Dimension stones are natural stones or rocks that have been selected and fabricated to conform to specific sizes and shapes. Finished dimension stones are also expected to conform to specific colors, textures, patterns, as well as surface finishes. Dimension stones should also be durable in order to maintain its appearance and resistance to decay. Marble sealers and other kinds of sealers are often applied to various dimension stones to prevent them from staining.
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Many kinds of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks are used by contractors and builders as structural and decorative stones. The most commonly used dimension stones are granite, limestone, marble, slate, soapstone, alabaster, and serpentine. Moreover, a number of finishes can be applied to dimension stones to give them diverse architectural and aesthetic effects. Polished finishes can give the surface a fine luster, enabling it to reflect incident light, which imbues the stone with mirror-like properties.
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Honed finishes can provide a smooth, satin-like surface that does not reflect but retains its intense coloring. On the other hand, the bush-hammered finish creates a rough, but uniformly patterned surface for those who value textures. Sandblasted surfaces provide irregular pitted surfaces on the stone. The sandblasted effect is achieved by impacting sand or metal particles against the stone surface. In construction, granite and marble stones are used in the construction of countertops and bathroom vanities.
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Natural stone can also be found on walls, bathrooms, dining rooms, around swimming pools, and in facades. These stone surfaces are usually polished for smoothness or honed and sandblasted for a rough texture. For kitchen countertops, the stone slabs are often sawn from rough blocks of stone by gang saws with steel shots as the abrasive. The slabs are then cut to fit the dimensions of the countertop. Marble sealers may be applied on the surface of the marble countertop to prevent it from staining.
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Natural stone is porous as it is made up of countless interconnected capillary pores through which liquids and gases can pass through. Porous natural stones act like sponges that absorb liquids, dissolved salts, and other minerals over time. Highly porous stones such as sandstones will absorb liquids very quickly, while denser stones such as granite absorb liquids at a slower rate as they are less porous.
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Modern sealers such as marble sealers can be divided into three types: topical sealers, penetrating sealers, and impregnating sealers. Topical sealers are generally made from polyurethanes or acrylics. Penetrating sealers use siliconates, fluoro-polymers, and siloxanes to repel liquids. Impregnating sealers use silanes to penetrate deep within the stone?s pores, repelling water and oils from within the material.
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