Should You Install Marble or Granite Countertops?

by Kevin Smith Author

When it comes to elegant kitchen countertops, 2 of the most common materials, 2 options that certainly aren't going out of style anytime soon, are marble and granite slabs. Many people have trouble differentiating the 2, and even if they can, home improvement enthusiasts and home cooks alike may see them as interchangeable. One just has streaks while the other has freckles, right?

Wrong. There are more distinct, vital differences between marble and granite. Before you shop for granite or marble countertops for your Kennesaw, GA, kitchen, you need to know exactly how they differ, where each material shines, and what cons, if any, should steer your decision elsewhere.

The Basics

One of the chief similarities between marble and granite is that they're both natural stone. Marble and granite are both porous, shiny, and naturally colorful products of underground phenomena. Particularly, marble is an example of metamorphic rock, made from recrystallized carbon. You may be familiar with its parent form, limestone, which is also a classically beloved building material. When limestone experiences extreme pressure and heat due to shifting tectonic plates, the result of this grueling process will be gorgeous marble.

Granite, meanwhile, is a type of igneous rock, in which quartz, mica, and similar stones ranging in beauty and quality are compressed. The various flecks that you see in a slab of granite are the remnants of what were once separate rock formations.

The Specifications

When it comes to countertops, you need to find a material that fulfills a long list of duties. They have to do more than look pretty, something granite and marble can do quite well. Here's how granite and marble stack up in terms of specifications.

Granite is slightly harder than marble, which makes it less likely to crack or break. Marble, meanwhile, is slightly less hard, and is significantly harder to maintain, as marble is highly porous and vulnerable to stains from acidic or brightly colored foods.

Both granite and marble are moderately heat and cold resistant.

Extra Perks

When it comes to beauty, marble and granite are fair competitors, 2 of the greatest for your ktichen, and preferences are individual. Marble is often more brilliantly patterned and naturally glossy, which makes marble appear more elegant to some. However, this elegance does come with a higher price tag. That being said, installing pure, natural marble alone can upgrade your kitchen to 4-star quality. If you install marble countertops in your Kennesaw, GA, kitchen, you'll have a material that is slightly more high-maintenance than granite but that stays gorgeous for a long time.