blue pearl granite worktop and backsplash

Granite worktops vs Marble worktops: A Comparison; similarities and differences; Which is better ?

white carrara marble worktop and backsplashes

Granite and marble have shown incredible sales growth in recent years. Homeowners, like commercial builders before them, have discovered their advantages. Homebuyers are requesting and homeowners are installing granite and/or marble flooring, kitchen and bathroom countertops, back splashes, tub platforms and surrounds, and fireplace hearths and mantles. Granite and marble are both stone making them hard, heavy, expensive, and time consuming to install. Formed by nature, granite and marble are very different from each other and vary individually producing unique colours and patterns.
Granite and Marble Formation
Granite is a dense-grained, hard stone formed deep in the earth’s molten mantle at extremely high temperatures. As this hot liquid material moves to the surface and cools, it forms a crystalline, granular (granite) structure. Unlike marble, granite has larger crystals ranging from the size of peas to rice grains. This creates a coarser, more sparkly look than marble. Granite encompasses a range of colors and patterns but fewer than for marble. You may choose granite finished in a variety of ways but polished granite is the most common choice.
Marble starts as sediment at the bottom of bodies of water. As the sediment deposition builds up over millions of years it solidifies (lithifies) under the pressure into limestone or dolomite. During mountain building, when heat and pressure are extremely high, these stones metamorphous into marble. Marble’s many colours and veining result from the mineral “impurities” trapped during its beginning as sediment and the effect can be quite dramatic. The extremely fine crystals in marble formation produce a snowy or satiny look that many consider more elegant and luxurious than granite.
Granite and Marble Uses
Granite is available in striking colours and several finishes–polished, honed, matte, and textured–giving granite its own immense beauty. It is very durable and easy to clean. As one of the hardest materials known, granite is heat, water, and chemical resistant. As a result, granite does not scorch or stain, does not scratch, and a chip or crack is very rare and usually results from an imperfection.
All of which makes granite perfect for kitchen counters. Polished granite is impervious to household acids such as citrus juices, tomato juices, and vinegars and hard enough to resist scratching from knives. Other uses include tabletops, fireplaces, bars, vanities, sinks, shower surrounds etc.
Granite’s unique characteristics also make it an ideal choice for flooring, especially in high traffic areas but honed (satin finish) granite can be substituted in particular problem areas.
Marble, with its wonderful appearance, adds a sophisticated and elegant element to a home. Its ease of engineering, cutting and shaping, compared to granite and its simple maintenance make marble a natural choice for bathroom vanities, tabletops, tub decks, and showers.

emperador marble vanity top

Because marble can stain and scratch more easily than granite, care should be the same as for a fine wood finish. Because marble’s main component is calcium carbonate, acids such as vinegar and citrus beverages can mar it. Use of coasters and the immediate clean up of spills will help preserve marble’s natural beauty. A honed, rather than polished, marble surface will serve better for use as a kitchen countertop by providing better resistance to food acids that can readily etch polished marble producing dull spots.
Marble flooring, if polished, serves well in low traffic areas and is particularly beautiful in foyers and bathrooms. Honed marble will do well in high traffic areas where sand and gravel might accumulate.
Precautions and Maintenance
All stone, unlike ceramic tile, is slightly porous. For both marble and granite, professionals recommend the application of a neutral pH, breathable sealer immediately after installation followed by regular re-application every year or less dependent upon usage. One good indicator is when water will not bead on the surface. It is time for re-sealing of counters, floors, vanities, etc.
Re-sealing is not difficult, or expensive. Clean the stone with a mild detergent (no ammonia) and allow several hours drying. Next, apply the sealer as directed and wipe off the excess. Always use a wooden or plastic cutting board for cutting or chopping on granite or marble. For marble this prevents stains and scratches, for granite it protects the edge on your knife blades.
The rule of thumb for granite is never to use anything you would not use on your hands. Powdered cleansers or abrasive pads can damage your stone. Even “soft scrub” type cleaners contain powdered volcanic stone called pumice and can damage even a granite countertop or floor. Never use any product that includes ammonia. Clean granite and marble surfaces with mild detergent or stone soap. Mild acidic cleaning solutions are safe for granite but not marble.
Avoid leaving any thing that will cause rust or leave chemical stains (nail polish and remover, for example) on a polished marble surface such as a bathroom vanity. Marble stains are difficult if not impossible to remove with even re-polishing can fail. Never use bleach or acidic cleaners to attempt to clean a stain.
Marble and Granite Costs
For countertops, marble and granite are about double the cost of laminates, all things being equal; granite is usually somewhat less expensive than marble. On other hand, both cost less than solid surface, not laminated, countertops and are about half the price of stainless steel. Usually granite is slightly less expensive than marble but costs will vary depending on the type of surface you choose. Exotics and/or hard to find colours and patterns, particularly blues, are usually more expensive.