When planning to renovate your kitchen, you might wonder which countertop material will fit your needs- granite or quartz.
There’s no clear answer to this!
Both granite and quartz are amazingly popular countertop materials with the same price range and popularity. Nevertheless, these stone kitchen/bath countertops have varying traits that make them terrible or perfect for your kitchen. What differentiates them, and which one is better – granite or quartz?
Composition
Quartz kitchen countertops are engineered products that contain a larger percentage of natural quartz. They might have other minerals. They aren’t slabs of quarried stone but are made from stone byproducts that are finely ground and designed into slabs.
The granite countertop is purely natural stone from quarries. It’s cut into tiny slabs, refined, and contrived into countertops.
Appearance
One benefit that granite has over-engineered stone is that all granite slabs are slightly different in mineral color and pattern. So, the countertops are always unique. Since quartz is an engineered product, they have a uniform appearance, even though they come in several colors and unique patterns.
The choice depends on personal preferences. If you love the appearance of natural stone, go for granite, a natural product. However, many homeowners find that quartz countertops provide different and better looks than natural stones.
DIY Suitability
No products are ideal for DIY installation except for the small bath vanity countertops. Quartz and granite are heavy stones. So, it’s good to get a professional from discoverquartz.com to fabricate and install the countertops.
Durability and Maintenance
While the two materials are durable, there’s an extra benefit for quartz over granite material. Nevertheless, there is one downside of quartz material as they are not heat resistant like granite.
- Sealing: quartz doesn’t require any sealing due to the resins used in fabricating the slabs. On the other hand, granite countertops are made of porous material that requires sealing after installation. They also require periodic sealing.
- Cracking: Quartz Is a uniform material, and this makes it hard to crack. Granite might have inherent flaws, making them vulnerable to cracking.
- Staining: quartz countertops are more resistant to staining thanks to the resins used in fabrication.
- Bacterial resistance: quartz are more bacterial resistant than granite because they are less prone to sheltering bacteria since the resin makes the surface less porous.
- Heat resistance: while both countertops are heat resistant, granite tends to withstand higher temperatures than granite material. Granite is the most heat-resistant countertop available in the market. You can put a hot pan or pot directly on the granite, and the countertop won’t be affected, unlike quartz, which might become scorched.
Real Estate Value
The two are superior building materials that will impress potential buyers. When compared to ceramic tile or laminate countertops, quartz and granite will slightly increase the value of your house. However, some buyers might give a slight benefit to granite due to its natural material.
Final Word
Both quartz and granite are premium countertop alternatives that will add real estate value to your house. Granite tends to appeal to homeowners who love all-natural materials, and quartz offers easy maintenance and better durability. If you still can’t choose the best option that fits your home, talk to experts at discoverquartz.com for professional help.