Granite vs Quartz
With quartz being talked about by every homeowner and every countertop supplier, what is the difference between granite and quartz?
Granite
To start off, granite is a natural stone that comes out of a quarry; this means that each granite piece is unique and different from everyone else that has purchased the same granite. Granite quarries are found all over the world. Many granite pieces come from India, Brazil, and even statewide in Vermont Wyoming and California (to name a few). The quarry will ship the slab to the manufacturer where they will polish and prepare it for each of us.
With granite, there is no replicating exactly what is seen on the sample pieces that are previewed. This can be both good and bad, this provides for uniqueness from every other piece.
No two pieces are the same. Who wants to be like everyone else nowadays anyway?
They vary in multiple ways: both the veining and speckling of the rock in the granite slab changes as much as mother earth wants. She is the true designer of how your granite will fit right in the center of your future house parties. There will be variation from what has been installed in previous homes along with variation from the samples. The variation in each piece really is the true beauty of a granite counter top.
The concern with this variation is the fact that if you are expecting your counter top to come out just like you’ve seen in the showroom, this can cause a lot of anxiety, stress, meltdowns, and nightmares. 
It’s not going to look just like what you’ve seen! If this is your fear, maybe granite is not the counter for you. But that’s okay. There are other options that will work.
Granite Maintenance
Once installed in the home the homeowner now has some commitment towards their counter.
Granite needs care and attention. Granite is a porous material, which means there are ways for chemicals, microbes and other oils and juices to creep into the pores of your granite.
To prevent this, all that is required is a little tender love and care.
Granite should be resealed every 1-2 years (how many of us who have granite actually do that?). It sounds like a lot of work, but really, it’s quite simple.
Granite companies have made it very easy for all of us (whether we’re lazy or busy) to take care of our countertops. You can find solutions at any home improvement store or an easy online shopping stop. They can come as a liquid that you spread around, let sit, and wipe off or even as easy as a spray cleaner that you keep under the sink. By resealing your granite, you will keep it from fading from sun, oils and other staining possibilities. Most importantly, resealing provides an antimicrobial additive to make cleaning easier!
Now, Let’s talk about the style it brings to the home. When deciding on granite, I really believe that it provides for something that pops in your kitchen. It’s going to dress it up a little and provide a “WOW!” factor every time someone walks in. The eyes will be drawn towards your countertop, and if you’re paying that much for a counter, why not call people to admire it!
If your style is a traditional feel, warm and cozy, and more of the Farmhouse look, granite is a great choice for your home and will be for years to come. It’s a stone. Rocks never go out of style!
Quartz
Let’s talk about Quartz! Also another one of my favorite surfaces for completely different reasons!
Quartz in its purest form is a mineral. They are also found all around the world; it’s actually the 2nd most abundant mineral just after feldspar (pieces found in granite). To make these minerals into a countertop, the manufacturers take these quartz minerals and grind them up, place them how they want in the textures and designs that are most popular and mix them with resins and polymers.
Quartz is typically 90% mineral and 8-10% resins, polymers and pigments.
One of the greatest advantages of Quartz is that it is lower maintenance than granite. There is no necessity to reseal the quartz because it is non-porous which provides an anti-microbial surface.
Once it’s installed in your home you don’t have to maintain it at all! Just wipe it down every once in a while to keep those crumbs and sticky puddles off.
The companies that manufacture this product are able to create whatever designs their machinery can come up with! Initially, this started out as more of a compressed speckle piece with varying depths of minerals. These patterns tend to be a lot more uniform, solid and with less variation. Some people think this is boring and plain. Some love the simplicity that it brings to the kitchen!
Lately, quartz manufacturers have been able to create veins replicating the natural marble and granite looks that we all love! Quartz is becoming more of a classy-looking piece that we all want to show off to our friends and family. There is beginning to be a little something for everyone in the quartz industry.
Since it is engineered, there will be a lower variation from slab to slab. Again, some people really like this because this relieves them of the stress and anxiety that granite and marble may bring. Each of us can expect every quartz piece to be very similar to the sample piece in the studio or any other piece they have seen installed.
BUT they are not EXACTLY the same! There is still slight variation in the mixing, grinding, and processing of every countertop.
This consistency tends to provide a more modern and contemporary look to the homeowner’s kitchens and bathrooms. If you’re looking for clean, simple, and organized, quartz may be what you’re looking for in your kitchen.
If you want your kitchen to speak volumes about the simplicity of what you have picked out, then you have so many different choices in colors and textures available to you now. You can design the kitchen that will be perfect for the classy events that you host in your home.
So as you can see, you really can’t go wrong with either piece that you choose for your home. Base your decision on your lifestyle and personal style.
When you’re informed about the products that you’re looking at, designing your home will be more fun and living in your home will be much more enjoyable!
If you need any additional assistance or have any questions, feel free to reach out to the foremost experts on new home building in the Utah County area!
blog post by Julia Eichelberger
Categorized in: Kitchens, New Home Design
This post was written by Paige Giles
