Honed marble vs. quartz

5 years ago

Hi! I have a question to ask--for a friend. Literally! A friend's house was flooded and as they begin to work with their contractor on repairs they're also considering some changes. They love their kitchen but hate the upkeep on their marble countertops (installed by the person who sold them the house.) Here's how it looked pre-flood:

They are debating replacing their marble with quartz or possibly having their marble honed. They are working with a GC and have consulted with an architect but right now they're leaning toward not making any significant changes, just a few cosmetic tweaks and the countertop switch. So I thought I'd ask for your help with some basic questions. Like:

--Is honed marble easier to keep up with than polished? They don't know what kind of marble they have but they do say it etches and stains if you so much as look at it crosseyed. They're not really into patina, TBH.

--What about leathering? Is that more or less matte than honed? More or less "delicate," for lack oof a better term?

--Can they even do this to marble they've already had installed? It's been moved out of the house so they can re-install floors and re-do the cabinetry. She was half hoping it would break in the transfer...

--Should they just suck it up and shell out the $$ for quartz?

Thanks in advance!

Featured Answer

RedRyder

5 years ago

If she was hoping the marble would break when removed, she should bite the bullet and get what she loves. She’s already had a trauma around her kitchen. It will be easier to get that event in the past if every time she comes in to cook, she sees her new countertop and smiles. Go for a new one.

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Comments (6)

lwfromny
5 years ago
Honed marble is more porous and therefore more susceptible to staining than polished. It will also etch, but the etching won’t show the way it does on polished. Honed will look different - it’s not shiny and has a soft, older look to it. It’s gorgeous. Counters can be honed, but you want to find someone with excellent references - this is a skill that is hard to find. Even most fabricators don’t hone marble - they buy it already honed. I don’t know much about leathered but my guess is it’s similar to honed in terms of how it will hold up.

This is an excellent blog about marble - the best I’ve ever seen. https://fortheloveofahouse.blogspot.com/2013/03/marble.html?m=1

From the sounds of things, they would be better off switching to quartz. In my opinion it’s still hard to find a quartz that really looks like marble. The exception is the Mont brand. Mont Surfaces is not as well known as some other brands, but in my opinion has far more natural looking faux marbles than the better known brands like Cambria and some of the others. For those who want the look of marble but the maintenance and durability of quartz it’s really worth finding a place to see some Mont Slabs. Mont Fantasy, Fantastico, and Rhapsody are all beautiful quartz products.
Hannah Wolfson thanked lwfromny
aselting
5 years ago
Okay my two cents but most of the quartz versions made to look like marble simply look fake. We’ve had honed marble in our kitchen for almost 15 years. It’s isn’t pristine but no one has ever noted, “Wow, is your marble countertop sure is showing it’s age.” It does etch but no real stains. Agree honed is less visible in natural than polished. Like it’s users, fac3 it, it is aging. Whether it is aging well is in the eye of the beholder. If you have marble and like it, then hone it and get on with life. Etching and wear isn’t a travesty. It’s living.
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megs1030
5 years ago
We have quartz in our vacation home. I like it. Easy to maintain and clean. It can chip, ours hasn’t yet, but I’ve read on here about lesser quality brands chipping. You can also warp it by setting a hot pot / plate directly on it. So, that’s something to be mindful of.
Hannah Wolfson
Original Author
5 years ago
Thanks, all! I know they're already feeling a pinch from what this is costing--insurance is covering the damage, but there's still a personal hit plus they're doing some other work with additional cost like upgrading flooring in the basement--and trying to avoid shelling out for quartz. I chose quartz (not marble-look) for my kitchen and am very happy with it. I do love patina though (soapstone in the owner's bath which I love!) but they're not into it. And they saw a honed marble at another house and found it just gorgeous, so I think they were hoping that might be the answer.
RedRyder
5 years ago
Any updates?