Qualities of the Stone
The Lyons Sandstone beds, from which Colorado Rose Sandstone is taken, were deposited as beach and sandbar along the edge of a shallow sea that lay to the east of the Front Range in the Permian Age. In successive millennia, the sand deposits were buried, compacted, and uplifted, finally coming to the surface along the East edge of the modern day Rocky Mountains. By geologic chance, the formations between Fort Collins and Boulder have a combination of hardness, thin-bededness, and color that make them suitable for use as fascia, wall stone, flag stone, and other ornamental stone applications.
Most of the Lyons Sandstone consists of a combination of red and gray facies. The red facies are diagenetic and characterized by hematite, clay, quartz overgrowths, and calcite cement. It is the iron oxides (the hematite) that give the sandstone it characteristic red color. The gray facies are characterized by anhydrite and dolomite cement overlaying bitumen stains. The gray facies temper the red to produce many tints ranging from gray-blue through deep rose and red to pink, orange, and red-browns.
ASTM Test Results:
Absorption (C97) 3%
Compressive Strength (C170) 10-20,000 PSI
Modulus of Rupture (C99) 1000-3358 PSI
Abrasion Resistance (C241) 8
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