What Makes The Best Surrounding Stones For A Fireplace?

When thinking of a fireplace, there is only one image that fills the mind: a chilling winter night, a family room, a comfortable floor couch with some blankets and throws, loved ones around, mulled wine and a hearth roaring with fire making the ambience cozy and perfect for the holiday season.

That’s the kind of magic a fireplace can add to the house. And if this corner of warmth is designed and decorated with natural stones like travertine tiles in Melbourne, the aesthetics of the house can be enhanced to great heights.

Some options of natural stones to choose from are given below. Decide which one will suit your fireplace the best.

1. Granite: Granite is one of the most preferred hearthstones. One good reason behind this choice is its durability, strength and high resistance to heat making it suitable for a high-intensity wood fire. Another reason why it is so popular is its cost. It’s neither too expensive nor too cheap. It comes in a wide spectrum of colours and patterns with which you can turn your fireplace into a piece of artistic marvel.

2. Slate: It is a sedimentary stone, that is durable and last for a very long time. It comes in shades of red, grey, dark green and black. This stone is not very durable. It is soft and hence quite easily gets cracked under high temperatures. Therefore, it can be used to line a gas or electric fireplace only and not wood-fueled fire. SLate is less expensive than other options like granite or soapstone.

3. Travertine / Limestone: Travertine tiles in Melbourne is quite a distinct natural stone made of limestone. It gives the fireplace decor, a rustic and rugged look. It is the most inexpensive option available among hearthstones. It mostly comes in light shades of cream, tan, white and grey. 

But due to some drawbacks, it is less popular. Because of being soft, it can only be used with gas and electric fires. Also, it doesn’t heat evenly making the area close to the fire too hot to touch and may scratch and chip. Otherwise, under normal wear and tear, it won’t scratch, crack or dent.

4. Marble: If you like your fireplace to exhibit more grandeur, and are ready to spend a hefty amount on it, then marble is the best hearthstone. It has good resistance to heat and hence can be used for gas, electric or wood fire. But because it is made up of limestone, it is softer than granite and has one drawback. It gets easily chipped. So, it needs a fairly good amount of upkeep. 

It is available in plenty of colours and based on the desired look you want to achieve, you can keep it polished or unpolished.

5. Soapstone: Made of metamorphic rocks that have undergone high heat and pressure, soapstone is a dense kind of stone that gives a soapy feel. It makes one of the good hearthstone materials due to its high heat resistant property. Available in greyish to green shades, it is more costly than limestone and slate. 

Now you are equipped with a good knowledge of types of natural stone to go for surrounding your fireplace. Be it travertine tiles or any other natural stone, accentuate the feel of this holiday season using one of these stones for your fireplace.