Granite - a great choice for kitchen countertops, floors and other heavily used surfaces.  Much of the granite quarried comes from China, India and Brazil. Granite is typically known as being a good choice for its inherent strength, resistence to abrasion and its durability.  Granite is also pretty good at resisting the attack of caustic agents used in northern climates where snow melting chemicals are heavily used. Using granite in the kitchen works well since it is very scratch resistent and is usually heat resistent up to temperatires of 250 degrees C, although direct application of heat is always discouraged.

Marble & Serpentine - great choice for foyers, bathrooms, floors and hearths - Marble is a metamorphic rock found in the mountains of most countries. Most marble is quarried in India, China, Italy and Spain. It is a beautiful and elegant choice! Marble is often used in wet area applications.  Serpentine is often mistaken for marble. They are chemically different but serpentine exhibits a greater acid resistence and abrasion resistence than true marble so it is normally a better choice for a kitchen and exterior application than marble.

Slate and Soapstone - Versatile, Chemically Resistant - Ready to build a laboratory table in a chemistry lab? Consider slate or soapstone!  These rocks are resistent to most chemicals but are not known for being scratch resistent.  Soapstone is highly heat resistent and is often used around fireplaces. Slate has been used for blackboards and roofing shingles. It was also used as the cloth-covered playing surface for billards tables.  

Susan Hilton - Realtor & Sales Trainer for Century 21 Beal

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