When considering all of the available surfaces for your new kitchen, the common choices will typically be between granite, quartz, and quartzite. Recently, countertops made of porcelain have appeared on the scene. The common surface that is not recommended for a kitchen countertop is marble. Although a beautiful material and perfectly fine to use in your flooring, window sills, on walls, and on bathroom vanities, it has a perfect storm of characteristics that makes it impossible to recommend as a countertop surface in a kitchen:
- Hardness – marble is, in a literal sense, a softer material than granite, quartz, and quartzite. This makes it susceptible to both scratching and being chipped. Kitchen countertops are multi-purpose and high-usage, so it is only a matter of time before scratches on the surface become apparent.
- Etching – Marble surfaces contain calcium carbonate in an amount large enough to cause etching to be a risk. Etching occurs when acidic substances and causes the stone to begin to show dull marks and areas. There are many common liquids that are used in kitchens in a daily basis that are acidic enough to cause etching in marble, including coffees, wines, juices, and vinegars.
- Staining – Due to the soft and porous nature of marble compared to the other commonly used surfaces, staining is more probably in a marble countertop. Everything from coffee to olive oil to pasta sauce can cause a stain that can be extremely tedious to remove.
Although it is certainly not the same thing and part of the appeal of marble as a surface is the fact that it is a natural stone, one can still achieve the marble look through usage of a quartz countertop. Marble patterns are ubiquitous among quartz surface manufacturers and can provide a very similar look without the drawbacks outline above.
