When deciding to go with natural stone countertops in your kitchen, selecting the right material is going to be one of the first steps. Between marble , granite, quartz, travertine, and so on, there are a wide variety of natural options to pick from, each of them coming with their own list of pros and cons.
For now, we’ll focus on marble as your countertop material, and will explore all the positives and negatives associated with choosing it.
Types of White Marble Countertops
When most people envision “white marble,” they’re thinking of Carrara, which ranges from a bluish-gray to pristine white. Carrara’s veining is fairly subtle and gray in appearance. This is just one type of marble, though.
Calacatta is another fairly common type of white marble. It’s much brighter, with thicker veins, and can come in darker hues like brown.
Next, you have statuary marble. You’ve almost certainly seen a sculpture made from this type of marble (Michaelangelo’s iconic David is one of them). It is a highly contrasting stone, with dark veining that looks striking against its otherwise stark white surface.
To the untrained eye, these types of marble may look identical. In reality, it’s important to know the distinction if you’re serious about interior design.
Pros and Cons of Marble Kitchen Countertops
Marble is a porous, high-maintenance surface
We could get into the geology of this, but the takeaway is that marble is vulnerable to staining agents (like juice and oil) that seep deep into the rock. When this happens, it’s difficult to reverse, so professionally sealing the surface upon installation is essential to help prevent damage.
The key word here is help. Unfortunately, you’ll need to repeat the sealing process (you can do this yourself, with a quality sealant) every six months if you’re a frequent cook.
Marble is More Art than Construction Material
The primary reason people opt for marble installation, whether it’s for their kitchen or bathroom countertops, is simply because marble can create an eye-catching focal point in any room. Obviously, a unique or rarer color, and more pronounced veining, will drive the cost of various marbles up. However, there’s no debating how stunning the right piece of marble can be.
Additionally, it’s not hard to find a style of marble that complements whatever other design elements are at play, and that versatility and neutrality is another motivating factor when people choose to go with marble.
Marble is Heat-Resistant
While it’s not recommended to leave hot pots and pans directly on marble counters, it’s technically something that could be done thanks to the heat-resistant nature of marble.
That said, it would take constant and seemingly intentional efforts to mar its surface with heat or fire. While you probably won’t want to cook on marble, as you can with granite, marble still holds up incredibly well to heat and hot items. Even though this is the case, use trivets for your hot pots and pans, regardless of what surface your countertop is.
It’s useful for baking
Bakers, listen up! From a practical standpoint, a marble surface can come in handy when you’re cooking or baking, because it’s naturally cool to the touch. That’s why you’ll see a lot of old-school French bakeries that have marble counters. It helps keep the butter in the dough cool.
Marble can be Expensive
Luxury is never cheap, and marble is the epitome of luxury. There is some wiggle room here, however: since marble does exist in so many places and so many varieties, it’s available in an incredibly wide range of qualities and prices.
It is possible to shop arond and find relatively affordable options for run-of-the-mill quality marble countertops, but the pristinely smooth stuff that sparkles and glistens like a Grecian temple in the sun can be prohibitively expensive.
Marble is Heavy
Seriously heavy. Like really, ridiculously heavy. If you were thinking of installing a marble countertop on your own, think again, because you could injure yourself, or damage the marble.
But if your heart is absolutely set on DIY, when it comes to marble, we recommend that you opt for tiles, leaving the slabs to the professionals. Even in tile-form, you’ll still need to calculate the marble’s weight and ensure that your counter is sturdy enough to support it.
Marble Countertop Lifespan
Marble can last more than 100 years, according to the National Association of Home Builders. But it does need attention and maintenance. It’s not the hardest material and can suffer chips and dents. Frequent sealing of marble countertops will ensure that they last a lifetime.
