Popular Forms of Stone For Building and Stone Masonry
The stone masonry industry regularly use various kinds of natural and artificial stone. Selecting the most appropriate stone for the right application is important.
Here are some several types of natural stone, within 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 that is one of the hardest stone around and requires special stonemason techniques to work with. It is generally utilized by masons for its strength and durability in countertops, kerbstones and flooring.
Other igneous rock types are the softer Pumice and Scoria to the more harder Obsidian and Basalt stone which are used 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, leading to profound chemical and physical 'metamorphism'.
Extra resources is a typical and popular metamorphic rock which includes, by tradition, been carved into statues, and for facing Renaissance stonework. There are several forms of marble differentiated by their colour, petographic type and other factors. Some common types are the white or blue-grey Carrara marble quarried in Carrara, Italy. Marble is 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 utilize 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. Within Stone Walling Norton-on-Derwent may even find fossil fuels and ores.
Common Sedimentary rock are limestone. Frequently used types of limestone include Yorkstone, Sydney and Bath and Portland stone which almost all of the City of Bath is manufactured out of. Kentish Ragstone is another famous limestone from Kent used by Kent stonemasons of the past. Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London and Kent's Castles such as Leeds Castle are all famous stoneworks made from Kent Ragstone by Kent masons.
Travertine is also a favorite limestone which is useful for its soft aesthetic looks. It is commonly used as a cladding, in flooring, walls and in bathrooms