Top 5 reasons why natural stone is sustainable

You need to always have more options when devising a plan for erecting a new building or decorating your home. You can use natural (stone, wood) or manufactured materials (plastics, wood or stone replicas). However, regardless of your preferences, always comply with some criterias such as: low energy consumption, eco friendly, resource saving, healthy living conditions and your input to a sustainable future.

Natural stone have been extensively used throughout centuries in many ways, such as: buildings, pavements, bridges, landscaping, utility tool and memory stone for funerals but also sculptures. During all this time, natural stone proved its sustainability, by creating a balance between the need for sustained economic growth and provider of ambiental conditions, which will nurture and develop the future generations.

The concept of eco-friendly and sustainable development is focused on finding alternative energy resources, diminishing the dramatic use of natural resources, protectiing the water or forests, and renewable energies and they all represent a sound basis for sustainability. Natural stone as a defining element of any concept involving durability has to manage a portfolio of requirements that allow it to define its role during the process. Here are the most important ones:

1. Selecting the most suitable stone for your project in terms of basic, essential features, such as internal structure, density, water absorption rate, porosity, capillary absorption, permeability, durability against abrasion, frost, thermal shocks, etc., all of which disregarding the exterior appearance of natural stone. All this technical information is needed in construction and planning projects and by researching more natural stones you will be able to asses their task as elements of your project. There is a suitable stone for paving and there is also an ideal stone for cladding.

2. Analyzing the behaviour of stone when subjected to hostility from environmental factors – studying its properties when faced with scratches and stains. These studies allow us to find the suitable stone for countertops, or for high traffic public areas, subjected to heavy abrasion agents.

3. Establishing the most efficient manufacturing and finishing technology is meant to reduce labor costs, time, energy, water and technological losses. All this can be achieved with CNC machines. Newest technologies can deliver special finishes and ensure added durability against environmental agents.

4. Improvement of installation techniques and delivering high-performance side products. Choosing the types and sizes of stone tiles for a specific project, adhesive and grout, installation technology and necessary tools, methods and substances for natural stone treatment, all are considered an integrated system.

5. Finding the best solutions to preserve the look of natural stone and its features close to the initial look is essential in terms of extended lifetime. Considered a building material and without high aftercare costs, we discover that lacking auxiliary materials (grout, adhesives) to match the requirements and without consolidated target, natural stone aftercare can have significant costs. The use of suitable solutions for cleaning each type of stone can extend its lifetime, therefore we can recommend professional cleaners for natural stone surface. The need to protect natural stone from abrasive / corrosive agents lead to development of stone sealing solutions (waterproofing).

With these requirements clearly defined, you will be able to assess benefits of using natural stone in construction, with reference to sustainability. Here are a couple of natural stone benefits:

1. Stone is a natural material
2. Stone is a durable material
3. Stone does not involve expensive aftercare
4. Stone is recyclable
5. Extraction and processing of natural stone are all sustainable operations 

PIATRAONLINE supports housing design concepts which exploit stone sustainability, besides other additional projects. Get in touch with our sales department at email: export@piatraonline.ro or by phone at +40318.222.333 to discover the suitable solutions for your projects.