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Are you considering a natural stone countertop? Thankfully, at The Stone Collection, we offer numerous choices so you can get a natural stone countertop that fits your needs and your style.
The only problem with having so many options is that it can be hard to figure out which stone is best suited for you. That’s why we’re providing this handy buying guide, which will run through some of the benefits and limitations of each option so that you can find the one that’s right for your countertop.
Dolomite is a sedimentary rock made of calcium magnesium carbonate, which makes it closely related to marble. Like marble, it often has beautiful patterning but is vulnerable to acidic attack. The stone is also semi-porous, which means it can be vulnerable to staining.
Best use: Bathrooms and tabletops where acidic and colorful liquids won’t be used regularly.
As an igneous rock, granite is highly resistant to high temperatures. It’s also not porous, and its primary component, quartz, is highly resistant to most food acids. Granite comes in a tremendous variety of colors and patterns.
Best use: Granite’s durability makes it suitable for almost any use. It’s very popular for kitchen countertops, fireplace hearths, and outdoor kitchens.
Limestone is a soft sedimentary rock valued for its luxurious texture. The inclusion of fossils can make limestone a truly unique decorative statement. However, it is vulnerable to acid etching and staining.
Best use: Limestone is often used for flooring and decorative walls, but as a countertop it’s best suited for bathroom vanities and tabletops where it’s unlikely to be exposed to acid.
Lundhs Real Stone is a category of natural stone brought from specific quarries in Norway. They come in a variety of colors and patterns due to their variety of mineral components, primarily larvikite and anorthosite. Although these look like granite, they don’t contain any quartz.
Best use: The high temperature resistance, high acidic resistance, and low porosity make these stones great choices for kitchen countertops, fireplace hearths, and outdoor kitchens.
Marble is famed for its beautiful appearance. The cool white and intricate veining gives it a beautiful appearance. Its historical usage in statuary and classical architecture also makes it prized. However, the softness of the stone that makes it great for sculpting also makes it less desirable for kitchen countertops. It’s also vulnerable to attack by many common kitchen acids and is porous, which makes it a less desirable choice.
Best use: Bathroom vanities and tables where it won’t likely be exposed to acidic foods.
Onyx can refer to many types of minerals, but the onyx used to make slabs is a banded calcite. It has beautiful patterns and colors which form either cloud-like shapes or strong veins. Cut in thin sheets, it makes a beautiful, backlit decorative wall. It is relatively soft and porous, making it not a great choice for applications where it might be exposed to acids.
Best use: Primarily decorative tables and counters, but also suitable for bathroom vanities.
Although quartz is a natural mineral, most countertops described as quartz are engineered products. However, quartzite is a natural stone composed primarily of quartz. This makes it very strong and resistant to high temperatures. It also comes in a variety of colors and patterns, many of which look like marble. Quartzite is semi-porous, which means it will need to be sealed for most countertop applications.
Best use: Kitchen countertops, fireplace hearths, and bathroom vanities. Choose this anywhere you want marble but will get too much use for that soft stone.
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock in which sand grains are held together by softer material. Sandstone varieties have widely different performance characteristics, though most are too soft and porous for use in the kitchen.
Best use: Exterior applications other than outdoor kitchens.
Soapstone is a soft sedimentary rock. It has a pleasant feel, but it’s very vulnerable to scratches and cuts. However, it’s resistant to acid attack and highly heat resistant. With a mineral-oil coating to give it luster and mask cuts, soapstone can make a suitable kitchen counter.
Best use: Fireplace hearth, but it’s also suitable for kitchen countertops and bathroom vanities.
Travertine is a type of limestone known for its texture, colors, and patterns. It is a beautiful stone, but its vulnerability to acid makes it a less-desirable choice for kitchen countertops. It also has natural voids in it caused by carbon dioxide bubbling through the stone as it formed, which can make it porous.
Best use: Decorative countertops and bathroom vanities.
Are you having trouble deciding on the right natural stone countertop for your kitchen or bathroom? Take advantage of The Stone Collection’s unique Get Inspired™ Experience to help make up your mind.
You don’t need an appointment. Just show up to browse our gallery-style warehouse. Look at the hundreds of varieties of natural and engineered stone countertop options. You can look around by yourself, but if you’re ready for some expert guidance, our people are on hand to listen to your style goals, recommend potential options, and guide you through the characteristics of each stone so you can find the perfect choice for your countertop. You can even put the stone slab on hold for two weeks if you don’t have a fabricator yet.
Don’t let the variety of natural stone keep you from finding the perfect natural stone countertop for your kitchen, bathroom, or bar. Please contact us or visit The Stone Collection in Denver, Dallas, Fort Worth, Phoenix, or Salt Lake City.