Stone materials compared
These are the thirteen materials we cut at the workshop, from Carrara marble to large-format porcelain, compared on hardness, water absorption, acids and heat.
Comparison table
| Material | Type | Mohs | Water absorption | Acids (lemon, vinegar) | Heat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrara marble | marble (calcite) | 3 | low | sensitive | good, avoid thermal shock |
| Calacatta | marble | 3 | low | sensitive | good |
| Statuario | marble | 3 | low | sensitive | good |
| Nero Marquina | polished limestone | 3 | low | sensitive, marks very visible | good |
| Emperador | marble | 3 | low | sensitive | good |
| Travertine | spring limestone | 3-4 | medium | sensitive | good |
| Onyx | banded calcite | 3 | low | sensitive | fair (brittle stone) |
| Granite | igneous rock | 6-7 | low | resistant | very good |
| Quartz | engineered (resin) | 7 | near zero | resistant | limited (resin) |
| Quartzite | metamorphic rock | 7 | low | resistant | very good |
| Dekton | sintered surface | high | near zero | resistant | very good |
| Galala | limestone | 3 | medium | sensitive | good |
| Large-format porcelain | porcelain stoneware | 5-7 | ≤ 0.5 % | resistant | very good |
Lemon and vinegar
The marbles, travertine, onyx and Galala are limestones. Lemon juice leaves a dull mark on them. Granite, quartzite, quartz, Dekton and porcelain don't react.
Hot pans
Quartz is the only one here that really doesn't like heat, because of the resin in it. Use a trivet.
Outdoors
Flamed granite, frost-tested travertine, Dekton and textured porcelain can go outside. White marble and onyx stay indoors.
Rentals and empty houses
If the house is let or shut for months, we'd put granite, quartzite or Dekton in the kitchen and honed stone in the bathroom. Marble is fine if someone is there to wipe it and reseal it now and then.
Natural or factory-made
Ten of these come out of a quarry, so every slab is different and can be honed back if it gets marked. Quartz, Dekton and porcelain are made in a factory. The colour is consistent, but repairs show more.
See them in our projects, or send your sizes through the contact page. You can also come and look at slabs at 8 rue Joseph Marie Jacquard, La Chapelle-Saint-Luc.
Free quote
Send your measurements or a photo of the room and we will call you back. The quote costs nothing.