Quartz Vs. Granite

Which One Is Better?

The most favored material for countertops among affluent homeowners is granite. Its natural beauty and durability are its most coveted qualities.

However, due to the advancement in technology and man’s natural proclivity for new things, quartz countertops are steadily making inroads in the countertop market. They also have exceptional strength and attractive visual appeal. If you are thinking of building a new countertop, it will not be a waste of time if you will consider which of these two can best fulfill what you want. Both these two have their own advantages, but they also have some downsides to them. You need this information so that you’ll be able to decide between quartz vs. granite.

Basic Difference
There are some qualities that both granite and quartz share. They are both strong and have attractive colors. Other than that, there are many differences that separate the two. Here is one basic difference between quartz and granite.
• Granite – this is a natural stone. It has to be mined from quarries in big slabs. A big granite slab is cut, shaped and polished before it is used for countertops, walls and floors. The processing it undergoes before it is delivered to your doorsteps makes it very expensive. It remains to be one of the most expensive natural stones today.
• Quartz – this is an engineered stone. It is composed of about 90% to 93% pure quartz crystals fused with approximately 7% to 10% epoxy binders or resin and color pigments. When it comes out of production, it is already highly polished, and highly non-porous. The consistency of its internal structure is the same all throughout the countertop surface. In general, quartz countertops are slightly lower in price than granite countertops.

Basic Advantages of Granite
As a natural stone, granite has many decided advantage over quartz. Here are some of them.
• Its colors are more natural and more vibrant. The forces of nature which created granite’s colors and vein movements are something that man cannot replicate. It seems that nature does not put any limit as to how these colors and vein patterns are combined together. So you can’t find any two granite slabs that exhibit the same identical color dynamism.
• The feel of natural granite is also something that you can’t manufacture synthetically.
• Its expensive price is somewhat an advantage as well, because it keeps granite on top of the list of elegant and stylish materials.
• If you have granite countertops in your home, it will definitely increase its value.

Basic Advantages Of Quartz
Since quartz is an enhanced stone, it also has definite advantages. Following are some of them.
• Its internal structure is consistent throughout the surface. There are no weak spots.
• Quartz is stronger than granite.
• It is highly non-porous because of the consistency in its structure.
• Safe food preparation is guaranteed because no bacteria can find lodgment on its highly non-porous surface.
• It is already highly polished when it comes out of production.
• The surface of a quartz countertop does not need any sealing.
• You can have all the color combination that you want.
• You can also have any kind of surface texture.

Disadvantages of Granite
Even with its extraordinary qualities, granite also has some disadvantages. They are the following.
• Granite’s cost remains to be out of reach for the average homeowner.
• This stone is very heavy therefore it will require sufficient countertop support for it to function well.
• It is also very hard therefore working with this stone is rather difficult. To avoid making costly mistakes in cutting and shaping, working with granite is best left to the professionals who have the skills and the machinery.
• Granite countertops need to be sealed and laminated because of their porosity. This will prevent stain, dirt and grime from ruining the surface. Periodic sealing and laminating is also required if you want the countertop to last.

Disadvantages of Quartz
There are also some disadvantages to quartz as a countertop material. Below are some of them.
• Although they have unlimited combination of colors, they still are a far cry to the natural colors and vein patterns of granite.
• Quartz countertops lack the depth of granite and oftentimes look flat and synthetic.
• It does not have the natural feel of granite.
• If the quartz surface is scratched or defaced, there is no way to repair it.

Armed with all these information, you are now in a better position to evaluate what you will need, i.e. quartz vs. granite, based on your requirements. No matter which one of the two you will finally choose, you can be sure that your countertop will be durable and stylish at the same time.