So, you are considering both Quartz and Granite and trying to weigh up their advantages and disadvantages for your kitchen worktop to see which one would be best for your home, style and way of living. Either that or you are weighing up or your options, whatever your reason is for being here, you have come to the right place. You need some help in deciding which material would be better – Quartz or Granite – and this is exactly how we will help you.
While both are excellent choices for kitchen worktops, both do have their advantages and downfalls. We are going to point out all the best bits and worse bits of both Quartz and Granite to help you in your decision process.
Keep on reading to find out more about both stones.
Maintenance
If you are wanting a low maintenance and therefore low in cost stone, then Granite is perhaps not for you. When you are selecting the material for your kitchen worktop you need to factor in the potential long-term costs such as re-sealing and regular treatments. Granite will require regular sealing in order to maintain its non-porous benefit. If you do not keep up with this then you are putting your worktop at risk of being damaged.
Quartz Stone, however, is very different and does not require any sort of sealing or treatment to be done during its lifetime and therefore is perfect for those who are on a lower budget and do not want to expense or hassle.
Staining
Kitchens are one of the highest traffic areas within the home and therefore it needs to withstand a lot of people and food preparation. As you will be preparing a lot of food, spillages are going to be expected. Granite is not naturally a non-porous material without having any treatments, unlike Quartz. This means that if you do not keep up with the sealing then any spillages will be soaked up into the stone to leave a stain.
Quartz Stone is a non-porous material which means it will never hold onto any liquids that have been spilt, which results in an easy clean every time.
Strength
If you are looking for strength, Quartz Stone is by far the strongest out of the two options here. Quartz has been completely man made and has been made out of 93% Natural Quartz and 7% Polymer Resin, which results in an incredibly strong stone. Quartz is well known for being such a strong stone and beats Granite every time.
Price
For most people, the cost is a massive deciding factor. If you decide to go for Quartz for your kitchen worktop, then you will not be disappointed. Quartz is the cheaper alternative when it comes to Granite, for the initial purchase and long-term cost.
Not only does Granite require regular treatments but it is also much more expensive to purchase per square foot than Quartz Stone.
Hygiene
When it comes to picking out the stone for your kitchen worktop, hygiene should be a top priority and how well the material can be kept clean, as you will be preparing food on the surface directly and daily. Quartz is by far the most hygienic material out of these two options. Quartz works at preventing any bacteria growth on the surface as it is a non-porous material.
However, Granite does not have this quality naturally.
Appearance
You are likely going to want to see samples of all the stones you are thinking of purchasing before you make any decisions. When you look at the samples of Granite you may not get exactly what you see on the sample as Granite can have major differences in colour as it has been dyed commercially.
However, when you look at Quartz Stone you can expect to see exactly what you see within the same as it has been manufactured and it will remain the same colour and style that you are looking at within the sample.As Quartz has been created within a controlled environment, you can expect to have zero defect or problems within your slab.
Cleaning Routine
Quartz Stone is by far the easiest to keep clean out of the both options. All Quartz requires is warm water and a mild soap to wipe over it with, this is more than enough to keep your kitchen worktop looking fresh. Granite, however, requires regular sealing to ensure that it is water proof and it is not quite as easy to keep clean as Quartz is.
