1. What are different kinds / types of Stone finishes?
The different finishes of Natural Stones are:
Natural Cleft
A finish unique to the slates, it has an uneven surface, yet usable
for flooring. This finish cannot be created. It comes from the layers of slate when
it is quarried. However one face (backside) can be gauged to facilitate ease of “thin-
Polished
Presents a mirror like, high glossy surface, achieved by grinding, sanding
and buffing.
Honed
Smooth but not glossy finish. Best for low maintenance and heavy traffic applications.
This finish differs from the polished, in that the last step of buffing is eliminated.
The stone therefore shows the subdued color but not the gloss.
Flamed
The flamed finish is achieved by subjecting the stone to a high temperature
flame of a torch and burning most of the carbon content leaving textured quartzite
with gentle coloration.
Sandblasted
A rough, but neat look created by submitting the stone to a blast of sand.
River Wash
A non slippery textured finish usually given to Granites which retains
the coloration and grain structure of the stone.
Leather
Available only in the Mélange Marble, this finish gives the stone a suede
look and feel. This texture is smooth but slip resistant.
Tumbled
An old world, weathered look given to tiles by tumbling them in a solution
of water, sand and mild acid.
Split face
Usually split face is sawed on the beds and is split either by hands or
with a machine so that the surface of the stone exhibits the natural quarry texture.
Mainly used for wall cladding, this finish has a flat back with an uneven front surface,
which offers a look like protruding bricks from the wall.
Fleuri Cut
Cutting quarried marble or stone parallel to natural bedding plane.
Cross-
A method of end-
Vein-
A technique opposite of cross-
Veneer Stone
Any stone used as a decorative facing material as wall cladding which
is not meant to be load-
Gauged vs. Ungauged
Slate is cleft out blocks to form tiles. When it is cleft by
machine or saw, it is gauged because a uniform thickness is formed. However, ungauged
slate is hand-
Edge Finishes
There are various edge finishes like chipped, pillowed, bull-
2. Why some finishes are preferred for a particular application?
There are three very significant reasons why only certain finishes can be used in certain applications.
Safety
Slipperiness, and trip hazard are two main safety considerations when selecting
a particular finish for flooring. Usually polished stones pose a slipping hazard
in wet traffic, or exterior areas. Highly clefted materials can also pose a tripping
hazard if used for flooring.
Maintenance
Even if there is no safety problem with the finish, certain applications
may require excessive restorations just to maintain the finish. For example, if you
use polished Marble or Limestone tiles in very high traffic areas, they must be maintained
daily or they will lose their luster very fast.
Usability
The application itself sometimes is incompatible with the finish. For example,
rough finish like flamed cannot be used for kitchen tops as it may make cleaning
very difficult. Similarly clefted material cannot be used for tabletops, as the surface
is not level.
3. Is a Polished finish floor recommended for a commercial application?
As illustrated above, polished flooring poses a slipping hazard when wet and require continuous maintenance. If these are not a problem, only then one should use polished tiles for flooring, commercially. It is advisable to get the slip resistance of the particular polished material tested professionally before use. Some sealers increase the slip resistance of the polished surface.
4. Why honed finish is very popular for home?
Polished stones give a very formal look. People would not prefer their homes to look like their offices. A honed finish on the other hand gives the same smooth surface and colors without the sheen. It is like a matte finish, which creates a more relaxed and personal atmosphere. This is why honed finish is preferred in residential applications.
5. Why are Travertine filled or unfilled?
Travertine is formed due to the result of hot spring water percolating up through underground limestone. When the water evaporates, it leaves behind the layers of dissolved limestone and other minerals. The characteristic holes in travertine are the result of trapped gas bubbles; as the gas escapes, crystals form in the cavities. This is known as unfilled travertine. When these cavities are filled with cement, it is called filled travertine and the same is honed and polished which produces a uniform surface more like other marbles.
6. Is cleft finished slate, a tripping hazard?
Heavy cleft finish of the slate can often be a tripping hazard. Most slates are lightly clefted and are commonly used in Kitchen Flooring, Bathrooms and Patios. In a palette there may be a few tiles with very heavy clefting. The installer must take care of not using such tiles, as a heavily clefted tile can create an uneven surface and may pose a tripping hazard. But for all practical purposes it would be very wrong to claim clefted slate to be a tripping hazard.
7. Why some finishes cannot be used outside?
A polished floor is slippery and loses its luster over time due to weathering and hence not recommended for outdoor flooring.
8. What is thermal or flame finish?
The flamed finish is achieved by subjecting the stone to a high temperature flame of a torch and burning most of the carbon content leaving textured quartzites with gentle coloration. Only pieces of Granites are hard enough to take this finish. Thin material may crack or break under the heat and pressure. This finish is very popular in commercial wall and flooring applications.
9. What is Stone Tumbling?
Tumbling is a finish with an old world, weathered look given to tiles by tumbling them in a solution of water, sand & mild acid. Typically sizes of 5/8” x 5/8” to 6” x 6” and sometimes even 8” x 8” are true tumbled pieces. Larger sizes are given a “Tumbled” finish, manually. Very small pieces like 5/8” x 5/8” & 1” x 1” are usually, mounted on 12” x 12” meshes pieces. When mixing different size tumbled pieces, the look may vary.
10. Is the sizing always exact in tumbled material?
Tumbled material is offered as pieces that are rustic, and therefore they are not meant to be precise cut pieces. Some pieces may have a large chip on the edge or may have a comer missing, or any such effect provided by the tumbling process. The sizes listed are usually nominal, and not exact. The exact size of each individual piece may vary within the acceptable limits. The thickness, especially in smaller material may vary by 1 to 2 mm. However care must be taken while installing to ensure an even surface on the completed project.
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