Building with Limestone

For many hundreds of years, an extensive amount of stone have been quarried from all over the world from beds formed millions of years ago. Some types of natural stone are of a higher quality to others, especially when being considered as a material for construction. When it comes to appearance, workability and structural integrity, limestone often is a superior material among architects, builders and owners.

Limestone is sedimentary, composed of calcium carbonate or calcium and magnesium, or a combination of these. With natural characteristics such as, iron spots, fossils and shell formations, calcite streaks or spots, pit holes, open texture streaks, honeycomb formations, and others, limestone can have a varied look and surface finish, lending even more versatility as a construction material.

Produced by millions of years of heat and pressure, limestone varies in hardness and is commonly found in colours including different shades of black, grey, cream and orange. When recrystalized, limestone becomes marble — another natural stone popular with building projects that normally costs more than limestone and is renowned for having a more polished, prestigious finish. But it is limestone that is often selected as an exterior commercial or residential construction material for focal points of grand — and not so grand — structures. Its virtually maintenance-free characteristic is a huge selling point for many builders.

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Colouring agents found in some construction materials have a tendency to fade over time, whereas limestone, with no colouring agents and strength enough to be used without reinforcement rods, does not. "Another benefit of real stone such as Limestone is that it weathers naturally and enhances the appearance of the material. In spite of limestone being cost effective and easily sourced, some people choose to purchase instead any number of cheaper, manmade cast products on the market manufactured to mimic limestone.

Limestone does not have a tendency to split and can be processed into a wide range of shapes and sizes. So it can be sawed, planed, turned on a lathe or hand worked to match the requirements of demanding architectural designs, states the NSC's Web site. Limestone has proven its use from simple treads and pavers to landscaping structures and bridges, to extravagant cathedrals many times over.

Visit www.stoneandporcelain.com for our full range of Limesone tiles. 

Marble for Swimming pool edges.

We could say ‘that marble was and still is the symbol of luxury and resistance in time’. Whatever rock the creator selected, the result was more or less the same. The Greek classic culture remains fadelessly written on the marble of Mount Penteli, the culture of the Cyclades on the white marble of Paros island, the Eygptians on beige and yellow hard limestone, the Chinese and Inkas in Peru on granites. Strength in manufacture, prestige in work, duration and resistance to time, love for nature and environmentally friendly.

Perhaps there weren’t swimming pools as we know them nowadays, but the use of marble was very widespread in Roman baths, as it was later in the Turkish bathrooms. Marble used on the edge of the swimming pool for its decoration, is very old. Even today there are still swimming-pools of 20, 30 or more years that had their edges elaborately decorated with marble.

The most experienced and oldest swimming pool professionals agree that the two basic elements that make a swimming-pool unforgettable are the cleanliness of its water and type of its edge. The form of a swimming-pool is particularly important when viewed from above. A well designed pool may add a deal to the rural residence or hotel but makes little difference to the one that enjoys swimming in it, as he cannot have a complete picture of its form as a swimmer! The internal walls of a swimming-pool are constructed in tiles, tessera, liner or dyed cement, the finish makes little difference when the pool is filled with water, diffraction blunts any difference and unifies the aesthetic result to a large extent. Although aesthetics play a crucial part in the choice of edge a further four considerations come into play during design in order to avoid future problems, anti-slip, resistance to stains, resistance to frost and resistance to erosion.

Regarding anti-slip, marble edges are by the safest choice, especially when in combination with finishings including sandblast, blow, ageing, acid effect and flaming, giving the desirable key finish that surpasses cement and many kinds of ceramic edge.

Ceramic edges do not easily stain while cement and the unprotected and unsealed edge made from natural rock can be subjected to stains even if, in time each rock, just as a lively organism can protect itself and remove every foreign thing from itself.  

Natural Stone Paving

Natural stone paving is highly sought after material for exterior patios and driveways. Real stone paving offers more character and authenticity than its man made counterparts and if purchased from the right source, should not be any more expensive. The main three materials used to produce stone paving are sandstone, limestone and slate.

When purchasing paving, as well as considering different colours and materials it is also important to consider which sizes you would like. There are normally between four and seven different sizes for each type of paving and some people prefer to use one size throughout the area whilst others may go for a mixed, random pattern made up of three, four, five, six or even seven different sizes. Also some paving is cut to metric measurement (e.g. 300 x 300) where as some quarries still cut to imperial measurements (e.g. 275 x 275).

The depth of most exterior paving normally varies by 10mm. The most suitable depth is between 25mm and 35mm. In recent times a large quantity of paving has come into the UK with a depth a 0f 15mm to 25mm; this is due to the fact that at this smaller depth more square metres can fit into each crate and container. This paving may be cheaper to purchase but is much less durable and hard wearing than material at the standard depth and when used on driveways will eventually start to crack.

If you are considering using natural stone or any type of paving product on your driveway you should be aware that recently passed legislation dictates that planning permission is required in areas where flooding is a possibility. 

 

Sandstone – As one of the most popular materials for stone paving, sandstone paving comes predominantly in dark brown and beige tones and light yellow and sandy coloured tones. Sandstone paving can be supplied with both a riven surface (rough, textured, natural finish) and honed surface (sawn and perfectly flat finish). Sandstone paving is produced in the UK but due to labour costs it is much more cost effective to import from India, when using sandstone paving in residential areas. The two most common Indian types are raj green and fossil mint, although they are commonly renamed when arriving in the UK.

 

Limestone – Another material which is predominantly imported from India when required in exterior paving form. Limestone is available in different tones of grey, blue, black and brown. Limestone paving can be supplied with both a riven surface (rough, textured, natural finish) the most popular types of Limestone paving are the kotah limestones.

 

Slate – Slate is a common material in the UK and although welsh slate is commonly used for roofing and landscaping most slate paving originates from India, China and Brazil. The most common paving colours for slate are black and dark grey but it is also available in green and some metallic-esque finishes such as ocean, copper and salmon pink. Slate is usually supplied with a riven texture and is somewhat more costly when a honed finish is required. View Stone & Porcelain's great range of sandstone paving - www.stoneandporcelain.com