Thinking about stone window sills? Here is what you need to know

Are you building your new home, or have you simply decided to replace your windows and rearrange your rooms? Windows are an essential part of our homes, offices, houses and all industrial buildings. They bring in much-needed daylight and let us air our rooms, so we get enough fresh air. A window sill belongs to the window and serves as its base. It also drains water away. It gives the window a neat lower finish and has aesthetic value. It can be made of different materials and can add colour to walls inside a room or on the facade. The choice of material is key, and natural stone offers many advantages.

What does an interior window sill do?

The main job of an interior window sill is to protect the wall below the window. Inside the home it is also decorative and gives you a place to put things, most often house plants. Interior window sills can therefore make your home look much better. That is another reason to take care when choosing the right material for your window sills. There is of course a very wide choice of materials, but it is best to decide on the sill at the same time as you choose the whole window. The choice of materials and colours is varied, and the most common materials are wood, HPL laminate, PVC and, of course, natural stone. Natural stone also offers many advantages. Among stone sills, marble is a very popular material. It brings life to any room with its beautiful, elegant look. You can use marble window sills both outside and inside. The maximum length of a marble sill depends on the type and thickness of the sill, and is around 2.5 to 3 m. Granite window sills are also a very common choice. They are slightly grainier and harder. They are also much more resistant to knocks and weather, which is why they also work as exterior sills. The maximum length is again around 2.5 to 3 m, and granite slabs are available 2 or 3 centimetres thick.  

What does an exterior window sill do?

The main job of exterior window sills is to protect the facade from the weather and dirt. Dirt collects on the top of the sill and does not reach the facade. The drip groove on the underside makes this possible. The sill must project far enough out from the facade. A dirty window sill is also much quicker to clean than a facade. There is also a very wide choice of materials and colours for exterior window sills. For stone sills, granite is the most suitable choice. Unlike many other materials, it is much harder and therefore more resistant to weather and mechanical damage. It does not warp and leaves no rust marks on facades.  

What are the advantages of a stone window sill?

Stone window sills are durable – especially compared with other materials. Wooden window sills, still found in many homes, are prone to mould and cracks. Metal sills can show signs of oxidation over the years, and synthetic materials can warp. Compared with other materials, natural stone is much more resistant to weather, moisture and the general effects of time. Its physical properties also show that stone is the most durable material. Marble is also suitable for exterior sills: it is hard and dense enough and has good compressive strength. It may change colour slightly, and its surface will become a little rougher. Compared with other materials, natural stone is also very resistant to heat and frost. Stone window sills also look very attractive  – you can choose from many shades of white, cream, black, grey, brown and green. In fact, natural stones come in almost every shade, and they also have beautiful natural patterns that will add even more interest to your home. Natural stones are also known for distinctive patterns that never repeat. That is why it is very hard to find two pieces of stone that are exactly the same. If you choose interior window sills, stone ones will make your rooms especially attractive and add a touch of elegance. Maintenance is very simple – especially because stains form much less easily on a stone surface. There is also much less dirt, and any dirt is very easy to clean off. Of course, you need to follow certain cleaning instructions, and limestone-based stones must not be cleaned with any acids or other corrosive substances. It is also worth mentioning that, unlike other materials, natural stone does not shrink or chip by itself, and granite does not change colour.