Known for its versatility, beauty, and durability natural stone is the choice for a variety of projects in both commercial and residential spaces. Whether you’re looking to make a statement with a grand staircase or stunning tile installation or hoping to convey a sense of calm and serenity via a water feature or up-scale pool and spa area, the various types of natural stone bring together both style and substance. For these reasons, Natural Stone has become a material of choice for many architects and designers and is an excellent choice for commercial spaces, striking façade details, and more.
NATURAL STONE SELECTIONS FOR COMMERCIAL SPACES
When you’re exploring building materials for your next commercial project, make sure that Natural Stone options are included on your list. There are so many gorgeous options like
- Coral Stone
- Flagstone.
- Limestone (including our Nube, Sisal, Uxmal, and other variations)
- Marble
- Slate
- Soapstone
- Travertine
PRICING BUILDING MATERIALS FOR COMMERCIAL PROJECTS
No matter the project, budget is always a part of the conversations. If you’re working through the development of a commercial or the architectural design of a new building or development putting numbers on bringing your design to life is an unavoidable step.
When pricing your materials, we always encourage clients to consider not just the upfront cost, but the cost of maintenance, repairs, and upkeep over time. As we mentioned above, design with your end-use in mind.
- How will the commercial space or facilities be used?
- What is the climate in the area? How might weather impact the materials?
- What is the standard lifespan of the materials?
- How do upkeep and maintenance impact the long-term cost of managing and maintaining the commercial space?
- Does the material need to withstand the wear and tear of daily foot traffic, exposure to moisture, or saltwater?
CUSTOM NATURAL STONE FABRICATION
An argument we often see for avoiding natural stone as the material of choice for focal features and design elements is the lack of versatility in fabrication. Materials like stucco, cast stone and even concrete offer seemingly endless options for how they can be molded, crafted, and used to create show-stopping design elements.
We encourage you to consider the versatility of natural stone, as well as the expert fabrication work that many suppliers are executing in the natural stone space. Options don’t have to stop at slabs and tiles of various shapes and sizes. Fine crafted columns, sculptures, staircases, and railings, archways and more offer designers and architects truly stunning options to enhance their designs.
NATURAL STONE IS COMPARABLE IN PRICE
Many times we see the assumption that natural stone comes with a higher price tag, sourcing and fabrication expense, and an endless list of care and upkeep requirements and that simply isn’t the case.
A primary example would be the use of stone veneer over EFIS systems. Natural stone offers a comparable price in building material cost but offers a more durable, long-lasting exterior finish. With less upkeep and a longer life span, the selection of natural stone is typically more cost-effective over the life of the structure than synthetic alternatives.
FINDING THE BEST NATURAL STONE FOR YOUR COMMERCIAL PROJECT
When considering a natural stone for your commercial space, you’ll want to consider a variety of factors before settling on your material.
- Strength: The stones natural resistance against crushing and bending
- Durability: The wear resistance of the stone, as well as the colorfastness of the stone (how long will it maintain its natural color when exposed to the elements?)
- Appearance: Color, texture, and finish of the stone
- Weather Proof: How porous is the stone? What are the impacts of water and weather on the color, finish and surface of the stone?
- Anti-slip: More related to the finish, ensure that you are selecting a stone with the appropriate finish to minimize slip hazards, especially in high-traffic areas.
As a general rule of thumb, Siliceous rocks, such as quartzite, granite and sandstone tend to be best for interior surface uses while Calcareous rocks, such as limestone, travertine and marble, make for great choices in exterior spaces.
