Improving Your Outdoor Spaces with Decorative Stones
Decorative stone is a general term used to describe different styles and sizes of rocks that are used to enhance outdoor living spaces. But, beyond the aesthetic component, these rocks have other functions in your landscaping project.
They can work as a ground cover between different areas of a garden, or around driveways, patios, pools, walkways, and other outdoor areas. They can also be used to control erosion as driveway material.
As you shop for materials, you will come across many stone options. The main thing to know is that different rocks are created in two different ways:
The Natural Process
Natural stones are a result of mother’s nature sculpting process. Big rocks are quarried and cut with diamond coated saws into segments. Next, these portions are guided onto large vehicles which transport them to factories where they are further processed. These slabs can either be cut, polished, sanded, shaped or crushed into smaller, sellable portions. The crushed rock produces gravel and other stones which we use for decoration.
The Artificial Process
The artificial process involves natural stone which is processed and crushed into the desired particle sizes by a sieving machine. The crushed rock is then mixed with binders such as cement, polyester or resin, coloring agents, and other additives. This mix is then filled in a special mold. The molded mixture is finally guided into a compression-vibration device under vacuum which will form the solid.
Rocks offer unique patterns and textures to use for decoration in your garden. Choosing between the two depends fully on the design of your landscape and the themes of your preference.
Should you need landscaping supplies for your next outdoor project, do not hesitate to contact All Around Soil & Stone. We sell only natural made stones in Colorado.
