Natural stone is one of the best choices for countertops gracing your kitchen and bathrooms. There are so many choices of natural stone including marble, Premium Grade Quartz, granite and limestone that it can be a tough choice to find the option for you.
In the following article we will take a closer look at two of the most popular choices, Granite and Marble and how they perform in a side-by-side comparison. First, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of these highly popular natural stone countertops.
Granite Pros:
Cost Effective
Many different colors and styles
Highly durable
Low maintenance
Heat resistant
Cons:
Not completely stain proof
Can be scratched
Marble — Pros:
Elegant appearance in patterns
Great variety of colors and styles
Heat-resistant
Cons:
Expensive
Not especially durable
Vulnerable to staining and scratches
Requires considerable maintenance
Now that we have a better idea of the strengths and weaknesses of Granite and Marble countertops. We can take a look at how they compare in their individual application.
Appearance
As a metamorphic rock, marble has an attractive design pattern made of wavy veins of striated minerals. The color of marble will depend largely on the base minerals found within. For example, serpentine based marble has a greenish tone. Marble can also be found in blue, red, brown and grey tones, but typically it is just black and white.
Granite is also a metamorphic rock and comprises a wide variety of minerals that have been compacted together. This gives it a very unique and beautiful pattern in speckles, veins, flecks and solid colors. Granite is also available in a much wider color scheme than marble including deeper tones of greens, browns, cream, reds, blues, whites and many more multi-colored options as well.
Installation
Granite and marble will be installed in a very similar way. First the solid slab will be purchased and then cut into the template before being installed. The slab of natural stone will then be installed in the kitchen or bathroom and secured with silicone. It is essential that this task is handled by an experienced professional.
Maintenance
All natural stone countertops will require special care and attention after installation and in ongoing maintenance.
Granite is a very durable stone that requires less maintenance and is generally more resistant to staining than marble. Granite countertops should be properly sealed after installation, you can tell this has been done properly when water droplets bead on the surface of the granite. Small damages to the surface can be repaired by an expert, but only to a certain degree. After the initial sealing, granite should be resealed each year to ensure longevity.
It will be essential to protect marble countertops with a proper sealant designed for these porous surfaces. But even after it has been sealed marble can still absorb stains so it will be important to keep the countertop perfectly clean and wipe up all spilled liquids immediately. Marble is especially vulnerable to acidic juices like lemon juice, tomato paste, etc. Staying on top of cleaning will be of the utmost importance if you will keep a marble countertop looking good for its full-service life.
Long-Term Durability
While natural stone is characterized by its impressive durability, it is important to remember that this is only part of the story. If you hope to maintain the stunning beauty of your natural stone countertops in immaculate conditions, you will need to treat it with special care and attention. If liquids are not cleaned up quickly, they will eventually seep into the surface and disfigure the surface beauty. Furthermore, you will want to be very careful about not scratching the surface of these stone countertops while dragging heavy or sharp objects across the surface. Granite it the harder surface of the two and will not scratch and chip as easily.