Frequently Asked Questions about limestone and marble

 

Topics: surface finishes, cleaning, sealing, external stone, frequently asked questions

Capture the look of an ancient floor with French Limestone

We are occasionally asked to supply limestone flooring that looks like it could have been laid centuries ago. Clients love the look of a well-worn stone floor and they want to recreate the look in their new or refurbished homes. How can this be achieved? 

Topics: French limestone, surface finishes

Choosing Natural Stone for projects

The three important things that clients tend to overlook:

I was asked, recently, to present a seminar to members of the Stone Federation of Great Britain as part of the regular training that the members undergo. One section of my talk focussed on three of the main questions that are asked of the Stone Federation's technical help line.

Topics: tile layout, surface finishes, choosing natural stone

Coming so soon after the Surface Design Show in London, the Expo Revestir Show in Sao Paulo, Brazil showed that the trends in South America are not so different from those we saw in London a month earlier. Here's what we saw at the London Surface Design Show.

So, what are the trends that we see emerging this year? 

Topics: surface finishes, textures

French Limestone

Finding the right natural stone for projects where the same material is used throughout indoor and outdoor spaces can be a challenge. As well as meeting all the usual aesthetic criteria such as colour, pattern, texture etc., the stone also needs to perform well for frost resistance, durability and slip resistance. 

Last week, Steve and Denise visited the Ampilly quarry in Burgundy, France, to research options for an upcoming project. We were looking for a French limestone flooring that could be supplied in a variety of sizes, thicknesses and surface finishes and could also be cut for steps and wall copings. We had used Ampilly for the terrace at Amarestone HQ (pictured below) so it is a stone that we already knew quite well but this was the first time we had made it out to the quarry. 

Topics: limestone flooring, French limestone, burgundy limestone, facade, beauval, surface finishes, pierre de bourgogne, choosing natural stone, CE Marking, chamesson, natural stone, quarry, patio, external stone, internal stone

On Wednesday we were at the Surface Design Show 2015 where our MD, Steve Turner, represented the Stone Federation as chairman of the SBID panel discussion on Colour, Trends and Texture in Surface Design.

Thank you to everyone who came along to support the event, we had a great day and hope that you enjoyed it too. For those of you who couldn't be there, here are some of the highlights.

Topics: events, surface finishes, Stone Federation of GB, design, architect, Stone Federation, natural stone, designer, surface design show, external stone, outdoor, SBID

We are proud to announce that Steve Turner, Amarestone MD, has been invited to represent the Stone Federation of Great Britain at the Surface Design Show tomorrow.

Topics: events, surface finishes, which stone, Stone Federation of GB, design, architect, natural stone, designer, surface design show

Different Surface Finishes on Natural Stone

Most people will be able to picture what a polished marble tile or an antiqued limestone tile would look like and some will understand what is meant by the term honed. But there are lots of other options for surface finishes on natural stone and some of these may not be quite so easy to imagine. Some of the different options are explained below:

Topics: surface finishes, choosing natural stone, anti-slip surface, external stone

Choosing Swimming Pool surrounds

One of the key requirements for the surface finish for a swimming pool surround is slip-resistance.

Topics: choosing marble, swimming pool, French limestone, surface finishes, anti-slip surface, vallangis, carrara, external stone