Use and Application

Every countertop surface has places where it shines and places where it doesn't. This chart shows where each material we offer works best, based on manufacturer warranties, industry standards and Natural Stone Institute guidance.

✔Suitable ⚠Suitable with caveats ✖Not suitable ¹ Source number (see Sources) source pending Industry citation still being confirmed

Material	Kitchen	Vanity	Backsplash	Outdoor bar / exterior	High heat / fireplace	Shower / wet	Commercial
Quartz (Cambria, Silestone)	✔Nonporous⁵	✔Nonporous⁵	✔Vertical use allowed⁵	✖Outdoor use and UV excluded by warranties^1,3,4	⚠"Excessive heat" excluded; 1cm for fireplace walls^1,4	⚠Wet walls OK; no steam showers or shower pans^5,3	⚠Separate commercial warranty²
Marble	⚠Etches from acids⁶	✔Classic vanity stone⁷	✔Wall use⁷	⚠Weathers outdoors source pending	✔Fireplace facings and hearths⁷	✔Showers and tub decks⁷	⚠Wear in high traffic source pending
Granite	✔Resists heat, scratches, most acids⁶	✔Durable⁶	✔Durable source pending	✔Used for paving and cladding⁶	✔Heat resistant⁶	✔Low absorption source pending	✔Heavy-use surfaces⁷
Quartzite	✔Does not etch; seal it¹¹	✔Hard, does not etch source pending	✔Hard, does not etch source pending	✔UV-stable; reseal yearly; check fissures in freeze-thaw^11,12	✔Handles heat^11,12	⚠Needs sealing¹¹	✔Used in hotel lobbies¹²
Travertine	⚠Better for vanities than busy kitchens⁷	✔Popular vanity stone⁷	✔Wall cladding⁷	✔Exterior cladding and paving⁷	⚠Calcite-based source pending	⚠Porous; seal it source pending	⚠Softer stone source pending
Soapstone	✔Resists acid and heat; oil it⁷	✔Common vanity use⁷	✔Acid resistant source pending	⚠Soft; weathering not documented source pending	✔Fireplaces and stoves⁷	✔Dense, water-repelling¹⁵	⚠Soft, scratches easily¹⁵
Onyx	⚠Light duty only; acid-sensitive¹³	✔Suited to vanities¹³	✔Backsplash and backlit panels¹⁴	✖UV, acids and freeze-thaw damage it¹³	⚠Brittle stone source pending	⚠OK with pH-neutral cleaning, ventilation¹³	✖Not for busy floors; desks and bars OK¹³
Ultra Compact (Dekton)	✔Stain coverage in warranty⁸	✔Covered by warranty⁸	✔Covered by warranty⁸	✔UV fading covered indoors and out⁸	✔BBQs and fireplaces covered⁸	✔0.03% water absorption⁹	✔10-year commercial warranty¹⁰

Mohs hardness: how scratch-resistant is it?

The Mohs scale ranks scratch resistance using ten reference minerals, from talc (1) to diamond (10); quartz is 7 and calcite is 3. A material's rating is its resistance to being scratched.¹⁶ Everyday reference points: a fingernail is about 2.5, a copper penny 3.5, a knife blade or glass about 5.5, and a steel nail 6.5.¹⁷ The scale is not linear, and stone is a blend of minerals, so values for a whole stone are approximate.

Material	Mohs hardness
Quartz (Cambria, Silestone)	about 7 (quartz is 7, bound with resin)^16,5
Marble	3–4 (mostly calcite)^16,19
Granite	6–7¹⁹
Quartzite	about 7^11,19
Travertine	about 3 (calcite-based)^16,7
Soapstone	1–3 (talc-rich)^16,19
Onyx	about 3 (calcite-based)^13,16
Ultra Compact (Dekton)	7 (manufacturer rating)¹⁸

How to use it when choosing: Surfaces around 7 (quartz, quartzite, Dekton) stand up to knives and the quartz grit in everyday dirt, while surfaces around 3 (marble, travertine, onyx) scratch and wear more easily, and soapstone most easily of all. Mohs measures scratching only; it says nothing about acid etching, porosity, heat, UV or brittleness, so read it together with the chart above. Engineered quartz, for example, rates about 7 but is still not suited to outdoor use or hot pans.^16,17

Sources

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