What Features Can be Made from Stone?

Stone is a material often used when building homes and in gardens for paving slabs, etc. However, this beautiful natural material has many decorative uses and is also being used to create epic features in homes and commercial buildings across the world. So, what types of features can be created from stone? And how is this extremely tough material cut to the right sizes and shapes? Read on to find out more.

Features Made from Stone

If you go to any historic building, you are likely to see some of the most intricate stonework – from decorative pillars and gargoyles in churches to monuments of famous historical figures.

Stone is also commonly used for identifying graves. Go to any cemetery and you are likely to see what we call gravestones or headstones. These markers are engraved with information about the deceased person including their name, date of birth, and date of death. The stone typically used in grave markers is marble and granite as these are hardwearing and can withstand decades of weathering.

Within a home, stone is often used for countertops in kitchens, with a variety of options available including marble, granite, and slate. Stone countertops are expensive, but they are extremely hardwearing and resistant to heat, making them the ideal choice for this purpose.

Stone is used in the commercial industry for the construction of roads, bridges, dams, walls, and columns. It is also used in railway construction and for roofing in the form of slate tiles.

What Makes Stone a Good Choice for Construction

There are many reasons why stone is a popular choice for building; the fact that it is naturally available is one of the main ones. In addition to that, stone is fire-, water-, and wind-resistant and will not be contaminated by insects or rot. It is extremely hardwearing, and anything made from it can be expected to last for an exceptionally long time.

With so many different shapes and textures to choose from, stone is ideal for a variety of building purposes. Furthermore, because it has such high thermal mass, it is a fantastic insulator. And because it is a natural substance, it contains no harmful chemicals and contributes to cleaner air when used to build both residential and commercial buildings.

How is Stone Cut?

Before the machinery we have today, stone was cut by hand, which as you can imagine took a very long time. Skilled stonemasons would use a variety of tools including chisels and hammers to achieve the desired finish. Today though, we have a range of high-performance tools designed to cut stone the way we want.

A circular stone saw equipped with a diamond 4.5 blade, for example, will make light work of stone, according to the diamond blades specialists at Devour Tools. A stone saw will usually be run wet because cutting through stone tends to cause a lot of debris. Moreover, without water, the blade could quickly become hot.

As there are many different types of stone, the correct diamond blade is essential. Diamond does not ‘cut’ material as the layperson understands it. Instead, it grinds it down. Nevertheless, the type of stone being cut will determine what type of bond the diamond blade should have. The harder the stone, the softer the bond should be, and vice versa.

Summary

Stone is a natural substance used for many different purposes. It can be used in the construction industry for the building of roads, houses, and commercial buildings, but it is also used for sculptures and monuments. This beautiful hard material is ideal for these purposes because of how hard-wearing it is.