Quartz kitchen counter tops Colorado Springs, CO? Countertop Maintenance: Most experts agree that granite requires moderate maintenance when compared with solid surface, quartz, laminate, glass or ceramic tile. Marble is moderate to high maintenance. The care involved is keeping it sealed, avoiding acidic materials and wiping up spills quickly. Granite countertop prices are slightly lower than marble countertop costs. Granite begins at about $75 per square foot installed. Marble starts at closer to $100 per square foot installed. The best granite countertops can cost $175 per square foot installed while marble can top $200.
Vanquish stubborn stains. If you can’t remove a stain by yourself, it may be time to call a stone refinisher. “They’ll do a professional cleaning using special grinders, and perhaps fine-grit sandpaper,” says Bruno. But Bruno doesn’t discourage homeowners from using fine sandpaper on a marble countertop themselves. “Don’t worry about hurting your stone,” he says. “If there’s a nick or chip, you can smooth it out with sandpaper. You can also try that on a stain—just remember to reseal the surface when you’re done.” As reassurance, he offers this extreme case: “My wife and I recently bought an antique marble table that had been left outside and actually had algae growing on it. I got all the stains out using an electric sander and some diluted bleach.” Bruno also recommends learning to live with the flaws. “In Italy no one would look at a natural stone countertop and say, ‘Oh no, there’s a stain from a New Year’s Eve party seventeen years ago!’ A little etching and staining is normal wear and tear—it just becomes part of the kitchen.
Because marble slabs are usually smaller than granite slabs, you may need more pieces to complete a full kitchen if using marble. Granite counters range in cost from $40 to $75 a square foot on average. More exotic stones, such as stones colored blue, may range in cost as high as $500 a square foot. For a 30-square-foot counter, the average material cost is around $1,000 to $1,500. Fabrication and labor add around $330 to the cost of the stone, a sink cutout adds another $100, and edging adds about $10 a linear foot on average. This makes the 30-square-foot granite counter cost between $3,000 and $3,500 installed. Fabrication, installation, cutout, and edging costs for marble are around the same cost. Material costs for marble are higher, starting at around $60 a square foot and going as high as $100. This makes the material costs for a marble counter of the same size between $1,800 and $3,000 making the total range $3,800 to $5,000 on average.
While we’re still seeing stained and painted woods, we’re also seeing it in its natural state. Try adding a kitchen island—or just the topper—in a pretty, grainy wood. Brown wooden shelves that feel original to the house are another way to test the waters with wood. It will bring a warmth to any kitchen space, especially those trending bright white ones! Open shelves allow you to showcase your beautiful kitchenwares among other heirlooms and antiques. The ability to see through your storage also means everything is easy to find. Just don’t forget to clean your items often since they will be open to the elements that might be floating through your kitchen. It’s also helpful to keep every day items on the lowest, most accessible shelf. Read extra info on Assortment of custom marble & Luxury Granite Colorado.
Applications: The durable quality of granite makes it appropriate for kitchen countertops and hallways where there is high foot activity while marble is more apt for areas where there is less traffic like bathrooms. Marble gives a bright unique look and is suitable for surfaces that are used less frequently. Cost: Granite and marble both are to be installed by professionals as the slabs are really heavy. The approximate cost for both marble and granite is $50 to $100 however high end granite is cheaper than its counterpart marble. The actual price however depends on the quality of the stone, complexity of the job and the style of the tiles.