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Falling in Love with the Casual Elegance of Limestone

Limestone Checklist by author Meghan Carter

  • The many colors and styles of limestone.
  • Why limestone is easy to maintain.
  • How to select a limestone slab.
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Limestone's Look

  • Available in grey, green, blue, brown, deep red and numerous shades of cream.
  • Texture varies from very uniform to highly irregular, with tons of veins and fossils throughout.
  • Has a coarser, rougher, less shiny look than marble.


Limestone's Uses

  • Sinks
  • Floors
  • Moldings
  • Countertops
  • Wall panels
  • Fireplace mantels
  • Pool surrounds
  • Statues
  • Fountains


Limestone Maintenance

  • Very easy to maintain.
  • To keep the surface of limestone from scratching, don't polish the limestone, because it's harder to see scratches on non-reflective surfaces.
  • To keep from staining, seal or impregnate limestone. If water beads up on the limestone, that means the sealer is working, according to Ronald William, the owner of Impression.
  • Limestone doesn't chip easily. But if it does chip, it can easily be fixed.
  • The easiest limestones to care for are the creams and tans. The hardest to care for are the darker colors, such as blue and grey, according to Williams.


Limestone Density

  • The denser the limestone the more it must be polished to bring out the color.
  • Very dense pieces of limestone are used for carvings.
  • Medium density pieces of limestone are used for applications where the limestone takes a beating, such as sinks or countertops.
  • Always have a limestone expert select the right density of limestone for your application.


Selecting a Limestone Slab

  • Always select your limestone slab in person because limestone varies greatly, and the slab you get may look very different from your sample.
  • Take a spray bottle filled with water with you, and spray water on the slabs you like. The water will bring out the color of the slab and make the slab's veining and fossils easier to see.  
  • Don't select slabs with large cracks running down the middle.
  • Look for slabs that are straight and scratch free.




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