Granite vs Quartz?
hchawla
4 years ago
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live_wire_oak
4 years agohchawla
4 years agoRelated Discussions
Granite vs Quartz?
Comments (4)Granite upkeep is very easy for many granites. The difficulty of using natural stone is that they aren't all the same. Some require sealing and some don't. Even the stones that need sealing don't need it that often. We asked friends with granite when we were buying and they rarely seal more than once every few years. We got our "granite" (Azul do Mar, a quartzite) over 5 years ago and haven't sealed since it was installed. Our fabricator insisted on sealing it at install because he seals all granite, but based on the test we did on our sample, it didn't even need that - nothing stained the unsealed sample. People were agonizing about granite going "out" back when we were choosing too. There is a wide range of granites available. Particular colors may go up and down in popularity (and availability) - e.g. absolute black was hot on GW 6 years ago; now the light ones that look similar to marble are getting the most attention here. But that doesn't mean that black is out. I don't think that granite will ever be "out" but 10 years from now, there will probably still be some people agonizing about whether it will. People tend to think of avocado and harvest gold - how in they were and how bad they looked to us later. I take comfort that people have to go back 4 decades to find a kitchen design fad that crashed so badly. Most of the time our tastes don't swing so wildly. Our granite is a lot more busy than the persa avorio granite you are considering and we still love it as much as when we put it in. We have the full granite back splash....See MoreGranite vs Quartz countertop in an Indian Household.
Comments (23)Joseph Corlett - please note that there are some granites than have extremely low absorption rates and therefore will not stain. My granite counters have been in place for 10 years, and look like the day they were installed. I have used spices like turmeric on the counters, spilled lemon juice, wine, tomato sauce, and nothing shows. In fact, I was cleaning silver the other day, and spilled silver polish (an abrasive) on the counter, didn't notice, and it stayed there for several hours. Wiped up, counter showed nothing, because it did not absorb. While there are many stone counters that will show stains, it would be ignorant and misleading to say that all the thousands of granites are that way. As Crl_ said, I would like to see what happens to your favorite solid surface counters when toilet bowl cleaner is left on them. I once left a bit of mustard on my mother's Corian counter; I think she still hasn't forgiven me. If the OP is interested in granite, s/he should go to a stone yard, and ask the people there which granites have low absorption rates, and then bring home samples of those and test them with home spices to see what happens....See MoreCost comparison: granite vs. quartz countertops
Comments (18)"Quartz and man made stones are now more expensive because of demand." Not always... Some exotic granite slabs can cost more than quartz. Granite prices vary because you have cheap china slabs to mid grade to exotic.. But popular/overused low to mid grade granite is typically cheaper than quartz. I agree that Quartz is popular right now and demand is driving prices up. When I was searching years back, I saw a blue granite slab with big swirls in it - 7k a slab......See MoreGranite vs Quartz
Comments (4)This decision is solely a matter of aesthetic preference. Which appearance do you like better. Quartz is not more durable and lower maintenance than granite. There are granites that never need sealing, and are impervious to staining and etching. Realize that skyscraper buildings, city plazas, and statues are made of granite. As well, there are some granites that do need sealing and can stain - you need to do your research like you'd do for any big-ticket item. By that same token, there are plenty of tales of woe on this forum about problems with Quartz staining or chipping, and also plenty of tales of Quartz that are impervious to that and very low-maintenance. Whether it's Quartz or granite, you need to do your research on the maintenance and durability of the particular ones you are considering. But most of all, this decision should be based on which appearance do you prefer for your kitchen. "doing research on YouTube, decorating blogs" Be careful of that; most of those are paid endorsements by somebody - whether the estone industry, granite distributors, or any manufacturer. Take those "decorating blogs" and YouTube videos with a grain of salt. Better to ask questions on forums like this one with real people....See Moremark_rachel
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