Selection of decorative stone
Stone as a material has been accompanying man for millennia. Initially used only as a building block, it rose to the rank of decorative materials when its noble, extremely rare varieties were discovered. As you can easily guess, only few could afford the luxury of having it for themselves. Today, thanks to modern production technologies and the development of the art of design, the appearance of stone is reproduced in widely available and mass-produced materials, making it possible for you to enjoy its look without spending a fortune. What else speaks for its uniqueness?
BOLDNESS
Decorative stone is visible! Whether on the outside wall or facing the living room fireplace – you can not go past it and not notice its presence. Strong structure and often vibrant colours immediately attract our eyes. Whether it’s an imitation of North American rock, a variety of bricks or stones that are common in our climate, the product can be seen almost instantly. The aesthetic impression is enhanced by the skillful use of lighting – the shadows on the uneven surface of the stone create unforgettable visual effects.
COMPLEMENTARITY
Decorative stone contradicts in some measure the idea of competitiveness – it could even be said that it fits perfectly with other types of wall cladding. Placing it on even a small fragment of wall or facing creates expected effects! Such properties make clients buy the stone even in cases where it was not considered originally – a strip of stone placed behind the TV or a veneer of stone in a fragment of the hall blends perfectly with paint, plaster, or even ceramic tiles.
REFERENCE
Stone can take many forms, but the most sought after is the one who mimics the building materials known to mankind for hundreds of years. This is particularly important when we wish to arrange our home in a specified interior style. Lovers of big lofts, country cottages or revitalized postindustrial spaces can finally create their favorite atmosphere in apartments handed over to them with standard, basic furnishings and fittings. Stone perfectly imitates the appearance of brick, pebbles or naturally crushed fragments of rocks, making it very easy to give your rooms a unique character, associated with a particular memory.
In the stone cutter nomenclature, there is a concept of traditional stone – the pattern imitates rock: cut, chipped, broken, or simply weathered. It always looks intriguing, but it is not a choice for hesitant people.
INSTALLATION
It is basically so simple that any home-grown handyman can easily handle the task. Situation is significantly facilitated by the fact that the stone, by its natural irregularity and multiple faces, does not need surgical precision, required for example in laying rectified ceramic tiles. Depending on the collection, there are several to dozens of tiles in the package, which vary in colour hue, size of modules and texture of the surface, of course within the framework of deviations accepted by the collection designer. To make it simple, installation of the stone is any combination of elements that forms one coherent whole. There is no single obligatory pattern here; the customer himself, or with the help of the contractor, decides how the final interior of his home will look.
OUTDOOR STONE
If you want to use stone outdoors – on the building walls, on the fence, in the garden, on the terrace or on the balcony, you must necessarily opt for its concrete variant, which is resistant to frost, dynamic temperature fluctuations and high humidity. Its additional advantage is providing an additional insulation layer, protecting the interior against loss of heat in winter, and against excessive heating in summer. Properly installed stone is long lasting and much less inconvenient to care for than plaster or wood – dirt is less visible and the colours do not fade. And, first of all – it attracts attention! Stone used as the exterior wall cladding is one of the most eye-catching elements, giving the building its style. When choosing a collection, it is useful to consider whether we want the house to contrast with the rest of the environment or to blend in. In both cases we should consider not only the areas where the stone will be placed, but the whole arrangement plan together with accompanying elements. Stone matching the colour of the door jambs or roof tiles may not go well with the fence or the character of garden surrounding the house.
SPECIAL PURPOSE PLACES
For surfaces exposed to high humidity or direct contact with water, we recommend using a concrete stone, which is resistant to absorption due to its structure. If you decide to use stone in the bathroom, spa area or in the immediate vicinity of the kitchen counter, do not choose gypsum stone. The same applies to areas exposed to high amplitude of temperature. For fireplaces, grilles and smokehouses, we also recommend stone produced with the concrete technology, which is more resistant than gypsum. Fortunately, in the age of increasingly popular bio fuel fireplaces, such choice does not have to be a necessity.