1.   Natural stone is more difficult and expensive, but the best option if you want to plant into the sides.

2.   Alumina trihydrate is the most common filler, but some manufacturers use quartz chips as a filler element to create a material that looks like natural stone.

3.   Because it is a veneer product, it is easier to install than either full-thickness natural stone or brick.

4.   Because it is made with concrete, iron-oxide pigments and other aggregates, it is lighter than natural stone.

5.   Builders went so far as to reject installing a hot tub in the rock swimming pool area, because that would discolor the natural stone.

6.   Here again it is necessary to polish the edge with a hard natural stone.

7.   If you do spill grease, wipe it up promptly before it soaks into this natural stone.

8.   In high-end kitchens, many people are opting for floors that combine natural stone and wood, she said.

9.   Masonry borders may be made of bricks, concrete edging blocks or natural stone.

10.   Natural stones are another option but require more effort because they are heavier and irregular in shape.