the stone’s rich vibrant color and natural beauty. Wiping down the stone with water will help you decide whether the stone will give you a better color with a more “wet look” before you apply a permanent sealant.
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
Being an environmentally friendly material, natural stone can even help manage allergies by lowering allergens in the air. Since it is a natural material, natural stone is non-toxic and biodegradable. Natural stone will even recycle heat from the sun, helping to reduce energy costs depending on how much stone you use in the home and whether it’s located in an area that receives morning or afternoon sun.
APPLICATION CONSIDERATIONS
Selecting and working with natural stone can be tricky if you don’t follow certain steps during the design process. You must carefully consider how the stone will be pieced together and applied, again because its characteristics will vary thanks to Mother Nature. Meticulously laying out each piece of stone before it is set in mortar ensures
your design will be to your liking before it’s permanently placed.
Doing this advance work not only allows you to see how the shape will look but also to work with each stone’s color variations. For example, natural stone from a quarry in the Montana Rockies comes in different shades of gray, rust,
| :: NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2024
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter