Limestone Facts

Limestone is a sedimentary rock consisting largely of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in the form of calcite, (in plain English) this means that limestone is made of shells and old sea life and varying amounts of clay which is collected over time and then cemented together to create a solid piece of limestone rock, this takes years and years to form limestone.

Limestone is very strong hard and durable stone, it is commonly used in construction work and architecture on walls and floors. Most limestone is made up of a granular texture in which the grains and fragments are of sea life shells and fossils in the stone.
Impurities in limestone such as sand, clay, organic remains and other materials can cause colour variation to limestone especially on weathered surfaces. Limestone is long lasting and stands up well to exposure.

Limestone is very reactive to acid solutions which is why acid-based cleaning chemicals should not be used and should only be cleaned with a neutral or mild alkaline-based cleaner.

For a limestone to be suitable for building purposes it must be from limestone quarries with large limestone blocks. These limestone blocks are then cut up into limestone slabs with a consistency of colour and markings. The limestone quarries will grade limestone on colour and size to get the right type of limestone for the application, i.e. stone floors, tile walls, outside stone areas and large stone construction building works.

see also Limestone FAQ's >