Natural stone is not one material. Calcite-based stones react to acid; silica-based stones do not. Some are porous enough to stain from a spilled glass of water, others shrug it off.
Here is the practical difference between the stones we are most often called to in Lancashire homes and premises.
The short version
- Marble and limestone are calcite — acid etches them
- Slate and granite are far more acid-tolerant
- Travertine has natural voids that need filling
- Traditional flagstone is often unsealed and breathable
- Grout condition affects appearance as much as the stone
Marble
Dense, polishable and easily etched. The finish lives in the stone, so damage is refined out mechanically rather than coated over. pH-neutral cleaning only.
Limestone
Softer and more porous than marble, and usually finished honed rather than high-gloss. Staining is the main risk, so sealing genuinely matters here.
Travertine
Characterised by natural pits and channels. Filled travertine can lose its fillers over time, leaving holes that collect soil. Restoration usually means re-filling before honing.
Slate and flagstone
Acid-tolerant and hard-wearing. Traditional unsealed flagstone in older properties needs a breathable approach — trapping moisture under an impermeable sealer causes more problems than it solves.
- Riven slate holds soil in its texture and needs agitation, not just mopping
- Old flagstone floors may have no damp-proof membrane beneath
- Salt efflorescence is common on old stone and is treated, not sealed over