It’s important to note what stone was used to construct your basement, foundation, or cellar. Knowing what rock you have is crucial because the expansion and contraction rate is different from stone wall to a stone wall. Here are some of the most common rocks.
Basalt – A dark or black fine-grained volcanic rock commonly formed in a columnar structure.
Gneiss – A metamorphic rock banded, layered, or “foliated” in design, coarse-grained, principally made up of feldspar, quartz, and mica.
Granite – A hard granular, crystalline igneous rock widely used in building construction.
Laterite – Formed by weathering of igneous rocks in moist warm climates or a clay-soil high in aluminum oxide and iron.
Limestone (depending on the quality and hardness) – Limestone is a hard sedimentary rock, principally Dolomite or Calcium Carbonate.
Marble – Not a very common foundation or wall stone, but frequently found near marble quarries.
Quartzite – A rugged granular rock, possibly silicified sandstone (sarsen stones).
Trap stone – Any dark igneous rock crushed to random shapes.
Travertine stone – Stone formed in hot springs and limestone caves, similar to marble, granite, onyx, and limestone.