Granite & Marble

These materials are very popular choices for countertops in kitchens, bathrooms and many other applications.  Granite is a great choice for a kitchen counter with its strength and durability, not to mention its beauty.  Marble is a softer material, usually not recommended for kitchen use, but a great choice for bathrooms, table tops, and areas with less traffic.  Other natural stone materials we offer are Travertine, Limestone, and Slate.  These are also great choices for most surfaces.  Below are actual definitions of each material.

Granite - click for samples

Granite is an igneous rock of visible crystalline formation and texture. It is composed primarily of feldspar, quartz, and mica. It starts off as liquid magma deep within the earth’s core where it is cooled and compressed over millions of years under tons of pressure.  This is the most popular natural stone installed on counters.

Marble- click for samples

Marble is metamorphosed limestone, composed of fairly pure calcite calcium carbonate. It is extensively used for sculpture, as a building material, and in many other applications.  Marble is mostly used in bathroom applications.  People tend to stay away from it for kitchens because it is soft in comparison to granite.
 

Limestone- click for samples

Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed of the mineral calcite. The primary source of this calcite is usually marine organisms. These organisms secrete shells that settle out of the water column and are deposited on ocean floors as pelagic ooze. Secondary calcite may also be deposited by supersaturated meteoric waters groundwater that precipitates the material in caves. This produces speleothems such as stalagmites and stalactites. A further form is composed of oolites and can be recognized by its granular appearance. Limestone makes up about 10 percent of the total volume of all sedimentary rocks.
 

Travertine - click for samples

Travertine is a white concretionary form of calcium carbonate that is usually hard and semicrystalline. It is deposited from the water of mineral springs, hot springs or streams holding lime in solution.

Slate - click for samples

Slate is a fine-grained, homogeneous, sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic  ash which has been metamorphosed in layers. Slate can be made into roofing shingles because it has two lines of breakability: cleavage and grain. This makes it possible to split slate into thin sheets.