Coloured stones and materials in the building construction industry of Kenya have a unique place. In the local market of Kenya, the cost of building stones is calculated per lorry. Stone can be used as a building material and can also be used to make decorations. Most historic monuments are built with natural stone because they will remain stable over time. Before the advent of concrete, stone was widely used in heavy construction such as bridge construction. The use of stone starts with large blocks, and as technology develops, their weight and size are gradually reduced, and more emphasis is placed on the color, polish, texture, and strength of the stone. 
In today's era, with advancements in science and technology, stone extraction has become easier and its use in the construction industry has increased significantly. Stone has unique properties unmatched by other building materials, perhaps its most important properties can be seen in very high durability and resistance, ideal polishability, high wear resistance, impact resistance, cutting, washability, color stability, heat and moisture resistance, suitable tensile and bending resistance, impermeability, weather resistance, hardness and high compressive strength, stability against acidic and basic substances and many other things. In general, the direction of application and use of stone is also to cover the interior walls of buildings, facades, road infrastructure, street floors, pavements, and various decorations. Now, with this introduction, we invite you to read this article to learn more about the types of building stones and their wide range of uses. This article is a comprehensive guide to building stone types and their uses in Kenya. 
Cost of a lorry of building stones in Kenya
In the local market of Kenya, a lorry is used as a measurement to calculate the cost and price of building stones. If you are planning to buy building stone and have visited the local stone market, you must have noticed that the price of stone varies greatly. You have this question, why does the price of stone vary so much? Or what factors make the stone more expensive than other stones? Before purchasing building stones, be sure to check the items below to get a more accurate cost estimate. Type of stone: The first criterion that affects the price of building stone is the type of stone. There are different types of natural stone. Such as Marble, Travertine, Granite, limestone, etc. Each of these stones has its own characteristics and is suitable for one use. For example, travertine stone is the best facade stone, granite is better for parking, which is fantastically beautiful. Each of these characteristics, along with its resistance, has a direct impact on price. Color and size of building blocks: Architectural stone is unmatched in the many different designs and colors. 
Each natural stone family has its own design. However, among stones with light backgrounds, stones that are more uniform in color and texture are more expensive. But stones with a dark background are more expensive than those with a light background. Of course, some of these stones are classified as luxury stones due to their beauty, so the price will be higher. But stones of special colors like yellow, blue, red, pink, green, etc. are more expensive than others because of their rarity. In terms of stone size, the stone is usually cut to tile or slab size. But slab size stones are more expensive. Because the stone's thickness, cutting method, transportation, installation, etc. are more difficult than the tile stone. 
Coloured building stones in Kenya
Many people in Kenya think about purchasing coloured stones in the design of the building. The different elements and minerals in these stones give them different colors and appearances. This amount of color can be a positive point for designers so that they can use these stones in different parts. We can almost say that we all know different building stones. These stones include travertine, granite, marble, marble, porcelain, etc. Each of these stones is formed based on soil type, geographical location, mine, and other factors. These mentioned factors can determine the properties of each stone. Travertine is one of the most important sedimentary rocks, which is the result of hot springs. The variation of travertine colors is due to the difference in the salinity of the spring water. This can change the color of the travertine stone. In fact, the lower the water salinity is, the lighter the color of the stone will be. Therefore, the salt in the spring water can be considered as one of the reasons for the formation of travertine coloured building stones. Colored building blocks have a number of uses in construction. The use of these stones will vary depending on their type and quality. The travertine stones can be used for the exterior of both classical and modern buildings. What everyone should be aware of, of course, is that stone peeling is one of the common problems in the masonry of building facades, and this kind of peeling is more evident on colored stones. As you know, color can play an important role in the architecture and interior design of any building. For this reason, a variety of colors in building blocks gives builders and designers the freedom to create a unique building. We offer a wide range of coloured building stones and you can get advice from our team to buy the best coloured stone for your building or project. 
Building stones sizes in Kenya
The stones which are used in the building construction can be cut in different sizes and dimensions depending on the uses of the stones. There are different types of stone materials with different properties. According to these properties, they are used in different parts of the building. Depending on the location of the stone materials, they are processed into different sizes. Below we refer to common sizes of some types of building stones. One of the most used stones for building floors is marble. Marble stone for building floors is usually processed into square and tile sizes. Conventional sizes of building floors can be 40x40 cm, 50x50 cm, 60x60 cm, 80x80 cm, and smaller sizes such as 30x40 cm and 35x40 cm, it is clear that the sizes less than 40 x 40 cm can have a better price than the standard size. One thing to note is that the larger the stone size is, the higher the price will be. The price of the floor stones highly depends on the availability of marble and travertine in small sizes. You can use various marbles, granites, and porcelains for the reception floor. The common size of reception floor tiles corresponds to floor tiles. We can refer to 40x40 and 50x50 tiles or stones. The stone used for the facade of the building is divided into two parts: the inner facade and the outer facade. The facade of the building usually uses travertine stone, and the interior of the building uses marble and porcelain. The facade stones are usually 40 cm long. Length 40 refers to a stone with a width of 40 cm and a variable length. There are also sizes below 40 cm lengths and they come in a wide range of colors. The stepping stone usually uses marble and porcelain stone, the thickness of stepping stone processing is 3 cm, and the thickness of stone processing for the facade is between 1.6-2 cm. The dimensions of the stepping stones are 35 cm wide and 90 cm long, and sizes of 1 m and larger are suitable for building stairs. 
Best building stones in Kenya
One thing for sure is that there is no type of stone to be called the best one. The building stones are chosen based on their properties and applications in every market including in Kenya. Stones that can be used as building materials are various types of basalt, marble, limestone (calcium carbonate), sandstone, quartzite, travertine, slate, gneiss, and granite. They must be tough, durable, and free from soft substances and resistant to weather changes, cracks, and other imperfections that reduce strength and durability. The stone used for construction purposes is obtained from large quarries. Each type of stone is suitable for different architectural uses based on its properties. For example, certain types such as basalt and granite have excellent properties, such as compressive strength and high durability, and are therefore used in large-scale construction projects. However, some stone properties, including low compressive strength and the presence of some substances in its composition, make it suitable for small construction projects, such as gneiss. Therefore, the stone is used both as a building material and as decoration. Building with stone is an environmentally friendly and green method that requires careful thought and planning. The rewards of building with natural stone are much higher than the incurred costs, although the price of this natural resource varies widely. Traditional buildings require a lot of energy and water, which causes a lot of pollution and energy waste. Building and implementing green technologies in stone is beneficial for people and the environment during the construction phase and throughout the life of the house. Rocks come from where they occur naturally as part of the Earth's crust. Each stone has a different chemical composition and exhibits different properties. Some of these stones are widely used in the construction industry. 
Buy building stones in Kenya
Whether you want to buy some building stones or you want to know the market in Kenya, there are some factors to consider for choosing the right materials and building stones to start your project. The selection of building stones is based on aesthetics, colour, price, durability, and functionality. Often it is the chosen design and taste that determine the stone's color, texture, quality, lifespan, and other appearance characteristics. In terms of color, building stone comes in a wide range of colors, from dark to very light. In general, light colors are preferred over dark colors. When you have to choose the right stone color, you must always be aware that limestone, especially darker colors, is not suitable for application on the outside of buildings, due to their low durability, as these types of stone deteriorate and quickly stain in sunlight. Impurities and unstable minerals in the stone can also quickly change color due to environmental factors. Therefore, the fewer impurities in the stone, the less it will be discolored by environmental factors. The texture of the stone also changes because of the grain size. In general, coarse-grained rocks have higher erosion and damage rates than fine-grained stones because they are more sensitive to temperature. As you know, pores are the holes in the rock surface that are gradually cracked and corroded due to the penetration of water into these holes and the sudden expansion and contraction due to the freezing of water in these holes. Therefore, limestone with high porosity is not suitable for applications exposed to moisture, such as bathrooms and toilets. Durability is the most important factor in choosing the right building stone. The lifespan and durability of a stone depend on many factors. A suitable stone is one that has sufficient durability against chemicals, impact, abrasion, environmental and atmospheric factors, etc. , depending on the application and the location where the stone is installed in the building. 
Size of building stones in Kenya
As we already mentioned, generally in Kenya or any other country, the size and dimensions of building stones depend on the uses of the stones. In the above context, we gave some information regarding specific applications of the stone and their standard sizes. But the size of building stones used in foundations is different. The stone used in the foundation must be a standard 9" rough stone, commonly referred to as a "nine" or approximately 228.6mm. Technically, if you use a tape measure, it is 8 inches or more. The foundation stone should not be chiseled because a small portion of the foundation is visible from the ground. If you are wondering about 9" stones, even from their appearance, they are huge blocks and placed on a wide base, unlike the standard 6" stones. 6 -inch stones are more rectangular in appearance when placed on a post, with a thinner base.
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