Granite: the workhorse
Granite is an igneous stone, dense and highly heat resistant. It handles hot pans, outdoor exposure and heavy daily use without complaint. Sealing once a year is usually enough. It is the safest recommendation for a busy family kitchen or any outdoor application.
Quartzite: the one clients actually want
Quartzite gives you marble-like veining with granite-like durability — which is why it commands a premium. Be careful with naming: a good deal of material sold as quartzite is actually dolomitic marble and will etch. Ask for the lot origin and test a sample with acid before you commit a client to it.
Marble: beautiful, and honest about it
Marble etches. Lemon juice, wine and vinegar will mark it, and no sealer fully prevents that. The right move is not to talk clients out of marble but to set expectations: a honed finish disguises etching far better than a polished one, and many clients genuinely want the patina. Specify it for vanities, fireplaces and low-traffic surfaces.
Engineered quartz: consistency above all
Quartz is non-porous, needs no sealing and comes in perfectly repeatable patterns — which makes it ideal for multi-unit and commercial work where every unit must match. Its weakness is heat: a hot pan can scorch the resin binder permanently. Never specify it outdoors, as UV exposure will discolour it.
The short version
Outdoors or heavy heat, use granite. Marble looks with real durability, use quartzite. Pure aesthetics on a low-traffic surface, use marble. Repeatability across many units, use quartz.
Sourcing material for a project?
Our Dallas gallery holds 2,000+ slabs across granite, quartzite, marble, quartz, porcelain and more. Tell us what you're quoting and we'll come back with availability.
