Stairs remodeling quartz products Colorado Springs? On the other hand, granite is an igneous rock composed of grains of compressed quartz, feldspar, mica and similar materials. This means that granite is slightly harder than marble, but both offer reasonably good durability. Comparing marble and granite head to head in important categories will assist you in deciding which stone to use in your building or renovation project. Appearance: These are both beautiful options for countertops. Granite shows the grains we mentioned. They appear as specks that are varied in color, so a granite slab might contain a variety of hues – blue, green, orange, pink, red, etc., typically in medium to dark shades.
Vanquish stubborn stains. If you can’t remove a stain by yourself, it may be time to call a stone refinisher. “They’ll do a professional cleaning using special grinders, and perhaps fine-grit sandpaper,” says Bruno. But Bruno doesn’t discourage homeowners from using fine sandpaper on a marble countertop themselves. “Don’t worry about hurting your stone,” he says. “If there’s a nick or chip, you can smooth it out with sandpaper. You can also try that on a stain—just remember to reseal the surface when you’re done.” As reassurance, he offers this extreme case: “My wife and I recently bought an antique marble table that had been left outside and actually had algae growing on it. I got all the stains out using an electric sander and some diluted bleach.” Bruno also recommends learning to live with the flaws. “In Italy no one would look at a natural stone countertop and say, ‘Oh no, there’s a stain from a New Year’s Eve party seventeen years ago!’ A little etching and staining is normal wear and tear—it just becomes part of the kitchen.
For this reason, it is always recommended that you visit a stone yard and select the stone you want in person. Showroom samples of either marble or granite will not provide a true representation of what the stone will look like. Marble and granite counters are fabricated and installed in the same way. A template is made of your counter, and this template is transferred to the slab you want for your kitchen. The slab is cut to match the template and given a finished edge and any cutouts. The slab is transported to your home, and a silicone adhesive is applied to the perimeter of the cabinets. The slab is then lowered into place. Some thinner marble slabs may need to have a plywood 1 substrate installed on the cabinets first to strengthen them, but any 1¼-inch (3-cm) slab can be installed directly on the cabinets.
Don’t forget about your kitchen ceiling! Add a fun hit of color, wallpaper, or wood paneling to add dramatic flair to your space. If you’re installing custom cabinets, opt for a rough-hewn, reclaimed wood. And good news if you’re going pre-fab, companies such as IKEA are moving to more natural, eco-friendly materials for their kitchen cabinets. From bamboo to even recycled plastic bottles, cabinet companies are taking this revival of reduce and reuse very seriously. While wallpaper has become less scary to the general population over the last five years or so, folks are still reluctant to hang it in the kitchen. If you’re scared about the permanency of wallpaper, try something less, well, permanent. There are plenty of peel-and-stick papers in trendy designs that are incredibly easy to install and remove. Hot tip: Opt for a graphic design that mimics the look of tile. Read more information on #1 for Countertops in Colorado.
Granite is mainly composed of quarts and feldspars, it is coarse grained and usually in light colors. It has been in use extensively since the ancient times for both indoor and outdoor applications. Hardness and longevity: Granite is comparatively harder and stronger than marble. It is mostly known as the most durable natural stone and compared to marble. It is resistant to heat and can easily withstand hot cookware therefore it is perfect for kitchen tops. Marble is also susceptible to fading of color and becoming duller overtime. Unlike the stains which can be removed, a dulled marble has no way getting its shine back. It is an irreversible process and a major drawback of marble.