Granite and marble occupy a revered position in the minds of household people while considering the use of materials for their kitchen countertops as these materials are generally used by affluent people. Both these countertops have their own merits as well as demerits. These two materials are naturally occurring stones and they need some amount of care and protection for prolonged life and for retaining their attractive appearance. Such care and protection will help them to retain their fantastic looks for decades to come. Let us consider both these materials in detail and their suitability in using for kitchen countertop.
Purchasing kitchen countertops
Both these materials are naturally occurring and they are procured from quarries. Both of them are porous in nature. Limestone lying under the crust of earth that was subjected to intense pressure due to tectonic shifting is meta-morphed into marble. On the other side, granite is igneous rock formed by compressed feldspar, mica, quarts etc. This makes granite slightly harder than marble countertops. Both have considerable durability.
Appearance: These two materials have beautiful appearance that makes it suitable for kitchen countertops. They often appear as specks in varying colors like green, blue, orange, pink etc. Most often these specks vary from medium shade to dark shade. Marble patterns are larger. The colors of marble are consistent with the veins which pass through it in concentrated colors. Usually a gray-blue marble slab may contain darker veins of blue color. Similarly pink slabs will be having rosy red veins.
Durability and hardness: Granite is much harder compared to marble. It resists chips and scratches to the maximum. Both materials are heat resistant. These materials needs initial and periodic sealing for longer life. Both the materials are porous. So there is possibility for liquids to penetrate and stain them. If the seals are faded there is every possibility for these materials to get stained when oil, juice, wine etc fall on them. So it will be better if the above mentioned materials are kept away from granite or marble countertops. If they happen to fall on the surface immediately clean them completely to avoid further problems.
Price comparison: Marble is costlier than granite and therefore marble countertops Rockville are cheaper than granite countertops. Granite’s standard base price can be considered as $ 75 per square foot and the same for marble will be around $ 100 per square foot. So after installing a granite countertop it has been found that it costs about $ 175 per square foot of counter top and this becomes to $ 200 per square foot of installed counter top of marble.
Job complexity: The rates mentioned above are based on standard considerations. If the countertop is having more complexity like increased number of seams and corners, then the rate may change. So if you are planning to modify your kitchen countertop it will be better to get three different quotation form three different contractors and select the most suitable and cost effective one.
