White Marble Quartz: Does It Compare To Marble?
Quartz countertops are gaining popularity in kitchens worldwide and many homeowners are asking the question: “Which is better - marble quartz or real marble?”
18/02/2020
With quartz countertops gaining traction in kitchens worldwide, many homeowners are raising the question: “Which is better marble quartz or real marble?”
In this article, you will learn all about white marble – where it comes from, its advantages and disadvantages. Then, you’ll get a detailed look into marble quartz.
White Marble: Explained
Marble comes straight from the earth. Mining companies extract large rocks that are then cut into smaller slabs for use in construction. Marble rocks have a geological age of up to 200 million years. And currently, four countries (China, India, Italy, and Spain) account for half of the world’s marble supply.
Marble Designs
No piece of marble is identical to the other. In terms of color, you can find white, cream, green, yellow, charcoal, brown, etc. The most common marble colors are gray, blue, red, and pink.
One of the most distinctive features of marble is the colored streaks and veins. Some veins are light and thin. In some pieces, the veining is intricate, thick, and heavy.
Marble slabs also have freckles, and they have a translucent surface. You can literally see inside the stone well up to a few millimeters.
White marble is among the most highly-sought stone for luxurious kitchens. It denotes purity. The white color reflects maximum light, making rooms more spacious.
What’s more, it’s easy to combine white marble with a range of colors from accent to neutral.
Types of white marble
● Carrara Marble: It’s one of the most popular marble designs. It features a light gray or whitish background. There are no large swaths of colors. Instead, you get light feathery streaking with gray freckles.
● Calacatta Marble: In the world of marble, Calacatta marble is king. You might pay about $250 for one square foot of this slab. Its high cost is largely driven by its rarity since it’s only quarried in the Apuan Mountains, Italy. Compared to Carrara, it’s much whiter. It features broad and intricate deep gray veins. In some variations, the thick veins have gold highlights.
● Other white marble variants include White Himalayan, White Thassos, Statuario, White Monte Blanc, Mystery White Marble, and more.
Advantages of white marble
1) Marble is a little softer, which makes it easy to cut when creating different edge profiles, for instance, a rounded profile created with a bullnose blade.
2) Marble has a high thermal mass, which allows it to stay cool to the touch. When used on countertops, it’s a baker’s favorite surface because it cools the dough helping it stay firm. Its smooth finished surface also helps in rolling out the dough for pizza, pastries, etc.
Disadvantages of real white marble
1) It’s much softer than harder stones like granite or quartz. Therefore, the white marble countertop will be susceptible to scratches or chips when glazed by hard objects.
2) Place a marble slab under the microscope, and you’ll see that it has a porous surface. Since it can absorb liquids, it might stain when wine and other spills are left sitting on the slab for an extended time. Marble slabs have to be sealed and polished occasionally, once every six months.
White Marble Quartz: Explained
Ever visited a white sand beach, particularly in Tampa Bay? Most likely you dipped your toes in white quartz sand. Quartz happens to be the second most abundant mineral in the earth’s crust.
Quartz countertops are engineered stones. They are created by crushing real mineral rock and binding the grains with adhesives. A white marble quartz counter is made by mixing pigments, ground quartz (up to 90%), resin polymers, recycled glass, etc.
Quartz countertop designs
If you want to substitute real white marble for white marble quartz, you’re in luck because quartz countertops can mimic natural stone designs very well. The slabs are man-made, and can even look like sandstone or granite.
Currently, there are several companies that produce quartz countertops with Caesarstone leading the charge, with over 40 designs. Their Carrara and Calacatta marble quartz designs include Empira White, Primordia, Calacatta Nuvo, Mont Blanc, Noble Gray, Statuario Maximum, and White Attica. Giving customers numerous options makes them one of the top quartz companies.
Advantages of white marble quartz
1) Non-porous
Though slabs are made up of tiny sand grains, they are vacuum compacted and bound with resin polymers. So, quartz countertops are virtually stain-proof since they don’t allow liquids to sip through.
2) Scratch and chip resistant
You can only scratch quartz if you use a harder material like a diamond bit. On the Mohs scale, quartz has a rating of 7, diamond (10), granite (6 to 7) and marble (3). Under normal circumstances, it’s going to be hard to scratch quartz.
3) Low Maintenance
You’ll have an easy time maintaining your quartz as it doesn’t need occasional sealing. Keeping your quartz countertops looking new for many years only requires regular cleaning with warm water and soap. Just wiping will make your slab shine.
Disadvantages of white marble quartz countertop
1) Might be damaged by hot pans and pots
Placing your hot dutch oven or cast iron pans on your marble quartz counters might damage them. While quartz has a melting point well over 1500 degrees, consider that its surface consists of a gel coating (permaseal) that’s less heat resistant. The sealing on real marble countertops can also be damaged by hot pans.
2) Steep cost
Marble quartz countertops can be more costly than granite tops. However, buying a Carrara marble quartz countertop at about $75 per square meter is far less expensive than getting the real stone.
Bottom Line
Kitchen countertops take a lot of beating. It’s where you prepare food, place knives & other sharp objects, spill drinks and occasionally place hot items by mistake.
The trend right now is to choose quartz over granite or marble. Some companies even offer lifetime guarantees for their marble quartz. If you want marble without its limitations, then choosing white marble quartz makes perfect sense.