Soapstone with either mineral oil or wax applied to surface. (photo credit: houzz.com) Soapstone with natural finish. (photo credit: www.soapstones.com) Soapstone is a natural material, a metamorphic rock that is composed primarily of talc with varying amounts of chlorite, micas, amphiboles, carbonates and other minerals. Soapstone was […]
(photo credit: www.connecticutstone.com) Quartzite “Super White” So, it’s back to school time, we’re sharpening our pencils and off for a little knowledge about stone. This can be very helpful in selecting materials, so let’s forge ahead! Granite is an igneous rock which means that it has crystallized and solidified from lavas molten state. Granite is […]
Cast Stone: Pros: • Almost limitless color and texture options • Lower materials/fabrication cost • Good for exteriors because of its weather resistance and resistance to moss and lichen growth • Can be made lighter than stone for applications where weight might be prohibitive or costly Cons: • Limited to stock designs and measurements, […]
We recently did a post on our limestone fireplaces where we outlined the process of how we design, fabricate, and install our custom designed, hand carved limestone fireplace surrounds. But limestone isn’t the only option for your fireplace surround material. There are, in fact, many other options. Today we’ll focus on a man made material […]
A: Bookmatching stone refers to matching the edges of two (or more) stone pieces to create a near mirror image. A great example of where this is commonly used is in slab shower walls, like this one which you can also see in person in our showroom. Bookmatching can only be done with some slabs. […]
Did you know? Remnants are great for more than just vanity countertops – much more! We did a recent post on using marble, granite, and quartz remnants for your smaller projects as a way to save money and get the stone look you want. Here are some ideas we came up with for some of […]
Marble, granite, and quartz are becoming increasingly popular throughout the home. And this makes perfect sense – they’re beautiful, durable, and sustainable! For smaller projects, however, it often doesn’t make sense to buy an entire slab of material. In fact, doing so would put stone out of reach, cost wise, for many people. Marble, granite, […]
You’re starting your kitchen or bathroom remodel, and are ready to pick your counter material. But how do you choose the best counter top material for your home? We recommend that you start by talking with your fabricator before you go out looking for materials. They will help you to better understand what to look for […]
A: In most cases, granite price is a direct reflection of its availability. Rarer stones are more expensive. More readily available stones are less expensive. Because marble, granite, limestone, etc. are natural products created by Mother Earth herself, they are all available in limited quantities. Some granite deposits are vast and expand hundreds of miles across. In other […]
A: Granite is a crystaline, igneous rock which is well suited for kitchen countertops, bathroom vanities, shower walls, tub surrounds, fireplaces, and more! Granite is a plutonic igneous rock. For those non-geologists out there (ie, most of us) that means that it’s a rock that forms by being cooled under the surface of the earth. […]
