Marble Versus Granite Headstone

Granite is a much harder material and lasts considerably longer than marble.

Marble versus granite headstone.

Installed marble countertops start at around 100 square foot and can go over 200. Granite is a much harder material and lasts considerably longer than marble. Sometimes you run into darker stones made of gabbro maybe a few sandstone markers but especially in more recent monuments marble and granite and other plutonic rocks rule the roost. Granite unlike marble is an extremely hard rock that is more likely to endure the test of time in the cemetery.

Thus the reason that granite is more commonly used than marble. Marble is softer and will likely deteriorate over time by cracking chipping and eroding especially in outdoor elements. Marble is also available for grave markers and is often more expensive than granite. While marble is easier to engrave than granite mild acid rain can significantly erode marble which can make inscriptions unreadable after a relatively short length of time years or decades depending on weather.

That means it is less susceptible to chipping and cracking. The biggest difference between granite and marble is the hardness of the stone. Photo by kevin fritz old town cemetery town of hillsborough n c. When choosing countertops for your kitchen or bathroom granite and marble surfaces are popular choices.

Prices fluctuate so check your local supplier for up to date prices. Marble is available in white and gray. Marble headstone of henry richards sr 1813 1890. However granite is more durable than marble and less prone to stains and scratching.

It is common to see marble tombstones that are decades or centuries old that are very difficult to read. Marble is softer and will likely deteriorate over time by cracking chipping and eroding especially in outdoor elements. Granite is less expensive than marble starting at roughly 75 square foot installed and 100 more than that for higher end stone. And then there is quartz countertops which have also risen in popularity in recent years as a viable alternative to both granite and marble options.

In comparison to marble headstones custom granite memorials can last for centuries. They are natural stones unlike say engineered quartz silestone so both marble and granite surfaces are susceptible to chipping and staining. Granite is much harder than marble and it is not brittle. Granite on the other hand is an igneous rock composed of primarily quartz and feldspar and some mica.