Telling The Difference Between Quality Cultured Marble And Poor Quality

Molding is installed around the edges of the panels to complete the.

Telling the difference between quality cultured marble and poor quality.

The below chart provides a graphical comparison of 6 common vanity top materials. Natural marble natural granite engineered stone solid surface cultured marble and laminate. Cultured marble is a slightly dated blanket term for manufactured marble granite and onyx. Thus everything you read above about cultured marble vs marble is also true of cultured marble vs onyx.

The cultured marble comes in slabs that are cut to fit the exact dimensions of your shower area. If a stone has a high hardness factor yet seems to have fiberglass resin fill or fissures this is a poor quality tile of that stone. What s interesting about marble grading is that it falls into four different rating categories identified a to d. The a classification is the highest quality and d is the lowest in terms of that particular marble slab s soundness or how easy it is to work with from a fabricator s or an installer s perspective.

You will receive a solid surface when using cultured marble. Ask for the marble s complete name. Cultured marble is still a relatively tough surface but it can be scratched easily and is also susceptible to damage from extreme temperatures. Cultured marble vanity tops vs.

Ratings are provided on key features which should be considered prior to investment. The cost of cultured marble is about 40 less than the price you would pay for a natural quarried stone. Thassos aaa for example is a higher quality of stone than standard thassos. Cultured marble is simulated marble made from a resin compound and ground up marble.

In a head to head between cultured marble and quartz the latter is the clear winner when it comes to durability. Oh and yes they do also make cultured onyx in the same way that cultured marble is made with all the same characteristics except that cultured onyx has a translucent quality to look like real onyx. Cultured marble provides you with a solid surface that does not contain the same functional problems you can encounter when using tile. Also ask for the marble s hardness factor.

These ratings are on a scale from 0 poor 10 excellent. The naturally nonporous surface of quartz makes it resistant to scratches heat though lowes recommends that you still use heat. The result is a solid panel that looks like marble but installs like a fiberglass panel. Overall as an industry we are trying to get away from the term cultured marble.