“Should I build with Marble & Natural Stone?”

Builders, Architects and End-users have all debated this question innumerable number of times. We try and present here a set of arguments that will make it easier for you to choose in favour of natural stones.

Surprises and Fascinates

Being a natural product, individual properties – color, texture, pattern – of marble & natural stones are determined by physical and chemical conditions at the source. These conditions vary from source to source lending unique properties and thus maintaining a surprise element with each batch of manufactured stone. World of Stones is absolutely fascinating where there is no-end to the imagination of nature on the canvas of stones.

Presents Endless Varieties

Natural stones present limitless choice in color, pattern, size, texture and material characteristics. Marble, Granite, Sandstone, Limestone, Slate, Quartzite present a plethora of choices for flooring, cladding, monuments, landscaping and all other construction and decorative applications. With new treatment technologies, choices of surface finishes – Mirror Polish, Sand-blast, Bush-hammered, Flamed, etc. – available to end-customers have multiplied manifold. Shape and size of natural stones can be adapted, modern processing techniques also allow for inlay work in natural stones thus presenting endless possibilities to suit individual requirements.

Stands the Test of Time

Taj Mahal, Red Fort, Temple of Artemis, Pillars of Parthenon, Great Pyramid are all proof of timelessness of natural stones. Strength imparted by atmospheric pressure and temperature conditions under the soil are impossible to replicate with mechanical processes.

Natural stones also have the option of re-polish after the surface has aged. Even centuries-old floor covering can be ground and restored to their original condition thus ensuring that the beauty and grace of your construction lasts forever. It also allows users to replace broken pieces unlike ceramic products where it will be near-impossible to find similar tiles even six months after the installation.

Ecological

Natural stones for buildings are found in near-finished form and energy required for manufacturing of end-product is minimal as compared to ceramic products. Embodied energy – the total primary energy consumed (carbon released over its life cycle) in production process – for Marble is at 2 MJ/Kg while for ceramic tiles it stands at 9 MJ/Kg. For instance, a 1,000 sq.ft ceramic tiles flooring would require an excess of 10,000 units of electricity in comparison to marble flooring. Also, being natural, marble and other stones do not contain any pollutants or emit chemicals that might be harmful to health.

Blends Seamlessly with Surrounds

Natural color and patterns of these stones blend seamlessly with indoors as well as outdoors of any construction. Whether it is about aesthetic suitability with the synthetic interiors of home/office or natural exterior grandeur of a commercial complex, natural stones do the job superbly. It transforms a four-walled house, apartment or an office into a comfortable abode infusing warmth and creating a relaxed atmosphere.

Physically Practical

Marble, granite and all other natural stones have a good thermal conductivity and a large heat storage capacity. Stones as facade material absorb the heat radiated by the sun and cut-down on cooling requirements of your building.

Attractively Priced

Even with all its inherent advantages, natural stones are cost-competitive to all its alternatives. Cost of fixing and fitting is well-compensated by low maintenance cost and long-term life of natural stones.

Natural stones have withstood the brutality and changing preferences of mankind over the last 4 billion years. Since the Egyptians first used marble & granite nearly 5000 years ago, the production, fabrication, technical, testing and processing have only improved and become more sophisticated making it an affordable, attractive and an accessible building material for everyone, a poor family to a rich kingdom.

Aditya Agarwal is a chemical engineer from IIT Bombay. Prior to Rajshree Marbles, he was working as a Management Consultant with Harvard-based Monitor Group. He can be contacted at aditya@rajshreemarbles.com for more information