Our Danby Marble Countertops - Two Months In
After about two months of normal daily use, we are sharing the good, bad, and ugly of marble in the kitchen… including how our slab broke in half.
Over 10 years ago, we renovated our first kitchen and when it came to selecting our countertops, we wanted to know more about marble. We were promptly told that if we chose marble kitchen countertops, we would need to sign a waiver - no returns, no complaints, and guaranteed unpredictability. Yikes! So, we decided that it wasn't the best option for us this time around. We quickly opted for the dependable, and very popular at the time, Uba Tuba Granite, and never looked back.
Fast forward to 2017 - and we needed a kitchen for our new Boston Victorian (the one we just removed). This time, we wanted counters that resembled classic marble, but without the headache. Armed with a slightly larger budget for countertop materials, we chose a manufactured slab by Silestone. The countertop looked kind of convincing but was utterly indestructible.
Fast forward again to 2021 - when we began the design plan for our current kitchen. This time, we chose marble right out of the gate and over the following year of planning, our decision never wavered. We decided we were committed to the lux feel and and overall aesthetic appeal. And spoiler alert, it ended up being an excellent choice.
STONE DETAIL
// Marble
Marble: Olympian White Danby Select from Vermont Danby Marble Quarries
Finish: Honed Finish (although there is some texture)
Thickness: 1&1/4”
Edge Detail: 1/4” bevel
Marble Distributor: Boston Marble and Granite
Marble Fabrication & Installation: Metropolitan Cabinets & Countertops
Marble Sealer: Stain-proof Plus Premium Impregnating Outdoor Sealer
// Soapstone
Soapstone sourced, fabricated, and installed by Metropolitan Cabinets & Countertops
Soapstone wax: Real Milk Paint Soapstone Sealer
Marble & Soapstone discounts were provided in exchange for sharing the process and our honest opinions.
Why we Chose Marble
Why were we so confident in our choice to use marble?
First - we completed our Suite Project in 2020 and it has A LOT of white marble. We have never had a single issue with the stone and it feels like luxury.
Second - our feelings on perfection have evolved. Suddenly the negative attributes of marble - staining, etching, and chipping - seemed less scary given all of the wonderful things marble has to offer.
Marble is unparalleled in its beauty - nothing even comes close. The stone is unique, soft, and deep. There is a depth to marble that just cannot be replicated. As hard as we try, it is simply something that cannot be faked.
This image captures the beauty of marble so well. The speckled light is absorbed into the honed finish and you can see the light penetrating at the sink's edge.
We mentioned above that in the previous version of our kitchen, we used Silestone. Overall, we liked it and we would consider using it in future projects. Man-made products like this can be a really great option if you're looking for something with more durability. But as advanced as it is, the stone is manufactured - and it looks it. It's tough to compete with a marble countertop of any kind, really.
Danby marble
The more we learned about Danby Marble, the more it became the obvious choice for our new kitchen. The stone is quarried at Dorset Mountain in the state of Vermont, by Vermont Quarries. We really liked the idea that it was coming from someplace relatively nearby, as opposed to being shipped from the other side of the globe. Also, this Danby quarry was actually the first in the United States, and it's the largest underground marble quarry. Pretty cool! Bonus - Danby Marbles are some of the hardest in the world.
// Fun Fact: Rumor has it that Danby Imperial is the preferred marble by Martha Stewart - and as we see it - if it’s good enough for Martha, it’s good enough for us!
We chose our marble slabs at Marble and Granite’s Westwood location. They carry a large variety of Vermont Danby Quarry products and have an entire blog post about Danby Marble here. We felt welcomed right from the start and they had no issue moving stone slabs around for us to take a better look!
There are actually nine different types of Danby marble - Imperial Danby marble, Royal Danby marble, Eureka, Mountain White, Olympian White Select, Olympian White Classic, MontClair Danby marble, Fantastico and Appalachian Green Danby - and the price range varies across the different types. They each have unique colors and you may see veins that are green, gold, gray or even peachy. We didn't go with a specific type in mind, but knew we wanted white Danby marble. We looked at a couple of different variations of marble slabs, but ultimately just picked what was the most visually appealing to us - the Olympian White Select. We were drawn to the ultra soft texture, the soft white background and the light gray veins.
// Another Fun Fact: According to Marble and Granite’s post, Danby Marbles have an absorption rate between .06% - .08%, making it less absorbent than some slabs of granite. This means that it holds up to spills and doesn’t stain very easily.
After choosing our slabs Marble and Granite coordinated with Metropolitan Cabinets & Countertops who fabricated and installed the slabs.
Templating & Installation
Installation of any counter is such a momentous event - arguably one of the most major projects you can do in your home. So much work goes into the project leading up to that point and in just a few hours, the entire space is dramatically different. With this - comes a great deal of stress - even with a flawless, professional installation.
Stone is heavy and to make things more complicated, we designed our kitchen to avoid any seams - this means we got the longest slabs available. Throw in a marble backsplash (which sits on top of the counter), and you better make sure that you are ready to support all of that weight.
Lucky for us, Metropolitan Cabinets & Countertops walked us through all of these logistics during the templating process so that the kitchen would be ready for installation. Following templating, we visited Metropolitans’s location to place the templates directly on the stone. We were able to visualize where our sink, cooktop, and outlets would fall - and where the marble veining would be the heaviest.
In just a couple of weeks the crew arrived for professional installation. We spent most of our time out of the way, allowing the team to work and trying reduce our heart rates. In the end - the installation went so well and we could not be happier with the final result.
The Big Surprise
This is the part we have yet to share… one of our slabs broke right in half on installation day.
To say our stomachs dropped into our feet would be an understatement. Not only had we invested weeks into choosing our slabs, but these slabs are very expensive and we loved our selections. To make matters worse, we were under an extreme time crunch… we can’t exactly tell you why - but we will just say that a film crew was due to show up in about 24 hours.
Of course - we knew that this was a very real risk. Marble is heavily veined and these veins can be a point of weakness. In our case, the brake occurred in our back yard, just after they cut out the hole for the cooktop. We inspected the damage and readied ourselves for our options…
Option 1: Fabricate a new stone slab for the right of the cooktop and create a center seam.
Im not sure if I imagined it, but I'm pretty sure that steam came out of Stephen’s ears. We designed this entire kitchen very specifically to avoid any seams, and the long lengths of stone came at a premium. Additionally - a new stone meant that there would be a change in the veining pattern.Option 2: Glue it back together. We looked at each other and knew this was the most effective choice. We simply did not have the time to go through this process again and there are benefits to breaking along a vein… the stone can be put back together really well. The two pieces fit perfectly and with a little glue, no one would be the wiser.
The break in the stone after glue and installation. The crack continues on the other side of the cooktop and ends at the backsplash.
// Take Away: In the end we glued the two pieces together and the team worked to make it look the best they could. We were so happy with the results, and their hard work, that we really have no issue with the break whatsoever. We don’t see it, and neither has anyone else, but for some reason we still love to point it out for dramatic effect.
Sealing
We sealed out counters with Stain-proof Plus Premium Impregnating Outdoor Sealer and we are so happy we did. The process was easy and not at all stressful. We will probably do this once a year or so moving forward, and will probably re-do our Suite Bathroom with the same product.
Staining
This section is really easy. One of the best benefits of Danby Marble is that the stone is not very porous. Combine that with sealing, and we have yet to see a stain. Granted we are not red wine drinkers… but we have left plenty of cold brew coffee and red sauce on the countertop without issue.
// Take Away: We have yet to get any stains.
Etching
This section is less easy. We are pretty diligent about keeping our counters dry. We have a rag that basically hangs at arms reach all the time, and we just wipe up any mess right away. However, despite our best efforts, we have started to notice some etching. Primarily around the sink where you may not otherwise notice a wet countertop.
We had to work in just the right light to capture this new etch. Typically we can’t see it at all.
To be clear - we knew that this would happen. Contrary to many things we have read online, sealers are primarily for stains, not etching. It feels like getting that first scuff on your favorite pair of new sneakers. As the etches accumulate, it will become more uniform and less dramatic. So don't be afraid to break out the lemon juice.
One note about our counters… while they are technically honed, they do have light texture. They almost have a very subtle leathering and we think that etching would be even less noticeable with a truly honed stone finish.
// Take Away: We are starting to see light etching and we decided to be ok with it.
Bruising
Okay - we didn’t come across this issue that often during our research, but it is what we are seeing the most of - bruising. What is bruising, you ask? This is when you drop something heavy on the marble and it gets a mark. You cannot feel these when you run your fingers across them, but they are bright white and can stick out.
// Fun Fact: When researching bruising, I learned they are actually called a stun. This makes it much cuter.
We got our first bruise before we even photographed the kitchen. Stephen dropped a glass jar of tomato sauce from a few inches up while putting away groceries. The result… a cute little stun.
You can basically see the pattern from the bottom of the jar. Cute little stun.
I (David) was a bit stunned myself, only to add a stun of my own a few days later when I dropped a piece of metal while working on something else.
// Take Away: We have a nice collection of small stuns and we are sure there are more to come.
Chipping
This was the most devastating of them all. I (David) have been doing A LOT of cooking in our new kitchen and fumbled while putting the glass shaker back in the upper cabinet. I watched the following events as if they were recorded in slow motion.
The glass fell, full of salt - and bang. The counter was hit and like chipping a tooth, I could see the damage right away. We officially have our first chip.
“Off to the cupboard with you now, Chip” is something we now say daily. Thank you Mrs Potts.
I looked over at Stephen, waiting for a reaction and there was none. He was mostly delighted that I could no longer hold the aforementioned stun over his head any longer. It happened and there is nothing we can do now, but hope it’s the last. We are still not sure what we are going to do about this, and are considering leaving it without doing anything at all. Otherwise we may opt to look for an epoxy to fill the hole but worry about the sheen differences. Oh well, we will figure it out (or not).
// Take Away: We have a chip folks. Hopefully it is the last, but maybe not, and for now we will just live with it.
Final Thoughts
After just two months of living with our beloved Vermont marble, our counter has been broken, etched, stunned, and chipped. We can see why this makes it a less than ideal design choice for some households. But even though all of those things have happened, and will continue to happen, we are still so happy with our decision. The patina that the marble inherits with more use, makes it that much more beautiful. We wouldn’t have it any other way and it's one of the very best decisions we've made in our kitchen redesign.
