Granite and marble are natural stones which have been endowed with a beauty that people love. These stone materials have inspired architects and designers throughout history. Customers that are less knowledgeable about stones usually assume the marble ordered to be similar to a photo or sample they might have been shown. Sample stones are meant to represent a quarry's typical product, but the actual substance quarried at one time may vary somewhat in the color and veining from your sample. Furthermore, a good marble or granite piece can have a very certain level of color variations from each other. Architects and interior designers have come to see this as a benefit since the rock is unique and not mass-produced. Small imperfections may be attractive, adding a natural factor of randomness and beauty to the design of a countertop or other granite surface.
Granite and Marble Differences
Over half of the marble and granite in the US originates from Italy and it's there where you will find distinct differences between the 2 kinds of rocks. Even though both are rocks quarried from the ground, granite and marble are completely different from one another. Granite is formed deep within the earth's core at very high temperatures, and is really a resilient, hard rock made from crystallized minerals. Granite comes in a variety of lovely colors having a grained structure. Granite may be the hardest natural stone in the world. Granite is much more suitable as a material for kitchen countertops: the hard granite endures heat from hot pots and skillets placed on it (marble will blister).
Marble's related stones include the following:
- limestone
- onyx
- travertine
The marble stones start off as sediment: animal skeletons, plant life, shells, dirt and silt. These substances tend to accumulate at bottoms of lakes and other water bodies. After millions of years this solidifies in to rock. Since its primary component is calcium, acids like citrus and vinegar can impact it. Since they are stained by food acids easily, marble is less useful than granite for kitchens. Yet there are many homeowners that do not mind the stains because they feel marble is great for rolling out pastry dough. Professional bakers as well as serious home bakers will incorporate an area of marble countertop solely for this purpose. Marble is normally finished the same as granite. Marble is lighter in color than granite. As a result of the porous characteristic of marble, it's prone to scratches. Marble may not make it into every kitchen, but plenty of bathrooms (as well as fireplace mantels) still put marble to good use.
Caring for Marble and Granite
To prevent discoloration, sealants are frequently employed to the surfaces of both marble and granite after installation. The preservation of these surfaces requires that you reseal the stone (or have contractor perform the marble or granite sealing). In the case of marble, resealing ought to be done at six month to one year intervals. Granite is more forgiving: resealing only has to be performed every 1 to 3 years.
