July 2018 - Regatta Universal Exports

Know natural stone potential with strength tests

People use natural stones for indoor and outdoor construction works. At the global level, natural stone producers deal in the selling of a variety of natural stones, including granite, marble, quartzite, limestone, and sandstone. The best benefit of using these stones for the construction purpose is that they are strong and make any space look beautiful. All stones don’t have the same strength that makes them long-lasting. The Mohs scale is said to be the right way to know how strong your choice stone is. No matter you go for a marble or granite product, the prime thing is the stone testing that clears you are going in the right direction.

It is not easy to understand the strength of any stone until you get a lab report from natural stone producers showing the technical aspects of the stone. If you are going to buy stones, updated technical documentation can put a light upon the characteristics that matter the most toward stone applications. Let’s move ahead and go through some popular stone testing types, putting an emphasis on the strength of the stone. Primarily, compressive strength, flexural strength, sliding resistance, wear resistance, frost resistance, density, porosity, and water absorption upon immersion are some of the main resources for the testing purpose.

Strength testing of the natural stone

Basically, stone testing calculates the fitness of a particular stone for a specific application. As far as the potency of the stone is concerned, testing lets you know more about the ability of the stone to resist bending and crushing. The density and gravity test decides the ability of the stone to carry the weight of the stone. Stone’s potential to resist staining and freezing is tested with the absorption test. Natural stone producers will help you understand the process of testing hard minerals.

Compressive strength test

This test is vital for evaluating the stone’s resistance to crushing loads. A wall stone has to bear the compressive load of the stone’s weight. A stone floor has to withstand loads of people and heavy objects. So, compressive strength is the highest load per unit area borne by the stone without giving in. A higher compressive strength between1,800 psi (12.45 MPa) and 19,000 psi (131 MPa) means the stone can endure an upper crushing load. Dry or wet conditions as per load determine the compressive strength of the stone.

Bending strength test

This test is compulsory for knowing about the power of the stone in bending. There are three common types of tests done for the same purpose.

Modulus of rupture test – application of the load at a mid-point.
ASTM C99 test and ASTM C120 (Slate) test – application of the load at a mid-point.
ASTM C880 for flexural strength test – application of the load at two points.

An elevated modulus of rupture or flexural strength signals a higher bending strength.

Required minimum values range – 2.8 MPa – 10.3 MPa

Flexure (bending) testing

This test is more or less equivalent to the modulus of rupture tests with reference to the thickness testing of and load testing of the stone. Dry or wet conditions are ideal for assaying this testing. Here, natural stone producers dry and soak 5 stone specimens for at least two full days. Here, the load is increased on the stone until it breaks. Then, experts estimate the bending strength of any slab by means of a formula concerning the geometry of the test conditions. Remember that the bending strength is expressed in megapascals (MPa).

Abrasion or wear resistance of stone

To know if a stone is used for flooring or not, the abrasion test of ASTM C241 and coefficient of friction testing are required. This test concludes in an index number which is relative to the quantity of material abraded. Also, make sure that the abrasion index number should range between 0 and 100. For determining the index, you need to focus on the concept of the abrasion weight loss, the average weight, and the density of the stone. During the test, natural stone producers abrade the stone using a Kessler machine.

Regatta Universal Exports, one of the expert natural stone producers from India, supplies natural stones passed through all strength tests at the global level. All quality stone products from the producer are available at a competitive price tag.

Natural stone packaging: From processing units to your doorsteps

Natural stones are hard and come in a raw form from stone quarries. Natural stones, such as marble, granite, sandstone, slate, and limestone, have to pass through some phases at stone processing units before it reaches to the doorsteps of end-users. The natural stone tile or slab of your preference has to travel miles through seas and roads in securely-packed boxes, crates, and pallets. It is done so that stones can cope with all sorts of harsh treatments during the shipping from factories to ports to your country. To ensure your stones don’t break away while in transit, packing stones in wooden crates is the basic need.

Homeowners prefer tiles for natural stone flooring and slabs for stone wall cladding. But, natural stone needs much care and attention until it reaches your home after facing lots of challenges.

Materials suppliers need to pack natural stone tiles and slabs

Professional natural stone sellers and suppliers understand that packed materials are vulnerable to damages. Damage is natural while any stone passes through different phases of loading, unloading, and sea or road transportation. In addition, packers fumigate and treat crates chemically before the dispatch. They use waterproof plastic to prevent the stone from being exposed to moisture, light, and cold. All-natural stone suppliers need to put an emphasis on using strong and functional packaging materials so that natural stone tiles can reach to the consumers’ place in a perfect condition. Generally, a wooden crate is used to pack the finished natural stones with the following ones:

Packaging items, like polythene, foam, and thermocol.
A strong plastic belt to make packed goods remain unmoved.
The wooden crate labeled with its contents.
Wrapped with plastic to prevent foreign substances from entering the crate.
A strong corrugated box to export mosaics, roofing natural stone tiles, slate stone, and stacked and walling stones.

Packaging types for natural stone tiles and slabs

Although customized packing of stone is the most popular for protecting natural stones from being broken, stained, and damaged, yet there are also other options available for packing natural stone slabs and tiles. These popular options include:

Standard packaging: Packers use polythene inside the wooden crate to guard stones against staining from wooden planks. On horizontal planks, a foam-sheet is used to protect slabs and tiles from damage by wooden planks or nails. It is the most popular packaging type.

Pavers packaging: For packaging outdoor rough stones, packers use wood, hardboard, and foam sheet. These materials are useful for tightening loose gaps and protecting stones from being collided with each other.

Polished natural stone tile packaging: Packers prefer to use a 2mm-foam or a paper cloth to pack polished tiles in a wooden crate tightly. It is done in order to save the polished surface of stones from abrasion scratches.

Thinner tiles packaging: Thinner tiles of 10mm or 15mm size can break easily. That is why cardboard boxes are the best material to protect them. After packaging, these boxes are piled in the crate. The benefit of using the cardboard is to render tiles a cushion. Styrofoam (thermocol) boxes are also good for packing granite tiles and polished marble.

Specialized packaging:

15mm tiles with moisture – cardboard boxes
Thicker tiles – polythene bags
Thermocol sheets for extra protection

For packing any slab, iron A-Frame or a wooden crate is the best option. On the other hand, cardboard boxes and thermocol boxes are the best materials for making natural stone tiles safe and secure in a wooden crate.

Regatta Universal Exports is a professional natural stone tiles and slabs supplier from India. The company delivers its global customers a big range of stones for decoration and construction purposes properly packed inside strong wooden crates.

Quartzite: A top trend contender for countertops, walls, and floors

Every natural stone has its own pros that make the stone a right fit for your interior or exterior premises at home and office. Quartzite is a trendy choice among homeowners who prefer sophistication, ergonomics, and luxurious living. With crystalline sparkle, toughness, earth-toned hues and modish look, this stone from Indian quartzite supplier is a top contestant for home decor. For a layman, all stones are more or less the same except their colors. Only quartzite suppliers can make a difference between this stone and quartz.

This stone starts its life as sandstone and changes its form inside the crust of the earth. Through the quarrying and processing process, it is divided into slabs for countertops, floors, fireplaces, stairs, etc. Before you contact quartzite suppliers, let’s have a look at some of the assumptions that clear you why quartzite is good for you than any other stone types.

Know soft quartzite and hard quartzite before you pay

Quartzite manufacturers extract the stone from quarries and process it at factories. Quartzite is a word that is concerned with dolomites and marbles. If you have not purchased this stone ever, you need to differentiate between a “soft” and “hard” quartzite. This difference is detected with the quality factor. If you hear the word discounted quartzite, it means that it is “soft quartzite”. Remember that all the real quartzite mineral is hard with a property of 7 on the Mohs scale.

Some quartzite suppliers may dupe you with dolomite (Mohs scale ~ 4) or soapstone (Mohs scale 2-3) in the name of quartzite. Here, the best thing you can do is to ask the seller for a lab report.

Hard quartzite: White Macaubas, Sea Pearl, Taj Mahal, Azul Macaubas, and Perla Venata
Soft quartzite: Fantasy Brown, Grey Goose, and Super White

Before making any purchase to beautify your walls, floors, and countertops, it would be better if you contact stone experts who can lead you in the right direction.

Shades and hues you find with quartzite suppliers

Your walls, fireplaces, floors, and countertops deserve something special: stone. Being hard, durable, and porous, quartzite makes its presence felt. When you start searching, you will find natural quartzite in white, gray, brown, or black hues primarily. In the market, other colors like yellow, blue, pink, red, or green are also available. You will always find a complete pure quartzite less colorful. With quartzite suppliers, you can expect the following shades:

Copper and D green quartzite
H White and Ocean green quartzite
S white and silver grey quartzite
D yellow and golden quartzite
H Black and H green quartzite
Silver shine and Z green quartzite

Factors like the presence of the amount of iron oxide, the age of the stone, and geographical location of the stone are responsible for dissimilarity in colors.

Quartzite or quartz

Natural things always pose a challenge to manmade things. In the same manner, quartzite and quartz are also a great option for countertops and other mosaics. At first glance, you will find both stone types spectacular, strong, and handy. But both are still not equal. The natural one comes out of the earth and a fake one is an outcome of product engineering from ground-up quartz, polymer resins, and additive colors.

So, don’t mix both the stones. One is an engineered slab and another one is a naturally occurring metamorphic rock which evolves over time under extreme temperature and force. It is ideal for countertop, flooring, and wall covering applications. Manmade stone is not too bad and composite countertops made of this stone possess 93% quartz. Hence, it also stands a good contender with the sturdy surface.

Quartzite for your home: A Big Yes?

We have already discussed that quartzite is tough, durable, and heat-resistant. Different varieties of quartzite sold by quartzite suppliers are similar to marble. Once you have decided to bring home this stone for garnering walls, floors, countertops, stairs, and another premise, it is high time to say a big yes to this stone with reference to the following pros:

Hard and durable material.
Resists heat and staining better than marble.
Easier to maintain than marble.
Provides a look and feel of marble.
Easy to clean with soap and warm water.
UV resistant; won’t fade or darken in direct sunlight.
Less costly than manmade quartz.
For beauty and durability; it is on a par with granite.

If you seal this stone properly, it will help you protect its surface from etching and stains. This stone is quite good for home application products.

Regatta Universal Exports, a popular quartzite supplier and manufacture from India, offers a wide and exhaustive variety of quartzite stones in multiple colors, designs, and sizes at the competitive price tag.

Illuminate every corner of your home with limestone

There are lots of benefits of using limestone as a natural stone for creating charming characteristics to your home and giving it a historically and culturally-rich look. With chemical and physical properties (density, compressive strength, hardness, water absorption, weather impact, and porosity), limestone is the first choice of architects and designers in all corner of the world. It is non-slippery, non-porous, and easy to maintain. That is why this stone boosts the aesthetics of any surrounding with its smooth texture, finish, and tone. Limestone suppliers can help you get the best stone to illuminate all corners of your home.

Limestone products for beautiful creations

Limestone fireplace: Limestone is a right natural stone for fireplaces due to its ability to resist fire and heat. If you need a stone to make the fireplace look stunning, this durable stone is incredibly beautiful. It is an ideal mix of colors, texture, and hand carvings that makes limestone a perfect stone for gaining a unique appearance.

Limestone flooring: Being durable, limestone can withstand highly trafficked areas. That is why it is a great option for flooring and stylish beauty. Limestone flooring tiles from professional limestone suppliers are sold in multiple colors, styles, and shapes. Just choose the right option that can capture your vision.

Limestone door surrounds: For centuries, millions of homes, buildings, monuments, and concrete structures have been using limestone for adding more exquisiteness to all big or small doors. This stone is a visually appealing material that renders all doors a timeless beauty.

Limestone fountains: In European culture, limestone fountains are common as they reflect water as a basis of life. Fountains contribute to bring water to your homes and making your outdoor structure look visually stunning. This stone easily withstand harsh climates.

Limestone columns: Limestone columns are the first structures in any building that make eyeballs roll. Columns developed with this stone are versatile, beautiful, and durable.

Limestone sinks: If you love to have an old-world style, nothing can be more impressive than a limestone product. This dense and long-lasting material in multiple hues matches the interior design of the kitchen. With travertine and marble characteristics, this stone provides a unique gaze.

Limestone kitchen hoods: If you are looking for posh and visually alluring material, limestone increases the appeal of your kitchen’s ambiance. Customized kitchen hoods made of this stone imparts a comfortable feeling and creates the environment you want.

Limestone countertops: For every interior design, limestone countertops are a fantastic alternative. They are versatile, durable, and resistant to heat and humidity. Indian, Italian, and French limestone functions as granite.

Limestone stairs: Stairs are all about beautiful aesthetics as they impart every building a glance of a big palace or old world castle, especially in Europe. Limestone supplied by leading limestone suppliers is a great choice for highly trafficked areas. This stone is durable for withstanding heavy traffic.

Limestone walls: High-quality limestone quarried and processed by Indian limestone suppliers, limestone manufactures, and limestone wholesalers help you design a weird style for your domestic walls. This stone is versatile, cost-effective, and low maintained and craft swank, inspiring spaces.

Limestone roofing and tiles: All bathroom, drawing room, and kitchen floors become alive with limestone. In an assortment of colors, shapes, and sizes, limestone tiles for flooring or roofing give everything a charismatic European look.

Limestone colors to smear your ambiance

There is no dearth of limestone products available in all corners of the world. Thanks to limestone suppliers for giving end users lots of options for domestic construction and decor. Choose the most appealing color from the below-mentioned hues and smear surroundings with enchanting mosaics. These colors include:

Kota brown and Kota blue limestone
Lime black and Lime green limestone
Lime peacock and Lime pink limestone
Tandur blue and Tandur yellow limestone

Max slab size: 2700 x 1700

Slab Thickness: from 20mm to 2000mm

Popular tile sizes: 1”x2”, 3” and 4”; 2”x3”, 4”, 5”, 6”; 4”x4.5”, 5”, 6” and 8”; 5”x2”, 3”, 4,”6” and 6”x8”; and 8”; 3”x4”, 5”, 6” and 8”

Leading marble supplier with customized limestone solutions

When you find all above limestone products quite beneficial for adding more character and beauty to your domestic concrete structure, you need the best limestone suppliers to make things happen. Regatta Universal Exports, one of the leading limestone suppliers and manufacturers, extends a helping hand with an assortment of top quality Indian limestone in all corners of the world.

Marble suppliers: Serving all marble needs with right marble supply

For having the right stone type for residential and commercial construction or renovation projects, it is vital that you get the right stone and stone suppliers. With marble wholesaler and manufacturers, you can expect premium quality products at an affordable price with first-rate customer satisfaction. There are some marble suppliers in India involved in the manufacturing and supply of a wide assortment of marble products. They work in many countries simultaneously. Hence, they control the supply of natural stones needed end-users in any corner of the world.

Common building applications of marble include cladding (exterior/interior); landscaping; statuary; flooring, and molding. When extracted from quarries, you can have big blocks of 8ft x 5ft x 5ft. When processed at marble factories, one can expect the maximum size of 8ft x 5ft with a thickness of 2-3cm. From processing units, all gangsaw and cutter slabs and customized tiles are supplied to selling units. Then, end users can purchase marble products. As professional marble suppliers in India know the market well then the end-users of the stone, all stone buyers can expect a supplier to play a better role in the supply of the right stone: Marble.

Role of a marble supplier

Marble suppliers are associated with different aspects of stone factories, quarries, cutting, and trade. With a wide network and experience in the concerned industry, they are capable of allocating a variety of marbles in different finishes, shades, and sizes across the world. With them, you can expect any quantity of marble products with zero defect assurance. They work as a middle link between you and the stone product of your choice. They arrange your choice products from the most comprehensive inventory.

With their skills and experience of serving customers in natural stone products industry, marble suppliers can help you with prefabricated and pre-designed stone material. Marble suppliers-cum-manufacturers use hi-tech machinery equipment for stone processing and finishing purpose. This way, suppliers help you save time and reduce construction costs. Following are some of the points showing the role of professional and established marble suppliers.

They help you get the best marble price with a little bargaining at the MRP.
They impress you with the variety of marble products.
They supply quality stone types for the residential or commercial project.
They offer a warranty or guarantee over marble products.
They allow you to visit their stone selection center to get a clear idea of how the finished products will look in your living space.
They promise premium quality stones at competitive prices with first-rate customer satisfaction.
They hold industrial certificates to ensure quality craftsmanship.

Find marble suppliers over the internet for added advantages

Purity and quality of the marble matter the most in granite when you need the best raw materials. That is why you can’t ignore a supplier who controls the supply of slabs and tiles. You can’t dig a stone directly from the quarry and cut big marble boulders into smaller slabs. If you are living in the USA and need a full container of Indian marble, how will you make thing happen? So, marble suppliers are there to extend a helping hand and delivering stone products at your doorsteps. As there are lots of benefits of working with a supplier, it is high time to find a right supplier over the internet.

Nowadays, all marble suppliers have gone online and they have their own websites. Now, you don’t need to ask for some references or look for advertisements to find them. Just go online and type some keywords. You will get different options. You can also find them on the following online platforms:

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest
Local listings and classifieds
Question and answer sites
Paid advertisements on Google pages
Individual stone communities and websites

When you need any quantity of marble products with zero defect assurance, marble suppliers offer you many options and help in making a balanced buying decision. From pricing to quality and from shipping documentation to packaging of slabs, marble wholesalers and suppliers give buyers direct benefits. Stone buyers save time, money, and efforts when right suppliers serve their marble needs at the right time.

If you would like to learn more or have any questions on marble products, Regatta Universal Exports is there to help you 24/7. Being one of the leading marble suppliers in India, it supplies and exports top quality Indian marble globally to contractors, designers, architects and other trade professionals.

Marble countertop for kitchens: Yeah or Nay

While choosing a kitchen countertop, one should give importance to the non-staining capacity of the stone and its ability to face regular wear and tear. So, maintenance also matters the most. As far as choosing the right kitchen countertop material is concerned, beauty and longevity are prime factors. Marble is beautiful, but it is more delicate and porous. Being porous, marble is susceptible to staining. Many homeowners prefer gradually-aged surfaces that may come with stains and etch. If you are thinking of marble countertops in kitchens, a variety of marbles from marble suppliers from India will become better with time.

Generally, a large number of homeowners ask why they should use marble in their kitchen. Marble catches all eyes when it comes to remodeling the kitchen and adding a warm and classic look that can go well with the space you live in. Ask professional marble suppliers which marble countertop will be the right for your kitchen.

Black and white marble countertops for a stylish kitchen

Marble is a great stone for having a clean, bright look with a touch of grace and timelessness. Moreover, this natural stone makes your kitchen classy. When it comes to choosing black or white for adding more appeal to kitchen space with countertops, consider the following options:

Black and white marble look good with wooden cabinets
Try black marble with white cabinets and wood accents
Try white marble with black cabinets and wood accents
Black marble stains less easily than a white marble
Black marble comes with a luxurious look when harmonized with metallics
Black and white is also a great combination
Black and white marble looks good for a long time if maintained properly
Works well is maintained with proper sealants

Both black and white marbles are easily available in all parts of India. The decision of saying yes or no to marble solely depends upon your individual preferences. The only thing you have to do is to reach the right marble supplier of black and white colors.

Black and white marble look good with wooden cabinets
Try black marble with white cabinets and wood accents
Try white marble with black cabinets and wood accents
Black marble stains less easily than a white marble
Black marble comes with a luxurious look when harmonized with metallics
Black and white is also a great combination
Black and white marble looks good for a long time if maintained properly
Works well is maintained with proper sealants

Marble for the kitchen: Color options for countertops

Beauty, cool temperature, cost, and easy availability in all corners of the world make marble a right choice for you. Scratching and staining are two things that make you think twice before making a purchase. Marble can be purchased from marble suppliers on the basis of colors, geographical location, price, size, and changing trends. If you are considering new kitchen countertop in marble, then the following color options can give you an edge.

Bruno white marble, fantasy brown marble, and forest green marble
Green onyx marble, pink marble, and pink onyx marble
Plain green marble, rainforest brown marble, and rainforest golden marble
Rainforest green marble, white onyx, and black marble

Verdict: Marble kitchen countertops

Marble will be a long lasting stone if it gets proper care and maintenance. You will get positive results in a long-run if you can wipe up alcohol or citrus juices spills at once; can use mats and trivets to cover the floor, and don’t place hot, wet or rough objects on it. In a functional kitchen, it is not so easy to carry out these things.

Marble stone with honed or matte finish would not show scratches on the surface. Such stones are less bright and open to pores. But sealing is a good option to have a highly functional surface. If you have a black or white marble in a polished finish, it will be glossy and work against stains and scratches as it has a layer on the top. Polished surfaces deprecate their layers. Some people who like a worn look can make a difference with honed marble countertop surfaces than polished ones.

Regatta Universal Exports, one of the leading marble suppliers from India, offers you the high quality black and white marble slabs for kitchen countertops at competitive prices. All of its marble supplies work well with all sorts of kitchen spaces.