Deciding on a new kitchen or bathroom worktop is not the easiest task in the world. Of course, you want your new purchase to look fantastic, last the test of time, and also to be great value for money also. How do you tick all of these boxes?
You shop around, of course.
You need to make two very important decisions at this point – the material, and the colour. The rest will fall into place from there with a little hope, however checking out all your options before deciding on the worktop you really want is the best course of action.
In terms of natural stone material choices, you have three main routes to go down – quartz, granite, and marble. If you go for marble or granite, you need to be prepared to annually seal your worktop, which adds to the maintenance cost and time. On the other hand, if you go for quartz, you don’t need to worry about this, because quartz is the only natural stone which requires zero maintenance at all – simply clean regularly as normal, and that’s all you need to worry about!
Having said that, many people want to achieve the opulent appearance of marble, but they’re also slightly concerned about the upkeep which marble brings. How do you get around that? You opt for quartz, in a marble effect.
Basically, this gives you the best of both worlds, but let’s check out the pros and cons in a bit more detail first.
Pros of Natural Quartz Marble Effect
- The beauty of marble, with the strength of quartz – Quartz is a very strong stone, and it is one which is also highly resistant to scratching, staining, and heat. For this reason, you are getting the opulence of marble, that iconic and classic appearance, and you’re getting the strength of quartz on top.
- No maintenance required – Quartz is the only natural stone that doesn’t require any maintenance, e.g. no annual sealing, unlike marble itself. This means that you’re getting a very durable and easy to look after stone. Marble on the other hand, real marble, does require more in the way of maintenance, and isn’t quite as strong as quartz or granite is.
- Easy to find – Marble effect quartz is very prevalent on the market, so you can shop around and get the best deals available.
- Many colours available – Because you’re using quartz to get a marble effect, there are many colours available, probably more than if you went for authentic marble itself.
Cons of Natural Quartz Marble Effect
- It’s not actually marble – If you’re concerned about such things, marble isn’t exactly what you’re getting, it’s something which looks like marble.
- The cost – Quartz is very cost effective, but the marble effect colours are slightly more expensive than the regular colours, patterns, and finishes available widely in quartz.
It’s clear to see from these lists that there are many more advantages to classic quartz in a marble effect, than there are disadvantages. The main downside, apart from the possibly higher cost, is that you’re not truly getting marble, and if you’re a person who likes to have authentic things, rather than imitations, this could be a problem for you.
Having said that, marble effect quartz remains very popular for a reason!
