ʻO 10 mau ʻano pōhaku kiʻekiʻe i hoʻohana ʻia ma ke kūkulu ʻana i ka pōhaku ʻāina

Mai nā pyramid a hiki i Parthenon, ke kūkulu nei nā kānaka me nā pōhaku no nā kaukani makahiki. Ma waena o nā pōhaku maoli i hoʻohana ʻia a kaulana loa i hoʻohana ʻia no ke kūkulu ʻana, ʻo ia ka basalt, limestone, travertine, a me ka slate. ʻO kēlā me kēia mea hale kiʻi, ʻaelike, a i ʻole masonry e haʻi iā ʻoe i kēlā pōhaku maoli ʻoi aku ka lōʻihi, e hāʻawi ana i kahi hoʻihoʻi maikaʻi loa i ka hoʻopukapuka.

ʻO nā pōhaku kūponoʻole

The technical characteristics of different stone such as porosity, compression strength, heat endurance thresholds, and frost resistance, will affect a stone’s application. Stones like basalt, granite, and sandstone fare well for massive construction projects like dams and bridges, whereas travertine, quartzite, and marble work better for interior construction and decoration.

In this blog, we’ll explore different stone types and uses to give you a broad overview of their unique qualities and applications.

Pehea ka ʻokoʻa o ka Pōhaku me ka Pōhaku?

While stone and rock are used interchangeably, they are different regarding internal structure and composition. Rocks form part of the earth’s crust and are found virtually everywhere, whereas stones are hard substances like limestone or sandstone extracted from rock, for example.

ʻO ka ʻokoʻa nui, ʻoi aku ka nui o ka pōhaku a wāwahi ʻia e kiʻi i nā mea mineral, ʻoiai hiki ke hoʻopaʻa ʻia ka pōhaku i mea e pono ai ke kūkulu ʻana. Inā ʻaʻole pōhaku, ʻaʻohe pōhaku.

Whether igneous, metamorphic, or sedimentary, rocks used for building materials contain different types of stone that can construct some of the most magnificent architectural feats. There are three main types of rock. Let’s examine them more closely.

Pōhaku Igneous

Named after the Latin word for fire, Igneous rocks form when hot, molten magma solidifies below the earth’s surface. This type of rock is divided into two groups, intrusive or extrusive, depending on where the molten rock solidifies. Intrusive igneous rock crystallizes below the earth’s surface, and extrusive rocks erupt onto the surface.

ʻO nā pōhaku igneous no ke kūkulu ʻana i kēia mau ʻano pōhaku:

• Granite
• Obsidian
• ʻO Gabbro
• Diabase

Pōhaku metamorphic

Metamorphic rock starts as one type of rock but due to pressure, heat, and time, gradually transforms into a new rock type. Although it forms deep within the earth’s crust, it's often exposed on our planet’s surface after geological uplift and the erosion of rock and soil above it. These crystalline rocks tend to have a foliated texture.

ʻO ka pōhaku metamorphic no ke kūkulu ʻana i kēia mau ʻano pōhaku:

• Slate 
• kinikini 
• ʻO Gneiss
• Quartzite 

pōhaku sedimentary

This rock is always formed in layers called “strata” and often contains fossils. Pieces of rock are loosened by weather, then transported to a basin or depression where the sediment is trapped, and lithification (compaction) takes place. The sediment is deposited in flat, horizontal layers, with the oldest layers on the bottom and younger layers on top. 

He aha nā pōhaku hale maʻamau?

Aia ma lalo iho nā ʻano pōhaku maʻamau he ʻumi i hoʻohana ʻia no nā kenekulia a hoʻomau ʻia i ʻāpana a hoʻohana ʻia i ko kākou ao hou i kēia mau lā.  

Granite

This coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock is composed chiefly of quartz, feldspar, and plagioclase. Granite gets its signature color speckles from crystallization — the longer the molten rock has to cool, the larger the grains of color. 

Available in white, pink, yellow, gray, and black, this building stone is lauded for its durability.  As the earth’s most durable and common igneous rock, granite He koho maikaʻi loa ia no nā countertops, monuments, pavements, alahaka, kolamu, a me nā papahele. 

Pōhaku one

Pōhaku one he pōhaku sedimentary maʻamau i hana ʻia mai ka nui o ke one o ka quartz a me ka feldspar. Paʻakikī a kūpaʻa i ka wā, hoʻohana pinepine ʻia kēia pōhaku hale no ka hoʻopili ʻana i nā facades a me nā paia o loko, a me nā noho kīhāpai, nā mea paving, nā papa pākaukau, a me nā kihi ʻauʻau. 

ʻO kēia pōhaku ka waihoʻoluʻu e like me ke one, akā ʻo nā kala maʻamau he ʻeleʻele, ʻeleʻele, hina, keʻokeʻo, ʻulaʻula a me ka melemele. Inā he kiʻekiʻe ka quartz maʻiʻo, hiki ke ʻoki ʻia ke one a hoʻohana ʻia i kumu silica no ka hana aniani. 

Limestone

Hoʻokumu ʻia me ka calcite a me ka magnesium, ʻeleʻele kēia pōhaku sedimentary maʻamau akā keʻokeʻo paha, melemele, a ʻeleʻele paha. Mai kahi hiʻohiʻona honua, ua hoʻokumu ʻia ka limestone i loko o ka wai kai hohonu a i ʻole ma muli o ka hoʻoheheʻe ʻana o ka wai i ka wā o ke kūkulu ʻana i ke ana. 

ʻO kahi hiʻohiʻona kūʻokoʻa o kēia pōhaku, ʻo ia ka mea nui, ka calcite, i hana nui ʻia e ka fossilization o nā mea ola e hana ana i ka pūpū a me ke kūkulu ʻana i ke koʻa. ʻO ka limestone i mea kūkulu hale hoʻohana ʻia i nā noi hoʻolālā no nā paia, nā mea hoʻonaninani, a me nā veneer. 

Basalt

Dark and heavy, this extrusive, igneous rock makes up most of the planet’s oceanic crust. Basalt is black, but after extensive weathering, may turn green or brown. Additionally, it contains some light-colored minerals like feldspar and quartz, but these are difficult to see with the naked eye. 

He waiwai i ka hao a me ka magnesium, hoʻohana ʻia ka basalt i ke kūkulu ʻana e hana i nā poloka hale, nā cobblestones, nā ʻili papahele, nā pōhaku alanui, nā ballast ala kaʻa, a me nā kiʻi. ʻO 90% o nā pōhaku lua pele he basalt. 

kinikini

Aloha nui ʻia, i nā makahiki a pau, no kona nani a me ka nani, ʻo ke kinikini he pōhaku metamorphic nani e hana ʻia ke hoʻokau ʻia ka limestone i ke kaomi kiʻekiʻe a i ʻole ka wela. Loaʻa maʻamau i nā minelala ʻē aʻe e like me ka quartz, graphite, pyrite, a me nā oxides hao e hāʻawi iā ia i nā ʻano ʻulaʻula mai ka ʻulaʻula a i ʻeleʻele, hina, ʻōmaʻomaʻo, ʻeleʻele, a i ʻole ka waihoʻoluʻu ʻokoʻa. 

Ma muli o kona ʻano ʻokoʻa a me kona hiʻohiʻona nani, ʻo ka marble ka pōhaku maikaʻi loa no ke kūkulu ʻana i nā monuments, nā mea hoʻonani o loko, nā papa-papa, nā kiʻi kiʻi, a me nā mea hou. ʻO ke kinikini keʻokeʻo hanohano i ʻeli ʻia ma Carrara, Italia. 

Slate

ʻO ka Slate he pōhaku lepo maikaʻi, foliated, homogenous sedimentary rock i loaʻa mai ka pōhaku shale i haku ʻia me ka pālolo a i ʻole lehu pele. Hoʻololi nā minela pālolo mua i loko o ka shale i nā micas ke ʻike ʻia i ka piʻi ʻana o ka wela a me ke kaomi. 

Gray in color, slate contains quartz, feldspar, calcite, pyrite, and hematite, among other minerals. It’s a desirable building stone that’s been utilized in construction since ancient Egyptian times. Today, it’s used as roofing, flagging, decorative aggregates, and flooring because of its attractiveness and durability. 

Pumice

Pumice is a porous igneous rock produced during volcanic eruptions. It forms so rapidly that its atoms don’t have time to crystallize, essentially rendering it a solidified foam. While it occurs in various colors like white, gray, blue, cream, green, and brown, it is almost always pale. 

ʻOiai ʻo ka ʻiliʻili maikaʻi, ʻoʻoleʻa ka ʻili o kēia pōhaku. Hoʻohana ʻia ka pumice pauka ma ke ʻano he hui i loko o ka ʻuala māmā no ka insulation, ma ke ʻano he pōhaku polishing, a ma nā ʻano mea like ʻole a me nā mea kūʻai aku, a me ka pōhaku polishing. 

Quartzite

Ke hoʻololi ʻia ka pōhaku one waiwai nui i ka quartz e ka wela, ke kaomi, a me ka hana kemika o ka metamorphism, lilo ia i quartzite. I ka wā o ke kaʻina hana, hoʻopaʻa pū ʻia nā ʻāpana one a me ka silica cement, e hopena i kahi pūnaewele weliweli o nā hua quartz interlocking. 

He keʻokeʻo a ʻulaʻula paha ka Quartzite, akā ʻo nā mea ʻē aʻe i lawe ʻia e ka wai lepo hiki ke hāʻawi i nā ʻōmaʻomaʻo, uliuli a i ʻole hao-ʻulaʻula. ʻO ia kekahi o nā pōhaku maikaʻi loa no ke kūkulu ʻana i nā countertops, nā papahele, nā ʻili hale, a me nā alapiʻi ma muli o kona ʻano like me ke kinikini a me ka lōʻihi like me ka granite.

Travertine

Travertine he ʻano pōhaku ʻeleʻele honua i hana ʻia e nā waihona mineral kokoke i nā pūnāwai maoli. He fibrous a concentric ka hiʻohiʻona o kēia pōhaku sedimentary a hele mai i nā aka keʻokeʻo, ʻeleʻele, ʻaila, a me ka ʻōpala. ʻO kona ʻano ʻokoʻa a me nā leo honua maikaʻi e kaulana ia no nā noi kūkulu hale. 

This versatile stone variety is commonly used for indoor and outdoor flooring, spa walls, ceilings, facades, and wall cladding. It’s an affordable option compared to other natural stones like marble, yet still maintains a luxurious appeal. 

ʻAlabaster

ʻO ka gypsum paʻakikī, ʻo ka ʻalabata ke keʻokeʻo maʻamau a me ka translucent me kahi hua ʻaʻahu maikaʻi.

Its small natural grain is visible when held up to the light. Because it’s a porous mineral, this stone can be dyed in a variety of colors. 

It has been used for centuries to make statues, carvings, and other decorative and ornamental work. While the splendor of alabaster is undeniable, it is a soft metamorphic rock that’s only really suitable for indoor applications.

Ka hopena

The many natural stone products on the market and their unique characteristics can make it challenging for contractors and homeowners to select the correct ones for their projects. If you’re new to the process, the first thing to consider is the location of the stone installation. For instance, the type of stones for floor applications will differ if it’s indoors or outdoors. 

Then you’ll need to evaluate the stone’s durability, the fabricator’s warranty, and its grade. There are three grades of natural stone: commercial, standard, and first choice. Standard grade is a good fit for interior applications, like countertops, whereas commercial-grade, may be better for apartment or hotel projects where only a portion of slab is required, and large imperfections can be avoided. 

There’s a lot to consider, right? As well-seasoned experts in the stone business, our team at Stone Center can help you with stone selection for residential and commercial stone projects, regardless of their scale. Why not start by taking a look at our extensive catalog of premium pōhaku kūkulu hale?