Granite products in Colorado Springs? The “pattern” is larger in marble. The color tends to be fairly consistent with veins running through it that concentrate the color. A gray-blue slab of marble might have darker blue veins; a gray-pink slab might contain veins that are quite rosy-red in color. Beauty is subjective, of course. Get your eyes on a large number of both marble and granite slabs to make the determination of which material you find to be more attractive. Hardness and Durability: Granite is harder than marble, so it is more resistant to chips and scratches. Both materials are heat resistant, though caution should be used with hot pots and pans in the kitchen or hot hair tools in the bathroom.
“I’ve had people say, “Why does my marble countertop already look horrible only three months after it was installed?’ ” says Bruno. “I ask them what cleansers they’re using, or tell them to ask their cleaning person or their husband. If it’s something abrasive, they’re stripping away the sealant and leaving the stone wide open to stains.” But stains aren’t the only things you have to be concerned about. Marble is also prone to what’s called etching—that is, dull marks on the surface caused by contact with acidic substances. You’d be surprised how many cooking ingredients are acidic—lemon juice, vinegar, tomato sauce; the list goes on. Etching marks can’t just be buffed away; they require more aggressive treatment.
Commercial marble is either metamorphic or sedimentary in composition, made primarily of calcite. Some “marbles” may be a type of quartzite or quartz-based stone, and green “marbles” are made of a mineral called serpentine. Marble is usually characterized by having veins and a smoother surface texture than granite. Like granite, marble ranges from white to black in color and will have some degree of variation in color over its surface. Both marble and granite vary in appearance from slab to slab because the minerals that make up the color of the stone may change depending on where it is cut from.
When it comes to countertops, quartz is quickly becoming an affordable and low maintenance alternative to our beloved marble. There are even new trends for accessorizing your countertops, like vintage plate racks made to display your grandmother’s china. Hardware and metal finishes continue to push the envelope—think brass, nickel, and matte black. Removable wallpaper companies are making it even easier to experiment with pattern on walls and backsplashes. Consider 2020 as the year of the kitchen! Carrara marble like that shown here will always be in style, but if you’re a red wine drinker, quartz could be a much better fit for you and your kitchen. While it looks like a natural stone, engineered quartz is more affordable and less prone to stains. Read even more info at Premier designer stone and quartz Colorado Springs.
Maintenance: Sealants are used on both granite and marble to prevent staining and etching. Marble requires sealing much more frequently i.e. twice a year (recommended by professionals) whereas for granite sealing once every two years is sufficient. The actual requirement for resealing depends on how heavily the surface was used and how regularly the stone’s cleaning was done.