What Are the Different Types of Limestone?

Marble and limestone lie at the opposite end of the hardness scale from granite. While marble is slightly harder and denser than limestone, both rate very low on the Mohs scale, a rating used to measure the hardness of stones. Limestone generally ranks at around a 3 on the scale, while marble falls between 3 and 4.

Limestone is a sedimentary rock, typically composed of calcium carbonate fossils. When sedimentary limestone is compressed through rock-forming processes under extreme heat, marble is formed by the recrystallised grains.

metamorphic rock

Cost. Limestone is hands-down the more affordable of the two. Marble happens to be one of the most expensive decorative and expensive stones on the market. Also, limestone is much easier to find than marble.

• Travertine.
• Tufa.
• Chalk.
• Coquina.
• Oolitic Limestone.
• Fossiliferous Limestone.
• Lithographic Limestone.
• Ataija Creme Limestone.

Cheap Countertop Materials: Comparing Costs

Budget-Friendly Countertop Options

• Laminate counters are the most affordable option available.
• Tile countertops can be cost effective, depending on the material you choose.
• Butcher block has a classic appeal that complements a traditional kitchen or can add unexpected contrast to a modern space.

Inexpensive Countertop Options Best budget options: tile and any type of laminate. Best DIY options: Any type of tile or wood. Some experienced DIYer’s can also attempt laminates. Environmentally responsible choices: Wood or recycled counters made with materials like paper, glass or aluminum combined with resin.

Laminate is the most affordable material for use in countertops. It comes in a wide variety of colors and styles, many of which are created to look like granite, marble or other high-end materials. Most laminate countertops are attractive and surprisingly durable.

• Marble. Marble countertops cost $1,000 to $10,000 depending on your location and the size of your kitchen.
• Quartz & Engineered Stone.
• Wood.
• Tile.
• Stainless Steel.
• Concrete.
• Laminate.
• Recycled and Sintered Stone.

Quartz countertops are the easiest natural stone to take care of. They are engineered using ground stone and resin, so they don’t require regular sealing they way most granite and marble countertops do. This stone is non-porous, so it does not easily stain or etch.

The Top 5 Most Durable Countertops

1. Granite. Although natural granite remains one of today’s most popular countertop choices, it may have met its match with the growing popularity of engineered granite.
2. Quartz.
3. Recycled Glass.
4. Concrete.
5. Solid Surface.

However, some homeowners prefer the looks of other stones. The Mohs scale has been adjusted to account for stone countertop options today. According to this new scale, the hardest is soapstone, followed by slate, which ranges in hardness, depending on processing and the slab itself.

Countertop Intelligence

• Quartz. Pros: It mimics the look of stone but requires less maintenance.
• Granite. Pros: Each slab of this natural material is unique; rare colors and veining cost more.
• Soapstone, Limestone, and Marble.
• Laminate.
• Solid Surfacing.
• Recycled Glass.
• Butcher Block.

Because not only is it a classic look, but the granite countertops you install today will last decades without looking any less beautiful than they did when you installed them. While they’re an expensive option upfront, they’re actually a great long-term investment. Granite is a natural material.

List of the Cons of Quartz Countertops

• Heat easily damages quartz countertops. Excessive heat will quickly damage a quartz countertop.
• They can be very expensive. Quartz countertops may cost upwards of $100 per square foot.
• Sink options are limited. Integrated sinks are not incorporated into a quartz countertop.

Topping the list for healthier countertop materials is lead-free (US-made) ceramic tile, followed by solid surface products such as Corian, then engineered quartz and cultured marble. Plastic laminate and granite fall to the bottom of the ranking.

Choose woods that are native to your region to cut down on transportation. Bamboo, a rapidly renewable resource, is another eco-friendly alternative, but the greenest wood countertop of all is reclaimed wood.

When slabs of engineered stone are cut and finished to fit a kitchen or bathroom, large quantities of silica particles are released. If workers inhale them, it can start a process leading to silicosis as well as to lung cancer and kidney disease.

• Salvaged stone, like granite or slate, and wood are the most sustainable and low-emitting countertop material options.
• Use low-VOC or Greenguard Gold-certified adhesives to install cabinets and countertops, or use mechanical fasteners instead.
• Use water-based, low-VOC finishes and sealers on cabinets and countertops.

Granites can contain parts per billion of radium, providing for an extremely small amount of radioactive material to decay and produce radon….Comparison of Granite vs. Quartz Countertops.

Though granite, marble and “engineered stone” all can produce harmful silica dust when cut, ground or polished, the artificial stone typically contains much more silica, says a CDC researcher tracking cases of silicosis. He says dust from cutting the slabs to order was everywhere.

Marble, for example, is elegant, while granite offers a more natural look. They are natural stones — unlike, say, engineered quartz Silestone — so both marble and granite surfaces are susceptible to chipping and staining. However, granite is more durable than marble and less prone to stains and scratching.

Fake Marble Stone: Fake marble stone is a technique in which the appearance of marble is imitated on the surface as a painting to make it look like a polished surface. It is done using a high-quality printing technique that makes the marble have the same touch and feel like the real one.

Radioactive minerals in the granite can decay into radon – a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas – which may be released from the surface of the granite over time. However, high levels of radon in the home (from all possible sources) is a health concern because it can cause lung cancer.

Let’s take a look at some common problems faced with granite countertops, and how to prevent them.

• Stubborn Stains. Granite is resistant to stains, here is how to avoid discoloration.
• Eerie Etching.
• Stubborn Chipping.
• Continuous Hazing.
• Cracks.
• Heat Damage.

The Shanghai Environmental Protection Agency conducted the study in 2011 of 117 homes and buildings and concluded Chinese granite is dangerous. The Chinese EPA reported that about 80 percent of Shanghai’s construction with granite and other materials exceeded China’s safety standards by at least 50 percent.

Quartz is actually harder than granite and thus, more durable. In fact, quartz is nearly indestructible, and because it isn’t porous like granite, it’s easy to keep your countertops relatively bacteria-free. Be careful with cooking pans though: Quartz can be damaged by excessive heat, so use heating pads at all times.