions; therefore.

Make sure the purchased stone has no cracks, seams, voids, decay or loose streaks. By hitting the stone with a metal object, you can understand the existence of cracks and grooves to some extent. In fact, hearing the glass-like sound indicates the absence of cracks in the stone texture.

When buying stone, be sure to take care in loading and transporting, because in many cases, the stone damages in these steps.

 

The price of all kinds of stones

The price of building stones is determined according to its quality and type. In fact, in checking the stone price, cheap and expensive does not mean much and the price difference is due to the difference in the quality and type of stone. For example, travertine has a different price than granite. Also, in general, the place of stone extraction, diversity in the structure and quality of the stone is also effective in determining its price.

 

Conclusion

As you read in the previous article, stones have very distinct categories. Marble, granite, sandstone and dozens of other special examples have entered the market for construction purposes. Also, as you have seen, some of these products can be used internally and others can be used externally. All these materials have been collected and researched in order to increase your information.

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