If you’re remodelling your bathroom and would like to see some type of natural bathroom stone in your newly updated space, we don’t blame you. Natural stone such as marble, granite, and quartz is a great pick for many surfaces in your house because it’s sturdy, reliable, and luxurious.
If you’re tired of staring into old, worn-out bathroom countertops and tiles, then renovating is the right move for you. After all, the bathroom should be a space where you feel comfortable.
However, making the decision to dive into renovations and ultimately picking the right materials for your new up-do is not easy. There are so many types of granite, marble, and quartz (not to mention other materials) to choose from and a wide range of colours and patterns as well. Therefore, making a decision is a daunting task.
That’s especially true if you’re still weighing whether a natural stone is the right pick for you or not. That’s why today, we’re taking a deep dive into the topic of natural stone in the bathroom. Which type should you go for? Will it be worth the investment? And, finally, what can you use the natural stone for?
Let’s see, shall we?
Choosing the Right Bathroom Stone
As you probably already know, the decision to renovate anything in your home, let alone a bathroom (or a couple), is not an easy one. It takes time and, more importantly, money in order to do it properly.
Therefore, once you actually make the decision to go forth with it, you have to also make decisions on how that renovation process will go, and that includes picking out the materials.
If you’re wondering how to pick the right natural stone for your bathroom, you have to consider the following three factors:
- Style and design
- Wear and tear
- Budget
Of course, there are other factors to consider, such as the availability of materials and the timeline of your renovations. However, the three listed above are the most prevailing ones.
Style And Design of your Bathroom Stone
When it comes to this factor, it’s all about what you want to see in your new bathroom. If you have old laminate worktops and you’d like to change them and see something a bit more modern in your new space, then any natural stone would be a good fit.
If you’re just changing your worktops, then you have to consider how the new piece will fit in with the rest of your bathroom. Will it go with the tiles? Will it clash with the cabinets and the rest of the bathroom furniture?
The most popular option for bathrooms is white marble. It’s easy to mix and match with other materials and colours, and it’s also quite durable. Not to mention, it’s able to transform your bathroom and take it from dull to lux in one move.
However, it’s always best to go with the option that appeals to you the most. After all, you’re the one who’ll be looking at those worktops and tiles for hours on end.
Wear And Tear of Bathroom Stone
When doing an update, it’s vital to pick durable materials. You want your remodel to be worth of time and money. Therefore, you don’t want to go for materials that will show wear and tear after only a few years.
Luckily, natural stone is not only durable but also long-lasting. What’s more, since the bathrooms don’t usually see as much traffic as kitchens do, you don’t even have to take into consideration the minuscule differences in durability between different types of natural stone. For example, if you’re swapping your old laminate worktops in the kitchen and you want something that will last for decades, you might opt for granite rather than marble because marble is softer than granite.
However, since you’re less likely to drop a heavy pot onto the bathroom worktops (which isn’t uncommon in the kitchen), then you don’t really have to care about whether your future worktop can withstand that kind of an impact.
But that doesn’t mean you don’t have to worry about wear and tear. Sure, you won’t put a hot pan onto your bathroom worktop, but you might put a curling iron or another hot styling tool. What’s more, there are also more chemicals in the bathroom than there are in the kitchen. Therefore, you do need to consider how those would potentially impact your new bathroom worktops.
Budget for Bathroom Stone
Of course, one of the most important factors, if not the most important, is the budget. If you can afford any type of natural stone in any given amount, then you’re good, and you can skip ahead. However, if that’s not the case, then you have to consider which option is the best not only for you style-wise but also budget-wise.
The Types Of Natural Bathroom Stone Ideal for Worktops and Tiles
Now that we know how you’ll decide which natural stone is the best pick for your bathroom let’s see which options you have before you. The standard natural stones that you’ll usually find in the bathroom are marble, granite, quartz, and quartzite. Of course, there are also other, more or less opulent choices such as limestone and onyx.
However, these four are the staple bathroom natural stones.
Marble Bathrooms
Marble, more specifically Carrara marble that can be honed or polished, is the most popular choice of many homeowners who decide that natural stone has a spot in their bathrooms. As we already mentioned in one of our previous blogs, marble is the material of luxury.
Marble is a timeless classic because the patterns and colours it offers simply never go out of style. With marble details or marble worktops, your bathroom will look not only elegant but also clean and fresh.
Although some builders shy away from marble in the kitchen because it’s not as resilient as other natural stones, that’s not the case with bathroom worktops. Given that they don’t need to withstand as much force or heat, marble worktops are actually ideal for bathrooms.
Of course, there is the issue of maintenance. Marble demands a bit more maintenance than other materials simply because you have to seal it every so often to protect it from the water.
Many of our Chesham, Amersham, and London clients insist on marble worktops in their bathrooms because of the aesthetics. However, marble has a lot more to offer. It can justify a high price of a home, for example. Marble details and worktops are exceptionally efficient when it comes to increasing the overall value of the home. Therefore, if you’re looking for a material that has a pretty high ROI and that will help you sell your home somewhere down the road, then marble is an excellent choice.
Granite Bathrooms
Ideal for both bathrooms and kitchens because it doesn’t absorb moisture, granite is an excellent choice for worktops. However, in order to prevent mildew growth, you still need to seal and reseal it from time to time. Since that doesn’t have to happen often, the maintenance is pretty much non-existent.
Of course, you’ll still have to clean your granite surfaces in the bathroom. Luckily for you, that won’t (and shouldn’t) require a lot of harsh chemicals. Granite offers easy cleanup. All you really need is a mild cleaning agent, some lukewarm water, and a cloth.
Granite is an ideal material for worktops and vanities because it’s extremely durable. It’s scratch and heat-resistant, which makes it a perfect choice for a busy bathroom that sees a lot of traffic during the day (and night).
One of the biggest advantages of granite is that it can last practically an entire lifetime. The average “life expectancy” of granite is over 100 years! Arguably, your ceramic tiles could also last you that long. However, tiles are connected with less durable materials, and they often accumulate a lot of grime and dirt inbetween them.
That isn’t something that will happen with granite worktops and vanities. Because granite comes in slabs, there are fewer seams between the pieces, and thus, less opportunity for nasty bacteria and dirt to find their way into your bathroom.
Quartz Bathrooms
Quartz isn’t a completely natural material. It’s an artificially engineered stone that’s made out of scraps of various natural materials (such as the actual mineral quartz, granite, and marble, among others) that are ground down and tied together with resin and polymers. Around 90 to 95% of quartz is natural materials, which is why we found it fitting to include it in our natural stone section.
Quartz has many advantages over other natural stone materials. It’s more resilient and durable and, because we can manipulate its composition, it comes in a wide variety of colours and patterns. This can come in handy for those who are extra picky about the hues of furniture, appliances, and other items in their homes. However, it is also beneficial because it offers more consistency.
Marble and granite are completely natural materials that we mine from the earth. So, what you mine is what you get. The stones are completely unique, which means that, although there are some standard marble and granite colours and patterns, no two slabs are alike. Quartz offers more consistency in the overall appearance.
Quartz is an excellent choice for those who want something that looks like marble (given that it comes with a marble effect) but is more resilient, durable, and eco-friendly. Mining marble takes a lot of resources and manpower, not to mention drains the earth’s resources. Quartz is made out of already mined natural stones, which makes it a more environmentally conscious material.
Quartzite Bathrooms
Unlike quartz, quartzite is a completely natural material. It is essentially a sandstone that got fused with the mineral quartz under extreme heat and pressure. Quartzite has a high level of quartz in it which gives it the signature sparkly appearance.
So, if you’re looking for something that’s a completely natural stone but don’t want to go the marble or granite route, then quartzite is the perfect option for you. It’s extremely hard and durable, which means it can withstand any amount of traffic. It doesn’t show wear and tear practically at all, and it can withstand impact and heat.
Quartzite has a lot of quartz minerals in it, so it’s mostly light in colour. However, because nature never fails to provide, it also comes in other, more vivid colours. Of course, the colour and pattern selection resembles more that of marble and granite (as opposed to quartz). Quartzite also has similar veining that marble does, which is why many people use it as a substitute. This material has natural colouring and some movement to it, which is what makes it so popular on the market.
It’s important to note that, although durable, quartzite isn’t as resilient and non-porous as quartz. Because it’s a natural stone that doesn’t have any polymers in it, it simply can’t provide the same level of protection nor the same benefits.
Where To Use Natural Stone (So It Shines As Brightly As Possible)
One of the biggest advantages of natural stone is that it can easily fit into your bathroom. Even if you’re keeping your old bathroom furniture, all-natural stone applications, be it worktops, vanities, or shower walls, will go beautifully with any style of furniture and overall design.
That being said, let’s take a look at all the applications for natural stone. Where could it possibly fit in your new bathroom?
Bathroom Panels
If you’re looking to update your bathroom in terms of style, then you might consider getting a bathroom panel or two. Panels are a great, modern alternative to bathroom tiles.
As mentioned earlier, bathroom tiles are excellent because they require low maintenance and have an exceptionally long life expectancy. However, tiles are small and have to be connected with materials that can’t offer the same benefits. That’s why you often have to battle problems such as mildew and mould as well as dirt and gunk in between tiles.
If you’re tired of that, you might want to consider a wall panel or, more specifically, a natural stone bathroom panel. It’s a panel that spans the entire wall that has no seams in it. That makes it super easy to maintain and clean.
Bathroom wall panels are mounted from floor to ceiling and offer excellent insulation (not to mention, they look amazing). If you’re looking for a natural stone accent for your bathroom, wall panels might be the answer.
Bathroom Worktops
Of course, natural stone worktops for bathrooms are the most popular use of natural stone. No matter which natural stone you opt for, it will make your bathroom look elegant and lux while also providing excellent benefits such as heat and scratch resistance as well as stain resistance.
Shower Walls
If you want to make your shower space really pop, you can opt to instal natural stone wall panels in the shower area. as mentioned, granite is an excellent pick for shower walls because it doesn’t absorb moisture. Granite is also heat resistant, which is an excellent feature for shower walls.
Marble is also a great contender, although it can absorb copper from the water, which can lead to staining. Of course, if you regularly seal your marble shower walls, then this shouldn’t really be an issue.
Vanity Tops and Makeup Stations
If your newly remodelled bathroom is going to include something extravagant like a vanity or a makeup station, then you should go all out and make sure it stands out as much as possible.
Given that vanity tops and makeup stations will often see a lot of traffic, it’s recommended that you go with a durable, resilient natural stone such as granite.
Bathroom Furniture
Natural stone is an excellent material for bathroom furniture as well. For example, you can opt for an opulent natural stone sink that will become the new focal point of your bathroom. It’s extravagant and unusual, but it will also be an item that you won’t regret getting. Aside from being low-maintenance, a natural stone sink will also provide an organic element to your bathroom.
Aside from sinks, you can also opt to include natural stone:
- curbs and thresholds; natural stone thresholds will ensure no water leaves your shower or bathroom area, and they will elevate the look of the entire bathroom (even if you don’t add any other natural stone elements)
- wall caps;
- undermount tub; why opt for a regular, boring tub when you can encase it in natural stone?
- jacuzzi tops
- flooring; although flooring doesn’t really fall under bathroom furniture, natural stone flooring is an excellent pick for the bathroom. Of course, you’ll have to heat it since natural stone, especially marble, doesn’t retain heat. However, you’ll also increase the value of your home immensely. Not to mention, your floors will look more pristine and elegant than ever!
BUCKSMARBLE — Top Natural Bathroom Stone Suppliers In the County
Having a natural element in your bathroom is an excellent move. Not only will it look amazing, but it will also increase the value of your home. Nobody knows that better than BUCKSMARBLE. If you’re looking for the best Chesham and Amersham worktop supplier, look no further than us! We’ll be more than happy to help you pick the right natural stone for your bathroom and help with any interior design needs you might have. So don’t waste time; call us now at 01494793515 or email us at info@bucksmarble.com.