Marble, Granite, Travertine & Limestone
When conducting market research for our professional real estate brochures, we here at marketing Designs see many different building materials. Some of the hardest to distinguish between are tiles and countertops made from stone – specifically marble, granite, travertine, and limestone. To help realtors and residential home buyers alike, we've put together a quick guide to these common, and similar, designer stones often found in kitchens and bathrooms.
Granite is a very hard stone made of crystallized minerals. characterized by its iridescent shine and a flaky, "granulated" appearance, it comes in exotic varieties such as Juparana Dream and ubatuba, and is ideal for kitchen countertops since it is resistant to household acids such as citrus and vinegar. But don't do any chopping on granite because it is harder than your average blade and doing so can ruin a good knife.
On the other side of the geologic coin is marble, which is easy to spot due to the many veins running through it. Marble comes in many different types, but the most popular varieties in today's custom home designs are Calacatta and Cararra, which feature attractive patterns of gray veins. Unfortunately, since marble contains a lot of calcium and can easily be affected by cooking acids, it isn't the best material to use in a custom kitchen.
Limestone and travertine – both part of the marble family – are different in appearance. Limestone has a rough, gritty surface, while travertine is dotted with holes that are often filled with cement and smoothed over. As home marketing experts, we do not recommend using limestone in food prep areas since it is extremely porous and difficult to keep clean.
All four of these stones can be “honed” and/or “polished,” wherein a reflective, shiny surface or softer, matted face is achieved through manufacturing. The stunning marble tile shower showcased in this newly built Atherton home is finished with mosaic designs of both Carrera marble and limestone.