It may seem an odd proclamation for such an old and ‘traditional’ building resource, but here at Gosford Quarries we are reinventing sandstone. It is not only great for architectural restorations, but with so many design and finish options these days and its kindness to the planet, sandstone really is the avant-garde building material.
The eco-friendly choice
You may not realise it, but natural sandstone is actually a very eco-friendly building material. This is for several reasons:
· It has a relatively low carbon footprint as it uses a very small percentage of the energy needed to create man made stone like concrete or brick.
· No chemicals are used in the production or processing of sandstone, so it creates pretty much no chemical waste.
· All water used in producing the stone can be recycled and reused.
· Gosford Quarries are located so close to our main target market (Sydney CBD) that we don’t require excessively large amounts of fuel for transportation of our product.
· Natural Stone is very easily recycled, with sandstone reclaimed from old building sites and quarries. Gosford Quarries’ use of powerful machinery and better extraction techniques aids the commercial sustainability of salvage-quarrying in Australia.
A designer’s best friend
With Gosford Quarries’ commitment to improvement and innovation in stonemasonry technology, sandstone is now capable of accommodating a wide range of intricate and detailed designs. Gosford quarries offers:
· The largest variety of sandstone colours in Australia sourced from a combination of famous quarries in NSW and QLD. Colours include brown, pink, whites, creams and gold.
· Finishes in a variety of textures and styles, such as bull-nosed, rock faced, diamond cut, hydra split, sparrow pecked, gang sawn or boasted/chiselled.
· Processing for a variety of different uses such as for paving, cladding, solid block walling, carving and profiling, and in split and raw material form.
· Utilised for different purposes, including retaining walls, pools, garden edging, flooring, walling and facades.
· The latest and most sophisticated processing machinery and technology in Australia.
From this brief exploration of new developments in sandstone design and preparation as well as the material’s innate environmentally friendly properties, it is clear that sandstone is fast emerging as the building material of the future. Add to these the timeless benefits of sandstone, including its durability, strength and slip resistance, as well as its continuing increase in value over time, sandstone proves itself as a versatile and useful stone.
To see our full range of sandstone options, drop into a Gosford Quarries showroom/sales yard near you!