Sandstone is a rock comprising mostly of minerals formed from sand. The stone gains its formation throughout centuries of deposits forming in lakes, rivers, or on the ocean floor. These elements group together with the minerals quartz or calcite and compresses. In time, the sandstone is formed by the pressure of these minerals coming together.
A patio, pool or garden path or entertainment area of sandstone pavers is a classic look, bringing a warm beauty to any outdoor area. Good quality stone does not come cheap, but with consistent upkeep and maintenance, even larger outdoor installations can retain their impressive looks for years. Here are some of the essential tips from our sandstone experts on how to keep your pavers clean and looking great.
Let’s start first with what sandstone is exactly. Composed mainly of rock grains or sand-sized minerals, sandstone is typically made up of quartz and clay. Much like sand, it can come in virtually any colour, however the most common are browns, Buff, Cream, grey, pink and white.
Sandstone blocks have been used in the construction of buildings for thousands of years due to easy to work with characteristics and all round durability. Moreover, it has remained popular in modern times thanks to its attractive stone finish and raw, natural aesthetic appeal. Another big factor is sandstone’s natural acoustic and thermal properties, plus its natural resistance to fire.
It is that time of year again. The annual 24 Hour Futsal Marathon is back on to raise much needed funds for the Children's hospital in Westmead. Gosford Quarries is proud to be major sponsor and excited to take part in a worthy community event.
This year he event will be held at Dural Sports and Leisure centre from 6pm Friday 2/9/16 - 6pm Saturday 3/9/16 . There will of course be the famous 24hr BBQ for all players and spectators. Come and join the fun and raise money for a great cause.
This year Radio personality and good friend of Gosford Quarries, Mr Ray Hadley will be presenting the cheque on Saturday night.
Please follow the links below for more information and ways to contribute to this wonderful cause.
https://give.everydayhero.com/au/kicking-goals-for-sick-kids-2016
https://www.facebook.com/kicking.goals.for.kids
ATTENTION ALL MELBOURNE CUSTOMERS!
Gosford Quarries Melbourne is offering a massive over 10% off Sale on all stock items in their Clayton yard : 9 Prestige Drive Clayton South, 3169 for the month of July.
Just mention this Ad and come in to grab a bargain!
*sale excludes non-standard items and custom cut orders*
If you want to start a landscaping project to improve your home, it is important to plan effectively. This will ensure that your final result matches your vision, without having to compromise due to a lack of preparation. Whether you want to create an area for summer barbecuing, turn your yard into a beautiful garden, or build a new deck, here are some questions you need to ask yourself to help bring your dream to reality.
1) What is the purpose of the area?
If you enjoy hosting parties, you will likely desire an outdoor space that is inviting and convenient for accommodating a large number of people. If you’re looking for something to enjoy alone or with family, perhaps you’d like to landscape a small area to create a relaxing atmosphere for reading or sharing meals. When considering a landscaping project for your residential space, make a decision on how you want to use the space.
2) What design should be prominent?
Everyone has a certain taste, even in landscaping. If you decide on a style or design early in the project, you’ll be able to make sure all the components of the process work in unison to create that design. This includes the plants you choose, the pavers and retaining walls, and all the details that will create the larger picture of your new outdoor space.
3) How much maintenance will be required?
A great outdoor space can add considerable value to a home and property by increasing the amount of usable space. However, if it is hard to properly maintain, it can end up being more hassle than it is worth. Your ability to maintain the space once it has been completed is a key element in the type of landscaping you choose. Whether this means bringing in a professional on a regular basis or doing it yourself, if you under-estimate the time and effort required to keep it looking great, you will find your design becomes a hindrance to your property.
4) What is your budget?
Of course, budget is usually the first concern when planning for home improvements. Your budget will determine the quality of the materials you choose and the size of the developments you make. An important aspect of the process is prioritising the elements you need to spend the most money on, versus the ones that you want to spend the most money on. Creating an accurate, realistic budget is a major factor in the success of your landscaping project.
Landscaping the yard is a fun way to change up your home for the new season. By making decisions on how you plan to use the area, deciding on a specific design, accounting for the required maintenance, and establishing a budget, you will save yourself time, money and the headache of an incomplete project.
Shopping locally is essential for the prosperity of your community and the world as a whole. It increases revenue, creates more jobs for citizens and fuels the growth of the local economy. By focusing your money on maintaining local revenue circulation, you can help support the economic and environmental prosperity of your local area, as well as act sustainably in the interests of the whole world.
Build and support your community
Shopping locally is more than simply supporting the shop you buy the product or service from. There is a wide array of businesses that are engaged by the local business you buy from, with they themselves using the services of the community around them to create the end result that you have purchased. For example, they may hire designers and tradespeople to build their premises and the fixtures, use the services of local accountants, insurance brokers, marketing companies and IT specialists, as well as source materials from farmers and manufacturers, to create an ecosystem that supports and perpetuates the local business community. When a large retailer moves in, they often have established suppliers from outside the area from which to source their materials. Their nation- or worldwide presence enables them to price aggressively to freeze out smaller operators and remove competition, to the detriment of the community.
Sustainable solutions
The transportation systems employed in local businesses differ drastically from those found in large, international companies. Local businesses require less travel to and from the area of production to the place of sale, which results in a smaller carbon footprint and greatly reduced energy usage. Using local produce and services reduces the need to import goods over great distances, with limits fuel consumption and reduces the business’s carbon footprint.
Build a community with character
Local character is driven by the businesses and the support they receive from the community. No one ever says that the local Starbucks is their favourite café, instead it is the locally owned and operated one, where they remember your name and spell it right on the cup. Their food tastes fresh and is made on-site using ingredients from the other local businesses. This is an idealised view of the process, however it is the businesses that engage with the locals that create a community, whether it’s a small town by the coast, or a large suburb like Carlton in Melbourne.
Give the people what they want
At the heart of it, people want to live in communities that are safe and prosperous. Shopping locally ensures that businesses can make a living, stay open, and support each other. The knock effects go far beyond simply allowing a business to make money, instead they create an entire structure of support, both for the other businesses around them, and the people that they attract.
At Gosford Quarries, we are committed to business practices that are environmentally sustainable as we offer high-quality sandstone. Resistant to weathering and highly durable, sandstone is ideal for use in the construction of buildings and outdoor projects. From the beginning to the end of our manufacturing process, we promote sustainable business practices through conscientious sourcing, reducing waste, employing the local community, and providing a quality product. Because thoughtful ethics are a cornerstone of good dealings, we put our values first in everything we do.
The earth creates sandstone on an on-going basis. A natural stone, sandstone comes from a readily-available source and its production uses much less energy than does the production of brick and concrete. Because sandstone is so easily reusable, we are proud to say that nearly one hundred percent of excess sandstone is recycled into another project.
Sandstone is already a highly reusable material. It can be used again and again to build new projects or as part of the foundation for restoring an old project. Very little water is used to manufacture sandstone and we are careful in our manufacturing process to be conscientious of areas in which we can conserve even more of the earth’s natural resources, wasting as little as possible and recycling every material we can.
Providing jobs for local Australians is one of our deep core values. People are the future. We believe Gosford Quarries was built upon a commitment to the people, so we strive to continue that legacy by building our future around quality people and a quality product.
Quality should never come before environmental sustainability. In fact, we believe a quality product is, by definition, one that promotes sustainable living in every possible way. Sandstone is one of the most beautiful and useful natural materials on the planet, arming architectural spaces with both elegance and durability. We are serious about maintaining a stellar production process that sustains the natural beauty of the stone while perpetuating the material’s most winsome qualities.
The earth is the source upon which we depend for our sandstone product, which is one of the many reasons we believe in nurturing it. We honour the source of our materials by striving to waste little, to provide work for the community, and by defining quality as a product produced sustainably.
From restorations and sculptures to commercial venues and residential beautification, sandstone is one of the most well-loved materials to complete an architectural design. This natural material is versatile enough to make the most humble of walkways more elegant and the most gorgeous of buildings more winsome. Thanks to its quality, sandstone is also long-lasting and scores high on the eco-friendly scale. Here are some reasons sandstone should be your first choice.
Versatility is important. Because so many styles are available, it’s easy to jump on one design without really considering the other options. Sandstone can be used to create many of the looks accomplished with other materials, but sandstone provides greater quality and longer-lasting results. The material offers color variation to oblige even the most deliberating of tastes.
Well-suited to be used in many different projects and architectural designs, sandstone can be used to create stunning facades, arched interiors, patios, walls, barriers, and much more. Whether you’re looking to complete a space with a carved sandstone sculpture, enhance a walkway with sandstone paving, or finish a wall with cladding or solid sandstone block, Australian sandstone will add the perfect polish to your design.
Though it’s common to go for more common materials, you’ll get more value and long-term satisfaction from sandstone. Because it’s so long-lasting, the material is likely to be enjoyed for many years and will hold up nicely against much use. The trustworthy material is known for its durability and non-slip quality as well as its ability to lend a more sophisticated ambience to patios and pool decks. Whether small or large, almost any architectural project can benefit from being made with natural sandstone.
Australian sandstone is a very earth-friendly product. Locally sourced, the material is readily available and is manufactured without the use of any chemicals. Because its processing results in no chemical waste, a large amount of water is also saved. Not only is the material local, chemical-free, and conserving of water, sandstone is also extremely easy to reuse in new or existing building projects.
Since sandstone is one of the most versatile building materials on the market, it might come as a surprise that it holds so many other desirable qualities. Should you choose natural sandstone for any commercial, residential, or landscaping endeavors, you will find satisfaction in knowing you’ve invested in one of the highest-quality and most environmentally sustainable options to upgrade your space.
Gosford Quarries are proud to be involved in the 2016 RobArch Expo at Pier 2/3 Hickson Rd, Walsh Bay, 18th March 2016.
As leaders in sandstone fabrication technologies, Gosford Quarries and Sydney University are collaborating on exciting new research in the development of the application of Australian sandstone as a prominent architectural material.
With the latest range of state-of-the-art technology, we are proud to be at the forefront of design and innovation and are focused on developing solutions and flexibility to designers, builders and Architects to achieve the most complex of concepts and designs.
It's Back! Gosford Quarries will have an impressive display at this years' HIA Home Show in Melbourne. With a vast array of paving, cladding, walling and building applications Sandstone is a natural choice for most home owners and renovators.. Come past our Australian Sandstone display and check out how we can help make you house a home with the warmth of our natural 100% Australian sandstone.
osford Quarries is a proud partner of Western Sydney Academy of Sport fundraiser which supports athletes in the region pushing their Olympic dreams. The event was held at Castle Hill RSL and was attended by many Australian Olympic Champions like swimmer Matt Dunn
