How Limestone is Used in Architecture
Limestone has been quarried from the earth and used for building purposes for centuries. It’s a natural resource packed with positive attributes: it has a high thermal capacity, it’s durable, environmentally-friendly, and allergy friendly (it produces no off gases) and to top it all – aesthetically limestone has an outstanding, rare beauty.
The limestone ‘look’
Limestone is a sedimentary rock which is predominantly formed on the seafloor and is made up of the dead remains of marine organisms. It sounds a bit gruesome, but these naturally occurring patterns are what give limestone it’s truly wonderful and unique appearance. Colours can vary dramatically, due to the amount of impurities in any one area.
As architectural stone suppliers, Stamford Stone is unusual as we don’t just supply stone, we own the two lincolnshire quarries too. On acquisition of Clipsham Bidwells quarry in 2018, we became the exclusive, global supplier of Clipsham limestone which is specified for architectural developments worldwide. This stone is often used for restoration projects, but is also just as popular for new developments too.
As architectural stone suppliers, we quarry and prepare our limestone in a variety of formats to suit different build requirements and always with the protection of the environment in mind.
Masonry stone
Masonry stone is used for all types of build; different types of masonry stone is used for a variety of purposes. Each piece of our masonry stone is cut to order, giving customers maximum versatility with sizing and moulding. Our team of master stonemasons will work with your drawings to provide bespoke stone to your brief.
Types of masonry stone include:
- Cill/head/jamb – used around a window or door
- Mullion – window dividers
- Quoins – corner stones
- Keystone – wedge-shaped stone at uppermost point of an arch
- Plinth course – line of masonry stone set just above ground level
- Corbel – stone bracket to support overhanging structure
- Kneeler – horizontal projecting stone with sloping top (supports coping stones)
- Stone wall capping
- Gable vent
- Pier cap – to protect top of a pillar
- Stone balustrade – line of masonry columns topped by a rail – often used on balconies or stairs.
- Name and date stone
Cutting edge design
The latest 3D Point Cloud software now allows intricate scans of existing buildings, no matter how detailed the stonework, which then allows the exact replication if required for any reconstruction or restoration work.
Stone preparation
Every piece of masonry stone is cut to order, giving maximum versatility with sizing and moulding. Take a look at our case studies to see how successfully our masonry stone has been used across the UK.
Block stone
Here at Stamford Stone, we’re proud to supply the best quality block stone to customers all over the UK. Our stone blocks are extracted from the quarry face by plugs and feathers after drilling – we never use blasting techniques. Our blocks, typically ranging from 2-10 tonnes each, leave the quarry in perfect condition after being selected by our experienced quarry team.
Walling stone/paving
The variety in walling stone is immense. Different finishes, and stone types determine whether your walls look traditional or ultra modern. You can choose from sawn, cropped or tumbled finishes for your buildings and boundary walling.
Preparing the stone
There’s a lot of preparation that goes into producing our walling stone. We saw our stone on the bed and then crop the face by guillotine. Next we crop the stone randomly for an authentic feel and tumble it to remove sharp edges. At this stage, our skilled stonemasons take over from the machines for the final stages and each piece is finished by hand.
Aggregates
In addition to regular stone, aggregates play a large part in stone architecture. At Stamford Stone, we produce high quality limestone aggregates which are used in major developments such as for schools, hospitals, roads and housing. We also supply direct aggregate for domestic projects such as tracks, driveways, arenas, pitches and to help with drainage.
Sustainably sourced
All our limestone is carefully quarried – we’re committed to policies that protect the environment and we are particularly focused on preserving the landscape and protecting the biodiversity so that in years to come, there will be no evidence of our quarry sites existing.
Get in touch
You can read more about our favourite building projects here. Alternatively, if you have any questions about our stone you can view our FAQs or contact us on 01780 740970.