What are the Most Common Myths about Natural Stone?
It’s too expensive! Natural stone is hard to maintain! It’s just a fad! These are just a few myths about natural stone that we hear from time to time.
In reality, natural stone is an affordable, durable, and timeless material to incorporate into various indoor and outdoor projects. Available in wide varieties all over the world, it’s easier than ever to get a unique slab delivered to your doorstep.
We’re here to dispel all the rumors, starting with the five most common myths about natural stone that we regularly hear.
The Top 5 Most Common Myths about Natural Stone
Natural stone is too expensive.
One of the most misguided myths about natural stone is that it is too costly. While this may have been the case at one point, technological innovations have helped to make natural stone more affordable and accessible.
Natural stone is luxurious yet durable; elegant yet affordable. Natural stone is available in many forms and at various price points. Given its longevity, investing more in natural stone up front means you’ll spend less time and money on maintaining it and, eventually, replacing it. Natural stone also increases the value of your home, making it appear more appealing to potential buyers.
Natural stone is in rare supply.
This myth about natural stone derives from the era when large, cumbersome stones took a long time to “quarry” and transport. Quarrying is the entire process of extracting rock or other minerals from the ground and preparing them for construction, landscaping, or interior design, among other purposes.
Today’s technology makes it easy to quarry and transfer natural stone. More countries than ever are exporting natural stone, which increases the availability and diversity of supply while keeping natural stone costs competitive and affordable.
Top producers of granite include India, Norway, Brazil, and China. Regarding limestone, the United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, and Japan are top exporters. Smaller countries like Turkey, Italy, and Greece specialize in marble, travertine, and alabaster. In the United States, Texas, Massachusetts, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Georgia are the big five producers of granite, accounting for nearly two-thirds of America’s stone production.
It is just a boring fad.
Natural stone has been around since ancient times and isn’t going anywhere. In addition to being used for building construction, natural stone has many uses in a home’s interior design. Natural stone belongs in bathrooms and showers, in swimming pools and patio areas, along kitchen backsplashes or fireplace mantles, and as part of a yard path.
Some varieties of natural stone, like marble and granite, are timeless, transcending all ephemeral design trends. Travertine, limestone, sandstone, slate, and quartzite are a few other excellent choices for improving a home’s design. Natural stone is available in many colors, grains, shapes, sizes, and patterns.
It is hard to clean and maintain.
We aren’t sure how this myth about natural stone persists – cleaning natural stone is as easy as mixing water and a smidge of dish detergent. Wipe it down with a microfiber cloth, and your countertops are good to go!
The trick here is avoiding chemicals and substances that weaken your sealant or cause your natural stone to deteriorate quickly. Definitely use a cutting board when preparing food on a stone counter, especially if you’re working with acidic foods (like tomatoes or grapefruits). Avoid placing piping hot dishes directly on natural stone, as well. Use a trivet or even a dish rag, if that’s all that is available.
Remember, natural stone is formed from intense pressure within compressed layers of the earth – it can handle a lot! If cleaned daily and sealed every few years, your natural stone will last a long time.
Natural stone is bad for the environment.
We take this myth about natural stone seriously. Let’s be clear: any man-made materials are going to require manufacturing. These processes involve water, waste, and electricity, inevitably creating environmental pollution. Additionally, these chemicals may find their way into your home and cause health problems.
Natural stones are just that: natural. They require a limited amount of processing. The fact that they’re widely available across the planet means that natural stone vendors won’t deplete as many of the Earth’s natural resources in the process of quarrying and exporting them.
There are surely other myths about natural stone out there – we’ve heard them all! Reach out to us with your questions about the many varieties of natural stone, the best ways to maintain your natural stone, and how to use natural stone to improve your indoor and outdoor spaces!
TO LEARN MORE:
To learn more about natural stone, or the Stone Central team, visit our website at StoneCentralSC.com