Choosing Natural Stone, Compare Chart.
A quick guide to help you choose, compare a Natural Stone for your project.
Page2: Slate, Soapstone, SandStone, Onyx.
Go to Page1: Granite, Marble, Travertine, Limestone.
| Popular Applications | Useful Stone Information | Care & Maintenance | |
|---|---|---|---|
Slate is non slippery natural stone and is perfect for flooring applications. |
Slate stone is highly resistant to the acids found in lemons, alcohol, and many cleaning products. These acids won't etch or ruin the surface of your Slate Natural stone. Like Granite, Slate is durable and impervious to heat. It is fire resistant and you don't need to worry about burning or charring your Slate countertops. |
Just like the quartz-based stone such as Sandstone, bluestone, and brownstone Slate is prone to chipping, flaking and peeling. This can make cleaning, disinfecting, and general maintenance problematic. Slate is a fine grained and non porous natural stone. It won't absorb water and liquids as readily as a Marble will. |
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Soapstone is best known for it's heat retention. |
Soapstone is siliceous stone. Alkalis and acids won't do any damage on Soapstone, as it would on Granite, Marble, or Slate. For that reason Soapstone has been used for hundreds of years, in applications like sinks, science class rooms and labs along with work tables and counter tops. Soapstone's durability to long term, high traffic use is amazing! Because of its truly remarkable and natural heat retention characteristics, Soapstone is widely used for masonry heater fireplaces, wood stoves, fireplace liners and pizza ovens. Soapstone heaters and fireplaces heat very quickly from burning coal, pellets or wood, the Soapstone will then slowly radiate heat very evenly for hours on end. Even after the fire has long gone out! |
Taking care of Soapstone is pretty easy! Soapstone is very soft you wouldn't want to cut on it. Over time, the edges will soften and you'll start to see scratches, and indentations. If you like the aged antique look, the finish of this natural stone might be perfect for you. It will age gradually and gracefully. If you do care for all the small nicks and scratches, a little mineral oil or a light sanding will smooth out the stone. Mineral oil is also used to enhance the color of Soapstone. Mineral oil also helps to darken the stone evenly and bring out the natural beauty of the stone. |
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SandStone finishes Available in: calibrated, honed, polished, flamed. |
The fireproof, non-slip Sandstone, is mostly used for wall cladding not only because of its strength but because of its decorative look also. The Sandstone walls are mostly made of blocks or the slabs of Sandstone and many times the sand stone bricks are used. Making the wall of Sandstone lends a unique and antique look. |
Sandstone, just like other natural stones, does require care to ensure that Sandstone lasts for years and generations and imparts natural beauty to the surroundings. Here are few tips for taking care of Sandstone: Keep stone free of dust, which may otherwise produce scratches. Hence dust interior floors frequently using a clean non-treated dry dust mop. Use warm water to clear Sandstone regularly using a mop or sponge. The cleaner to be used should not contain acid or lemon, which can otherwise etch the surface and damage the polish and finish. |
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As by definition some Onyx is translucent - when used in combination with light, it brings up its beauty even more! |
Onyx is a very soft stone, and somewhat brittle, and needs to be installed where it will not be subject to hard wear. This beautiful stone is characterized by its translucence, and can actually be backlit for striking, dramatic effects. Careful thought is needed when using Onyx Marble in your home. Think of your lifestyle and circumstances before committing to Onyx Marble as a countertop surface. |
Onyx is a calcareous natural stone and prone to etching and staining from acids such as ketchup, lemons, alcohol. Great care is needed to maintain the natural beauty of Onyx stone. Just like Limestone, Onyx is a softer stone, best placed where it won't be used or abused on a day to day basis. It is porous and needs to be sealed. Otherwise, it will absorb water and liquids easily, which tend to stain the stone. Once a stain is absorbed into Onyx, it is extremely hard to remove. |
