This week, we are going to rewind back to our blog posts about choosing the best natural stone for different aspects of your home. This week, we are talking about choosing the best natural stone for your new home. Natural stone can offer beauty and uniqueness to your new home.
Here is a list of the best natural stones for your new home:
Factors in choosing the right stone for your new home:
- Color
Natural stone comes in a beautiful array of colors. Granite and marble can range from soft beiges and pinks, to classic blacks and whites, to rich reds, greens, and multi-colors. The varied appearance of natural stone gives it wonderful character and creates a one-of-a-kind effect anywhere it is used.
- Finish
There is a wide variety of finishes for natural stone and there are constantly new finished appearing in the market. Examples of finishes include: polished, honed, leathered, brushed, and antiqued. Ask your designer about the pros and cons of the different finishes for your project.
- Usage
The harder the natural stone is, the more it resists abrasion. Granite is typically the hardest of all the stone types. If you decide to use a softer stone, you, as the homeowner, will have to use gentler cleansers and dust more frequently to prevent scratches.
Natural stone options for your new home:
- Marble
This natural stone adds a sophisticated addition to your home. Its appearance and ease of maintenance make it a popular choice for countertops, floors, foyers, fireplaces, and showers. Another option for homeowners that love marble is using serpentine for kitchen counters. It is often called the “green” marble. It’s not a true marble, but does offer a marble-like look.
- Granite
Granite is available in a striking array of colors and its durability makes it ideal for kitchen countertops and heavily-used surfaces including tables and floors. Granite offers an impenetrable surface and it is typically not affected by citric acid, coffee, tea, alcohol, or wine. It is nearly impossible to scratch and with proper cleaning will not stain under normal use.
- Travertine
Travertine is a type of limestone and one of the most popular natural stones for interior and exterior use. This natural stone is durable, low-maintenance, inexpensive, environmentally-friendly and has a near endless supply of colors and tones to choose from.
- Limestone
This stone is widely used as a building stone. Popular uses include countertops, flooring, interior and exterior wall cladding, and exterior paving. Limestone is an extremely versatile material. It can be shaped to make decorative elements to be placed within in your home. Since it is a plentiful material, limestone is a relatively inexpensive material.
- Soapstone
Soapstone is growing in popularity and its popular uses include kitchen countertops, bathroom vanities, fireplace, and stair treads. Its heat resistance and ability to stay clean make it widely popular in the kitchen. The stone itself can cost you a pretty penny, but it is so easy to install that you can do it yourself.
- Sandstone
This natural stone is frequently used for fireplace facings, chimneys, patio benches and poolside. Sandstone is a porous material so if you are going to use it in your kitchen you must properly seal it.
- Slate
Slate is a popular flooring material as well as kitchen countertops, fireplace facings, and tabletops. It has care-free maintenance since it is a non-porous material that absorbs little to no contaminants or moisture and requires little to no cleaning. It is a more expensive material upfront, but can add value to your home in the long run.
If you are looking to install natural stone in your new home, contact GMS Werks and we would love to help you out!
