Marble is at risk for cracking chipping and eroding even in relatively mild climactic conditions.
Marble vs granite gravestones.
If you want intense detail that will withstand the elements then granite might be a better option.
In comparison to marble headstones custom granite memorials can last for centuries.
The biggest difference between granite and marble is the hardness of the stone.
Marble is also very soft and can be scratched with a metal object.
Either way knowing the pros and cons will help you make a well informed decision.
Granite is metamorphic or igneous made up of silica mica feldspar and quartz generally with a packed granular surface.
Color varies from light to dark presented in flecks veins or solid patterns.
Marble is softer and will likely deteriorate over time by cracking chipping and eroding especially in outdoor elements.
The darker colors are better for laser etching with dark black granite being the best.
Granite headstones granite is an igneous rock which is the result of cooling magma.
Marble deteriorates from acids that are prevalent in rain.
On the flip side granite markers created 100 plus years ago remain in good condition because granite can hold its own against pollution salt and other erosive outdoor conditions.
Granite is a much harder material and lasts considerably longer than marble.
The biggest difference between granite and marble is the hardness of the stone.
Granite is much harder than marble and it is not brittle.
The marble is slowly wearing away.
Granite is a much harder material and lasts considerably longer than marble.
Marble used to be the most popular stone for graves but today it is granite by far.
There are a few reasons for this.
Granite is the future.
Commercial marble is typically available in variations of black and white.
Granite unlike marble is an extremely hard rock that is more likely to endure the test of time in the cemetery.
However if the marble does need upkeep you can hire a restoration expert to maintain the surface.
Granite on the other hand is an igneous rock composed of primarily quartz and feldspar and some mica.
In a surprisingly short amount of time design work names and other customized elements will weather away and become difficult to discern.
Marble is softer and will likely deteriorate over time by cracking chipping and eroding especially in outdoor elements.
This is why the old gravestones of the midwest are barely legible because acid rain created by factory pollution has dissolved a lot of the calcite in the limestone and marble gravestones.