The Benefits of Natural Stone Building Materials

Natural stone was one of the first building materials ever used. For many of the same reasons that made it an important building material over thousands of years, it still remains as one of the best today.
 
Stone is immensely popular, partly because it has countless applications as a building material. From commercial construction like buildings and bridges to backyard DIY projects like garden walls and pathways, stone has earned its place as a time-tested resource. Take in these seven benefits of natural stone building materials:
 
It ages beautifully. Arguably, stone looks better with age. Stone retains its natural beauty and has an extremely long lifespan. Some stone attains its full elegance with a little age, and stone can look as stunning after a hundred years as the day it was installed.
 
Low environmental impact. Stone has many “green” characteristics that few materials can match. No energy is needed to manufacture stone, only for quarrying and processing. Blasting and mining techniques have greatly improved. Stone contains no pollutants, releases no chemicals, and needs no substances to be used in construction.
 
The low-maintenance material. Stone needs very little maintenance or upkeep once it is used in building. There’s no need to paint or finish and it’s extremely easy to clean. Even decades-old stone can be polished and restored with minimal cost.
 
Durable and resistant. There’s little that bothers stone and it can last almost forever. It’s resistant to pests, doesn’t rot, and is fireproof. Many natural stone floors and countertops can last for decades and show no wear. 
 
Benefits of quality and value. Stone materials are perceived to be of high quality and value, connecting with traits like sophistication, elegance and prominence. Projects built with stone are also thought to be genuine, unique and well-built, helping their value. When is the last time you saw a home without stone floors, countertops or walkways?
 
Natural for landscaping. Because stone is a natural material, it fits perfectly in outdoor surroundings. It brings an elegant yet organic feel and seamlessly blends with plants, wood and water in uses like pathways, benches, fountains, garden walls and pavers.
 
Varied and unique. Stone comes in a variety of natural colors, structures and textures, making it useful for just about any application. It can be resurfaced in many ways to give builders an unlimited number of choices to match style, ambiance or appearances. It can also be cut in just about any shape or size. Stone can step up to just about any building requirement.