What is Natural Stone Slabs and what are its uses?

slab stone

A Natural Stone Slabs is a big stone, flat and of little thickness, that are generally used for paving floors, for covering walls or as headstones. Most dolmen constructions they were build using stone slabs of big dimensions. The main applications of the slabs as material of construction are for pavings and in the construction of roofs. But they can be employed for other uses, among them:

  • Balconies formed from a slab.
  • Dry stone constructions of : walls, caves, rooms.
  • The base of some fireplaces are build with stone slabs (a big one or some smaller together).
  • In religious altars.

Stone blocks and Natural Stone Slabs are pieces of natural rock formations that are used in sculptures and as building materials. Categories include marble, granite, sandstone, slate, limestone, quartzite, and bidasar. Travertine and onyx are also available. Some stone blocks and slabs are brushed, polished and honed. Others have a rough, textured surface and are slip resistant.

Slab stone size

After extracting the stone from the mine, it can be cut into different dimensions. One of the types of natural stone cutting is in the form of slabs, which have large dimensions. Slab stones are usually produced in the dimensions of 120 x 220 cm and its thickness is usually two centimeters or more. Generally, if a stone is more than 70 cm wide, it is called a slab stone. Of course, depending on the use of slab stone, its dimensions also change.

Application of slab stones

Typically, stone blocks and slabs are used in the design and construction of countertops, flooring, fireplaces, bathrooms, walkways, and kitchens. Additional building and construction applications include roofing and wall-cladding. Resistance to fire, water, and temperature changes are additional specifications to consider. Marble and granite are popular types of stone blocks and slabs. A metamorphic rock, marble is irregularly-colored with impurities.

Familiarity with different types of slab stones

Marble: Typically, marble is used for interior and exterior flooring applications.

Granite: Granite, another common building material, is used as both as structural and ornamental stone. An igneous rock, granite offers high compressive strength and durability. Granite blocks are used in monuments such as statues and headstones. Granite slabs are used in fabricating granite counter tops and granite flooring.

Limestone: Limestone is a sedimentary rock with high resistance to freezing and thawing conditions. Limestone tiles and limestone slabs are often beige or tan in color, and are used as flooring materials.

Travertine: Travertine is a sedimentary rock used for paving patio and garden paths.

Marble Slab

Travertine Slab

Limestone Slab

Granite Slab