Marble Countertops Highlights

Natural stone is always a favorite option for many homeowners, but marble has long been recognized as one of the best stones in the world. Between the many marble colors available and the unique veining that many types possess, many feel that the appearance of marble simply cannot be matched.

 

Marble Countertops

When it comes to countertop materials, the look of marble countertops alone should be enough to push them toward the top of your wish list. There is a reason that some of the world’s most famous structures and statues are built of this stone. Marble represents pure beauty. Imagine having that pure beauty in your home in the form of a marble countertop.

 

Marble in Ancient History

From ancient history, mankind has had an ongoing love affair with all things marble. Why not in your kitchen in the form of kitchen countertops or bathroom vanity tops? Marble carries with it the weight of its legacy, but now owning it is no longer limited to the wealthy. Quarried slab marble is cheaper than in years past, due to more efficient extraction techniques and less expensive ocean-freighting costs. Also, you can buy cultured marble countertops that are more within the affordable range for the rest of us. And if seamless slab or cultured marble is not affordable, homeowners can always find a ready solution by using tiles instead.

 

Color Variety

One of the best qualities of marble, as applied to countertops, is the variety of color and veining.

Laminate and solid surface countertops all attempt to reproduce the beauty of marble, yet nothing comes close to the three-dimensional depth and richness and veining of real stone. In fact, laminate’s beauty is only skin deep. Just below its photographic and wear layers are nothing but particle board. By contrast, marble is marble, from top to bottom.

 

 

Veining in Marble Stone

Marble is a metamorphic rock, which means it changes from its original, sedimentary form to marble under severe pressure and heat. This means that marble’s distinguishing feature, the veining is the result of impurities in the original limestone. Under extreme pressure and heat, the original materials completely re-crystallize. The purest marble is white, the type that Renaissance artists carved into statues.

 

Cultured Stone

If you want the look but not the price and maintenance, a viable and cost-effective avenue is the cultured marble countertop. Crushed marble is combined with thermoplastic resin and molded into slabs.  Why is it so low-maintenance? Because unlike natural marble, the resins in cultured marble lend non-porosity to the material. Cultured stone still can stain, but staining is far less likely to happen.

Cultured marble countertops have a gloss or flat finish, and can come with integral sinks or allow for a drop-in sink. Can you DIY-install a cultured marble counter? Not easily. Fabrication of both natural and cultured stone is best left in the hands of professionals.

 

Advantages

Marble Countertops besides their awesome legacy and history, it offers:

 

Fancy details

Marble countertops can be fabricated to have fancy ogee edges, due to the softness and overall workability of marble.

 

Cutting

If you’ve worked with marble tiles, for instance, they cut easier than granite, which is prone to chip more easily. Marble cuts like a dream. This allows for fancier design capabilities without the fear of damage, relative to other types of stone.

 

Decent durability

Even with marble’s inherent “softness,” it is still hard enough to withstand high traffic.

 

Resists heat

It’s an ideal work surface. It is also heat resistance, lending itself well to kitchen use.

 

 

Marble High Maintenance

While there is no doubt marble is gorgeous, we would be remiss for not letting you know it is a bit high maintenance. First off, it is a lot softer than good old granite so instead of chopping directly on top of marble, grab a cutting board to avoid scratching. The stone is also porous, which means spills that are not immediately cleaned up can stain.

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Sources

www.thespruce.com/kitchen-marble-countertops-1822076

www.thespruce.com/marble-kitchen-countertops-4175909

marble.com/marble-countertops