# Can marble countertops melt? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 31, 2016, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-marble-countertops-melt/761409 "2016-07-31T21:20:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2016, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-marble-countertops-melt/761409/1 "2016-07-31T21:20:39Z")
We went to an open house today that was advertised as having marble kitchen counters. While in the kitchen I noticed a melted spot on one edge. This leads me to believe that it’s not marble at all, but rather something like Corian. But I’m not an expert on this sort of thing. How say you? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2016, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-marble-countertops-melt/761409/2 "2016-07-31T21:24:49Z")
They can, but not at any temperatures you’re ever going to find in a kitchen. It’s fake. I know, I know, it’s shocking to learn that realtors sometimes lie. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2016, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-marble-countertops-melt/761409/3 "2016-07-31T21:28:42Z")
Well, if someone was waving an oxygen lance around… There is a product called cultured marble. but it is like Corian as you suggest. Stone or other minerals in a resin. Having installed Corian counter tops a few times I know there is a lot of finishing work to be done on site after the pieces are joined. I guess it is possible a heavy handed installer could have ‘over rounded’ a spot, but I don’t think it would look like it was melted. Dennis ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2016, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-marble-countertops-melt/761409/4 "2016-07-31T21:31:23Z")
Well, everything melts at some temperature of course\*. In fact, marble is a metamorphic rock, made from limestone or similar sedimentary rocks under intense heat and pressure. > **[Marble](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marble#Physical_origins)** > > Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals that recrystallize under the influence of heat, pressure and aqueous solutions, most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) and has a crystalline texture of varying thickness. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. > In geology, the term marble refers to metamorphosed limestone, but its use in stonemasonry more broadly encompasses unmetamorphosed limestone. Marble is commonly used for scul... But it won’t melt at temperatures encountered in the kitchen. It’s usually calcium carbonate, which has a melting temp of 1,339 deg C. > **[Calcium carbonate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium_carbonate)** > > .mw-parser-output .ib-chembox{border-collapse:collapse;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .ib-chembox td,.mw-parser-output .ib-chembox th{border:1px solid #a2a9b1;width:40%}.mw-parser-output .ib-chembox td+td{width:60%} > Calcium carbonate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula CaCO3. It is a common substance found in rocks as the minerals calcite and aragonite (most notably as limestone, which is a type of sedimentary rock consisting mainly of calcite) and is the main component of eggsh... \*Except **Colibri** ’s stone cold heart when you break the rules of GQ ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2016, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-marble-countertops-melt/761409/5 "2016-07-31T21:37:20Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > \*Except **Colibri** ’s stone cold heart when you break the rules of GQ You’re just trying to butter me up.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2016, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-marble-countertops-melt/761409/6 "2016-07-31T21:39:21Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I know, I know, it’s shocking to learn that realtors sometimes lie. Don’t see their sentences as lies, but as fabulous verbal opportunities with extensive context, waiting for an owner with the right vision to make their very own dream sentence. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2016, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-marble-countertops-melt/761409/7 "2016-07-31T21:53:19Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > Well, if someone was waving an oxygen lance around… > > There is a product called cultured marble. but it is like Corian as you suggest. Stone or other minerals in a resin. > > Having installed Corian counter tops a few times I know there is a lot of finishing work to be done on site after the pieces are joined. I guess it is possible a heavy handed installer could have ‘over rounded’ a spot, but I don’t think it would look like it was melted. > > Dennis I guess it’s possible someone repaired a damaged spot with resin and marble duty. That might look as though melted ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2016, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-marble-countertops-melt/761409/8 "2016-07-31T22:00:54Z")
How do you test it to determine if it is marble or something else? ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Mama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5ac83/32.png) [@Atomic\_Mama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Mama)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2016, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-marble-countertops-melt/761409/9 "2016-07-31T22:27:55Z")
FYI. We had Corian countertops in our last residence (an “exclusive” condo). We had a crockpot going for awhile and were out of the kitchen. Head a LOUD snap – the heat from the bottom of the crockpot had split along the invisible Corian installation seam. :eek: :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2016, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-marble-countertops-melt/761409/10 "2016-07-31T22:39:00Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > Well, if someone was waving an oxygen lance around… > > There is a product called cultured marble. but it is like Corian as you suggest. Stone or other minerals in a resin. > > Having installed Corian counter tops a few times I know there is a lot of finishing work to be done on site after the pieces are joined. I guess it is possible a heavy handed installer could have ‘over rounded’ a spot, but I don’t think it would look like it was melted. > > Dennis This was definitely a melt. It was on the edge and looked like someone had laid a hot poker on it; a fairly decent divot in the rounded edge and bleeding over onto the top. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2016, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-marble-countertops-melt/761409/11 "2016-07-31T22:45:06Z")
Would cultured marble melt in that way? ---
**Author:** ![FluffyBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecb155/32.png) [@FluffyBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FluffyBob)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2016, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-marble-countertops-melt/761409/12 "2016-07-31T23:10:13Z")
Marble is fairly unusual for counter tops (at least where I live). The main stone product is granite. Granite is full of many small fissures between the crystals, Marble has a much smoother appearance and usually has more dramatic patterns. Quartzite, such as Caesarstone, is a really popular cultured product that is more durable than either and more expensive than granite, though I suspect cheaper than marble. None of these will melt or burn in kitchen use, though quartzite can crack from heat shock. Granite and Quartzite seams are epoxy filled and that can melt. Sometimes flaws in granite might be filled with epoxy but that would be sub standard, and the seams should be smaller than 1/8". Corian, although a nice product, really does not make a convincing looking marble replacement. It feels warm to the touch not cool like stone. It does melt or burn, but not from something common like a cigarette. It would have to be a hot piece of metal, maybe from a careless plumber using a torch? Most real estate agents have pretty poor product knowledge from my experience. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-marble-countertops-melt/761409/13 "2016-08-01T01:20:09Z")
> [@FluffyBob](#): > > Marble is fairly unusual for counter tops (at least where I live). The main stone product is granite. Granite is full of many small fissures between the crystals, Marble has a much smoother appearance and usually has more dramatic patterns. Quartzite, such as Caesarstone, is a really popular cultured product that is more durable than either and more expensive than granite, though I suspect cheaper than marble. None of these will melt or burn in kitchen use, though quartzite can crack from heat shock. Granite and Quartzite seams are epoxy filled and that can melt. Sometimes flaws in granite might be filled with epoxy but that would be sub standard, and the seams should be smaller than 1/8". Not sure where you live, but one of the of the most popular countertops around is Carrera Marble. Quartzite is a type of stone. Manufactured products like Caesarstone or Silestone are often called “Quartz”, but they are not “Quartzite”. As for cost, it can vary within a given product type, so you can’s say that one is more expensive than the other. It depends on the specific stone or manmade product. For example. Caesarstone can vary from around $1100 a slab (120" x 56.5") up to $2400 per slab. But even that is a bit deceiving because most natural slabs are a bit larger (120" x ~ 66"). As for the OP, it was probably some resin filler that “melted”. It would be very difficult to melt stone. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-marble-countertops-melt/761409/14 "2016-08-01T01:23:23Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > How do you test it to determine if it is marble or something else? I’d imagine you roll it across the floor and see if you can knock other counter tops out of the chalk ring you’ve drawn to delineate your playing area. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-marble-countertops-melt/761409/15 "2016-08-01T02:47:56Z")
> [@FluffyBob](#): > > Corian, although a nice product, really does not make a convincing looking marble replacement. It feels warm to the touch not cool like stone. It does melt or burn, but not from something common like a cigarette. It would have to be a hot piece of metal, maybe from a careless plumber using a torch? Oh, it will melt just fine. In fact, for my counter top I formed the backsplash to fit into a curved recess I built in the wall. It bends just like acrylic (which it is: aluminum tri-hydrate in an acrylic binder). 325 degrees F is the recommended bending temperature. I made a mold, cut a piece of Corian to the correct size, heated it in the oven and draped it into the mold. It has a tiny bit of resistance at 325, which is what you want. Over 350 it is completely limp and really cannot be picked up. Dennis ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-marble-countertops-melt/761409/16 "2016-08-01T03:05:05Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Would cultured marble melt in that way? That depends upon whether it graduated from a fine arts college. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-marble-countertops-melt/761409/17 "2016-08-01T06:18:59Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > How do you test it to determine if it is marble or something else? The usual method for determining real-from fake with stone, ivory, amber etc is to apply a red hot needle point to a hidden area and observe the effect (stone does nothing/fake stone melts or burns; Ivory smells like burnt hair/fake ivory smells like plastic; amber smells like pine needles/fake amber smells like plastic). Of course, it might be hard to do that if you are not already the owner of the object being tested. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-marble-countertops-melt/761409/18 "2016-08-01T10:33:11Z")
The way to test if something is real stone vs plastic would be the hot needle test . The way to tell marble from other real stones would be an acid test. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-marble-countertops-melt/761409/19 "2016-08-01T10:41:26Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > Don’t see their sentences as lies, but as fabulous verbal opportunities with extensive context, waiting for an owner with the right vision to make their very own dream sentence. Oh I MUST remember that… ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-marble-countertops-melt/761409/20 "2016-08-01T10:42:24Z")
Y’know, that’s a good point. There are plenty of common kitchen acids that’ll damage calcium carbonate. Is marble really a good choice for a countertop? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-marble-countertops-melt/761409.md?page=2)