Issue #50: The Stone Circle - Palladio

May 01, 2006

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In This Stone Circle Issue: What's New at Natural Stone Interiors? Idea this month: Palladio Hints and Tips From the Fabricator: Save Money This Spring! Recap of the months "Question of the Week"

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What's new this month at Natural Stone Interiors?

Well, we've been really busy getting our new site up. We're still adding to it but you can take a look here: www.MyGraniteCare.com. It's focused on stone care information and products.

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Idea this Month

This stone is a conglomerate from Brazil called Palladio. Depending on the processor, it's also sold as Paladium, Paladio, or Verde Paladio to name a few.

The groundmass, or the background is a deep blood red. There are many multi-colored pebbles throughout of varying sizes. In fact, approximately 56% of the stone is made up of various rocks. It's a very colorful stone!

Parts of Palladio are extremely hard while other parts are soft. This is due to the various cobbles within (gneiss, migmatite, quartzite). This varying hardness makes polishing the edges tricky.

It's possible for Palladio to fracture during fabrication due to weakness' of where the rocks meet the groundmass. Once installed, it's fine.

Palladio is used as a building stone and also as an ornamental stone.

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Hints and Tips: From the Fabricator

Save a little money this spring on your outside decor by using Granite for your stepping stones, garden paths, and walkways.

How?

You can usually get "sink cut outs" from your local fabricator for free. The majority are "egg shaped". BUT, there are circles from bar sinks, and various rectangles and squares from kitchen sinks.

Not all fabricators have useable sink cut outs. This depends on how they cut their sink hole. Make sure to call and ask before stopping by.

Remember, polished stone is slippery so you might want to flip your stones over so the rough side is up. It's a duller look but much safer and your stones look beautiful when it rains. Put a color enhancer on the rough side of your stones to give them a permanent wet look.

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RECAP of this months "Question of the Week"

3/06/06
Why should I use granite for my countertops?
Granite is an elegant yet tough natural stone - it's easy to care for. There are hundreds of colors and patterns to choose from. Your choice of color, surface finish, and design elements make your kitchen totally unique. Read more on granite and granite counter tops here.

3/13/06
I'm confused about where my stone comes from. Why is the same stone listed as coming from TWO different countries?

• Your stone is listed by where it was quarried.
• Your stone is listed by where it was processed.
• It's a different stone with a similar OR EVEN THE SAME name.

This can be confusing and sometimes even misleading for the consumer. Check more than one source. Go to our Most Popular Marble and Granite section. This useful resource lists the location of where each natural stone was quarried from.

3/19/06
I currently have an overmount sink installed. Is it possible to replace it with an undermount sink?
Sometimes. It is difficult to do.

• Many times the cut out or hole for an overmount style sink is larger than the cut out for an undermount style sink.
• The sink opening will probably need to be polished. The polishing process is wet and messy. A lot of water is used so you risk damaging your cabinets.
• It is hard to polish the rough edge of your sink opening while the countertop is in place.

3/26/06
Can I have arches and curves in my granite countertops?
Yes. Natural stone can be shaped to your specifications. The variations and possibilities are only limited by your imagination.

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