Market analysis for natural stone
The total market of material represents about 46% of the value of building production. Natural stone represents about 10% of the material used.
The market of building materials is an important one within the residential sector. According to today's figures it is still a market that pays attention to new construction, which after all represents 60% of business. At the same time the market needs to pay equal attention to the increase in renovation and reconstruction. The market of the future will increasingly be one of many diverse and at the same time complementary markets. It is a market that will appear more and more fragmented with demand made up of many small demands, not only as a result of different needs, but, as we have seen, of different choices and aspirations.
In the town house recently built or renovated, the owner has a free hand and is not bound to respect previous structures or decoration. It is clear that the minimalist or essential approach favours strong personalisation and here the distinction of natural stone comes to the fore.
Post-modern expression favours the authenticity offered by natural materials. There is a new attitude of living the house as an emotional investment, where all aspects of everyday life are "house-oriented". The floor is not a simple accessory linking the various areas but an element that helps one to relax. Floors can be made of many different materials from natural ones, such as marble, travertine, granite.
Normally our choice is guided 70% by emotion and 30% by aesthetics but there are other elements to consider when choosing, such as degree of use, calculation of costs and the need of thermal and acoustic insulation.
Our choice will fall on marble, granite or mosaic for elegant, long-lasting, well-insulated solutions. In bathroom, kitchen, hall where humidity may form, natural stone obviously offers the best guarantee because it is easy to clean and can be combined attractively with an infinity of accessories which can also be made in the same material as the flooring and covering.
Stone is certainly the material that has seen the widest extremes of enthusiasm and indifference in its use as a material for construction, covering or decoration.
Natural stone is not only the most classical of construction materials, but is now also available in standard measures, perfectly calibrated, reasonably priced and as easily laid as ceramics.
For some years now marble and granite have been undergoing this evolution as a result of the growing number of imitations on the market, which are now bringing greater interest back to the original product.
A wider range of use is possible by new technologies so forms and surfaces can be worked to make them shiny, opaque, rough, bush hammered or, in the case of granite, flamed with stunning chromatic effect. Flaming softens the colour, polishing highlights it. Bush hammering makes it resemble stone in its natural state, flaming makes it softer and velvety; working with a chisel gives it highlights.
For floors different techniques can be used. The classic method is to lay the 2, 3 or 4 centimetre thick slabs on a mortar bed and then hone and polish them to give the floor its classic sheen and make it easy to maintain. Because of the weight it is preferable to use this method only in new buildings or in those with reinforced floors to hold the weight of the polishing machine used in the laying, which is heavy and abrasive.
Modular or custom-made elements may be used in renovations where the other things, for the flooring and covering of lifts and ships and provides an anti-vibration and anti-noise protection. Finally there are many special applications, such as raised floors permitting access to communication networks, floors for the blind in public or private places, where the different grades of roughness provide a guide, as well as all non-slip uses for safety purposes.
There are a few rules to remember: it is advisable to test the material for a possible reaction with the mastic used for laying; slate requires an initial careful washed and treatment with crude linseed oil or wax, before being polished with metallic wax. Other stone materials only need washing with non abrasive detergent and then drying with a soft cloth.
Waxing of marble is rarely needed. With granite it is never necessary. It must be remembered however that like all natural products marble and granite may vary in ways that only the marble worker can recognise. Good advice almost always means a saving in terms of euros and inconvenience, such as, for example, the often ignored problem of movement caused by sensitivity to water during laying. This is an ever more frequent problem with the appearance on the market of natural stone or composite stone with cement or resin in larger sizes, 60x60 cm, 60x90 cm and also 90x120 cm with smaller and smaller thickness. These problems have been investigated and 35% of the materials tested showed problems of stability during laying due to a noticeable sensitivity to water, with deformations of 0ver 0.6 mm, which must be corrected using specific glues.