Faq’s

Both are stones that are quarried from the earth, granite and marble as also a kind of marble’s relatives – limestone, onyx and travertine. But all are very different from each other. However, biggest difference will be in regard to the porosity, softness and durability of marble when compared to granite.

Slabs buying is similar to fabric buying. You will have to buy as per the requirement and the need and tailor make the purchase considering the layout and the amount of wastage. But we instal ensuring lay out completion in a manner that there is minimal wastage of material maximizing the natural beauty of veining and pattern.

It will be mostly basis the availability, locations of quarries (most importantly considering the transportation costs) and the rarity of the color. Still the major contributing factor is the higher price of natural stone is the cost of labor involved in extraction of the stones. Consequently, higher price need not mean higher quality. But all the natural stones that Meridian Marbles offers, regardless of price, are ensured to be of high quality.

Honed stone is created when the surface of the stone is ground to a smooth, flat, consistent surface. For stones like marble and granite that have natural shine, the polish or shine is removed leaving a matte (unpolished) or satin finish surface with little to no reflection and no bumps or ridges rather than a high reflective polished surface. One important feature of honed marble is that it doesn’t show etching or wear patterns on floors. Some people are very particular to prefer “honed stone” because it offers a less formal, softer appearance than polished stone.

Yes, but it should be taken note that marble is nothing but calcium carbonate, and their polished surface is therefore more vulnerable to household acids including vinegar, mustard, catsup, citrus and a host of other food-related products. These acidic substances result in chemical reaction, which erases the polish. Marble is prone to scratches more easily than harder stones like granite. However, marble does make to be a perfect pastry slab. Its perfectly smooth, cool surface is ideal for rolling out dough and pie crusts.

We are an established name as the most reliable suppliers of quality green marbles. We have our quarries that are rich in green marble varieties. Green marble we are quarrying and processing are of very good export quality.

It offers beautiful look and therefore you can use it in several forms like counter tops, table top, wall cladding, in flooring designs, kitchen top, marble floor boards etc. Even though, too many marble quarries are near Udaipur (Rajasthan), the green marble varieties available with us are unique as they are processed using latest machinery.

Etching happens when acid in some form or the other comes in contact with a polished marble surface. This causes a chemical reaction resulting in the removal of polish and roughening the surface of honed marble. Contrarily, granite is impervious to any common household acids.

It is all about not using a cleansing material on marble, that is not used for cleaning your hands. Powdered cleansers should never be used as also the abrasive pad to clean the marble surface. Even use of pumice, a “soft scrub” type cleaner is powdered volcanic stone could damage your marble stone countertops or floors. Use of any product that is acidic which includes substances like ammonia or many common liquid cleaners available in the market. It is best to use the sealers and cleaning products recommended specifically for cleaning a natural stone like marble.

Granite is ideal to use as a kitchen counter for its features like being highly resistant to scratching, cracking and most importantly staining. It is the most perfect kitchen counter as it is resistant to heat. Daily kitchen activities can go on without any worry or fear of burning the surface as it can take a hot utensil without the use of a trivet. All these surely make granite an ideal choice as a kitchen countertop.

Because of the crystalline structure, like any solid surface, high impact or blows can harm granite. It can chip when subjected to sharp hard objects. But the solace is that the chip is repaired by filling with granite dust and epoxy mixture.

Not with ordinary use. Granite is most susceptible to cracks during shipping and installation. Normal use will not overstress this durable material. (Normal use does not include standing on the counter tops!). In terms of scratching, it is very difficult to scratch. It is so because granite is one of the hardest stones in the world. It is highly resistant to scratching in ordinary use. A knife blade, any sharp object or abrasive material will not easily scratch granite.

Of course yes, if you want to spoil your good knives! Granite is harder than your knife blades and therefore will blunt them very quickly if the granite countertop is used as a cutting surface. It is best advised to use a wooden or a plastic cutting board to cut and chop.

In general, no. All stone, however, is porous to some extent, but granite has very little porosity and therefore will not stain. A few colors may absorb some moisture with prolonged contact compared to others. A stone sealer is highly recommended for all granite after installation. Some stones are more porous than others, it is important therefore to use a penetrating sealer to prevent stains from oil, wine or other liquids from soaking into the surface. In regard to burns, the answer is a big “No”. Granite can’t be burnt with ordinary use. It is thus safe to set hot pots or pans directly from the stove or oven onto granite kitchen counter.

Use warm soapy water or cleaners specifically formulated to help clean and protect stone surfaces. Some granites have pits on the surface. It is so because granite is is crystalline in structure and sometimes has natural fissures as well, that may look like cracks. They are are not structural defects and would have occurred naturally as a result of immense heat and pressure that formed the granite aeon ago. These characteristics add to the natural beauty of stone and therefore will not impair the function or durability of the material.

Due to the limitation of slab size, seams on a granite countertop become necessary and few times unavoidable. A good place to incorporate seams is near sinks or cooking tops. It is necessary to cover most of the seam, leaving a minimum amount in view. The visibility of seams will depend on the granularity, color and pattern of the stone. We can give you the best guidance on the same explaining the process in response to your queries and requirements.

As a standard, most counters overhang by 1 1/2″. But this may be changed for whatever reason considering the cabinet configuration, cabinet installation and most importantly personal tastes.

While building or remodeling your home, a common question that comes up is the maximum granite cantilever dimension. It is all about how far can your granite countertop safely extend below, past the cabinets or wall without cracking? It’s a great question about trying to maximize counter space in the kitchens. We can guide you explore this common kitchen planning issue so that you can avoid potential future problems. You can look to us for offering best solutions.

Most of the hate thumb rule estimates. Let’s check out what some experts say on granite. The Marble Institute of America says you can safely extend unsupported granite up to ten inches (for 1-14 inch thick slabs) where the cantilevered portion is about 1/3 the total width of the countertop. This criteria is in place to prevent any unbalanced condition, rather than a failure of the stone slab.

Some say that you can cantilever granite up to 12″ with sufficient support on the fixed end and with a large enough piece. It is however to be noted that unsupported granite should never be cantilevered as it might receive excessive stress when someone sits on a counter or steps on a counter. In such cases care must be taken to have support underneath.