Techniques for working with rock and stone are constantly evolving. Below, you’ll find a guide to some of the advantages of educating yourself on working with natural stone products.
Stabilizing Your Business by Expanding Your Repertoire: Advantages of Using Stone Building Materials
As a contractor, one of your biggest challenges is bound to be finding a steady flow of work. Building strong relationships with repeat customers can certainly help with that goal, but most clients have a limited number of construction projects. To make sure you always have work, you have to figure out how to branch out to new fields and guarantee that you never have to turn down a job due to a lack of expertise.
Expanding your knowledge, then, can be a central responsibility. The knowledge you need isn’t simply limited to business strategies and construction techniques but can also come from learning more about the materials themselves. Rock and stone may be as old as the planet itself, but techniques for working with them are constantly evolving.
Below, you’ll find a guide to some of the advantages of educating yourself on working with natural stone products.
Long-Lasting Results
It can be easy to satisfy a client immediately after the conclusion of a contracting job, but more challenging is making sure that that satisfaction is permanent. Ultimately, your reputation will be built on the back of your longevity. It’s important that former customers tell their friends and neighbors who did their work and offer glowing recommendations.
The best way to secure that kind of permanence is by working with natural stone. The geological history of the planet speaks for itself, so you can be confident that stone tile and other masonry pieces will be resilient and maintain their strength for years to come. Natural wear on stone can even be a huge benefit, as it may bring out colors and textures that can create a truly unique appearance.
Environmental Sustainability
As more and more people become environmentally conscious, it stands to reason that those interests will spill over into many arenas. The construction industry is not immune from environmental concerns, as some building products have been criticized for their environmental impact.
For instance, lumber usage can result in deforesting is not sustainably sourced, and the production of other materials may involve excessive energy consumption or an increase in emissions.
Stone products, on the other hand, come naturally from the earth and can generally be removed without creating excessive damage to the environment. Stone is also a fairly good insulating material, meaning that climate-controlled environments are less likely to leak. As a result, less energy will be expended—and clients could even save on energy bills.
By promoting conservation through multiple means, your choice of stone products can represent a bold stand in favor of an environmental ethic that prefers careful consumption.
Simpler Construction
Many people hesitate to commit to learning a new skill or trade because they’re intimidated by the knowledge they’ll have to amass before they can use it. With stone construction, however, the opposite is often true. If you already have a base of construction knowledge, you may find yourself with the exact background you need to make a very easy transition.
Many building materials require pretreating, specific upkeep, careful maintenance instructions, and a myriad of other specific bits of knowledge. Stone can stand strong and resilient without your stressing over almost any of those concerns.
As a contractor, you need to take steps that enable you to deliver the services your customers really want. One of these services is stone construction, so to be a truly versatile and knowledgeable contractor, you need to embrace natural stone materials.
To get these materials or learn more about them, talk to Bourget Bros. Building Materials. We have experience in many established projects and can provide you with the knowledge and support you need.