Different Types of Stone Finishes 

Different Types of Stone Finishes 

 

 

Different Types of Stone Finishes 

Different types of stone finishes are to be reviewed here. Finishing is a manufacturing process whose purpose is to obtain a surface with adequate characteristics for the particular application of the product being manufactured. This includes but is not limited to the cosmetic product. In some cases, the finishing process can have the additional purpose of getting the product to meet dimensional specifications.

Natural Finish

Technically, natural finish is basically the absence of treatment. The stone is sold as extracted from the quarry, once cut into the desired format. The final look depends entirely on the characteristics of the stone and its exploitation. This finish is appropriated for cladding and cobblestones. Natural finish has a slightly uneven surface that is still usable for flooring. This finish cannot be created, but occurs naturally as the layers are quarried.

Polished Finish

In polish finish the surface is brilliant and shiny with a mirror effect. The process of polishing is by repeated application of abrasive treatments. This type of finishing is suitable for almost all kinds of stones. Polishing can be done only on crystallized stones. A polished finish doesn’t affect the porosity of the stone. Polished surface finish is quite popular as it enhances the color and markings of the material.

 

Smooth and Reflective Surface

A stone with a polished finish is very smooth and reflective. This type of finish is used in reception areas, where marble, granite and some harder lime-stones are laid. The polishing of natural stone follows the same process as honing using finer abrasives.

The degree of polish of the natural stone is determined by its mineral elements and texture and not all natural stones can be polished. Usually recommended for wall covering, polished stones are not usually recommended as stone flooring due to their low slip resistance value.  This is very regular finishing especially in Iranian stone factories. Polished tiles are used for interiors as well as bench top and counter top, but it is not suggested for outdoor since it reduces slip resistance.

Honed Finish

Grinding and sanding produces a smooth, yet not glossy finish. This is best for low maintenance, high traffic applications. Honed finishes unlike polished finishes are not reflective. The honed finish is a satin smooth surface with little light reflection. A smooth matt to light shine surface finish. Created using different grades of abrasives under factory conditions, honed stone is the most commonly used and recommended internal floor finish.

 

Most Common Limestone Process

Honed finishing is the most common process for Limestone. A honed finish refers to any level that is less than polished and therefore the surface is smooth but dull or slightly reflective. In areas with a lot of foot traffic, floor tiles are often honed and not polished. This finish is often used on walking surfaces and other areas where heavy traffic would wear off a polished finish. Honed finishes are used in interior wall covering. It can also be used on the exterior in warm environments, table tops, very light duty residential flooring, etc.

 

Different Kinds and Types of Stone Finishes
Different Kinds and Types of Stone Finishes

 

Flamed Finish

A flamed finish is one of the most popular finishes for external use where slip resistance is a concern. It is produced by applying a high-temperature flame to the surface of the stone which creates thermal shock and causes the inherent crystals to fracture, resulting in deeply textured surface ideal for external surfaces. This finish is mainly used on granites, and will hide surface imperfections and tone variations.

Sandblasted Finish

This is a rough, but tidy look created by applying a high pressure blast of sand to the stone’s surface. A sandblasted finish creates a finely textured surface ideal for use in traffic-ways. Applying a high-pressure jet of water mixed with sand. This treatment softens the color and characteristics of the original stone.

It removes saw marks and achieves a smooth surface with fine, sometimes almost invisible circular marks. This type of finish is usually applied to sandstone and is one of the finishes you can choose for exterior. This finish can also be found under the name grit blasted finish.

Leather Finish

Leather finish is available only in some varieties of marble and granite. This finish gives the stone a suede look and feel. This texture is smooth and slip-resistant. Leathering is the process of texturing granite or marble to appear less glossy. A leather finish is obtained by a process of brushing the slab with a range of brushes. The result is a slightly undulating surface, very soft, warm and smooth to the touch. Leathering starts with a honed surface and adds texture.

Tumbled Finish

Tumbled finish refers to using sand, pebbles and water to tumble the surface of the stone in order to create an aged appearance. A tumbled finish can be applied to variety of stones to give them the impression that they have been walked on for centuries. This is an aging process similar to the one that is applied to achieve an antique finish.

Flamed Finish

This finish is achieved by exposing the surface of the stone directly to a high temperature flame. The heat acts by blowing the crystals out as they suffer thermal shock, with an effect that is particularly evident in materials composed of minerals with various degrees of expansion. The resulting surface is rough, non-slip and generally faded in color, thereby hiding defects and tone variations. Because of oxidation, yellow materials become orange or red.

Bush-Hammered Finish

Bush hammered finish is a highly textured finish best used for external applications such as paving or walkways. A mechanical hammer hits the stone and leaves small indentations on the surface. The result depends on the size of the hammer and the number of points on the hammer. The result leaves the surface of the stone smooth with small indentations.

Split Face Finish

Split face finish is achieved by splitting stone either by hand or by machine so that the surface exhibits a natural quarry texture. It has a flat back and uneven front surface, and creates the uneven look of protruding bricks. The surface evenness varies with the stone and not all stones can be obtained in split face finish. The split face finish is a result of the stone being cut by a guillotine that fractures the face and turns it to a rocky finish. This is mainly used for cladding.

Sawn Finish

This finish is created by sawing the stone with diamond disc teeth. It produces a somewhat rough and irregular surface with small furrows and undulations. Sawn finish makes the stone lighter and gives it a matte tone. Sawn finish is available for external paving, steps, pathways, driveways and patios. This surface is a result of sawing, when the granite, marble, sandstone and Travertine block is sawn into slabs by diamond gang saw or by diamond wire saw or by block cutter.

Antiqued Finish

This stone is tumbled with sand, pebbles etc. to create a weathered, aged finish. An antique finish gives stone an aged appearance by replicating use and wear. This generally dulls the color of the stone. The surface is then be brushed with mechanical wire bush to make the stone smooth and slightly restore the color.

Acid-Washed Finish

Acids can be used to simply clean the surface of natural stone or to change its appearance, depending on the type of acid and the length of its application. Acid wash is an alternative way to achieve antiqued look and it also can have similar results as the water finishing.

The good news is that acid-washed finish can be applied retrospectively, meaning that you can change the look of an already installed countertop. Epoxy treating, meshed and protective treating are some examples of this type of finish. That would be beneficial to explain them one by one.

Epoxy Treated

It is a multi-step method that combines several techniques. First the stone is honed so that it has a smooth surface to which the resin can be applied. Then it is dried in a special oven and the process of applying resin and drying is done one more time. At the end, the stone is polished. The process improves the visual characteristics and the resistance of the stone tiles.

Meshed

This is mainly an additional step to make the stone stronger, used mostly for defective marble or stone slabs. During the epoxy treatment of the stone a thin net of fiberglass or plastic is applied to the back side of the tile. It has no decorative functions.

Protective Treatment  

This is not an actual surface finishing, but rather the final step to protect the stone tiles by applying oil-repellents or anti-graffiti treating substances. In a nutshell, this is the process of protecting already installed tiles by treating them with the respective substance.

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Sources

www.ansiindia.com/stone-finishes

www.sogestone.com/en/tecnicas/acabados.html

www.mgtstoneco.com/info/stone-surface-finishes

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