A Comparison of Various Types of Natural Stone

All types of natural stone can add elegance and timeless style to your home. Stone also offers incredible durability and minimal upkeep, whether you choose it for your countertops, flooring, or shower. The biggest drawback to natural stone is that it can be challenging to narrow down your options. The good news is that you don’t have to choose just one type of stone. Here's a brief overview of the most popular types of natural stone and what they have to offer.

Granite

Granite is the most popular material for countertops, but it's also widely used for flooring and showers. It is incredibly hard and comes in a wide variety of colors. This type of stone is often flecked with minerals, but it can also form veins.

Slate

Slate forms from clay in ancient seabeds with unique colors, a distinctive cleft pattern, and matte surface texture. It comes in colors like blues, grays, dark greens, and purples. The interesting texture and color of slate work very well for floors and showers, but it can also be used for kitchen countertops.

Limestone

Limestone comes in a variety of rich earthy colors ranging from silver blue to creamy tan, and it comes in many textures that range from smooth to rustic. The timeless appeal of limestone and its neutral colors make it popular in entryways, kitchen floors, and all bathroom surfaces.

Marble

Marble begins as limestone, but the right conditions cause the components of limestone to crystallize, creating a new texture and the classic veining of marble. Marble is considered one of the most elegant stones, and it's been used for monuments and buildings for centuries. While softer than granite, marble is still strong enough for any home application. It is most popular for tub surrounds, bathroom vanities, backsplashes, and floors. Its unique ability to remain cool also makes marble an in-demand surface for pastry chefs and bakers.

Travertine

Travertine, like marble, is a type of limestone. This stone is formed when minerals dissolve in water and get washed over existing limestone formations. Travertine has been used for thousands of years, with the Colosseum of Ancient Rome serving as a testament to travertine's enduring beauty and strength. Because it is highly moisture resistant, travertine is a great choice for kitchen and bathroom flooring. It comes in many earth tones and finishes like matte, tumbled, brushed, and polished. Travertine is also one of the most affordable forms of natural stone.

Quartz

Quartz is quickly becoming a top choice for kitchen countertops alongside granite. Typically used for countertops, quartz is set apart from other types of natural stone because it's usually engineered. Most quartz countertops on the market today are made from real ground quartz mixed with polymer resins, which creates a nearly indestructible countertop. Unlike other stone counters, quartz is completely nonporous thanks to the resin. This means no sealing is necessary and the stone is very difficult to stain. The manufacturing process also allows for almost endless customization to get the precise look you want.

No matter which type of stone you choose to install in your home, it’s important to care for it properly, and one of the most essential steps is cleaning the stone regularly with a specially formulated granite cleaner such as Granite Gold Daily Cleaner®. If you’d like tips on caring for granite, limestone, quartz, slate, and other types of natural stone, get in touch with Granite Gold® today at 1-800-475-STONE.