The Benefits of Natural Stones for Kitchen Remodeling

Kitchen remodeling is an exciting project to undertake. Many levels of remodeling is possible, from minor improvements such as painting the wall, to a full-blown remodel that replaces kitchen cabinets, walls, floors, and countertops. If you are looking to simply replacing your countertops and putting in new backsplashes, you might want to consider natural stones.

Natural stones typically associated with kitchens are granite and marble. These high-end materials are surprisingly affordable, well within the reach of most homeowners. Cheaper alternatives are available, but there are numerous benefits of natural stones for kitchen remodeling, including increasing the value of your home.

Looks

Granite or marble are naturally beautiful, which is why it is a favorite as a dimension stone, Marble, in particularly, has that distinctive patina that most people associate with quiet luxury and elegance. A kitchen with marble countertops, floors, and backsplashes is sure to stand out to anyone that sees it. It is particularly a good choice for pastry tables.

If marble is not to your taste, or you prefer something more colorful than marble slabs, which tend to be mostly white, granite is a great option. You can find granite in a range of light and dark colors, many of which are quite dramatic and unusual because of the patterns of speckles, veins, and crystals.

Flexibility

Granite has a more contemporary and robust appearance than marble, which makes it very flexible. It can go well with most kitchen styles and personalities with a bit of tweaking. You can let your creative juices flow when choosing granite for your kitchen remodel, as it can provide you with the inspiration for the whole kitchen. In a more restrained manner, marble can provide the same inspiration.

Aside from the color and design, natural stones such as granite and marble work well with other materials you may want to use in the kitchen. It brings out the best in hardwood floors, concrete countertops, ceramic tile backsplashes, and stainless steel cabinets in both looks and function.

Most people associate natural stones for kitchen countertops, but they are great options for your backsplashes, walls, floors, and even sinks. If you want to continue the look to other areas of the home, granite and marble are also good choices for fireplace surrounds, vanity tops, and tub surrounds.

You can also use natural stones outdoors. They will not fade over time or sustain any type of damage from exposure to the elements.

Hardness

Natural stones are durable. In fact, they are hard as rocks, and this is primarily due to the composition and manner of formation of the stones.
Granite has a minimum of 20% quartz in its composition, which is a very hard mineral, and it is an igneous rock. This means it formed from molten rock or magma under the surface of the Earth’s crust over millions of years under high pressure. It is a very dense, almost non-porous stone impervious to heat, stains, and scratches. This makes it an ideal material for the kitchen and other parts of the home that requires a robust material.

Marble is relatively softer than granite, but still very durable. Marble is composed primarily of calcium carbonate, and formed from a protolith or mother rock, usually limestone. The original protolith broke down from exposure to high temperature and heat, and recrystallized to form marble. Marble is more porous than granite, but usually protected with a sealer when used as kitchen countertops. The unsealed surface reacts quickly to even mild acids because of the calcium carbonate, but the stone itself remains intact. It is much easier to keep marble looking pristine than most people think, as long as it is properly sealed, and all spills are wiped up immediately.

You might also encounter some natural stones that look like granite, but which are actually not. Some might be granitoids such as gabbro or basalt, which share many of the characteristics of granite. These are actually denser than granite, so they will be just as durable as true granite.

The most important benefit of natural stones to the home is its longevity. Granite, marble, or granitoids will probably outlast your home or you. Marble even ages well, looking better over time. This is the reason they are a great favorite with homeowners and will make your home more valuable by their mere presence.

Individuality

One of the best benefits of natural stones is making your kitchen and home stand out. Granite is particularly good for this, because the bold colors and patterns of each slab is unique to each slab. No two slabs will be exactly alike, even if they come from the same source or even the same block of stone. You can choose a perfectly standard kitchen design and still avoid a cookie cutter look simply by choosing granite for your kitchen remodel.

Marble is actually just as unique. However, it is not as obvious because marble typically has very faint veins against a white background. Of course, colored marble is also available, in which case your kitchen will certainly stand out.

Return on investment

Natural stones do tend to be among the pricier materials in the market for kitchen remodels. However, they instantly increase the market value of your home, and that value increases over time. This is because natural stones look better over time, which makes it very appealing. With a bit of care and common sense, homeowners will have no problem keeping them in pristine condition, which also makes it a practical choice. If you are going to go to the trouble of a kitchen remodel, you want to choose materials that will give you a good return on your investment in time and money.

Conclusion

Natural stones are undoubtedly your best choice for kitchen remodeling. The only real drawback to natural stones is they require a professional to cut and install them in your home. They are so hard that you will need special equipment and considerable skill to do it correctly. Fortunately, Fairfax Kitchen Bath can do that for you if you are in the DC, MD and Northern Virginia metropolitan areas. We are a Class A, licensed and insured contractor, registered in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

We are a professional remodeling company with years of experience with kitchen remodeling. We specialize in fabricating countertops tops to specifications, and installing them into your kitchen within budget and on time.

We carry the products you need for your kitchen remodel, including natural stone and engineered stone slabs, cabinets, sinks, faucets tiles, backsplashes, knobs and pulls, and hardwood flooring. We carry only the top brands for these products, such as Schrock Cabinetry, Silestone, Blanco, Kohler, and Mosaic Décor. When you contract with us, you can be sure you will get a quick turnaround on your products, and much faster than ordering what you need from big box stores.

We sell only top quality natural stone slabs and kitchen products manufactured by leading brands in the industry. Our products come with manufacturer warranties that ensure your satisfaction with the quality and installation.

We have a showroom in Fairfax, Virginia that houses all our products, including actual granite, marble and engineered stone slabs from which you can choose. You can see the products before you buy so you can decide for yourself if the quality is what you expect.
Fairfax Kitchen Bath guarantees you will love it for life.

Contact us today to get a free quote for your inspired kitchen remodeling project.