Marble or Granite? What are the difference? When and why should you choose marble or granite?
Let’s take a look together at the differences between these two materials
If you ask a stone mason, he’ll answer you succinctly (he couldn’t do otherwise): “Granite is harder”. That means that granite is a very hard material, more difficult to cut, finish or polish than marble.
Due to its hardness, granite is more resistant than marble and its surface wears less quickly: it is not easily scratched and does not easily break. The polished surface remains undamaged for a relatively long period. Even under heavy use, granite makes for a robust floor covering and is hardly acid-sensitive.
The differences between marble and granite are a result of their geological origins
Marble is a sedimentary rock and is formed by the deposition of organic and mineral particles (e.g. mud, shells, seaweeds, minerals ) in different layers within bodies of water, then transformed by weathering and pressure in millions of years. During this process, the sediments discolour and harden, sometimes the original materials are significantly changed. That’s how the different types of marble are originated such as Bianco Carrara, Botticino, Nero Marquina, Emperador etc. Being a sedimentary rock, marble is mainly made of calcium carbonate and therefore sensitive to descaling agents.
Granite is an intrusive igneous rock. A long time ago, magma slowly crystallized deep inside the earth crust. Granite is mainly made of silicates, it has a coarse-grained structure and is generally a very hard and compact material. For huge and highly frequented areas, such as public buildings or entrance halls in railway stations, airports etc., we always recommend a granite pavement because it is much more resistant.
Granite is not really prone to acids, if lemon juice, Coca Cola or descaling agents get on the surface, they will not do any major damage. However, grease stains may penetrate between the individual grains of granite and be absorbed by the material. In comparison, marble is not really effected by greasy substances, but surface contact with acids must be avoided.
Special products can still be applied as a protective film against the damaging substances on the surfaces of marble and granite. Due to their different hardness level, marble is more often used for interior design, granite fits better for exterior areas.
This is obviously only a general guide how to distinguish the two materials and we are referring mainly to our national stones. Today, there’s a wider range of natural stone on the market with different colour shades and different patterns, e.g. from India, Brazil or South Africa.
The choice of material depends on furnishing details.
If you want to furnish a modern building, you can choose between a lot of different granites. Those of our customers, who have already visited our large warehouse, know exactly what we are talking about!
Why not choose marble then? Maybe considering first the information we’ve given you in this article.
The colour shades of marble are more effective than those of granite. Generally, the colours of marble are more brilliant and the different colours can be better combined with each other. Just think of a chessboard or geometrical pattern made of marble.
Modern pavement is wonderfully designed by granite, marble flooring is used for modern and for antique design. Renovating your home, when situated in an ancient building of high-quality, you’d better choose marble for your flooring, probably you’ll prefer historic marble from Italy as Red Verona, White Carrara, Botticino or Travertine.
Certainly, it’s a matter of taste if you choose marble or granite for your home, since they are both excellent and valuable products.
But the focus here is not only on flooring, we are also talking about cladding, kitchen and bathroom tops, window sills for interior and exterior design, cornices, fire places and other furnishings made of natural stone.
Price difference between marble and granite
When you’ve finally decided for a specific material, you will note a further difference… the price difference.
Probably you’ve selected the most expensive product and perhaps even a granite!
Nevertheless, one should not generally affirm that granite is always more expensive than marble, since the price depends frequently on the nature, thickness and finishing of the slab or its usage.
These convictions still continue to prevail because one believes that the finishing of the ‚harder‘ granite is more expensive then the working of marble.
According to our previous explanations, you should not ask yourself "Does granite cost more than marble?" before you realize your project. The correct question would be: "Which natural stone fits to my needs?" and on the basis of these criteria you’ll be able to choose a material from our multifaceted product range.