Replace kitchen countertops with quartz or granite. Which is best?

Quartz was introduced to offset the high cost of granite, however now a days granite is mined far more than ever thus lowering the cost below quartz.

If you like movement in your counter top than granite is the way to go, but stay away from the standard colors, go to a stone supplier and see the many types of granite that are available, If you want something that is more one color with little or no movement than select quartz.

Don't be swayed by the propaganda that granite emits radon, radon is present in all stone, even your basement, in fact you will have more radon emitting from your basement than you will from your granite counter top. Don't be alarmed your home is naturally ventilated with regular use.

Each granite slab is different even when it's supposed to be the same kind, so when it comes to installing it make sure the fabricator uses the stone slabs you signed off on, don't let him use remnant pieces, your counter will look like a patch work quilt if he does. You can tell a good fabricator from a not so good fabricator by the price per sq. ft., anything less than $75/sq ft. is a nightmare waiting to happen all stone products are expensive in comparison, if the quote is less than you expect more than likely it's because they factored in remnants as their stone supply.

Quartz slabs is not so much a concern its manufactured by man and each slab is pretty much the same and you should have no problem matching them.

You don't have to seal granite, I stand by this statement 100%!!! people say granite stains and burns, but granite does not stain and it does not burn, the sealer stains and the sealer burns, granite does not need sealer, just use a little stone polish once in a while to bring out the shine and that's it.

Quartz stains and burns under extreme circumstances because it is ground quartz manufactured into slabs and the catalyst (for lack of a better term) is man made and will stain and burn under extreme conditions.

Corian is garbage, sure you didn't ask but I just wanted to make sure that product never even gets considered. Concrete is way too soft under a sharp knife so unless you plan of using your kitchen for show only, don't consider concrete as a counter top, glass is an option, but not all types of glass work, there is a company called ashley cooper that sells really nice glass counter tops, but they are very contemporary and can be used in only some applications.

Just a note: everything has its day in design, I am a kitchen designer and I find that many of my clients are requesting marble for their countertops, I don't recommend marble as a countertop material and will have my client sign off on its use or I will refuse to use it and let the client make their own arrangements, in todays economy that's a big chance i'm taking but I see big problems with marble countertops they are way too soft and porous to be used in the kitchen as is Onyx, marble and onyx are great for the bathroom but have no place in the kitchen.

Quartz is softer than granite and you will eventually see scratches as time goes on and those scratches will fill with dirt and become bacterial playground

Good luck I hope I was helpful.

I was torn between Granite and Quartz, but after some advice from the installer I went with Quartz. 6 Months on and they still look fantastic. I would recommend it to anyone, but if you are unsure, give http://www.whittonworktops.co.uk/ a call and I'm sure they will give you some good advice. Their price was also far better than any other quote I got.

Hard to say because the quartz and granite used for countertops are not really those materials. To note granite has quartz in it. I would just go with marble, but true quartz is harder.

Right now of course stone (specifically, granite and marble) are all the rage. But personally, I really think it all depends on the style or "look" you are trying to create. If you're after a very traditional look or one that will appeal to the masses, then I would say stick with stone. If, however, you're looking for something different and more contemporary, there are some really cool new products out! You can do stainless steel counter tops, glass, or concrete. If you want to have counter tops that pop with color - check out some of the composite products like "Silestone", which are sort of like a combination of Corian and real stone. Either way, I say take your time making your decision and do lots of research!

I think granite looks better but quartz is much stronger. Granite is composed of 70% quartz while Quartz counters are 98% quartz. The quartz is what makes the material so strong and durable

Marbles and Travertines are easily stained, where both quartz and granite are much harder to mess up.

I've never even seen quartz for sale in pieces big enough for a counter top.

Quartz is considered as a natural replacement and it is much more affordable for your kitchen countertops. you can replace kitchen countertops with quartz then granite. it is the best! check the link below for more details..

Granite damages easy and high maintenance. Is really trendy now.

Quartz is just the opposite, hard to damage, maintenance free. Less trendy.

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