Silver Leaf

Marble countertops has been a popular trend in kitchen for the past several years. If you compare performance characteristics in a kitchen environment, granite is the better choice. However, because of its subtle veining and aesthetic appeal, many are choosing marble. The main difference is that granite and marble are made of different minerals that perform differently in regards to chemical resistance and hardness. Marble will etch when exposed to acids and bases.

Marble countertops will also scratch more easily since it scores a four on Mohs scale of hardness versus granite’s rating of seven. Some people assume that if marble is sealed, these tendencies will disappear but that is not actually the case. Most installers will use an impregnating sealer that sits just below the surface of the marble. Therefore, the surface is still susceptible to these occurrences.

If you want to consider using marble countertops in your kitchen you must set the proper expectation for its performance. It will not look the same 10 years from now as it did the day it was first installed. It will etch and scratch, we call this a patina and many consider it a thing of beauty. Yes, you can resurface the marble countertops to restore it to its original luster but this is a messy and expensive project. It is hard to duplicate the polish on areas that have been affected so you will usually need to do the whole thing.