Learning About Cultured Stone Materials

At Sand and Swirl, we’re proud to provide numerous options for counter tops and bathroom remodels. Our experienced pros will help you pick the right product and finish for your home, based on numerous factors. One of our most popular materials for use is cultured marble, which comes with numerous benefits over many other surface types. We also use cultured granite – what are the differences between these products, and between these and other counter top products? Let’s take a look.

Marble Vs Granite

Understanding the basics here requires learning about another product, called cultured onyx. Onyx is made by using alumina trihydrate as a filler rather than limestone, which causes it to be slightly translucent, with depth to its appearance. Culture marble, on the other hand, will not be translucent. Cultured granite will come with a speckled look, which is achieved by using a coarse aggregate of different colors suspended in an onyx-like mixture. All three of these products are gel-coated, which means they react the same way to polish. They also all wear in similar ways, and can be cast using numerous molds.

Marble Vs Other Products

The primary benefit of marble over other products is the lack of seams. A cultured marble bath will have under 250 inches of silicon exposed – an average tub-shower made from standard porcelain will have over 4,000 such inches of rough and porous grout line. Cultured marble is 100 percent watertight, with silicone seams holding in moisture. It lacks the likelihood of flexing and breaking that you’ll see with fiberglass, and is more customizable. It’s also best for coordinating colors with other bathroom or kitchen items.

Where It Can Be Used

Cultured marble can be used just about anywhere. It’s mainly designed for use in bathrooms as counters and wall-linings, but it can also be used as a decorative fireplace facing for non-wood burning units or as an alternative solid surface product for wet bars. For more on cultured marble and granite, or to learn about any of our other services, speak to the pros at Sand and Swirl today.