Stone surfaces, such as marble, granite, and quartz, can be used for much more than kitchen countertops. These surfaces have many properties that make them well suited for other uses both inside and outside the home. Here are five examples of uses for stone surfaces:

Kitchen Counters

Stone surfaces can, of course, be used in the kitchen. Due to their appearance, durability, heat resistance, and water resistance, stone can provide all the functionality needed for kitchen countertops and backsplashes.

You may not have heard as much about quartz, but according to a recent study by Consumer Reports, quartz outperformed all other countertop materials for resistance to stains, cuts, heat, scratches, and impacts. Quartz is not a natural stone product when it's used in your kitchen. Rather, this stone is a combination of natural quartz stone and a resin binder. Quartz can also include metal or glass flakes and dyes to give it almost any appearance.

Granite countertops are shaped from a stone slab. Granite gives a natural look and feel because it is a natural stone product. Granite is durable and easily maintained as long as it is periodically sealed against its natural porosity.

Marble countertops are also natural stone products. Marble is softer than granite but it provides a classy and upscale look right out of a bakery or candy shop. It's common in these locations since marble does not stick to dough, molten sugar, or melted chocolate. Moreover, marble has high thermal conductivity. This means that marble will absorb heat and warm up from hot candy poured onto the marble surface. This allows the candy to cool evenly. Ironically, candy solidifies faster on a warm marble surface because slow, even cooling allows crystals to form in the candy.

Outdoor Grill Counters

Many homes now include an outdoor kitchen and grill for entertaining. Stone surfaces like granite, marble, and quartz are durable even in extreme conditions, which means they can be used to make outdoor countertops Boston MA weather will not destroy. They are heavy, so you should not need to worry about stone countertops blowing away like metal or wood surfaces. These stone surfaces also resist bacteria and microbes that can cause foodborne illnesses.

Bathroom Counters

About 10% of homeowners remodel a kitchen or bathroom every year. Granite, marble, and quartz can provide a solid and durable surface for bathroom countertops and vanity surfaces. When used in bathrooms, they provide a sophisticated look. Moreover, most sealed stone surfaces are waterproof and easy to clean.

A design trend in bathroom remodels is the use of a floating, wall mounted, or cantilevered vanity. Using a stone product like granite, marble, or quartz can provide the naturalistic image of a ledge of rock sticking out into your bathroom.

Bathroom Walls

Remodeling a bathroom may also provide an opportunity to use marble, granite, and quartz for walls, showers, and tub surrounds. Moreover, a marble bathroom can create a classic look. Not classic in the sense of something enduring and of timeless quality, but in the sense of Greek and Roman classics. Roman baths included marble and granite walls for a few reasons:

• They are fireproof, so the wood-burning furnaces were less likely to cause fires
• They have a high thermal conductivity, which means that they warm up rather than remaining cold like other stone surfaces
• Romans associated marble and granite with the prestige of Greek civilization

Fireplace Surrounds

These stones are also popular for fireplaces because they're fire-proof and easily cleaned. More importantly, granite, marble, and quartz are thermal conductors, which means that they absorb heat from the fireplace and readily dissipate that heat into a room without heating up themselves.

When you're ready to invest in the best stone surfaces for your home, rely on the experience of Supreme Stone Inc. today.