Working on a renovation can be overwhelming. It is important to stay informed in order
to make the right decisions. When designing a kitchen or a bathroom one of the main
debates people have is whether to go with quartz or granite.
Here are a some of the differences between the two hard surface materials.
Easy to clean
Both granite and quartz are really easy to keep clean. A mild soap and some warm water will take care of most messes. Just keep in mind with granite that it is a natural porous stone. What this means is things like red wine, tomato sauce, or pigmented spices can stain your lighter coloured stone if you aren't on top of cleaning up the spill.
*Do not use a granite cleaner on a quartz countertop. Many contain a wax sealer in them that will build up on quartz overtime and yellow.
Heat Resistant
I am sure that much of your research has told you that granite is heat resistant and quartz is not. This to an extent is true however there are a few factors to consider.
Granite is made under extreme heat and pressure which make it an amazing option for things like fireplace facings however this is in an application where the stone if heated would be heated evenly. What we want to avoid is shocking the stone, where it goes from one temperature to another extreme very quickly. Much like cookware this can be a problem for your countertop. Shocking the stone would affect the secondary material in the granite which is typically quartz causing it to crack and possibly break your countertop. It is not a guarantee that this will happen the first or second or even third however why risk it with such an expensive investment?
Quartz on the other hand is not a good heat resistant option. The resin that holds the countertop together can discolor with prolonged heat exposure or burn at a high enough temperatures.
A stone countertop is a big investment that you want to last the entire lifespan of your kitchen so we use the following rule of thumb: if you need oven mitts you need a trivet on your countertop. This will make sure that your countertop lasts as it should.
Maintenance
This is one area that quartz and granite differ. Quartz has zero maintenance required other than the usual cleaning. Granite however as a porous stone should be resealed typically every 12-18 months or if your countertop fails a water test.
How to perform a water test:
Take a small amount of water about 1/4 cup should do and pour small 3" patches in various places around the top. The entire test should take about 30 minutes.
if no water is absorbed in the full 30 minutes the seal is good
if you notice absorption at the 3-4 minute mark add at least a layer of sealer
if the water absorbs in under a minute you should reseal the counter immediately following the full directions on your sealer container.
Variety
Granite has a variety of colours that fall mostly into the following colour categories: black, white, gray, beige, brown, burgundy, red, yellow, green and blue. There is also a chance of significant variation in the pattern from slab to slab as this is a naturally occurring stone. We recommend going to a stone supplier to hand pick your slabs for the best possible pattern match.
Quartz on the other hand comes in a huge variety of patterns and textures. Many colours come in a matte or concrete finish as well as the standard polish. The nice thing about quartz is the consistency from slab to slab as they are made with a recipe. Some slight variation is to be expected however there won't be the drastic difference you can get with granite slabs.
Pricing
Pricing of both can vary wildly by selection and application. We highly recommend selecting a few options and our design team can get you pricing on your favourites for your project.
So what do I choose?
At the end of the day the material you choose is up to you after weighing the above factors. We highly recommend choosing the finish that you love. Find a colour or a pattern that you adore and can live with since your countertop selection will be with you for a long time to come.