From entryway floors and staircases to kitchen countertops and backsplashes, every home can benefit from incorporating natural stone.
But just what are the benefits?
While it may seem the advantages and applications of using natural stone in your home are endless, there are five major reasons to consider installing natural stone.
1. Beauty
While cost-effectiveness and design schemes are certainly important, there’s no arguing with the aesthetic advantages of natural stone.
Stones like marble and granite have long been prized for their beauty, as well as the rich, rustic atmosphere they can create depending on where and how they’re used.
For instance, a drab and cheap-looking kitchen with plain white formica countertops can be transformed by the addition of natural stone, lending the room a sense of strength, permanence and one-of-a-kind design.
Regardless of who else purchases natural stone for their residence, no two stones are exactly alike, meaning you truly can benefit from unique design in your home thanks to the swirls and patterns found in natural stone.
Additionally, with stones available in nearly any color you can think of, there’s nothing stopping you from utilising natural stone to meet any and all design schemes.
2. Durability
There’s a reason the phrase “hard as stone” has been around so long.
Stone is one of the most naturally hardy materials available, and this helps it withstand wear and tear that might damage or ruin lesser materials. It also offers homes a feeling of permanence that requires little maintenance when compared to some other flooring and countertop options.
Not only will this make surface cleaning easier, it also helps with surface protection by reducing the chances of salt attack, efflorescence, freeze-thaw damage, spalling and picture framing, as well as inhibiting the growth of mosses and moulds in the pores of the treated material.
3. Sustainability
Green building and environmental friendliness have become increasingly important to homeowners, and are few materials more green than natural stone.
The fact that stone is a material naturally found in nature and has a long life cycle make it a very sustainable option.
4. Health
Unlike carpeting, which can hold on to dirt, grime, mold, mildew and other allergens that can affect human health, natural stone is a much cleaner and healthier building material.
Additionally, unlike man-made building materials, natural stone doesn’t feature toxic elements that can affect health.
5. Flexibility
Some building materials used in homes can only be applied to one or two spaces.
For example, carpeting can typically only be used for flooring. Meanwhile, natural stone can be used for a number of household building needs, adding to an overall uniformity.
Flooring, countertops, wall cladding, backsplashes, staircases, showers, bathtubs, patio tiles – there’s no shortage of options when it comes to natural stone in your home.
