Granite vs Marble: Make a Right Choice

• Granite is an igneous rock formed from molten magma.

• Marble is a metamorphic rock made form limestone because of extreme heat and high pressures.

• Granite is used as flooring, countertop, kitchen island, basins, vanity tops, cladding, steps, door-window sill-jamb and frame, backsplashes, paving, fireplace mantle, skirting, dado, in resident as well as public buildings, etc.
• It is a hard stone and therefore it is not used in making of sculpture.

• Marble is used in flooring, stair treads, countertops, walkways, table tops, wall tiles, sink, monuments, pavement, crushed marble in landscape, tabletop display, soap dishes and decorative bowls, in residential as well as public buildings including temples, ornamental buildings, etc.
• It is a soft stone and it is easily mould therefore most commonly used for sculpture and as a decorative material. Hence more popular used in temples.

• Granite consists of many small grains of material. All of the specks appear in different colours, making the piece come in tones of blue, brown, gray, black and white with different patterns.

• Marble has beautiful veins pattern, which also comes in many different shapes, sizes, and colours. It also comes in a large variety of Earth-toned colors, including green, blues, grays, pinks, whites, reds and of course pure spotless white.

Also Read: 10 Various Ways to Use Granite in Your Home

• Jhansi Red, Rajasthan Black, Ivory Brown, Indian White, Sinduri Red, Kashmir White, etc. are popular granite.

• White, Kesariyaji Green, Udaipur Pink, Makrana White, Agaria White, Italian, Raj Nagar Plain White, Jaisalmer, Ambaji Udaipur Green, etc. are popular marble.

• It is available in limited choices in patterns and colours.

• It is available in varieties of choices in patterns and colours

• Granite is very easy to clean and maintain.
• It is suitable for heavy traffic area.
• With a proper seal coating on granite and with proper care, granite will last for many years without scratching, staining and chipping.
• Granite does not feel as cold as marble does.
• It is not affected by weathering.

• Marble has a translucency that makes it glow or shine, brightening any room you choose to use it in.
• Marble is also known for its versatility in the art from sculptures to monuments and from wall tiles to floor tiles. e. Tajmahal which is considered as one of the wonders of the world is made with white marble.
• Marble is more common in the bathroom area.
• It gives a soft appearance as compared to granite.
• In the case of white marble, it is better to lay with white cement and on a bed of white or yellow sand (not black sand). Also, it is advisable to paint underside with white cement based paints to maintain and maximize its whiteness.
• The joints of marble tiles can be easily matched.

• Highly polished (glossy) granite tiles can be slippery when wet and dangerous for children as well as for elder.
• Granite is very heavy stone hence you need to be extra careful while installation.
• Granite is more durable. Therefore requires a high degree of maintenance in order to maintain its beauty.
• The edges of granite are sharp and blunt which may cause injuries. Hence you need to do chamfering, rounding, grooves, etc. which is very expensive.
• In cladding being heavy, bolting or fixing with adhesives like Araldite or both is required.
• It is generally installed pre-polished, hence the edges at joints will not match perfectly which sometimes hurts or looks ugly, too.

• The big disadvantage of marble is its high porosity and it will absorb any liquids or even water with dust will make it look ugly and dirty.
• Marble is sensitive to acids such as lemon juice and vinegar, it might not be the stone of choice for kitchen countertops.
• Marble stone is cool underfoot so, in areas where the temperature is usually low for a longer duration, it is not advisable.
• Not suitable for high traffic area as it may lose shine or get worn out over time.
• Marble is affected by weather condition and gets yellowish due to the attack of iron oxide contents in marble.
• It needs to be bought in lot for the room because after some time, similar type of marble is difficult to obtain.

• Generally, Granite is pre-polished. Mostly mirror polished.

Also Read: Pros and Cons of Granite as Building Material

• Marble will require polishing after its installation and hence it consumes lot of time. It may or may not be mirror polished.

• Granite stone is hard, tough and durable. It is more durable than marble.

• Marble is hard, sound and dense stone.

• It is less porous as compared to marble.

• It is more porous as compared to granite as wine, juice, lemons and vinegar will get absorbed into marble and cause permanent staining, possibly difficult to treat.

• Granite is more scratch resistant than marble.

• Marble is less scratch resistant than granite as heavy items drops on the surface may damage the surface.

• It is more stain resistant than marble.

• It is less stain resistant than granite.

• Granite is more resistant to acidic foods.

• Marble is not resistant to acidic foods. Its colour and texture will get changed when in contact with acidic contents.

• It requires less maintenance as compared to marble.

• It requires more maintenance to keep it from dull. You will need to clean up spills immediately to prevent permanent stains.

• Granite stone comes from rocks which are not uniform and have a size 10 to15 feet in length and 5 to 8 feet in width. The stone slabs are then cut and sold in the market as per need.

• Marble stone comes from rocks which are not uniform and have a size 10 to15 feet in length and 5 to 8 feet in width. The stone slabs are then cut and sold in the market.

• The cost of granite slab depends on the size, thickness and quality of slab. The cost of granite approximately ranges from Rs. 60 to Rs. 500 /sq.ft

• The cost of marble slab depends on the thickness of marble slabs, the size of slabs, quality and quantity. The cost of marble approximately ranges from Rs. 50 to Rs. 2000 /sq.ft. But the real good quality marble or even pure which marble will cost abnormally cost depends on size.