Superseded by Digest 420 (1997)

One of the attractions of natural building stone is the wide variety of colours and textures available to designers.  However, such a wide range can also present a problem: how to know which is the best stone for the job in hand. For the variability of stone is not restricted to colour and texture. Wide variations in durability may also be encountered. Some stones may be unaffected by centuries of exposure to the weather; others, if used in the wrong environment, may have to be replaced after only a few years. Unlike colour and texture, durability is difficult to define and even more difficult to measure.

This digest summarises the properties of limestones, sandstones and slates that the designer should take into account and gives guidance on their interpretation; it does not discuss in detail the properties of marbles or granites. The digest summarises tests that can be applied to natural building stone and describes how to carry out a crystallisation test.

Originally published in 1983; reprinted with minor revision in 1989.