A numerous varieties of stones are available in the market nowadays. There are two basic criterion on which the various stones are distinguished from each other. First is the class of the stone, i.e., whether the stone is a granite, marble, sandstone, or slate-stone. Second criterion is to see the texture of the stone. Various stones of a particular class are distinguished among the same class by the different textures they possess. This texture maybe naturally present in that particular variety or it can be fabricated manually. Following is the list of the seven main types of stone textures or surfaces that are usually found:
Natural texture as the name suggests, is found naturally in the stones. This texture is the result of the natural clefts in the rocks. Nowadays natural textures are also manually made by imitating the natural patterns found on the stones. To achieve this, the stone is slashed along its line of rift. The resulting texture is quite similar to the natural in both feel and appearance.
Honed texture of a stone is created by pulverizing its surface with the help of a high grit material at a uniform rate. While grinding the surface, care should be taken not to turn the surface into a reflective one. The stones with this type of texture are widely used in high traffic areas, buildings, etc. The stones with a honed texture are porous in nature, thus should be protected through protective materials like stoneguard penetrating sealer. However, the colors of honed stones are not as vivid as those of polished stones.
Just opposite to the honed texture, the polished texture stones are quite glossy in appearance. These stones are also nonporous in nature and available in various vibrant colors. The shiny surface of these stones is the result of polishing the crystals by polishing bricks and powders at the time of manufacturing, and not of any kind of shiny coating. But, the polished surface may also wear away in time due to heavy foot traffic, or can corrode owing to the use of improper chemicals for cleaning.
Flamed texture is the one which is quite rough. The roughness is due to the heating of the stone at extreme temperatures. Actually, when the stone is heated at a high temperature, the natural crystals present in it began to burst due to excessive pressure from inside. This results in a rough surface of the stone. The flamed surface is very porous in nature, hence require stoneguard protection.
Tumbled texture stone is the outcome of tumbling different types of natural stones like marble, limestone, and granite. These three stones can be found with a tumbled texture almost effortlessly. Tumbled surface stones are perfectly suitable for those who prefer a classic appearance. The color of these stones is not so vibrant and requires the application of stone-color enhancer.
Sandblasted stone texture is the result of a technique known as sandblasting. In this process, the pressurized flow of sand and water or coarse-grained grit is used for providing a matte gloss or sandblasted texture to the stone. The process of sandblasting is also used nowadays to engrave pictures and designs on the natural stone.
Bush hammered texture is created through a pounding action. The degree of roughness can be customized. The top surface of these stones is pneumatically tooled to produce a pitted or dimpled surface.
