In the granite vs quartz clash, the winner is unclear. Both materials make for excellent working surfaces. If you’re looking to upgrade your kitchen, you’ll probably want to start by changing those laminate kitchen worktops. Let’s be honest, they are old and dreary, and you need something fresh and modern.
Luckily, natural stone worktops come in a variety of colours and patterns. But which one should you pick? Let’s see which material wins in the battle of the worktops — granite vs quartz.
The Pros and Cons of Artificial and Natural Stone Worktops
A kitchen update has many faces. You can paint over your cabinets or hang a bit of wall art to liven up the place. You can even add a plant or two. However, if you’re going for that modern, high gloss kitchen design, then we recommend you install brand new kitchen countertops.
Granite countertops used to be everyone’s “kitchen goals.” In fact, the words granite kitchen worktops usually made people dish out a few extra pounds when buying a house. Granite worktops were always a synonym for high-quality.
However, not that long ago, natural quartz entered the kitchen remodel scene in a pretty big way. Thus, quartz kitchen worktops became all the rage.
So, now you’re probably left wondering which one is a better option. The truth is, both materials have their own pros and cons. Natural stone stands head and shoulders above all other kitchen worktop materials when it comes to:
- Appearance and unique features — the colours and patterns that nature can create are challenging to mimic and manufacture.
- Durability — both granite and quartz worktops will last you for an extended period of time. Even hard, solid wood worktops can’t outlast a natural stone working surface.
Aside from this, it’s also important to note that natural stone makes for a solid surface that’s easy to maintain and clean. Hot water and soap usually do the trick, but you can also use a granite or quartz worktop cleaner (or even make one yourself).
Granite Slabs — Resilient and Heat Resistant
Granite worktops are stone countertops that are cut from a slab of a natural rock. Just like marble, granite is a trendy choice for kitchen counters. It has that effervescent mixture of colours and patterns that catch people’s eyes because they look modern and stylish.
Granite has been a fan favourite for many decades, and even in 2021, it’s still ruling the kitchen remodel niche. In fact, neutral-toned granite is probably the most popular choice for kitchen worktops ever. But why?
Well, granite is resilient. It has an average lifespan of 100 years. And, if you think that you need to maintain it impeccably for it to see the end of that lifespan, you’re wrong!
Granite actually demands very little of your attention, as it’s pretty easy to clean and maintain. It can even withstand high temperatures (which comes quite handy in the kitchen). All of these benefits make it a perfect addition to any home (both in the kitchen and outside of it).
Quartz Material — Versatile and Non-Porous
There are many reasons to pick quartz for your kitchen. Quartz is one of the strongest materials on earth, as it scores a 7 on the Mohs scale of hardness. For reference, a diamond scores 10, while granite scores 6. Because quartz isn’t a natural stone but a manufactured compound, it has some advantages (and disadvantages) compared to granite.
It’s more resilient and practically indestructible. However, a hot pan can cause some damage to a quartz worktop. More importantly, quartz is more versatile and non-porous.
There’s really no chance of any bacteria getting into the tiny cracks in quartz simply because there aren’t any. As mentioned, quartz is a challenging material to damage.
It’s worth mentioning that quartz is also environmentally friendly. Quartz worktops, or rather the materials for them, don’t have to be mined specifically for your (or anyone else’s) kitchen. Although quartz does form in nature, manufacturers don’t mine it in order to make worktops.
Instead, quartz manufacturers use the scraps of already mined natural stone. They crush these scraps and mix them with resins and polymers. The manufacturers also include pigments in these mixtures, which is why quartz is more versatile when it comes to its colours and patterns.
Granite Vs Quartz
Choosing between granite and quartz isn’t easy. Unless one particular design or pattern catches your eye, all you really have to base your decision on are minute differences between the two materials. So, let’s go over them together, shall we?
Appearance
Although granite and quartz look similar, you probably noticed that there are some distinct differences between the two. Because granite is a natural stone and quartz is manufactured, they appear different.
A granite worktop is cut from a big granite slab. The way it’s cut determines how the worktop will look. You can’t really demand an exact pattern or colour scheme because every granite worktop is unique.
On the other hand, Quartz offers more versatility and flexibility when it comes to the overall appearance. Since it’s manufactured, the designs of colours and patterns can be manipulated to look in any way you imagine. In other words, quartz worktops can be pretty attractive.
More often than not, people pick a granite slab they like and then design an entire kitchen around it. This is an excellent move that ensures that each part of your kitchen goes well with others and that your granite worktops are at the very centre of attention.
However, if you can’t really afford to do that (or you simply don’t want to), it’s probably better to opt for quartz worktops. That way, you’ll be able to make them fit into your existing kitchen design (and not the other way around).
Durability and Resistance – Granite Vs Quartz
Both granite and quartz are incredibly durable. We’ve already covered that. We’ve also mentioned that quartz is somewhat stronger than granite.
But what does that mean for the average kitchen remodel enthusiast? Well, it means that there’s a good chance their new worktops will outlive them. However, it also means that you don’t have to be as careful and fearful as you were up until this point.
In the durability portion of our granite vs quartz battle, quartz wins overall (since it’s stronger). However, that doesn’t mean that granite lost or even came second.
Durability includes:
- Heat resistance
- Stain resistance
- Resistance to scratches and spots
Granite handles heat a bit better than quartz. However, keep in mind that a sizzling hot pan can damage both materials (in this case, it is worth exploring heat-resistant materials such as porcelain). Both granite and quartz will offer you the same levels of stain resistance and resistance to scratches.
Of course, given that quartz is a bit harder than granite, it may offer a bit of a stronger protection from scratches. However, the difference is miniscule.
Cleaning and Maintenance
Luckily for all of us who are too busy to deep clean our kitchens after every cooked meal, both granite and quartz are easy to maintain. Of course, that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t clean them regularly.
With a good seal, your granite worktops won’t stain. However, if they do, you might need to work hard to remove the stain or reseal the entire worktop again.
Quartz worktops, on the other hand, are nonpermeable. That’s excellent news for two reasons:
- the bacteria can’t find their way inside
- the stains will just sit on the surface of the worktop
If the latter happens, you’ll need to remove the stain physically. Try to avoid harsh chemicals since they can damage the surface of your worktop.
Stone Marble Specialists Will Help You When It Comes To Choosing Granite Vs Quartz
So, it appears that the granite vs quartz battle can have more than one winner. Depending on what you’re looking for, design and appearance-wise, you can opt for either of these two worktop materials.
If you’re still indecisive, book a consultation with the BUCKSMARBLE team. You can tell us all about your design vision, and we’ll help you make the best choice of materials that go with it. With over thirty years of experience, we know our way around a kitchen!
+44 7714 657288
info@bucksmarble.com
