You are probably asking yourself  "Which material can I use for my benchtop?"

The clear answer is stone, for many good reasons. A benchtop made of stone – be it granite, another natural stone or engineered stone, combines optimal properties that are ideal as a work bench.

Natural stone as a raw material has one of the longest creation stories on earth. Even in prehistoric times, stone was the key to prosperity, security, happiness and culture. Only stone could withstand the elemental force of fire. 

Whether you are are looking for a stone benchtop for your new kitchen, laundry or scullery, you need to decide which stone is the right one for your requirements. With the right care the robust surface resists heat, scratches and moisture. It is also very hygienic and easy to clean. And last but not least, a stone countertop looks simply very elegant.

We here at Global Marble & Granite believe that a hard wearing granite or engineered stone is your best choice for work areas like kitchen and laundry. Other good options are the new ceramic based materials such as Neolith or Laminam. Marble is another stone type to consider, although it is a much softer stone and it is more prone to stains and scratches and ideal for bathrooms, floors, steps and fireplaces. Marble is widely used in southern Europe where some wear marks are seen to add to the character of the stone.
Engineered stone is a modern surface material and can also be called “artificial stone", or “man-made stone" or “quartz composite stone". Here in Perth WA most people call it “engineered stone". It is made from quartz and resins mixed together with colourings added to it. There are now engineered stone marble lookalikes that have all the advantages of the harder wearing stone types than natural marble.

Natural stone...

...as raw material has one of the longest creation stories of this earth. Even in prehistoric times, stone was the key to prosperity, security, happiness and culture. Only the stone could withstand the elemental force of fire.

Check out our natural stone selection

We stock our own range of Marble and Granite slabs as well as Onyx, Travertine, Quartzite and other exotic stones in our warehouse. If you cannot find what you are looking for we also can source other Natural and engineered Stone from other suppliers in Perth or even Australia wide.

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Granite

Granite comes in a vast variety of colours. It is a versatile hard wearing material which is ideal for kitchen benchtops, floors, staircases, external wall cladding, fireplace hearth and mantle pieces, lift surrounds, outdoor kitchens, planter boxes, chopping boards, drive ways, column cappings, window sills, skirting, feature walls, floor inlays and countless more usages. Granite is equally used for commercial and residential building products in internal and external spaces.

Marble

There is a huge colour range of Marble available. Marble is popular for bathroom walls, floors and vanity counters, furnishings, feature walls, lift surrounds, floor inlays, skirting, pool surrounds, water features, column surrounds, window sills, fireplace mantle and fireplace hearths, cutting boards and much more. Due to its characteristics most marble slabs are great for book matched features. Marble is equally used for commercial and residential building products.

Engineered stone

Engineered Stone is a man made Quartz based stone product. It is a composite material consisting of crushed quartz and epoxy or polyester resin as a binder. Other materials like mirrors, shells, coloured glass and even metals are added to create different colour variations. The colour ranges from simple white to concrete texture to a stunning marble look and every possible colour and texture in between.

Engineered stone is less porous, harder and more flexible than natural stone. Reconstituted stone should not be used outdoors as exposure to sunlight(UV) for a longer period will break down the resin and cause discolouration and disintegration.

Man made stone is non permeable, meaning they will not stain easily, hence sealing is not required. It is recommended that care be taken as on rare occasions man made stones can still stain with substances such as red wine, lemon juice or beetroot, if left on for a longer period e.g over night. Wiping off the benchtops with warm soapy water is recommended.

Some of the common brands of engineered stone used here in Perth WA are Caesarstone, SmartStone, Q Stone, Silestone, Quantum Quartz, HanStone, Veda Stone and Essa Stone.

Natural Stone Supplier

Granite Warehouse and CDK Stone are both in Malaga. They also stock a great range of Natural Stones like Granite, Marble, Travertine and other stones.

Engineered Stone Supplier

These are some of our engineered stone suppliers. Please note that we can source any available stone in the country.

Reconstituted stone should not be used outdoors as exposure to sunlight(UV) for a longer period will break down the resin and cause discolouration.

Stone usability table

Stone product
Granite
Engineered stone
Marble
Travertine
Onyx
Quartzite
kitchen benchtop
N
N
N
bathroom benchtop
laundry benchtop
splashback
backlit splashback
N
N
N
N
N
outdoor kitchen
N
N
N
BBQ benchtop
N
N
servery tops commercial
N
bar top residential
bar top commercial
N
fireplace surround
N
fireplace hearth
N
fireplace mantle piece
N
steps and stairs
outdoor planter box
N
dining and coffee table
backlit table
N
N
N
N
N
window sill
spa bath surround
floors
backlit feature stone
N
wall cladding
garden water feature
N
furniture

Disclaimer:
The table shows Global Marble & Granite recommendations where certain stone can be used, or where they are not recommended for use. There are of course some exceptions. For example, we would normally recommend marble not to be used as kitchen benchtops, but if the client is aware of the implications we are happy to produce a kitchen or laundry marble benchtop for you. In fact we do quite a few marble benchtops each month and most clients are very happy with them.