Today, with increasing concerns about environmental pollution and sustainable living, a large number of people are looking to create homes that are not only beautiful, elegant and timeless but are also sustainable.
With so many synthetic and artificial building materials flooding the market, one option stands out among the rest – natural stone veneers. Versatile, aesthetically pleasing, and durable, natural stone veneers suit both interiors and exteriors of your home.
However, very often, homeowners ask us this question, “Will natural stone look out of place in my contemporary home?”
When you opt for sustainable design, you increase the efficiency of resources used by the building – be it water, energy while reducing the overall impact of the building on the environment and human health. Simply put, sustainable materials are those that are eco-friendly and do minimal harm to the environment.
While it’s true that you need to put in some more thought and planning in constructing an eco-friendly home, the paybacks from it far exceed the time and resources spent on it.
One of the easiest way to make your home sustainable is to use eco-friendly building materials like natural stone veneers. Wondering how natural stone makes your home environment friendly?
Stone is naturally extracted from the Earth, making it one of the first green building materials on the planet. It doesn’t need any other resources for making it and is available abundantly all over the planet. Stone has a wide array of textures, colours, shapes, and characteristics making it ideal for a range of applications. What more, the differences in mineral compositions and geological phenomenon make one type of stone different from the rest.
Natural stone doesn’t have any harmful toxins or chemicals, thereby making it highly suitable for indoor applications. Regionally manufactured stone reduces greenhouse gases emissions as it doesn’t require much transportation.
Stone stands the test of time. Meaning, when you use stone veneers you needn’t worry about the wear and tear and replacement costs, as stone is highly long-lasting. This adds to the value of your home. Natural stones like marble, granite, slate, limestone age gracefully, providing you with a material that retains its charm and aesthetics for years to come.
This durability of the stone makes it suitable for areas that attract high footfall like kitchens, courtyards, bathrooms and foyers.
Sustainability and durability are two sides of the same coin. This is because durable materials last long, thereby improving the sustainability factor as you don’t have to replace new materials often. While choosing materials from a sustainability perspective, you have to consider the life-cycle cost.
Even, if natural stone costs a bit more initially, it will pay for itself in the long run as the repair and replacement costs are negligible when compared to other materials.
When maintained properly, stone lasts for years to come with no signs of wear and tear. What more, today, natural stone veneers are available in a wide variety of finishes from glossy to textured, thereby further reducing maintenance efforts.
Weather resistant finishes, slip-resistant finishes are some of the new trends in natural stone veneers. Moreover, when it comes to maintenance, all you need is regular detergent and a clean cotton cloth. With periodic cleaning, you can keep it looking as good as new.
Natural stone doesn’t use any harmful chemicals that pollute the environment, thereby scoring big on the sustainability scale.
Stone is one of the most amazing natural materials that is completely recyclable. It can be repurposed and used in a different variety of ways over the course of its lifetime. This is a big plus from the sustainability perspective, as it reduces the need for new resources and raw materials over time.
In fact, natural stone veneers are the perfect example for recycled and salvaged stone. Stone veneers are made from small broken pieces of natural stone slabs using an eco-friendly process.
Today, advancements in technology mean that the methods of stone extraction, quarrying and fabrication are carried out in an environmentally-friendly process. Today, the stone industry is focussed on conserving resources, minimizing waste and reducing pollution, through eco-friendly practices.
Thus, by choosing natural stone veneers you are in turn supporting an industry that is eco-friendly and sustainable.
Sustainable construction is the need of the hour. It isn’t a fad. Rather, it’s a way of life. By choosing natural stone veneer, you take the first steps in building a home that is eco-friendly and sustainable. While choosing stone veneers for your renovation or new construction project, talk with your natural stone veneer suppliers to find out more about the sustainability of the product you’re choosing.
If you have any further queries on this topic, reach out to us and talk with our stone experts here at SlateSkin and make informed decisions.
