The demand for sandstone slabs has been magnifying every day. Its consumption is increasing and different applications in different designs are being made out of these slabs. A flat, broad mold of sandstone, these are honed, polished and calibrated into varieties in size. Architects are very much fascinated with sandstone slabs and is widely used in the arena of architecture.

Areas of Existence
The sandstone slabs are found mainly in Rajasthan - the only place in India with extensive sandstone deposits. Sand stone slabs are hand dressed in different thickness and colors and are extensively exported. The overseas buyers also demand machine cut sandstone slabs. Pink, beige and red sandstones slabs are particularly popular among the buyers.

Usage of Sandstone Slabs 
Sandstone slabs was first promoted for monuments and commercial buildings in India. Looking to the beautiful look it provided, some of the architects using sandstone slabs for cladding in residential houses, commercial buildings and hotels. Sandstone slabs are extremely popular for exterior applications such as in cladding and garden pathways.

Sandstones are sedimentary rocks composed of rounded grains of quartz bound together by silica or lime. These thin, flat or convex slab of sandstone are then processed into beautiful tiles with surface laminations ranging from natural to the cleft look. Searching for a timeless style, the architects draw inspiration from these sandstone tiles and give it a sleek, contemporary interpretation.

Areas of Existence
Processed mainly from Rajasthan, the desert state of India, sandstone tiles can also be procured from other regions such as Madhya Pradesh. The exporters in Jaipur, Deoli, Kund, New Delhi and Mumbai purchase sand stone tiles from small quarry owners and export it worldwide.

Usage of Sandstone Tiles 
Architects widely use sandstone tiles in their new creations, thereby reviving the old art of decorating the house with stones. These are extensively used to beautify the interior as well as exterior space through flooring and wall cladding. Sandstone tiles can be found in the flooring of bedroom, living room, driveways, pedestrian paths, garden paths etc.

A sandstone fragment, hat has been naturally rounded is known as sandstone cobbles. These sandstone cobbles are further honed, polished and calibrated before taking them to the marketplace. Hand dressed sandstone cobbles in different thickness and colors are exported worldwide. The overseas buyers also demand machine cut cobbles. The cobbles made of sandstone are available in shades of maroon, pink, green, yellow and gray.

Areas of Existence
The surrounding districts of Bharatpur, Jodhpur and Jaipur are famous for producing world-class sandstone cobbles. These are also found in some district of Madhya Pradesh. The present trend is to make these cobbles in the best possible manner with man and machines.

Usage of Sandstone Cobbles 
Sandstone cobbles serves both an aesthetic and functional purpose in architecture, ensuring a feeling of luxury and space. These are extensively used to decorate residential houses, office buildings, commercial complexes, hotels, restaurants and special monuments.

Sandstone as we all know is a kind of stone that is formed of grains of sand tightly pressed together. A sandstone pebble is one that is formed from the erosion of the irregularly rough and grainy surface of a sandstone. In this process, the grainy surface of sandstone turns into a smooth surface, which is the distinguishing feature of a pebble. Most of the modern sandstone pebbles are either handcrafted or machine made. These pebbles are usually found in round, square, and rectangular shapes. Nowadays various types of polished sandstone pebbles are also exported. These sandstone pebbles require minimal maintenance, hence advantageous.

Areas of Existence
The primary manufacturing areas of sandstone pebbles include Karauli, Bharatpur, and Dholpur districts in the east; Bundi, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, and Kota in south; and Jodhpur and Nagaur in the west of Jaipur, India. However, Lalitpur and Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh, India are also known for their sandstone pebbles.

Usage of Sandstone Pebbles 
Sandstone pebbles are both exterior decor and utility items. These pebbles are widely used in the exterior cladding of homes, hotels, garden pathways, and so. These sandstone pebbles not only impart an aesthetic look to the building, flooring, pathways, etc. wherever they are placed, but also protects them from the harsh climatic conditions like heavy rain, blazing heat, snow, etc. The contemporary sandstone pebbles are being designed in varied shapes, sizes, and hues which make them appropriate for diverse applications.

Sandstone blocks are similar to bricks as far as shape is concerned. The main difference lies in their size and the material used for making them. Unlike the conventional bricks (made of clay), the sandstone blocks are made of sedimentary rocks and are generally 10 to 20 times the size of a standard brick. The naturally found sandstone blocks are often very large and irregular in shape, which are probably not suitable for any building application. Therefore, these blocks are cut, carved, and polished to provide them the required and much familiar look. After that only, these blocks are used in various applications. However, the contemporary sandstone blocks are available in a multitude of colors, but their most common colors include brown, yellow, gray, and reddish-brown.

Areas of Existence
In India, sandstone blocks are mainly found in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. The various regions and districts under these two states which are known for sandstone blocks manufacturing are as given under:

• Udaipur
• Bhilwara

• Jaipur
• Jodhpur

• Gwalior

Usage of Sandstone Blocks 
There are several application areas of sandstone blocks. These blocks are used in numerous many areas. Some of the prominent uses of sandstone blocks include cladding walls of home, hotels, and various other buildings; making pavings in gardens; fabricating architectural vases; exterior veneering; building of fireplaces; making footpaths and walkways to name a few. However, the type of sandstone blocks that are used in the above applications may slightly differ in their size and shape according to the requirement of the application.

Sandstone strips are basically long, narrow, and stick like pieces of sandstone which have a uniform width all over. These strips are created by precisely cutting long pieces from the sandstone. Although their appearance is quite alike to that of a stick, the sandstone strips do not have a rigid size and shape, their dimensions may vary according to the need of the application for which they are required. The distinguishing characteristics of the contemporary sandstone strips include their high resistance power and their multiple colors like pink, white, yellow, red, brown, green, and gray. Nowadays the sandstone strips are also being used for enhancing the interior decor.

Areas of Existence
Due to the abundance of the natural sources of sandstone in Rajasthan, the sandstone strips are extensively manufactured on this land. Besides this, sandstone strips can also be found in Shivpuri, a municipality of Shivpuri district, Madhya Pradesh, India; and in Lalitpur, a city in the Lalitpur district, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Usage of Sandstone Strips 
Some of the common application areas of sandstone strips include roofing, flooring, and wall cladding. Owing to their aesthetic look, some architects have also started using sandstone strips for interior decor purposes. The other uses of these strips are ornamentation of the entrance or exit door borders in houses and other buildings, and application in large outdoor gardens and public parks.

Sandstone bricks appear like small molded blocks which are commonly used as building material. These bricks are known for their distinguishing features like compact look, durability, compressive intensity, and multiple colors. The common colors in which these bricks come include gray, light brown, and soft ocher. Sometimes different colors are mixed to form a totally new color of the brick which looks very elegant. The naturally found sandstone differs in constitution, degree of fermentation, texture, and molding properties. But, this natural differentiation in the characteristics of sandstones is favorable, rather than hostile, for the purpose of making bricks from sandstones. This is so because the sandstones with different properties are suitable for different applications, hence the bricks made of them are used accordingly.

Areas of Existence
The districts of Karauli, Dholpur, and Bharatpur on the east, Kota, Bundi, Bhilwara, and Chittorgarh on the south, and Nagaur and Jodhpur on the west of Jaipur are the most famous for sandstone bricks. Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh and Lalitpur in Uttar Pradesh also have fair amount of sandstone bricks.

Usage of Sandstone Bricks 
There is no definite or fixed size and design of sandstone bricks. These bricks are made in customized designs and dimensions, keeping in view their diverse applications. Sandstone bricks are nowadays widely used for the purpose of interior and exterior paving as well as cladding of the exteriors of home, and other buildings. Last but not least, these bricks are used in the construction of boundary walls and small shades.