Natural stone can be worth its weight in gold when bringing personality to a project
Natural stone is one of the most popular materials when it comes to aesthetic choices and interior design, in both residential homes and larger architectural projects. Natural stone brings a, well, natural flair that man-made counterparts just struggle to replicate. When pursuing a one-of-a-kind space that brings an atmosphere that can’t be find found elsewhere, natural stone is the obvious choice.
Luckily, as well as natural stone being worth its weight in gold when it comes to bringing personality and aesthetics to a project, it is also one of the oldest known materials humans have manipulated and built with, and there is a healthy bank of technical knowledge and research into the best practices of natural stone.
Like many other industries, the hotel industry has long since used natural stone in its designs to add charisma and style, Here we’re going to discuss the best tips and advice to get the most from natural stone in a hotel setting.
Utilise a stone consultant
When working with natural stone it’s imperative to remain aware of the variety of stone available, as well as the characteristics that make them well suited to different roles. Every stone has different degrees of durability, some may be easier to design with fine patterns or detailing, and of course different stones have different degrees of resistance to factors such as heat, moisture and heavy footfall.
To truly harness the potential available from working with natural stone, the right stones need to be used for the right job. Marble for example, is the stone everyone thinks of when contemplating bathroom design, and for good reason. The entrancing veins and colour variations in marble make it perfect from a design point of view, and it’s perfectly suited to remain unaffected by high levels of moisture and heat.
Engaging with a stone consultant early on in a project will mean that you can collaborate with someone with high levels of expertise in which materials are best suited where, and make sure your creative vision is supported by the right foundations.
Embrace the natural element
Although it may seem obvious, with the wide plethora of man-made stone products available on the market, it can be easy to forget just what makes natural stones such a unique and eye-catching design choice, and what gives them the edge over these man-made alternatives. No two natural stones will ever be exactly the same, and in order to really capture the beauty that natural stone can bring to a project this needs to be embraced wholeheartedly.
It’s important to work with natural stone rather than against it, and when committing to a decision on which natural stone to utilise, make sure to capture the full range of qualities and traits, as well as viewing the stone in lighting conditions that replicate the in-use conditions for the stone.
Movement joints
Even though many natural stones are well known for their extraordinary durability resistance to weather conditions and erosion, changes to conditions when working with stone still need to be taken into account and prepared for. In many cases, movement joints will be used in order to alleviate stress to the natural stone in question.
When designing a natural stone floor, there are several questions that will help deliver a durable scheme and avoid failures in the floor.
The first step is to ascertain whether you need a movement joint. Simply put, where the distance between restraining surfaces including perimeter walls exceeds 2m, a perimeter movement joint must be installed. Intermediate movement joints are required where the distance exceeds 10m. With underfloor heating, the natural stone flooring should be divided into bays of up to 40m²with a maximum bay length of 8m.
There are also other factors to take into account when planning a natural stone floor, such as the degrees of loading and footfall the surface will be exposed to. For low loading or low footfall areas, a sealant could be used as a suitable movement joint, whereas flooring exposed to higher footfall and higher loads will most likely need a fully formed movement joint, typically comprising metal side plates with a flexible synthetic rubber core.
Slip resistance
Different stones have varying degrees of slip resistance, with some being the favoured stone for flooring features due to their high slip resistance, such as sandstone. However, in many cases your creative vision may not align with the stones possessing higher resistance, and in this case there are several practices available in order to boost the slip resistance of the stone.
Most of the guidance and specified in-service performance criteria will quote values in ‘SRV’ (slip resistance value) or ‘PTV’ (pendulum test value) – these are the same. It’s important to remember that the appearance of the stone may change when the necessary textures are applied in order to achieve the needed slip resistance rating, if additional resistance is needed.
For example, a polished marble will look very different to a honed marble as the polish will reflect light whereas a honed finish will absorb it, making the colours of the stone appear more muted. Considering these factors early in the project will help avoid challenges further down the line.
Aftercare and maintenance
It’s important to consider the level of maintenance the natural stone in question requires from the beginning of any project. Natural stone can vary greatly in the degrees to which it needs to be maintained, hence why some stones are the clear favourites for heavy footfall or difficult to maintain areas, whereas other stones need regular maintenance in order to preserve their natural quality and appearance.
One of the most common mistakes is the use of incorrect chemicals when cleaning or polishing the surface, and it’s vital to be well aware of your stone’s requirements, as well as any surface sealant used on the stone itself. It’s always best to opt for specialized ‘proprietary’ stone cleansing products that in most cases will be of a neutral pH.
It is also encouraged to devise a stone maintenance plan before project completion, in order to map out exactly how best to preserve your natural stone.
Unexpected complications
Especially when natural stone is being used in a hotel setting, it’s important to remember to remain aware of additional exposure that could cause damage to any natural stone, such of spills of acidic substances like wine or makeup. Stones that are regularly wet and exposed to water or rain also need to be properly drained/maintained in order to prevent discolouration/erosion.
Always take into account these kinds of external factors when selecting which natural stone is right for the job in the first place, in order to avoid complications or issues down the line.
Natural stone has a host of external factors and extra requirements to consider, as to be expected when working with natural resources. However, when properly maintained and planned accordingly, natural stone can lend a bold design choice to any project, and not just one that stands out aesthetically, but also a long term solution that is highly sustainable, and completely unique.
