Three Essential Tips for Stone Selection and Identification:
One, Color Palette - When selecting natural veneer stone, in addition to color choice, the functionality of the building must be considered. In residential settings, the living room and bedroom decorations should opt for warmer tones to convey warmth and comfort. For bathroom and kitchen decorations, it's advisable to choose light and elegant cool tones to showcase cleanliness and hygiene.
II. Decorative Intentions and Environmental Impact Due to the varying locations where natural decorative stone is used, different types of stone are selected. For exterior building decoration, which must withstand water, wind, rain, and sun exposure, granite is chosen due to its low carbonate content, low water absorption rate, and strong resistance to weathering. Various types of granite stones are used. For flooring decorative stones in halls, stable physical and chemical properties and high mechanical strength are required, so granite-like stones should be selected. For wall base and bedroom flooring decorations, where mechanical strength is slightly lower, marble with beautiful patterns is more suitable.
Three, Identifying the Quality of Decorative Stone Surfaces: The quality of finished decorative stone surfaces cannot be determined by the following four aspects;
(1) Observation involves visually inspecting the surface structure of the stone. Generally, stones with a uniform, fine-grained structure offer a delicate texture, making them premium materials. Stones with coarse grains or uneven grain structures have a less appealing appearance and uneven mechanical properties, indicating lower maintenance quality. Additionally, natural stones often have fine veins and micro-fractures due to geological influences, which can lead to cracking along these areas; they should be removed. Moreover, stones with missing edges and corners can affect aesthetics, so extra attention should be given during selection.
Ensure proper measurements of the stone dimensions to avoid affecting the mosaic or causing distortion in patterns, textures, and lines after assembly, which may impact the decorative effect.
Listen. Listen to the sound of the stone being struck. Generally speaking, high-quality stones with dense, uniform interiors and no microscopic cracks produce a clear and pleasant sound when struck; conversely, if the stone has microscopic cracks, veins, or if the grains have become loose due to weathering, the sound will be rough and dull.
⑷ Test. Use simple testing methods to assess the quality of stone. Typically, a small drop of ink is placed on the back of the stone. If the ink quickly spreads and seeps out, it indicates that the stone's internal particles are loose or there are micro-cracks, suggesting poor quality. Conversely, if the ink drop remains in place without moving, it signifies a dense and good-quality stone texture.
