Tumbled Stone Vs. Natural Stone

Natural Stone

• Natural stone describes minerals that have been quarried from the earth and broken into workable sizes for fireplace or floor tile construction. Granite, marble, slate, travertine, feldspar, quartz and limestone are among the most common natural stones used. Sometimes, natural stone can be polished to give it a glossier look, but generally it is left in a fairly natural state. Builders prize the surface of natural stone for its rough edges, textured surface and random imperfections. Other common stone building materials for fireplaces that are not natural stone include brick, tile and cultured stone, which is concrete dyed and shaped to look like natural stone. Common flooring options besides stone tiles are vinyl, ceramic tile and hardwood.

Tumbled Stone

• Tumbled stone describes the result of a process that smooths out rough places on natural stone used in fireplace construction and for stone flooring. It is an artificial aging process that takes raw natural stones and makes them look like they've been smoothed by nature over hundreds of years.The natural stone is placed in a mechanized barrel tumbler with other rocks. The barrel agitates the rocks inside, causing them to smash against each other, knocking bits and pieces off in the process. After the tumbling process, the natural stone has rounded corners and smoother surfaces overall. During this process, the stone is often brushed and polished to enhance the appearance. Stone flooring tiles and pavers undergo a similar process.

Effects

• Natural stone brings the rugged appeal of nature indoors when used for a fireplace. The rough texture and irregular shapes allow the fireplace to act as a functional work of natural art. Natural stone offers more variety in color and uniqueness than brick. Natural stone that has been tumbled still provides a rustic look to a fireplace, but with a more refined, softer feeling. If the raw look of natural stone is too harsh for you, tumbled stone can look more refined to suit your decor. Tumbled stone will not reflect the severe lines and rigid precision of brick; rather, it makes a patchwork of stones that gives the fireplace an aged look.

Cost

• The price difference between raw natural stone and tumbled stone is negligible. A natural stone fireplace, tumbled or otherwise, will cost more than a brick fireplace or manufactured stone fireplace of equal size. The natural stone costs more to accumulate compared to other materials that are made in a factory. Because of the irregular shapes, the builders must spend more time arranging the stones for a perfect fit.