RHODES ARCHITECTURAL STONE

This last week, a representative from Rhodes Architectural Stone gave a lunch hour presentation that had a little more oomph than your average talk. Going against all expectations, this one hour talk about stone was definitely worth my time. He started off by giving some facts about the main architectural stones used today - limestone, sandstone, and granite - and then talked about water and how these stones react to it. He then shifted the talk to using the correct proportions for a stone, which was pretty subjective, depending on the project type and location. He stated that many architects get the proportions completely wrong when it comes to stone, giving the overall project a less credible appearance. An example of his was how a stone lintel should extend a bit beyond the opening to give it a realistic look. It sounds obvious, but then he supported it with a series of pictures showing how many noted architects get it wrong. He's absolutely right. From there he talked about the grain of the stone and how crucial it is to the cut and placement of the stone on a facade, patio, pool coping or any other use. He noted that H.H Richardson must have really understood stone, mainly because he understood the grain of stone. If the grain (esp. in limestone) is not taken into consideration when writing specifications then we leave that to the hands of the sub-contractor, who can and usually does get it wrong. In the case of limestone, if it's used on a facade with the grain running vertically, then it could slowly peel away over the years. Finally, he talked about how they specialize in reclaimed stone from all over the world. In some cases, the stone was taken from parts of China and is 2000 years old. Apparently the more orange patina a stone has (like granite, for example), the older it is. It was a very informative talk on a fairly mundane topic. Who knew?