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The
History of Natural Stone Flooring |
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| One
of the first noticeable uses of marble came during the Roman Empire.
The Ancient Rome was built of solid marble and the Roman Coliseum
was built of solid travertine. Marble was also used by Michelangelo
to construct “David” and the Taj Majah was also constructed
of this stone. Stone has been the medium of choice for the glorification
of man’s gods throughout the ages as well.
Marble was initially only available to the very rich. Because of the knowledge of Europe – primarily Italy – trickling down to other countries rich in raw stone, the last decade has made stone more accessible for home use as well. The demand for natural architectural stone has increased so radically within the last two decades that quarrying -- previously dominated by the Italians, Greeks, and Spaniards -- has become a major industry for many countries (the United States, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, Guatemala, South Africa, Zimbabwe, China, India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Australia, and more). Previously some of these countries had sent raw blocks to Italy for fabrication into marketable precut units; most now have installed machinery to handle their own lines. Today
most architectural stone is quarried from mountainsides or hillsides,
open pit mines, or from caverns within mountains. The method of
extraction is generally the same for each condition, with the objectives
being: (1) to ascertain the best material in terms of purity and
fracture, (2) to remove it in blocks large enough so slabs are of
functional size for commercial use, or (3) to remove it so slabs
are adequate for cut-to-size tile lines |
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