Sandstone
is a sedimentary rock composed of small grains cemented by siliceous,
felspathic, or calcareous cementing material. The durability of rock depends
on the cementing material. Sandstone is often formed in layers and has
varied applications as building stones. This coarse-grained sedimentary rock
is formed by the consolidation and aggregation of sand and held together by
a natural cement, such as silica. It is an extremely hard and tough material and consists of consolidated masses of sand deposited by moving water or by wind. Some of the sandstone are so homogeneous and soft that they are capable of receiving most elaborate carving and filigree work. The color of the rock is largely determined by the cementing material - iron oxides produces red or reddish-brown sandstone, and the other materials produce sandstone in white, grayish or yellowish sandstone.
Peculiar about Sandstone
Natural Sandstone is believed to be the youngest of the quartz-based stones, such that each stone has a different level of porosity, hardness and compressive strength. Its texture is noteworthy and the medium sized grains are all of the same size.
The color of sandstone is variable and depends upon the composition of the binding material, and therefore varies from red, brown, greenish, yellow, gray and white.
Highly Useful
Sandstone is suitable for both domestic and commercial use. It is highly acclaimed for its natural beauty, that makes it useful for interior as well as exterior decoration. Because of its architectural properties, sandstone is found suitable medium that is used to clad walls and floors and churn out an enamoring range of handcrafted artifacts such as garden ornaments, sculptures and other decorative items.
Sandstone textures and compositions may be used to interpret many things about the history of the sand, including source area lithology, paleoclimate, tectonic activity, processes acting in the depositional basin, and time duration in the basin. Remember that the source area is the land which is weathering and eroding to supply terrigenous debris to the depositional basin.
