Marble or Granite Countertops – Which One Should You Choose?
The quickest way to dress up a kitchen and to give it that wow factor that everyone wants to see, is with the addition of dramatic counter tops. Today, you see a lot of people putting in either Marble or Granite countertops because they look great and add a lot of pop for the money. They will also provide a solid return on investment if and when the property is sold.
Marble and Granite have distinct similarities and very big differences which you need to be aware of when determining which one is best for your kitchen.
Keep in mind that marble will be one of the most expensive materials to have as a counter top. The offset to this cost is that marble is also one of the longest lasting materials for a countertop, so your cost-per- year will be less than almost anything else that you could use. In fact, with proper care, if it is correctly made and installed,marble could last you well over a hundred years and still look as good as it did on the day it was installed.
The color of marble is dependent upon the area from which the stone originated. Every area has a different texture and color, so no two pieces will ever be the same.
Marble is also quite heat resistant and will not burn or catch fire. However.if hot items are placed directly on the marble, it can cause damage to the surface. It may not cause damage to the core of the marble, but if something hot is placed directly on it without a hot pad being used to insulateit, permanent color change could occur in the marble.
Granite is the hardest known building stone available, making it ideal for a kitchen counter top. It is very resistant to air variables and water and come in many more colorsthan marble. It is also a stone that is found almost the world over, so it is easily found in most regions of the world.
Granite has the distinction of allowing you to polish it to a high luster or to leave it rather rough looking and still do a great job at being an effective stone for your needs. Besides being heat and water resistant, granite counter tops are also highly bacteria resistant, so they do a good job at keeping your kitchen healthy as well.
The biggest drawback of granite is that it is inordinately expensive and will not be a cheap upgrade for your project. You will also need to occasionally seal the granite countertop to make sure it stays in great shape over time.
The patterns between Marble and Granite are quite a bit different and you will have to decide what works best for you and then pick out the slab that you will use because, as mentioned, no two are ever going to be the same.