Natural stone is Mother Nature’s original green building material.

Natural stone is 100% natural, green, sustainable. At Monarch Stone International, we believe in the inherent qualities of natural stone and support building with green, sustainable materials. What can be greener than a product that comes directly from the earth? This is why we don’t represent any manufactured or man-made building products.

Natural stone has no man-made fillers or resins. Stone products have an extremely long life-span; flooring, veneer or stone driveways, won’t need to be replaced for a long time, perhaps ever – often outlasting the life of your home! Natural stone is 100% recyclable, doesn’t emit VOCs into your home and can be cleaned with ph-neutral dish detergent.

Here are 4 ways natural stone is green, taken in part from an article published by the USGBC and MIA – two professional organizations that we are proud members of.

1. Enduring and Durable
Natural stone stands up to weathering and aging better than any other building material. This has been proven through the ages.When choosing to install a stone floor, countertop, wall cladding, etc. you are making a decision to use a product that will last for at least 100 years in many cases and certainly for the life of the building in most.

2. Recyclable
No other building material is as recyclable as natural stone. Nearly 100% of stone from deconstructed projects is recyclable and able to be used on other projects, or crushed for use as roadbeds, etc. One of the products we exclusively import is a recycled, reclaimed Historic European Cobblestone from Europe! Reclaimed from streets and saved from landfills, this charming and unique paving material is durable and recyclable.

3. Lowers heat island effect
Many light-colored varieties of natural stone have been shown to lower a building’s or site’s “heat island” through their ability to reflect heat. Heat island refers to the concept of a building raising the average temperature of the area surrounding a building and site. We can show you the incredible selection of light colored stone that would be suitable for your project.

4. Available as regional material
A major aspect of the green building rating system is that of supporting “local” products and businesses. Regionally manufactured and extracted materials reduce environmental impacts by reducing emissions of greenhouse gasses during transportation, while supporting local economies. If a consumer is interested in achieving this rating, purchasing natural stone from quarry sites within 500 miles of their project is relatively easy in the United States. Monarch Stone International has relationships with a vast number of domestic quarry and factory sites. We can assist you in finding a stone that will meet this local requirement.

For more information on building “Green” visit the MIA/BSI or US Green Building Council websites.