Marble adds a sophisticated element to your home, and its wonderful appearance, superior engineering characteristics, and ease of maintenance makes it a natural choice for fireplace facing, table tops, vanity tops, and tub decks. Any stone capable of taking a polish (with the exception of granite) is known as marble. This includes travertine, onyx, serpentine and limestone. Marble is sensitive to citric acid and other kitchen spills so it should be cared for as you would a fine wood finish. Using coasters on tabletops and cleaning up spills immediately will preserve marble's natural beauty. Polished marble on a bathroom countertop requires you not to leave anything that will cause rust, chemical, or food stains on the countertop and the countertop will need to be sealed occasionally. Lemon juice or other food acids can etch polished marble, and cause flat spots and marble is more easily stained by oils, juices and metals. Stains on marble are more complicated to remove. A honed marble on a kitchen countertop is a better choice than polished. Never use bleach, Comet or acidic cleaners on polished marble. These will etch the surface and remove the shine.
Granite is an excellent choice for kitchen countertops. Granite usually comes in 2 distinctive looks. A "salt and pepper" or speckled pattern look. Other types have veining similar to marble. Granite is a dense-grained, hard stone. It can be highly polished or finished in a variety of other ways. A broad spectrum of color is available. Granite received the highest overall performance rating, according to a leading consumer magazine, as a kitchen countertop material. While some synthetic surfaces scratch easily and melt under hot cookware, granite resists heat. Granite is also one of the most bacteria-resistant kitchen surfaces, and it is not affected by citric acid, coffee, tea, alcohol, or wine. It is also nearly impossible to scratch, and with proper cleaning, will not stain under normal use. Available in a striking array of colors, granite's exceptional strength makes it ideal for kitchen countertops.
Most stones should be sealed with a high-quality stone sealer. Kitchen counters, vanities and tub should be resealed whenever water will not bead up on the surface. Sealing a stone surface is not difficult, or expensive. When cleaning stone, there are a couple of do's and don’ts. Don’t use Windex or other products with ammonia, strong caustics, or solvents. Ammonia will remove the sealer. Strong caustic cleaners will do the same.