Stone counters are elegant and durable when installed and cared for properly.

Stone Properties
When it comes to selecting countertops, stones with similar looks and characteristics are often combined into one class, even though they may actually be different stone types. The most common stone types for kitchen countertops are marble, slate, soapstone, limestone, travertine, and some sandstones. Slabs are cut into two-foot wide strips and then further custom fabricated.

A stone's strengths and vulnerabilities depend on its hardness or resistance to abrasion and scratching. Stones are composed of deposits that affect their overall strength. Granite—composed of quartz and feldspars—is resistant to scratches and resistant to many chemicals. Marble—any crystallized carbonate rock—is softer and more chemically sensitive, so it will show wear sooner than granite. Marble can be etched by acids and stained by oils, but is restored more easily than granite.

Stones like marble that are limestone-based are more susceptible to acid attacks than silicate-based stones like slate, soapstone, or granite. Stone counters are susceptible to stains, scratching, and breaking, but are easy-to-clean and resistant to bacteria growth. Stone countertops are cleaned with hot water, not detergent because it can leave a cloudy residue. Granite tops may be wiped with vinegar.

Preventing Countertop Damage
Understanding a stone countertop's vulnerabilities and care requirements will ensure a comfortable and long-lasting fit in your home.

Staining
Most, but not all, stone countertops come sealed with a substance that impregnates the material to protect against stains. If a sealer or impregnator is applied, be sure that it is non-toxic and safe for use on food preparation surfaces. Stone countertops that are sealed usually require re-application every five years, and sometimes as often as every two years depending on the product used.

"The biggest issue on any contaminant is dwell time," says Chuck Muehlbauer, technical director for the Marble Institute of America, in Westlake, Ohio. If you choose a stone countertop, you will have to protect it—as you would most other types of countertops—from staining foods by cleaning up immediately after use or a spill. Acids from tomatoes or lemon juice are noted for staining if not wiped up promptly.

Scratches
Guard against scrapes from pans or knives on marble or other non-granite stone surfaces by using placemats under china, ceramics, silver, and abrasive objects that can scratch the surface.