16 stonefamly 072   Stone Carving

As times change, it is inevitable that home owners will also base their interior design choices on the current trends. The recent years have seen a surge in popularity of limestone fireplace mantels. They have taken over the classic wooden mantels because the latter tends to appear outdated. Well, limestone fireplace mantels are growing in popularity as they seem to have more advantages than other materials. The following are the 5 main reasons why many people nowadays choose limestone mantels for their fireplaces.

Safety

The most important thing to factor into when choosing your fireplace is its safety. How safe is the material? Is it flammable or non-flammable? While the traditional wooden fireplace mantels are undoubtedly more risky, limestone is a non-combustible material. In other words, it does not and will never catch fire. As such, limestone definitely passes the required safety checks and proves an appropriate material for fireplace mantels.

Durability

These days, many people are opting for limestone fireplace mantels as durability is a major factor that all of us emphasize when making our purchases. The more durable an object is, the more likely our choices and preferences will lean towards it. Limestone, being a natural rock, is very heavy and hence may be more effortful and tedious to install. But on the bright side, this means that it is also extremely durable, such that it will last your household for a lifetime.

Furthermore, its strength and durability makes it more cost-efficient and worthwhile when you view it in a wider scope and over a longer stretch of time.

Versatile design styles

Some solid stone materials may limit a fireplace mantel’s designs to only a few selected styles. On the contrary, the natural appearance of limestone allows the fireplace to take on a wide variety of designs. It is versatile enough to adapt to the different styles that home owners want for their fireplaces, ranging from simple to extravagant designs. Be it French, Italian, English, Traditional or Contemporary, limestone fireplace mantels can be made to suit each concept without looking out of the place.

Most of the time, limestone is hand-carved. So whether or not they come in arches or tiles, the end-product will appear exquisite and intricate, making it an added bonus. Limestone fireplace mantels are therefore very popular as they are of high quality and versatility, thus enabling consumers to keep their interior design options open instead of being limited to just a few style choices.

Colors

Some people may have the misconception that limestone is a material that only comes in light hues. But in fact, limestone is available in a variety of hues. The material is available in tones ranging from light to dark, with ivory being a lighter shade and sandstone being a darker one. Its varied color palette is also one of the main reasons why limestone can be customized to fit almost any kind of design style.

If you are torn in between lighter or darker shades of limestone, be sure to take into consideration the size of your room. Avoid choosing a darker color if your room is small, as this will only accentuate the compact size of your room. In this case, it would be advisable to pick a lighter shade of limestone so that your room will appear more spacious.

Hassle-free maintenance

It is needed to clean your fireplace once in a while due to the accumulation of soot and smoke particles. While it may seem troublesome, maintaining a limestone fireplace mantel is actually quite basic and probably simpler than you think. Firstly, be sure to use a dry microfiber cloth or cotton cloth to try and remove any stains. Secondly, dip another cloth into a mixture of mild dishwashing soap solution and water. Wring it and gently wipe the mantel, and you are more or less done!

There are, however, certain precautions to take note of. Avoid using vacuum cleaners or steel wools as their hard or rough textures may scratch the surface of your fireplace mantel. Another thing to avoid using on your limestone mantel is bleach, as it is a strong solution that could discolor the material. Other than these precautions, cleaning your limestone fireplace mantels is actually trouble-free and rather basic.

All in all, limestone is generally safe, durable, versatile, colorful and also easy to maintain. It is therefore very cost-efficient, making it naturally better and more popular than its counterparts.

Comments are closed.