Indian sandstone slabs: The grainy Building material for Neo-styled buildings and monuments

It is definitely hard to recreate the magic of imperial interior designs and building features. The old world has a notable number of palaces and monuments made from the Indian sand stone slabs. The Persian alleys and the Chinese Tao temples have used sandstone slabs in the past. Now, most government buildings and headquarters of International organizations are made from the Indian sandstone slabs.

The sand particles solidified into a hard rock delivers a very pleasing appearance. The Indian sandstone slabs are actually part of major projects that involve recreating the old world charm and new world sophistication. Let us dive into the world of Indian sandstone slabs and see what it is projected to offer to the enchanted clients all over the world.
What are the commercial varieties of the Indian sandstone slabs?
Sand particles itself contain numerous minerals and oxides. Silica, clay and volcanic ash are commonly found in the sand grains along with oxides and carbonates. Shells and fossilized remains of the prehistoric aquatic animals and plants also feature in the layers of the Indian sandstone slabs.
The common varieties of Indian sandstone rocks are:
–    Lithic sandstone
–    Quartz sandstone or Quartz arenite
–    Arkose

Lithic sandstone slabs are formed with gradual metamorphosis and deposition of sediments over them. The Indian sandstone slabs belonging to the category of lithic structures are also called as lith-arenite. They have ash coloured appearance with grey wacke. The sandstone slabs are usually mined from the same quarries as quartz. They harmoniously exist alongside each other owing to their metamorphosis under earth’s layer for a very long time.

Arkose sandstone slabs are called ‘Virgin’ stones for their unique appearance and purity factor. They are young sandstone samples found along the deeper layers of the bank. The stone bears an eroded look owing to the corrosive action of the water and sediments over the layer. The beautiful patterns have cropped up due to the very erosive action of the sediments across the layer.
Role of feldspar and Quartz
Quartz crystals and feldspar grains are present in the Indian sandstone slabs in a rather uniform concentration. The Quartz arenite sandstone variety has significantly higher volume of quartz than any other sandstone sample. The arkose variety of the Indian sandstone slabs has more feldspar than quartz. The feldspar percentage in the arkose sandstone samples come with potassium. The Indian sandstone slabs also contain some samples of mudstone, clay, ash, silt and shale. The size of the grain diameters is limited to 0.0630 mm. Only Breccia variety of sandstone has a grain size of more than 2 mm.

Common impurities that are present in the Indian sandstone slabs are:
–    Iron oxides
–    Chromates
–    Zircon
–    Epidote
–    Magnetite ore
–    Calcite
–    Thorium
–    Garnet

Some traces of radioactive elements may also be present in the sandstone slabs. For this reason, the stone blocks are passed through UV tracers and radio-wave detectors to calibrate the amount of radioactivity present in the sandstone slabs.

Turn your Home into a ‘Work of Art’ with Indian sandstone slabs

Do you want to recreate the historical ambience of the Persian thatched palaces or the Chinese lotus palaces? Do you wish to experience the magnum opus lifestyle of the Roman kings and Egyptian pharaohs without spending a bombshell? Believe it or not, the Indian sandstone slabs can actually fulfil these fantasies with long lasting effect. As the name suggests, Indian sandstone is the concentrated rock form of sand particles. Before crashing into the league of royal sandstones, a little background check goes a long way in creating what you have conceived in your mind.

Commercial Types of Indian sandstone

Composition and contour density of the pattern of the Indian sandstone are the major factors that decide the cementing compatibility with available building materials. The Indian sandstone slabs are classified into following categories based on their composition.

–    Quartz sandstone which is the commercial brand name for quartz arenite
–    Arkose
–    Lithic sandstone

Lithic sandstone is also called as Litharenite and sold as grey wacke owing to its surface texture.
Each of these sandstone types bear the signature of historical metamorphosis that every natural rock undergoes. For instance, quartz sand stone slabs are produced due to deposition of sediments under layers of soil for a long time.

Arkose sandstone is comparatively younger than the quartz variety weathered in the dispositional basin for a very short time. It is heavily eroded natural stone, much like the Indian limestone slabs found exposed on the ground surface of the stone quarries. Arkose Indian sand stone slabs have withstood the test of time despite heavy tectonic effect and erosive actions of the nature’s forces.

Lithic Indian sandstone slabs are also produced due to erosion, but in a much arid and dry conditions. Depending on the compositional properties, Indian sandstone contains varying quantities of minerals like feldspar and quartz.

Quartz arenite sandstone has more quartz grains than feldspar grains while the Arkose variety has more feldspar mixed with potassium. Lithic sandstone has only rocky grains derived from volcanic ash and pre-historic lava remains, and hence the name ‘lithic’. Lithic implies to the Indian sandstone’s origin from the word ‘Lithos’ meaning Earth.

Other significant types of sandstone are siltstone, shale and mudstone. They have grain size diameters below 0.0625 mm. Breccia conglomerate sandstone is a type of angular clast that has grain size more than 2mm diameter.

Common physical availabilities of the Indian sandstone rocks

Physical properties of the Indian sandstone slabs depend on the presence of minerals like feldspar, calcite, quartz, magnetite, epidote, zircon and iron oxides. Some traces of thorium, garnet and radioactive elements may also be present in the sample.
Sandstone is quarried from the rock mines and is often machined into:
–    Blocks
–    Bricks
–    Pebbles
–    Tile
–    Strips
–    Cobbles
–    Slabs
The common applications of sandstone are mostly encouraged in the art galleries and in landscaping or renovations. The sandstone flooring and garden sandstone layouts are popular segments of mega-housing complexes. Sandstone pavements feature in the restricted recreational spaces of metro cities in the Western countries like USA, UK, Germany and France.