You’ll notice, especially if you’re a fan of HGTV shows, that granite countertops and their quartz counterparts vie for favorites in kitchens and bathrooms. And while choosing the perfect material for your Atlanta natural stone countertops may take a little more research and understanding of the materials than synthetic alternatives, you’ll be glad you put in the effort. The truth of the matter is that there are myriad reasons homeowners choose quartz over granite.
To better understand the two types of stone available at your Atlanta natural stone countertops headquarters, it’s time to get back to basics. Granite is a 100% natural stone that is mined, milled and finished to create one-of-a-kind slabs and tiles. It can vary in color and patterns, and because it is entirely natural, no two pieces of granite are alike. If you have a synthetic countertop such as a Corian or the like, you could easily visit another person’s home to find that their kitchen or bath countertop looks exactly like yours! With granite, that will never happen. It is also a beautiful and durable material.
Quartz is also natural, but it’s about 95% natural. Quartz is assembled using polymer resins, which make up about 5% of the quartz and make it an engineered stone instead of a natural one. Quartz is also beautiful, durable, and comes in a variety of colors and makes a gorgeous upgrade to your kitchen or bath countertops.
Is an engineered stone better than a 100% natural stone? More and more, consumers and indicating that it is. Let’s explore some of the reasons behind that thinking and see why quartz is a better choice than granite for countertops.
- It’s more environmentally friendly. Granite has to be mined from quarries and travel significant distances to be sold. Quartz can be made out of local and recyclable materials, so it is considerably more “green” than granite.
- It’s not as high-maintenance. Granite has to be resealed annually to protect its finish, and it needs to be wiped down with a mild detergent every single day. That’s a lot of time spent daily managing your countertops, especially if your kitchen is on the bigger side.
- It’s antibacterial. Quartz is non-porous, so it resists bacteria. Granite is actually porous, which is why it must be cleaned daily and resealed annually. Otherwise, it becomes a breeding ground for bacteria.
- There are a wide range of colors available. Quartz comes in virtually any color you’d like, so you can match or contrast with the colors in and around your home to your heart’s content. Granite is limited to what comes in from the quarry.
- Usually, quartz has a fantastic warranty. Because of its durability and its impermeability, quartz typically has the advantage over granite in the warranty department. While you probably won’t have to use it, it’s generally good for longer than warranties on granite. This is because damage to granite is much more common.
- Increased durability. Quartz is harder than granite. It is very nearly indestructible.
- Quartz can imitate any material. Do you want countertops that look like granite but are, in fact, quartz? That can be done. Do you want your countertops to look like solid surface alternatives, such as Corian? You can get this, too, except that unlike solid surface countertops quartz has depth and complexity to its appearance, making it significantly more attractive than any solid surface countertop.
- It is similarly priced to granite. Despite all of the advantages of quartz over granite, they usually fall in about the same price range, but with quartz you get increased durability, greater variety in color and style, less need for maintenance, and simpler repairs.
- Its composition is more uniform. Quartz can be manufactured, unlike granite, to have a uniform appearance. If you want your countertops to have a uniform appearance or, as we mentioned earlier, have an appearance similar to a solid state material, quartz is the way to go.
- Repairs are much easier. The uniformity of quartz makes getting repairs done significantly easier than granite repairs. It’s incredibly unlikely that you’ll need repairs to your quartz countertop, but if you do, replacing a broken piece is simple. If your granite countertop has a chip or needs a repair of some kind, you may have a tough time matching colors and patterns for repairs.
These are ten reasons that quartz is becoming widely popular for Atlanta natural stone countertops, and even outselling granite in some places, as well as becoming popularized on home repair shows that such a broad audience enjoys on HGTV. Granite does, of course, have its own list of benefits over quartz and other natural stone, such as our post here. Additionally, marble is also an excellent choice if you are looking to create countertops from natural stone.
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Remodeling should be a fun and exciting journey: it’s all about getting the home you want. So take your time with samples and shopping around. A Polished Finish will be here to help when you are ready to get your natural stone countertops in Atlanta. We hope to see you soon!
