10 Reasons We Love Natural Stone
At IMS, we absolutely adore natural stone. It’s remained a popular choice for the classic aesthetic among many commercial properties. Marble, granite, slate, travertine, limestone, and more line the interiors of many beautiful facilities across the country, and sadly, many companies do not know how to properly maintain them. Restoring stone to its natural beauty is our passion, and our love for stone has done nothing but grow. Here are the ten reasons why we love natural stone:
Timeless Beauty
The classic, timeless beauty of natural stone is unmistakably remarkable. Whether a glossy, honed, or flamed finish, the look and feel of natural stone underfoot is something that cannot be mimicked
Variety of color and textures
With infinite possibilities for textures and colors, you can rest assured knowing that your natural stone floors and interiors will stand out among the rest.
Durability
Many types of natural stone are extremely durable, such as granite. Rarely chipping or cracking, many types of natural stone are long-lasting.
Easy to clean
Glossy finishes are especially resilient to spills, although most types of natural stone need minimal daily maintenance, including dry mopping and using a neutral pH soap-free cleaner.
Can be restored
Not to toot our own horn, but we’ve brought natural stone back to life more than a few times. Stone can be restored even if it has undergone years of inadequate maintenance. We definitely don’t recommend this, as stone will look its best and last the longest with regular specialty maintenance from the time of installation on. With that said, the beauty of natural stone can shine through once again with restoration or even a quick polish.
Nonslip
Natural stone is generally nonslip, even without nonslip coatings and sealants. With less slip than VCT and LVT, natural stone makes a safe choice than many other flooring types.
Can help with electricity costs
Especially in warmer climates, natural stone can help keep a facility cooler due to its insulation properties. This can mean a reduced electric bill.
A natural product, straight from the earth
Stone is a natural, renewable resource straight from the earth. While there is some controversy over whether quarrying is environmentally friendly, we feel that natural stone is a great choice for facilities wanting to use natural products. Even better is buying local natural stone to reduce carbon emissions from transportation costs.
Way to bring the outdoors inside of your business
Natural stone can help connect your indoor facility to the beauty of the outside world.
Every piece of stone is unique
Even stone from the same quarry can have different patterns or colors. Every piece of natural stone is unique, ensuring that your facility is truly one of a kind.
Our love for natural stone is unending, although we do have some recommendations for the maintenance and choosing of natural stone materials. Marble is beautiful with a wide variety of colors, although it can be prone to staining. On the other hand, granite is extremely durable and can withstand small stains, but is heavier than many other flooring options. Like granite, slate is very resilient, although it can be hard to guarantee uniformity between two tiles. Travertine feels soft underfoot, although it can quickly show wear.
These concerns can be mitigated by proper daily cleaning and specialty maintenance routines throughout the life of your stone interiors. Using proper sealants and coating, or using proper cleaning and polishing techniques is absolutely necessary for extending the life of your stone. Being proactive about stains and wear can save you thousands in maintenance costs. We highly recommend consulting with us early on in the life of your stone to ensure that you have a proper maintenance program in place for you timeless stone interiors.