Commonly Asked Questions

What Makes Natural Stone Pavers Unique?

The questions our Crownstone clients usually ask us is which hardscape material will work best with their landscape. There’s no easy answer to this since it will all boil down on your vision, aesthetics, and of course, budget. It is essential on your part to consider and analyze these factors to determine the most suitable option for your landscaping needs.

1.Timeless Elegance

2.Low Maintenance

3.Ages Beautifully

4.You Have Plenty Of Style Choices

5.Easier To Install Than Concrete

6.Better Investment

7.Eco-Friendly And Sustainable

Reasons To Choose Natural Stones Over Concrete

1. Timeless Elegance

Natural stone pavers come in varying types, from light beige standstone if you want to get that tropical vibe to dark ebony granite for achieving a majestic feel to your patio. Depending on where the stone is quarried, each piece has a distinct texture and color. Using natural stones on your landscape is a surefire way to captivate your guests and give your hardscape some personalization.

2. Low Maintenance

Stone pavers don’t usually develop cracks. If for some reason they do, you can easily replace or repair them. Simply remove the paver with cracks and replace it. That’s it! They also have smaller joints, so their sand joints are less likely to encounter seed germination. And the best thing about natural stones? They’re effortless to clean!

3. Ages Beautifully

There is no doubt that stones look even better as they age and have a very long lifespan. Unlike concrete, the colors of natural stones are not pigmented, which only add to their beauty. They’re also not made from mixtures of composite aggregate like concrete pavers, so they can preserve their beauty as they age, mature, and fade. There are even certain stones that can attain their complete elegance and beauty with little age. And they will look as beautiful as the day of their installation even after hundreds of years.

4. You Have Plenty Of Style Choices

You will not fall short with style choices. You’re sure to find the right paving material for the landscaping project you have in mind, whether it be limestone, slate, flagstone, or travertine. Natural stones are also available in either irregular or flat surfaces, as well as varying shapes, from triangles and diamonds to rectangles, and so much more.

5. Easier To Install Than Concrete

You don’t need to acquire new skills to install natural stones. You can lay it on your patio floors like with concrete. On the other hand, installing concrete pavers is often more expensive than stones. They will require several aspects like labor, grading, and backfilling. They are also prone to breakage and shifting. To prevent this, you need someone with the right installation skills and can hinder the unfavorable effects of age and weather. Plus, you need to maintain concrete regularly, which you may not have time for if you’re a very busy person. 

6. Better Investment

Utilizing natural stones on your landscape will add more value to your home. It’s an investment that will pay for itself in the long run. They are also regarded as materials with high value and quality. Traits like prominence, elegance, and sophistication are connected to them as well. Also, landscape projects created with natural stones are considered to be distinct, well-built, unique, and genuine, which helps add to the re-sale value of any property. 

7. Eco-Friendly And Sustainable

These landscaping materials are probably one of the most sustainable available today. Our planet has vast stone resources, and although their regeneration may not be as visible as that of trees, the process is endless with a lasting life-cycle. And since they are natural, they are recyclable. You can also re-use them as crushed for aggregates or reclaimed paving.

How do natural stone tiles differ from ceramic tiles?

The most important difference is this – Natural Stone is a product of nature, and Ceramics are man-made. Most man-made materials cannot compare in durability to natural ones. While damaged ceramic tiles usually need replacing, natural stone usually needs minimal restoration if stained or scratched. Other differences are explained below:

CERAMIC

Homogenous composition

Low absorbency, thin and lightweight, corrugated backing

Acid resistant

Have only one plain finish and practically no edge finishes.

The sizes in ceramics are restricted and patterns are very uniform and geometric.

NATURAL STONE

Unique composition

Differs from category to category

Acid sensitivity varies from stone to stone.

Have a whole spectrum of finishes like Polished, Honed, Antiquated, Tumbled, Leather, Rugged (Split face, River Rough, River Wash, Flamed) and more. Different types of edges like beveled, bull-nosed etc. are possible.

No size restriction. Available in huge slabs as large as 125' X 75' or in small

Why are limestones and travertines preferred for family or living rooms?

The family or living room in a home is a place for peace and relaxation, and the soft, muted tones and textures of limestone or travertine are the perfect touch. Available in shades of beige, tan, yellow and gold and processed with a tumbled or antiqued texture, limestone complements all types of furniture and upholstery.

What are different kinds/types of stone finishes?

The different types of stone finishes include:

Natural Cleft

Unique to slate, it has a slightly uneven surface that is still usable for flooring. This finish cannot be created, but occurs naturally as the layers of slate are quarried. One side (back side) can be gauged to facilitate ease of “thin set” installation. Some marbles, sandstones and limestones are available with heavy clefting, suitable for wall installations only.

Polished

Grinding, sanding, and buffing produces a high gloss, mirror-like surface.

Honed

Grinding and sanding produces a smooth, yet not glossy finish. This is best for low maintenance, high traffic applications.

Flamed

A flamed surface is achieved by subjecting the stone to the high temperature flame of a torch and burning most of the carbon content, leaving textured quartzites with gentle coloration.

Sandblasted

This is a rough, but tidy look created by applying a high pressure blast of sand to the stone’s surface.

River Wash

This finish is often given to granites, and provides a non-slippery surface while retaining the coloration and grain structure of the stone.

Leather

Available only in Melange marble, this finish gives the stone a suede look and feel. This texture is smooth and slip-resistant.

Tumbled

Tumbling stones in a solution of sand, water and mild acid creates an old world, weathered look.

Split Face

Mainly used for cladding, this is achieved by splitting stone either by hand or by machine so that the surface exhibits a natural quarry texture. It has a flat back and uneven front surface, and creates the uneven look of protruding bricks.

Fleuri Cut

This is achieved by cutting quarried marble or stone parallel to the natural bedding plane.

Cross-Cut

The cross-cut method involves end-cutting blocks of travertine to display a less linear, more rounded “wavy” pattern.

Vein Cut

Opposite of cross-cutting, the veining of the stone is shown as a linear pattern.

Veneer Stone

Any stone used as a decorative facing material as wall cladding which is not meant to be load-bearing. Veneer may be made from different finishes, such as split face, cleft, honed, polished, flamed or tumbled.

Gauged vs. Ungauged

Slate is cleft out of blocks to form tiles. When it is cleft by machine or saw, it is gauged because a uniform thickness is formed. Ungauged stone is hand-cleft and its thickness may vary up to 5/8 of an inch.

Why is a honed finish so popular for homes?

A honed finish creates a soft, matte, appearance that is more suited to casual, comfortable environments than a formal, polished surface.

Do you provide delivery services for all products?