Historical Beginnings of Stone
A home that makes good use of rock, stone, slabs, and/or decorative tile is impressive. These materials change an ordinary home into a luxury home. There are many wonderful choices that match any desired décor.
Stone
Stone is one of the oldest building materials used by humankind. Prehistoric dwellings made from stone offered protection from the elements and from predators. During the Medieval times of the 9th and 10th centuries in Europe, stonemasons created magnificent cathedrals out of stone with ornate interior designs. Stone was the building material used to make ancient Mayan pyramids and the temple cities in Peru, such as Machu Picchu (built around 1450 A.D.).
Stone construction has been popular in America since the colonial era. Stone was the popular material used from the 1700s onward to make homes, churches, courthouses, banks, and other durable building structures.
Quarried rock can be large pieces or broken into smaller, more manageable pieces. A favored rock used as a building material is granite, because of its toughness and durability. By quarrying huge granite blocks, the Egyptians were able to create the Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt around 2,580 B.C. Quarried marble was the beautiful material used to make some of the most famous ancient buildings, like the Acropolis in Greece.
In contemporary times, stone substitutes for brick to make walls, fireplace hearths, and more, using mortar between the stones. Sometimes cement or other material, such as epoxy polymer, holds stones in place to create a special design.
Granite and Marble
In historical times, the creation of slabs of rock started with holes in the rock made by chisels and then wooden wedges driven into the holes caused a fissure (break) in the rock to make a slab. Since the time of Ancient Rome, the wealthy desired slabs made of marble from the famous Carrara quarries in Italy to use for tabletops and seat benches. Carrara marble was the material used for some outstanding interior designs and sculptures, such as Michelangelo’s statute of David. It is very high quality and still imported from Italy for use in America today.
In modern times, precision equipment cuts quarried marble to make perfectly sized shapes with the proper thickness to use for granite and marble installation in Denver by the experts at Creations in Tile and Marble.
Decorative Tile
Decorative tile creates attractive walls and floors. Some of the oldest tiles discovered, date back to Ancient Egypt at a time of around 4000 B.C. Tile became popular during Ancient Greece and Rome. Mosaic tile decorated the palaces and temples of the Persians Sultans. The Chinese invented beautiful tile glazing processes. These tiles became popular all over Europe, once world trade with Asia opened up via the Silk Road around 114 B.C. This continued through Victorian times until the late 1800s.
In America during the colonial times, starting in the 1700s, the wealthy liked to import decorative tile from Europe and use it to make ornate fireplaces. In contemporary times, when considering a tile installation in Denver, one can rely on the advice from the specialists at Creations in Tile and Marble.
These beautiful elements have stood the test of time and continue to grace the interiors of some of the most elegant homes and buildings around the world.
Contact us today or call (303) 733-2449 for your free estimate.