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Many options are available for renovating your home with the long-lasting natural stone. Choosing a natural stone is a personal decision based primarily on your tastes. It also depends on where and how the stone will be used- kitchen counter tops or a bathroom vanity , wall cladding or floors, inside or outside.

While granite, marble, Reconstituted Stone, Quartz, Limestone, Travertine and Onyx are all beautiful, some are better suited than others for a particular use.

Marble

Marble is a crystallized limestone that can be polished to a mirror-finish, bringing out the stones depth in color and giving it its luxurious look.

Marble polishing, however, is only recommended for counter tops that are lightly used such as a tabletop or furniture pieces, but not for kitchen countertops. This is because marble is made of calcium carbonate, which is reactive with acids such as fruit juice, coffee and alcohol and will cause etching. Etching destroys the polish leaving the marble looking dull in color.

Also, marble is softer and more prone to scratching than granite, so it is not a good idea to place marble on an area where a lot of cutting and cooking is done. However, if you simply love the look for marble for your kitchen, it is recommended that you choose the honed finish and always use cutting boards, coasters and any other form of protective kitchen wear to prevent scratches.

The marble color palette includes creamy whites and neutrals, lighter yellows, soft oranges, ocean greens and deep blacks.

Granite

Granite remains among homeowner's most desired material for remodeling due to its versatility and superior performance characteristics. It is also more hygienic (tied with quartz) than all other surfaces.

Granite is one of the hardest and strongest natural materials. It originated from the earth's core as liquid magma. Gr anite is almost impossible to scratch (you can cut your vegetables, etc. on it if you don't mind dulling your knives), hot pots and pans will not damage it, bacteria and stains are not a problem under normal use and proper cleaning.

Colors include many choices in golden browns, pale pinks, deep plums and reds, exotic blues, greens, blacks and many subtle shades in between.

Reconstituted Stone

Reconstituted stone is a great alternative to natural stone as it possesses many of the appealing qualities as other natural stones in terms of strength, durability and versatility but is more stain resistant than most naturals stones due to its non-porous nature.

This man-made material is suitable for all areas of the home and commercial buildings.

Quartz

Quartz is a man-made material that has similar properties to granite in that it is heat, scratch and chemical resistance.

There are wide selections of colors to choose from in the quartz range. One downside to quartz however, is that it lacks the depth of color, variety of color and unique patterns of movement that granite has.

One plus side however is that quartz has a pattern consistency that only few granites can offer. Many clients prefer this option as it makes it easier to match slabs.

Limestone

A limestone counter top is silky smooth and shares a color palette similar to Travertine only with less pattern variation. Some limestone's are dense and hard, but most are permeable and susceptible to staining in high-use areas like the kitchen. It is therefore best to treat limestone as you would travertine and marble by using coasters, cutting boards and sealing the stone regularly.

A unique characteristic of this natural stone is the fossils and seashells often found embedded in the surface, which gives the material an organic feel.

Ideally limestone is best used for flooring and especially as a bathroom tile design for use around the tub and in the shower where limestone tile provides good footing.

Travertine

Travertine is another natural stone that is generally used for flooring and countertops.

As a countertop, travertine is typically not recommended as a kitchen countertop as it is sensitive to acidic foods and susceptible to staining. If customers do choose to go with travertine countertops, we recommend a honed finish. Also, regularly use coasters and cutting boards to maintain the stones natural beauty .

Travertine as floor tiles however, are very durable slabs. They can be brushed, undulated, hammered, polished or chisel-edged. The pits and pores should be filled in otherwise they will collect dirt.

Onyx

Although it is one of the least practical materials that natural stone has to offer, onyx is an incredibly versatile and elegant choice for building material.

Onyx is generally used in kitchens, but is however becoming increasingly popular in bathrooms, as the basis for sinks, showers, floors and even walls.

Like marble, onyx has a smooth, somewhat absorbent surface. It is also similar to marble in that it has a fairly low density. This makes it softer and more prone to scratches than other natural stone tile.

Colors include mostly earth-toned shades and can be finished in a number of ways, though it is generally honed or polished to a high shine.