The choice to either choose quartz or granite is one of the major decisions that homeowners would have to make in the course of designing their homes or apartments. However, the big question here is; is one really better than the other? To answer this question, we will be breaking down the similarities and differences between both quartz and granite in terms of their appearance, price, ease of maintenance, durability, and how environment-friendly they can be, then you can decide for yourself which one will best suit your immediate need.
What is Granite?
Granite is a 100 percent natural hard stone that is mined from quarries around the world. It is broken down into smaller sizes and then it is polished to a fine finish.
What is Quartz?
Unlike granite, quartz is not 100 percent natural. Quartz countertops are made using 5-10 percent resins, polymers and pigments and 90-95 percent ground natural quartz.
Appearance
Granite comes in different patterns and colors because of the way it is formed through its cooling and solidification. Granite provides contractors and house owners with a variety of choice to go for as each granite stand out with unique mineral inclusions and as a result of this no two countertops are the same.
Quartz on the other hand, is gaining more popularity due to its appearance. It affords homeowners the opportunity to customize the design to their taste and its stony look is a delight to behold. Unlike granite, there are limited choices to be made with quartz in terms of appearance as you have to search for the right piece that will match your color scheme.
Price
The average cost of purchasing granite and installing granite can cost between $39 and $200 per square foot depending on which one you decide to go for. However, make sure you leave the fabrication and installation of the countertops to be handled by professionals even if you bought the granite by yourself.
Quartz on the other hand, depending on the quality of quartz and edging style you wish to go for; the cost of installing quartz countertops may cost between $55 and $155 per square foot.
Environmental Friendliness
Granite is natural as it is quarried and in the process requires lot of energy. Hence, it is less environmental friendly than quartz which is engineered and can be regionally manufactured thus reducing the need of transportation from long distances.
Maintenance
Both granite and quartz needs to be cleaned on a daily basis as they can get stained from oil spillages, and acids. The only difference here is that granite countertops need to be resealed at least once in a year while quartz countertops does not need to be resealed.
Durability
Granite is a durable material because it is resistant to heat and other kitchen elements that may stain the surface. Also, granite is porous and if the spills are not cleaned from the surface it can cause damage to the countertop in the long run.
Quartz on the other hand, is harder than granite and as such it is more durable. It is nearly indestructible and it is not porous like granite. It has lower resistant to heat compared to granite. Hence, it is advised to use heating pads to protect the quartz countertops so that it does not get damaged.
In conclusion, going by the differences and similarities in terms of the appearances and durability of both granite and quartz, it is clear that the choice you decide to go for should be a function of what you want to achieve with your design as both are good materials that will give your home a great look.