Material Guide
Material Guide
If you want the look of marble with greater durability and lower maintenance, quartzite is almost always the better choice for kitchens and high-use surfaces. If you want authentic marble and are prepared to care for it, marble is unmatched — particularly in bathrooms and feature wall applications.
| Property | Quartzite | Marble |
|---|---|---|
| Hardness (Mohs) | 7 — harder than steel | 3–4 — softer, scratches more easily |
| Acid resistance | High when sealed | Low — etches on contact with acid |
| Heat resistance | Excellent | Good, but repeated heat can discolour |
| Scratch resistance | Excellent | Moderate — shows wear with daily use |
| Maintenance | Seal annually, easy daily care | Seal every 6 months, immediate spill response essential |
| Best applications | Kitchen benchtops, flooring, bathrooms, outdoor | Bathrooms, feature walls, lower-contact surfaces |
Both are metamorphic rocks but from different source materials. Marble begins as limestone (calcium carbonate) — that composition gives it its beauty and its acid sensitivity. Quartzite begins as sandstone (quartz grains) that fuse under pressure into an extremely dense, hard, acid-resistant stone.
Watch out for mislabelled stoneSome suppliers sell softer stones as "quartzite." A drop of vinegar will etch marble immediately but leave true quartzite unaffected. At Slab House, every stone is accurately labelled.
Kitchens see lemon juice, vinegar, wine, tomato, coffee — all acidic. Marble etches with these substances even when cleaned up quickly. Quartzite handles kitchen chemistry far better when sealed, and its hardness stands up to daily impact. That said, many designers choose marble for kitchens deliberately, embracing the patina it develops — just go in with clear expectations.
Bathrooms suit marble well. Water and soap are largely pH-neutral — substances marble handles without issue. In a bathroom, marble's luminous quality can be used to full effect without the same acid exposure risk.
For vertical applications the choice becomes purely aesthetic — maintenance demands are much lower on vertical surfaces. Brazilian quartzites with their bold movement are particularly striking at scale.
Marble in a kitchen requires daily vigilance — spills wiped immediately, pH-neutral cleaners only, sealing kept current. For some households this is manageable. For others, it becomes a frustration. Quartzite is more forgiving. A minor lapse is far less likely to cause lasting damage.
11 hand-selected quartzite slabs available to view in person at Mayfield West.
Browse Quartzite