Types of Stone to make Sinks and Bathtubs

Granite

Granite is one the most popular natural stone for sinks and bathbubs. Granite's beauty and durability have long made it a favorite for countertops — and now it's a favorite for sinks, too. You can buy a granite sink carved from one piece of stone or, if your motivation is to match your beautiful new granite countertop, have one made from the same material.

Granite is a common type of felsic intrusive igneous rock that is granualr and phaneritic in texture. It come as massive pieces, hard and tough, and therefore it has gained widespread use throughout human history for contruction material and, of course, our natural stone sinks and bathtubs.

Marble

Marble is a non-foliated metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is commonly used for sculpture and as a building material.

Soapstone

Soapstone, aka steatite or soaprock, is a talc-schist, a type of metamorphic roch. It has been used for carving for thousands of years. Soapstone has been used to make sinks for very long time. Although it is the soft feel to the touch, it is actually the densest of the stones used for sinks. It wont stain or etch. It is heat-resistant. It does require oiling to maintain an even, dark color.

Limestone

Limestone is a sedimentary rock, which accounts for the fossils that are often visible in its surface. Its burnished beauty can resemble petrified wood, making a standout design statement in your kitchen. It's more porous than the other stones mentioned here, so sealing is a must.

Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Most limestone is composed of skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral, forams and molluscs.

Travertine

Travertine is a metamorphic stone that is formed from limestone near hot and cold mineral springs and can be cream, yellow or a light to near-brown beige. It's long been used for floors and even buildings, and its warm tones will add to your kitchen.

Onyx

Onyx is a banded variety of the oxide mineral chalcedony. Agate and onyx are both varieties of layered chalcedony that differ only in the form of the bands: agate has curved bands and onyx has parallel bands. The colors of its bands range from white to almost every color (save some shades, such as purple or blue). Commonly, specimens of onyx contain bands of black and/or white.

Care & Clean of Stone Sinks

Know the type of stone of your sink/bathtub

Natural stone sinks come many types of stone, from rustic soapstone to the sleekest marble. Stone sinks are beautiful and also durable. Proper care will help maintain the beauty. Different types of stone have different way of care and maintenance. Within each type stone, there are different characteristiics as well. You will need to know what kind of stone is your sink or bathtub.

Granite ranges from fairly soft and porous to harder and tightly-grained. Marble tends to have the same basic porosity across its different types. Onyx is very similar to marble, and can be cared for using the same methods. Soapstone is the softest kind of stone made for sinks, and travertine requires the most care.

Regular care

Water containers all type of mineral materials. They can build up in your sink as deposit. It is a good idea to wipe up remaining water on your stone sink with cloth after each use, especially when you have hard water from your tape. All type of stone sinks stain. Try not to keep colored liquid in your stone sink or bathtub in order to prevent stain on the stone sink. This include fruit juice. Avoid anything with a high sodium content, such as the salt-and-hydrogen-peroxide concoction some people use instead of toothpaste, as this can damage your stone sink.

Stone sink cleaning

Avoid using cleaner that contain acids, such as citrus based cleaner. They can etch or stain your stone sink. Use of abrasive cleansers and stell wool on your stone sink can scratch the surface. For most types of stone, mild dish soap works well on them. Some types of stone may requires special stone cleansers. You may refer to the manufacturers.

Wax your stone sink

Open-grained stone sinks need to be resealed once a month. You can use clear wax such as that made for waxing cars, or you can purchase the appropriate wax from your stone sink manufacturer or dealer. Close-grained sinks can be sealed once per year with stone sealer. Different types of stone require different levels of sealing to ensure they are properly sealed. What kind of sealer you use depends on what kind of sink you have, and how it was sealed by the manufacturer.

Stain Removal

For removing difficult stains on all stone types try the following steps before consulting an expert.
1) Clean the area using a stone cleaner with a neutral pH. If this does not help, try a more aggressive cleaner. Keep in mind what types of stones are sensitive to certain chemicals, as stated above.
2) Wet your surface with distilled water. This will keep the chemical from drying too fast, allowing it to stay in contact with the stain longer.
3) Prepare a poultice. This will be used to absorb the stain out of the stone. An easy poultice to create at home requires mixing one cup of flour and a few tablespoons of liquid dish detergent. Mix the two together until you have the consistency of peanut butter. You can purchase chemical poultices if you prefer. *For stains with red wine, replace the detergent with hydrogen peroxide.
4) Thickly cover the stain in the poultice you have created and cover with saran wrap and tape the edges down with masking tape (won't create a permanent residue), then let sit overnight.
5) After 24 hours, remove the plastic. Let sit uncovered until poultice is dry. This step is important because the drying is what pulls the stain out of the stone. You can then remove the poultice by scraping it off with a razor blade or putty knife. Clean off the residue with water and a neutral cleaner. *Granite is more porous than other stones so it will retain moisture longer. If the stain appears to be gone, but the stone is a slightly darker color, give it a week or more to dry before reattempting the poultice method.

Stone Vessel Sink Installation Tips

Stone vessel sink are installed on a flat vanity counter top. the counter top can be granite, marble, wood and other artificial material. Vessel sink can also be installed on a flat top furniture, and transfer the furniture to a vanity.

First step is to drill a drain hole and faucet hole on the flat surface that the stone vessel sink. The drain pipe location and the countertop height need to be measured. A proper height after the installation is between 30 to 36 inches.