Marble, travertine, or limestone that is honed has a matte or satin finish, rather than a high reflective polish. This is achieved at the factory by stopping just short of the last stage of polishing. Some fabricators have special equipment and can hone marble in their shops by removing the factory polish. One feature of honed marble is that it doesn't show etching as readily, or wear patterns on floors. It is preferred by some because it has a less formal, softer appearance than polished stone.

The most common use for cladding is for internal applications such as fireplaces, feature walls and similar applications, however it is also often used for cladding the external walls of an existing house.

It can, but it is not advisable. The shine on marble is achieved with a final acid step. Thus, if you spill anything acidic [soft drinks, orange juice, tomato juice, etc.] and it sets for a few moments, your shine will be gone. We can bring the shine back up, but it is tedious and time consuming, as well as expensive. It will stain. There is no doubt about it, it is just a matter of when and how much.

Yes. Marble is a durable material that adds elegance to any room, including bathrooms and kitchens. Since marble is more porous (and therefore softer) than granite, it is more prone to staining, etching and scratching. We recommend that a penetrating sealant be applied on a twice-yearly basis to help protect the marble from damage. Marble can even be used for kitchen countertops, although our policy at Global Granite is to recommend granite as a first choice for countertops.

Yes – typically these types of stones are hung using a traditional system with very thick panel sizes. With our system, panel thickness is reduced since the undercut anchor can be used in stones as thin as 2 cm.

Strictly speaking, granite is called "honed" when the polishing process is halted just before a reflective shiny surface is achieved. This gives a softer, matte appearance to the stone. Cold Spring uses a special process called "Velvet" which enhances and deepens the colors as well. Some fabricators can hone polished granite if they have special equipment to remove the polished surface, but this can sometimes result in wheel marks from the polishing head.

Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), usually in the form of calcite or aragonite. It may contain considerable amounts of magnesium carbonate (dolomite) as well; minor constituents also commonly present include clay, iron carbonate, feldspar, pyrite, and quartz.

The distance between terraces (face of wall to face of wall) should be greater than or equal to two times the lower wall height. Typically this can also work for lower height soil reinforced walls. With higher reinforced walls or walls built on a slope, the issue of global stability must be considered by a qualified engineer in analyzing the terrace situation. Marble Face Polished /Ground Face units are the highest quality ground face or burnished blocks available.

Marble is a metamorphic rock formed by alteration of limestone or dolomite. Marble is best suited for low traffic areas because of its softness and tendency to easily scratch. Marble can be found in bathroom walls, fireplaces, furniture tops, and floors.

No, Australian limestone is too soft for use as bench tops and similar applications. Imported material is normally harder and more suitable for applications such as this.

The mortar mix can vary, depending upon the sand used and other factors, however a typical mortar mix in the Perth region is 6 parts good sharp yellow brickies sand, 1 part lime and 1 part of cream (off-white) cement.

Answer: Honed granite has not been polished to a shine. It is a smooth, matte finish. Honed granite is lighter colored than its polished counterpart; however the color can be deepened with a color enhancing sealer. It should be noted that while honing a stone produces a look that appeals to many, homed stones are more susceptible to surface stains and will show things such as glass rings and pingerprints much more than polished stones do.

The danger involved in using acid on Marble Face Polished /Trendstone Plus® Ground Face surfaces is that a small amount of the solution can soak behind the acrylic coating. If this is not completely removed by rinsing, over time it will degrade the concrete behind the coating causing discoloration and/or microscopic peeling of the acrylic.

Answer: Any polished surface is slippery when wet. As with any other hard surface used in a bathroom, caution should be taken when exiting the shower & tub areas, as well as any other area that is wet.