Granite Worktops Vs Quartz Worktops, What Is The Difference?
Between granite and quartz stone worktops, although they may appear similar to the eye, which is the best?
Over the last 10 years, kitchen work surfaces have changed a lot. Gone now are the marble, granite, and quartz effect synthetic worktops and in their place have come granite and quartz stone worktops, two very robust and hard stones perfect for any kitchen within the home.
Between the two, though, which is best? Well although they may appear similar to the eye, there are certain aspects of which are better than the other.
Granite
Granite worktops are incredibly fashionable within both the US and UK home right now. This is down to a few reasons, however, the combination of them looking fantastic under all light and being extremely easy to clean is a major buying factor. The problem with granite worktops though is that they are incredibly delicate, and granite as a stone whilst hard isn’t the most durable surface in the world. Typical scenarios where granite is susceptible to damage include placing a hot pan on the surface, dropping a large weight on a corner, and scratching the surface under extreme stress. Unlike wood, which can be sanded down, granite cannot be refurbished easily.
Here are some brief thoughts from a homeowner perspective of granite worktops.
There is a massive difference between a cheap kitchen and a bespoke designed one, and more and more commonly now granite is being used as a worktop surface for a variety of reasons in new kitchens to add a premium finish to them. Granite worktops and quartz worktops are being used more and more now because of their durability and hardness against scratches, which wood is susceptible to. Now I know what you might be thinking; but what about stainless steel? Well, stainless steel isn’t very homely and personally, it’s way too industrial for me and just too cold to the touch.
Granite worktops then are a good balance between cleanliness and durability, and a good granite worktop will last for over 10 years providing you do not hit it with a sledgehammer and so could be called a very good investment too. Design-wise, granite worktops are available in a fair few stone finish, however, my personal favourite is the star galaxy worktop which has glints of bronze and copper within the black.
Quartz
Quartz worktops and quartz isn’t an earth-grown organic stone and in fact is artificial, however, you wouldn’t think that from looking at it. Due to this, quartz is available in a wide amount of designs and sometimes can even be custom-built. A key advantage to quartz over granite is that is a much more durable material due to quartz having an even amount of iron content across one slab, and granite worktops are also a non-porous material – making it ideal for cleanliness and maintenance.
Like granite, quartz is an incredibly desirable work surface within the home.
Conclusion
Granite is a natural stone whilst quartz is an engineered stone. For the purists, granite is going to be the clear choice just for status reasons, however, the smart person would pick quartz due to it being a non-porous stone and it also being more durable than granite thanks to it having an equal amount of iron content throughout the board. Pricewise, granite can be expensive, whilst quartz can be too. Essentially, you should make the best decision for you based on whether you want to risk a broken worktop just because you want the more fashionable surface.
Overall fashion tends to change over time, so whilst granite may seem fashionable right now it may not be next year. If it were me choosing a worktop right now, I would opt for a quartz worktop based on its shelf life alone.
Written by Jeff L Smith
