The stone masonry industry regularly use many types of natural and artificial stone. Selecting the most appropriate stone for the right application is important.
Here are some various kinds of natural stone, found in the three, main geographical rock types:
Igneous Igneous rock is formed by the cooling of magma or lava and could or may not involve crystallization characteristics. Natural, igneous stone types include Granite which is among the hardest stone around and requires special stonemason ways to work with. It really is generally utilized by masons for its strength and durability in countertops, kerbstones and flooring.
Other igneous rock types include the softer Pumice and Scoria to the more harder Obsidian and Basalt stone which are employed in stone masonry for groundwork and building blocks.
Metamorphic Metamorphic rock is rock which has undergone transformation from an existing rock type, involving extreme pressures and temperatures over long periods of time, resulting in profound chemical and physical 'metamorphism'.
Marble is a typical and popular metamorphic rock which has, by tradition, been carved into statues, and for facing Renaissance stonework. There are many types of marble differentiated by their colour, petographic type and other factors. Some typically common types are the white or blue-grey Carrara marble quarried in Carrara, Italy. Marble can be used by stonemasons mainly for it's decorative characteristics in flooring, tiling and in fireplaces.
Another popular metamorphic rock is Slate. Its hardness and granularity provides a sharpness that is popular for memorials and inscriptions. Its layered form enables masons to split it into thin plates and use it as a roofing material.
Sedimentary Sedimentary rock is formed in water from the sedimentation of other rock, calcium deposits and organic particles. Again, an extended process and application of heat and pressure to form strata layers right into a structure called bedding. In this bedding you may also find fossil fuels and ores.
Garden Walling Filey are limestone. Commonly used types of limestone include Yorkstone, Sydney and Bath and Portland stone which most of the City of Bath is made from. Kentish Ragstone is another famous limestone from Kent utilized by Kent stonemasons of days gone by. Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London and Kent's Castles such as for example Leeds Castle are all famous stoneworks created from Kent Ragstone by Kent masons.
Travertine is also a popular limestone which is used for its soft aesthetic looks. It really is frequently used as a cladding, in flooring, walls and in bathrooms