A
s environmental issues become more prevalent for not only the customer, but designers and landscaers as well, all industries have been tasked with showing that they are doing their bit.
quarrying standards, it is actually one of most sustainable products on the market.
When people think of green building products, natural stone doesn’t instantly come to mind. But, as it can remain in situ for many decades with very little maintenance, has a continuing life-cycle and, with the UK leading the rest of the world in environmental
be the product of choice when it comes to responsible building solutions: “When natural stone is quarried, apart from being cut,
Simon Stainer from South East based Horsham Stone &
pumps vast amounts of Co2 into the air.” There is also the thermal mass argument, another eco-friendly buzz phrase that has evolved over the last decade. Although stone does not work incredibly well as an insulator, the make up of the material enables it to store heat and release it slowly over a period of time. And, in certain cases, when used correctly, it will help to reduce the amount of energy needed to heat a home, as Simon explained: “When exposed to direct sunlight, stone will absorb the heat, so including a stone wall on the sunny side of a building is a good idea. The absorbed heat will be released as the weather cools down, acting like
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