Natural stones are continuing to capture the hearts of renovators who want a luxurious look for their homes.

While granite, marble, limestone and other stones once were the domain of the high-end consumer, they have found their way into more mainstream households.

There are hundreds of types of stones in various colors available today. "Years ago there were only 30 or 40 different types of (some) stones," said Andrew S. Levine, president of Stone Care International, a Owings Mills, Md.-based manufacturer of stone care products.

All of this selection creates an almost infinite amount of choices. One way to approach stone selection is to understand the characteristics of each stone. Then consider what type of look you are trying to achieve, as stones are available in a variety of colors and finishes.

Three Common Stones

The three most common types of stones are:

·         Granite

·         Marble

·         Limestone

Granite

Granite is a heavy, porous stone with a granular appearance. It is often used to make kitchen countertops, as it has a striking look and creates a strong focal point for the room. Granite also is resistant to high temperatures and acidic products often found in kitchens. Because of its weight, granite typically is not tumbled.

Many renovators are adding granite kitchen countertops because there's a certain amount of prestige about it is a long-lasting material.

Granite also blends well with the large, stainless steel commercial appliances that are popular among today's consumers. It is considered easy to maintain and is available in many colors that compliment the popular woods used to make cabinets, such as maple. Most consumers use tan, brown, and black for the main countertop.

Marble

Marble has a lot of veins running through it and typically is seen in green, white, black and gray. It is not recommended for kitchen countertops because it is soft and porous.

Marble often is used for floors, particularly in a polished finish in foyers. This style creates a statement at the entrance to the house. In bathrooms, many prefer the muted look of honed or tumbled marble in earth tones, as they create an Old World look. They often use tumbled marble on floors, walls and vanities.

Limestone

Limestone has a fairly smooth surface without much graining. Consumers often select it because of its natural look that blends with many decorating schemes. Most limestone is honed, but some can be polished. The most common colors are beige, gray, and white, but it also is available in black, brown or yellow.

Limestone is best suited for use on floors and shower walls. It is absorbent and more likely to stain than marble. "If you know you're going to have a high traffic area with a lot of grease, I don't recommend putting limestone down," Levine said.  Those who want to use it in the kitchen should test a sample in the kitchen before having an entire countertop installed.

When deciding which stone to use in a room, also consider the type of lighting in that room and surrounding areas. Black granite, for example, will look gray under fluorescent lights and black under incandescent lights.

After finally weeding through all the types of stones, consumers would be wise to visit the supplier and select the individual pieces themselves. As each stone is unique, so are the color, texture and grain variations. As a result, the same color stone could look different at each supplier.