| ABOUT TILE & STONE
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Ceramic: Ceramic tile is a mixture of clays, which is shaped and fired at high temperatures and then glazed. Tiles are also rigid and feature a relatively high resistance to shock. The use of ceramic tile goes back 18,000 years ago - with fragments found on the banks of the Tigres River in the Middle East.
Interior/Exterior: Walls, floors, showers, tub surrounds, backsplashes, fireplaces, bbq's, kitchen countertops, vanities, walkways.
Porcelain: According to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), porcelain tile is defined as a tile made by the dust press method that has a dense body such that water absorption is less then 0.5 percent.
Interior/Exterior: All ares including commercial/heavy traffic areas
Slate: Slate is a metamorphic rock. Most slate is formed below the earth's surfae by changes in the makeup and appearance of shale, a sedimentary rock. Shale consists of clay and fine particles of quartz. Heat from deep in the earth changes some of the clay in shale into mica and chlorite. Slate results when pressure created chiefly by mountain-forming movements in the earth's crust squeezes the mica and other minerals into parallel layers.
Slate is very durable and dense. Shaling (pieces falling off) is common in the first 6 months of installation.
Interior/Exterior: Walls, fireplaces, shower/tub/vanities, flooring, fountains, backsplashes.
Granite: Granite is an igneous rock, which was formed by slowly cooling pockets of magma (hot liquid) that was trapped beneath the earth's surface. It is the result of about 570 million years in the making. Granite is an intrusive rock - it forms deep underground and consists of mainly feldspar and quartz. Granite is the hardest known material used in commercial and residential applications.
Granite is very durable, dense & weather resistant. Crystals can be viewed with the naked eye.
Interior/Exterior: Counters, walls, fireplaces, shower/tub/vanities, flooring, fountains.
Marble: Marble is formed from limestone by heat and pressure in the earth's crust. These forces cause the limestone to change in texture and makeup. Marble is a metamorphic rock, which means, "changed form". This process took well over 540 million years. Marble is mostly made up of calcite - a mineral form of calcium carbonate. The purest calcite marble is white. The minerals that result from impurities give marble wide variety of colors.
Marble is very soft. Green and black marbles should not be installed in water areas. Not recommend for outdoor use and for food service applications.
Interior: Walls, fireplaces, shower/tub/vanities, flooring.
Travertine: Travertine is limestone that has been formed over a long period of time. The product is porous with many visible holes. It is availible in colors ranging from ivory to golden brown. The holes and cavities may be filled with matching Portland cement, colored epoxy, or polyester resins. Travertine is a sedimentary calciferous stone formed in hot springs. Typically, hot water passes through limestone beds and takes the calcium, from the limestone into suspension and takes that solution to the surface where the water evaporates and leaves the calcium crystals in layers on the surface
Travertine has moderate strength. The Roman Coliseum is made of travertine
Interior/Exterior: Walls, fireplaces, shower/tub/vanities, flooring, backsplashes.
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