House of Sand and Limestone

There are few people that would believe their beautiful modern home is made of sand, and they would be correct. Overall, sand is not a mineral component that stands by itself in any home. It is a mineral additive used throughout the home in many different applications. These applications cover a wide variety of products from the foundation and walkways to the glasses in the kitchen cabinet and even the windows.

Glass has always been made with sand as a key component. There are only three materials used as a basis for making glass. The other two components are soda ash and limestone. Combined in the correct quantities and melted, they create a clear substance that can be formed into many different shapes. Other minerals are added only to create beautiful and unique colours.

The foundation of any house has to be strong enough to last for years and hold up the weight of the floors above it. Silica sand is an important mineral additive when creating the foundation. Modern foundations are generally made of concrete. It uses several different components that all help form it into one of the strongest building materials now used. Small rocks, Portland cement and water are the other ingredients that make up concrete.

Many people choose flooring that is non-slip and contains grout. Silica sand is an important component of these items. It is finely ground and added as part of the manufacturing process to help with slip resistance in flooring. It is also a basic component when creating grout.