Natural Stone | How It's Made

In this section we explain how a stone is manufactured. This information can be very advantageous because it enables you to understand stone from the beginning and evaluate its performance aspects: why certain stone floors wear better and longer. Plus, perhaps most important, understanding how a stone floor is created can help you better determine the value of stone keep you inside the borders of your budget.

• blocks of stone are cut from earth with diamond studded, high speed equipment
• diamond wire cutting system revolutionized the extraction process
• blocks then moved to a processing plant
• then cut into slabs
• takes 2 days for a saw to cut a 20 ton block of stone
• sent through a polishing machine for the finish
• finishes range from rough, rustic texture to mirrored polish
• slab is calibrated to uniform thickness
• customized for specific installations
• edges shaped and polished
• for tiles, slabs are just cut down
• polished with a different machine than slabs
• tiles packaged, shipped and stored (vertically only)

Manufactured Stone

• also called Agglomerate Stone
• synthetic stone made from natural stone chips
• suspended in a binder such as cement, epoxy resins or polyester
• popular types  made mostly of quartz
• natural quartz gives depth, strength and consistency
• offers look of natural stone but can be more cost-effective
• available in a wide array of colors from neutrals to brights
• scratch resistant but not scratch proof
• doesn’t require sealing because it’s non-porous
• highly resistant to staining, very hygienic and maintenance free
• four times the flexural strength of granite, less chance of chipping or cracking
• can be used in many applications including flooring