Natural Stone Production and Its Important Installation Tips

The beauty of natural stone tile adds timeless elegance to any home decor. Do you know where these stones come from?!

Australian Stone Advisory Association (ASAA) has listed a total of around 90 stone quarries in Australia in the Discovering Stone Buyer’s Guide. However the actual number of quarries in Australia and the total volume of tile manufactured will vary from ASAA's data. The then ASAA director Jim Mann had said that he knew of a couple of operators (not in the ASAA list) there in South Australia that quarry stone on farms, most of which got sold to local builders and property owners. He added that in Queensland, operators were producing half a dozen different types of marble which hardly see the light of day in Australia, as virtually everything they produce as raw blocks was exported to China.

From the stone tiles manufactured in quarries, slabs are cut into standard tile sizes and thicknesses (usually minimum of 10mm for floors), polished or honed and sold to a distributor who sells the tiles to the end user. The end users normally don’t purchase tiles directly from the manufacturer or wholesaler.

Tiled Floor and Bathrooms (Marble & Granite)

A good tiler will:

• Check quality of the stone tiles for polish, squareness, flatness, Arris-edges and colour variation
• Where to place the stone tiles so the grout joints are in the correct place
• Check for the levelness of the concrete substrate to determine if a sand and cement screed is required or self leveling compound required to ensure a level stone tile floor is achieved
• Use tiles from different boxes when laying the stone tiles so that the different colours a mixed into the floor
• Ensure that a good water proofing membrane is used
• What type of tile glue should be used on the stone tiles
• What type of tile grout should be used on the stone tiles
• Thickness of the grout joints between the stone tiles
•  Ensure that a GOOD fall in the stone tile shower is achieved
•  Ensure sealing of the tiles with a high quality professional sealer. This is essential to keep them clean and stop unsightly staining. Check out our recommended sealing range  

Marble, Granite, Limestone, Travertine Showers

When installing tiles in a shower there are several considerations:

• The floor has a good fall towards the drain so water does not pool around the sides and seep into and behind the tiles. This is especially important where the glass meets the floor and there is no hob (step)
• Adequate waterproofing - best results are achieved if 2 membranes are applied – one below the tile to prevent leakage and one below the sand cement bedding as a back up
• Plumbing and fittings are installed before tiles are laid
• Floor tiles are laid before wall tiles so that the wall tiles sit on top of the floor tiles – this prevents water from flowing down the wall and under the floor tile
•  Edges and corners are polished and not sharp on shower steps or shelves.

Once the stone benchtop or vanity has been prepared to specifications by the manufacturer, the installer will fix the stone in position with special glues and resins. The end user must choose the colour of the epoxy resin used to fill the joints with the installer, so it matches perfectly with the stone. The wrong colour can change the look of the stone.

The Role of Stone Restoration Specialists

The natural stone surfaces not only add elegance to your home or property but also make it stand apart from the rest by adding to its resale value.

The dull, stained or worn out marble and other natural stone surfaces can be restored to their newly purchased condition by stone care professionals. Get a FREE Stone Care Evaluation today. Call now: 1300 627 626. 

Natural Stone Quarrying in Australia and Its Maintenance Guidelines

From the marble or stone quarries, we get a complete range of marble or other natural stone products such as raw marble/stone blocks, unpolished and polished slabs, marble tiles, monumental and furniture products etc. Marble or granite slabs and engineering stones are used for the manufacture of stone furniture like kitchen benchtops, worktops, bars, bathroom vanities and monument items and so on.

In Australia, sandstone was commonly quarried by the late 1800’s and used in large structures such as bridges and public buildings due to its strength, durability, availability and beauty. Quarrying was temporarily stopped during World War II, but around 40 years later in the late 1980’s stone not only experienced resurgence as a popular, structural building material, but a practical and attractive choice for interiors and furniture also.

Over the past 20 years, the popularity of marble and other natural stones have continued to grow in Australia, encouraging the resurgence of the quarrying industry. The trend continues today with architects combining the beauty of natural stone with imaginative designs to create magnificent effects both inside and outside.

Australia has significant deposits of natural stone and so there are many operating quarries in different parts of the country. The texture, colour and character of each type of stone vary from quarry to quarry depending on the minerals in that area and the physical environment. These differences allow for more variety when designing interiors and choosing stone.

Given Below Are Some of the Main Operating Quarries in Australia:

Western Australia: Marble is quarried in Maroonah and granite is quarried in the Fraser Ranges, Esperance, Jerramungup, Bruce Rock and Watheroo. We get  limestone in Moore River, Seabird and Postans where as sandstone is quarried in Donnybrook, Karratha and Mount Jowlaenga. Some stones are also quarried from the Ord Ranges and Mount Barker.

Queensland: Sandstone is quarried in Helidon, Murphy’s Creek, Warwick and Beaudesert.

South Australia: Granite is quarried in Wallaroo, Streaky Bay and Black Hill, slate in Mintaro and limestone in Waikeri and Ramco. In Victoria granite is quarried in Benambra and sandstone in the Grampians.

New South Wales: Granite is quarried in Tocwal, Dundee and Gosford.

Northern Territory: Granite is quarried in Tennant Creek.

Quarrying methods vary depending on the type of stone being quarried and the equipment available. Quarry operators look for natural joints in the stone, so they can split it and cut it to size. Explosives are often used with great expertise, so blocks can be obtained in required sizes.

In the case of granite, large blocks are removed from the ground deposits using explosives. When quarrying marble, operators must be very careful not to shatter the stone so they use machines that channel through the stone rather than explosives. Sandstone is removed using an excavator or crowbar, or is split using metal rods and plugs. The metal strips are placed in the holes and the plugs are hammered between the strips, which splits the rock.

Once the stone has been removed from the quarry, it is transported using heavy duty trucks and machinery to a processing area where it is cut into slabs - the size and thickness that the slab will be cut to will depend on its final use.

After cutting, the slabs are ready for use unless further enhancement is required, such as planing, profiling, texturing, polishing or honing. In this case, specialised saws, some incorporating computer technology, are used to create a variety of shapes, designs and surface finishes. Some pieces requiring more detail are crafted by a stonemason.

Natural Stone Maintenance Needs

Though marble and stone are very durable, over time all stone surfaces can become damaged in some way. But you need not to worry as The Marble Man has highly qualified technicians who can Repair and Restore your marble or stone floors, benchtops and bathrooms so that they look like new again.

Started in 1992 by Shaun Roberts, The Marble Man has eventually emerged as Australia's number one marble, granite, travertine, stone benchtop and tile restoration Company. The Marble Man undertakes polishing, sealing, cleaning and repairing of all stone surfaces using state-of-the-art and safe technology to produce amazing results. We give great importance to aesthetics and strive hard to enhance your home decor. 

We operate in Northern NSW, the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Sydney, Newcastle, Canberra and other areas throughout Qld and NSW. If you would like us to inspect your stone and give you free advice on its repair or restoration, an experienced technician will visit at a time convenient to you and provide a no obligation, free quote. Call our office today on 1300 627 626 or email us to book your onsite evaluation.

Natural Stone Quarrying and Its Maintenance Needs in Australia

Natural stone has been used in Australia from ancient times, and its demand has increased these days with innovative and stylish design techniques adding magnificent effects to its natural beauty.  

Australia has significant deposits of natural stone and many operating quarries. The texture, colour and character of each type of stone vary from quarry to quarry depending on the minerals in that area and the physical environment. These differences allow for more variety  when designing interiors and choosing stone.

Given Below Are Different Stone Mining Areas in Australia:

In Western Australia marble is quarried in Maroonah, granite in the Fraser Ranges, Esperance, Jerramungup, Bruce Rock and Watheroo, limestone in Moore River, Seabird and Postans, sandstone in Donnybrook, Karratha and Mount Jowlaenga, and other stones in the Ord Ranges and Mount Barker.

In Queensland sandstone is quarried in Helidon, Murphy’s Creek, Warwick and Beaudesert.

In South Australia granite is quarried in Wallaroo, Streaky Bay and Black Hill, slate in Mintaro and limestone in Waikeri and Ramco. In Victoria granite is quarried in Benambra and sandstone in the Grampians.

In New South Wales, granite is quarried in Tocwal, Dundee and Gosford.

In the Northern Territory, granite is quarried in Tennant Creek. Quarrying methods vary depending on the type of stone being quarried and the equipment available. Quarry operators look for natural joints in the stone, so they can split it and cut it to size. Explosives are often used with great expertise, so blocks can be obtained in required sizes.

Once the stone has been removed from the quarry, it is transported using heavy duty trucks and machinery to a processing area where it is cut into slabs - the size and thickness that the slab will be cut to will depend on its final use.

After cutting, the slabs are given further enhancement such as planing, profiling, texturing, polishing or honing as per the requirement. In this case specialised saws, some incorporating computer technology, are used to create a variety of shapes, designs and surface finishes. Some pieces requiring more detail are crafted by a stonemason.

Stone Care and Maintenance with Marble Man 

The Marble Man team has a combined experience of 29 years in the natural stone maintenance industry. Their technicians are given training on latest stone repair and restoration techniques with the help of modern equipment. Get a free stone restoration quote today. You can also send them a video or photograph of your defective stone surface, so they’ll guide you how it can be repaired. Visit website or call their friendly staff now on 1300 627 626.