They are manufactured in a variety of different patterns and colors. As with granite, quartz countertops also have their own sets of drawbacks and benefits that go along with them. With granite, the natural veins and colors in the stone will never allow the seams to appear less visible. While one homeowner will tell you that you absolutely, positively must get a quartz countertop, another reviewer will insist upon buying granite counters.

When you do spend some time reading through these reviews, however, you will notice one point that stands out. Both quartz and granite countertop owners are defending their own personal choices with a vengeance because they are so completely pleased with their counters.

For a 28 ft. Here are some more details to help you get a closer estimate. Prices can vary according to the manufacturer, the pattern and the color of the granite slab. Fortunately, during recent years, the prices on granite countertops have come down significantly since they first made their appearance on the market. Granite can often end up costing a bit more than quartz since it is a natural rock. This means that the complete slab needs to be excavated from the earth as one chunk of stone.

This extraction along with the shipping of the product consumes a lot of energy, time and ultimately money. The thinner the granite is, the weaker it will be as well. The important thing is to choose a budget and then do your best to stay within it by choosing the quartz or granite stone that you think will look fantastic displayed in your kitchen.

This is personal choice only. There are some very beautiful brands that make quartz like Caesarstone and Cambria. The same goes for quartz versus granite.

They both make lovely countertops and there is going to be one that grabs your fancy more than the other. Some people like the look of granite more than quartz because it has a natural earthy aspect to it. Others prefer the sleek uniform look of quartz. The great news is that you can never go wrong by choosing either one!

Back in the s, granite officially became a status symbol in the world of countertops. It has secured its place as a must-have high-end stone and even nowadays it is deemed to be more prestigious than its counterparts. Granite continues to be the best-selling natural counter that you can find on the market, even though quartz continues to gain ground and even now that the prices of Silestone and other quartz manufacturers have come in line with granite.

You can also get some very good deals on countertops at Ikea. There has been a lot of concern about the volatile organic compounds VOCs that may be present in either quartz or granite counters.

This means that most quartz tops have more VOCs than countertops made of granite. On the other hand, some granite slabs contain radon in very low levels.

For the most part though, both of those countertops are considered safe for indoor use. Adding a stone countertop to your home will definitely increase its value.

You can expect to get back the value of your purchase when you resell your house later on. Adding a new natural stone counter can also help your home sell faster. Some potential home buyers will even ask their real estate agents if the home comes with a granite countertop. As well, if a buyer is looking at 2 homes that are similar and one has a stone counter while the other has a laminate one, the odds are good that the home with the quartz or granite counter will be the chosen one.

Granite countertops attract home buyers like honey! In terms of countertops, quartz materials generally leave less of a carbon footprint.

Many of these products contain content that has been recycled and the manufacturing process is more environmentally friendly. Granite needs to be quarried from the ground and then shipped across the world to the manufacturing site. While quartz is also mined oversees and then shipped to the United States, there is one company that does its own processing in this country. Most of their products are made in the United States, which helps to support the local economy while saving on fossil fuels that would be required for shipping from abroad.

Their products are also Greenguard Certified, meaning that they do not have any type of impact on the air quality indoors. This company also recycles all of the water used during the manufacturing process. When it comes down to it, there is a lot of energy being used for the manufacturing and excavating of both of these stone countertops. On the other side of the coin, however, they are both extremely durable and can last a lifetime when cared for properly.

In this regard, they can be viewed as a sustainable countertop that can conceivably last the entire lifetime of the home. Most people are only going to remodel their home 2 to 3 times during the span of their life. During the time delay between these remodeling efforts, a lot of changes can occur. The newer generations are looking for something different than their grandparents had and not all consumers are choosing granite just to make an impression.

The one that you find the most aesthetically pleasing, fits into your budget and highlights the mood and ambiance you are trying to create in your kitchen. Because when it comes down to it, there really is no wrong choice.

I finally made the decision of Granite over marble. I see Marble is lot of work. Everything I see is with Gray. I dont mind black brown and not much movement. But I guess Gray must be popular. Anybody have a neutral granite without gray. We have had light grey granite counter top for 28 years with no cracksno stains, kids banging and cutting, many dinners and parties, it is still wonderful and shiny, like new.

We had rounded the edges and has no chips, we sold the house recently and the new buyer by no means is thinking of changing it. What a decision I have to take and will the quartz be as durable? Thanks Mina, Athens Greece. Installed a Cambria Hazelford Quartz island top. It is beautiful however, it is not as shiny as the sample. The edges are actually dull looks like a Hershey bar Is there a way to make it shine like the other granite in my home?

Tested with balsamic vinegar, port wine and smoking hot cast iron pan. Great site but now more confused than ever. The best one is Silestone which is actually the first original quartz, they have the best range of colors and their product is top notch.

I got mine done on a light beige color and look awesome! And it is already sealed as well. Granite all the way for me. I purchased the most expensive granite because I loved the natural veining.

I have dropped pots, pans, dishes on these counters and no chips, cracks or dents have ever happened. I would never install quartz again. It has chipped, stained, and dented. If I am looking at a mostly white with just a little gray running through it colored counters would you recommend quartz or granite?

Our cabinets are a light gray. It may come down to price difference, but looking for a product recommendation first. We decided to pay the high cost of Cambria quartz for our new home.

It could have been lined up exactly, but there was an error in either the measurement or the cutting of the material. So…if you have a seam, and you are OK with the pattern not being close to matching, then this is a beautiful product.

On the other hand, if you spend top dollar for Cambria Brittanica, and expect a superior job in measuring and cutting and matching, you will be disappointed in Pavimento. If you expect Cambria to make it right, you are wrong.

I am sorry to hear about your disappointing experience however, I would like to take some time to address your situation as it is a common one that occurs within the industry. There are many factors involved in determining the placement and number of seams, but that is precisely where we should start. With that being said, most kitchen counter tops have seams.

An additional factor of whether a seam is needed is determined based upon the size of your kitchen versus the size of the slab of material that you selected. Here is the tricky part with most, if not all, fabricators. Counter top fabricators must bridge the gap between aesthetic appeal and waste.

That creates a negative situation for both the fabricator and the customer. What I personally have experienced is that fabricators would typically be willing to pass along the cost of additional waste directly to you, the customer, if you so chose to dictate seam placement, vein match, etc. Additional expense is not necessarily the best way to gain or maintain business as we all know.

That can only be decided individually however, an honest conversation should have taken place between the fabricator and yourself regarding the presence and appearance of seams in your counter tops. This does not mean that the product you received is of poor quality, which removes the manufacturer from the equation, nor does it translate to the fabricator delivering a flawed product, it simply means that we in the industry need to provide clearer and more realistic expectations when discussing the intricacies of stone counter tops, regardless of their application.

On behalf of suppliers, fabricators, and installers everywhere, I apologize for your experience. I hope that even though you may not receive the full benefit from this post, other consumers may be enlightened enough to know at least what questions to ask throughout the process of replacing or upgrading your counter tops.

Cosmos is actually a granite and not a quartz. Although it is very beautiful material, it is also one of the more delicate stones to work with. Ken is reffering to Kosmos It is a Black granite with tons of loose feldspar in the actual composition so it is quite brittle Cosmos Quartz are actually comperable to MSi Q Quartz.

If you are concerned about price i would suggest Cosmos granite and marble because they are pretty cost effective in comparison to Pental and Cambria. The slabs always vary in contents but they are always stunning.

The silver-gray in these is a mineral called Mica. I know that TCE is one of many Quartz manufacturers who give their products numbers instead of names. Check out TCE I have worked in the granite industry everywhere from Chicago to Florida and my primary job was sealant applicator. Some sealants will carry a 15 year warranty. The year to year garbage this article spouts is ridiculous and mocks modern technology.

No staining to worry about, no maintenance, and just like all the other countertops, you have to put something under hot pots and pans. Laminate is a waste of money. When you sell your home you eat whatever you played for it. With quartz or granite you just added that value to your home. Enjoy the kitchen because it actually was more expensive in the long run.

The comments are very confusing. We have builder quality countertop right now, they are quite cheap but frankly has lasted for 15 years. We are planning to install Granite counter tops. Hopefully, it is a good decision!!! I guess, will know soon enough. We made a concrete counter top for a rental unit. My question is where do you get the dye for concrete? Can I put hot pots from the oven or stove directly onto quartz or granite counter-tops?

You have it backward, Mike. Hot things can go on granite, but not on quartz, because of the resin in the quartz. But granite can sometimes crack along a seam from heat, too. Buyer beware with Cambria Quartz. We did a lot of research and chose Cambria Quartz over granite. We chose it because it was non-porous, extremely solid and would require no maintenance. Everything was measured and installed perfectly. We had glowing reviews. Quickly we noticed a few very small chips and then 6 months later we noticed a 12 inch crack along the island.

He said from his experiences with cracks it is usually related to heat — sometimes crockpots. We do not cook on our island. When we have parties we put prepared dishes on it. Obviously I would NOT buy Cambria again and definitely not for a kitchen. Had they told me I got a defective slab and replaced it I would have understood. Since they are saying there was nothing wrong with the slab I am here to tell you that it cannot handle basic use in a kitchen.

Have had quartz for years, always place hot pots on the surface, never had an issue. With Granite, our friends did the same, not a good idea — ruined the slab. Mike — I would really like to see some proof of your statements.

In quartz warranty information directly from the manufacturer it warns against applying ANY direct heat to a quartz product. We are shopping for new countertops. We have laminate over 20 yrs old. Everywhere we are told a little different. One place he was going to apply a sealer that lasts 10 years.

Next place no sealer. Quartz is most certainly not cheaper, it starts at like a level 3 granite. Quartz is also far less heat resistant, capped at F, while granite has no max temp within the boundaries of house hold cooking temps.

I know of customers who seal their quartz because past quartz has stained from exposure to wine or dark beverages. Well everything you said is the exact opposite. Quartz will stain heavily and actually start on fire. Can confirm I have white quartz, and boy does it stain LIKE CRAZY!!!!!!! I am going to seal it like pronto!!! Getting ready to get quartz in WHITE! Need to know does it stain or not?

Someone told me that acidic things are not a good idea on quartz, like orange juice, vinegar, etc. I can confirm that light colored quartz can stain. Mine is a cream colored base with darker speckles. I left a plastic bag on the countertop overnight and the print on it transferred to the quartz. I was able to remove most of it with cleaners but a very slight shadow remains. This stuff is not as indestructible as advertised. Is anyone here familiar with quartzforms? We have Cambria Quartz, and just love it.

I love to clean it and then rub it—just to see the beautiful shine and sheen. We have set hot pots on it accidently and picked them right back up—no staining or discoloration.

I highly recommend it. I have read this whole thread as far as I can tell. We are remodeling and It has been a week since the granite was installed.

I have done lots of research. SO many different opinions. The lighter colors do need to be sealed. The water test is easy. We have a guest suite thank goodness as have spwr stock price target in here 9 months.

Fired at least 10 different crews on all fronts and wasted lots of money. Back to the granite, The main house was sealed at fabricator with Dupont Professional Pro and so far it only mentions water repellant and nothing about oil or anything else. It easily passed the water test. I know that has to be done. The guest suite which obviously is where I am preparing meals etc, which we thought was sealed because it was supposed to be and the main house was has a water stain that has been there over 4 days and is still the darkened color.

It is possible it had some of the milk pod drip with the water in that particular area as was under the latte one cup machine. It LOOKS exactly like the water stain in the bath sink where when I wash my hands in under a minute or so darkens but it dries and I cannot tell a reason for it.

The kitchen sink is an under-mount and around the sink area seems to be darkening even getting ugly in just this week and I was out of town for 2 of the days. This is incredibly disturbing. It also has an area I wanted to call etched in the granite would etch stock options or warrants but those pics do not come close to this area. It is also darker but if rub hand over it you feel a roughness.

After reading many and I mean MANY sites, forums etc it seems that fluorocarbon aliphatic resin sealer is the top active ingredient you need in a sealer followed by siloxane or silane, which seems to be a llittle worse at oil repellent.

Both are fairly stock market advice 2016 vs 2016.5 and impregnated. I believe for sure after having the unsealed in one area and the sealed in the other just the water test speaks for itself and it must be sealed.

How much money does rob dyrdek make on ridiculousness I let them come and if they can get the stains etc out, use the Dupont which is petroleum distillate Miracle falls in same category which after, remove call barring samsung galaxy ace, I can only ascertain that it breaks down into the hydrocarbon but never mentions the fluorocarbons much less fluorocarbon aliphatic resin which several sites, some only giving information says is the first choice.

The MB Stone Care MB-4 seems to cover all the areas of different chemical you would naturally use in everyday cooking vs the info I could get on the Dupont Impregnator Pro. The base solvents from MSDS helped to start that search. So my REAL need to know is should I let them use tecniche di trading sul forex Dupont which is not the better active chemical ingredient or wait til the MB4 arrives and use it.

I am just distraught and weary and have hardened after this extensive remodel. I have had to do their how much money does a neurosurgeon make per hour on every front and research instead of the BS they all tried to pull.

If you prefer to mention the names of the products the active chemical recommendation would also be great. What are you on? What you need to do is immediately step aside and get someone you trust although I doubt you trust anyone to take over and work these issues for you before you really screw this and yourself up. You will feel better and your husband will thank you and your contractor s will thank you.

It has been over a year for Sharon and I hope she found help with her countertops and sealant. She did research and was sharing details in an effort to get help for an expensive installation and some competent advice on what sealers to use.

I am sorry that I cannot offer advise, only empathy for her situation. I hope she found sealer for her counters that provided protection without affecting her health. We had quartz countertops installed in our home just over a year ago.

We purchased the quartz from a yard, and had them installed by a fabricator. The counters are cracking, both our outside kitchen and our inside kitchen. I am so distraught at the amount of money that was spent and now we are at risk of having to redo our entire counters because no one will accept blame for the cracks….

Hi Rebecca the home depot is a really good place to get connected with reputable contractors in your area. Rebecca, Quartz should never be used in outdoor applications.

If you redo it you may want to consider soapstone which is perfect for outdoor applications. I am sorry for your pain. If salesmen say that it is true quartzite, will they guarantee it as such. It seems my only option would be to take a bottle of vinegar or lemon juice to showroom and spray the material to see if it etches.

Is there any other way? I had the same query so i took a sample of the quartz compac noce colour home. I left tea, coffee, red wine, strawberries and vinegar overnight and the following morning simply wiped it off. There was no stain. Mary said she was considering quartzite. Quartz and quartzite are two different materials. Quartz is a manufactured or engineered product and does not need to be sealed and does not stain or etch some report white or very light colored quartz will stain but others say it does not.

Quartzite, like granite, is a natural product and can be very beautiful. While granite is formed by volcanic action and is very strong, quartzite is pressure formed and can be brittle. So is treated by the supplier with resin to make it stronger. However, the resin can easily etch on some colors and shows as a cloud. Mary probably knows by now whether her counter has etched or not. Her supplier knows that is a problem with quartzite and should have told her up front.

I am not an expert or in the trade but only repeating what I have found by research that appears to be correct information. Quartz is NOT indestructible! We have a beautiful quartz countertop, and an undermount sink. After only a few years of normal kitchen use, there are a number of small gouges along the edge of the counter, along the edge of the sink. This edge has a straight profile; the remainder of the edges are bevelled, and have no damage. The gouges can not be repaired. Countertop edges around an undermount sink are vulnerable, no matter how careful you are.

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We will have to replace the entire counter, which is a huge expense. Based on our experience, we would not choose a caesarstone counter again, or recommend it. We also have cambria counters, as well as granite, and have no issues with those. Instead, the site I looked at recommended a rounded edge to avoid chipping.

Perhaps rather than recommending that people NOT get Caesarstone, you should be recommending they get a rounded edge. That seems misleading…from what I read, any stone including granite will chip if it has a sharp edge. Does anyone have any experience with Pental or Viatera quartz? I work at a granite shop in my hometown and we do a lot with Viatera, HanStone, Caesarstone, Silestone, and ColorQuartz. We seem to have no problems when it comes to HanStone or Viatera.

But I can tell you my Quartz still looks besutiful and I only wipe it down with water and sometimes a mild soap. When my cambria counter was installed they sent me a cheese board made out if my counter as a gift. Over the last 10 months I have done all my prep work on this quart board and have used it as a trivot for hot pots. There is not one scratch or cut mark, nor is it burned or dis colored.

Now, I would go as far as treated the actual counter this way, but I do think it goes to show just how durable Quartz is. So many of my questions have been answered and I plan to share this site with friends and family. This is good news for me. We had a measure done by Cambria and they are waiting for us to choose a color.

The brand is what I was after. We shopped for over 6 weeks looking for a quartz that looked amazing. We found it in the Cambria line but now have to narrow it down. They really are beautiful.

It is not the quartz that will burn but the resin. I use a scotch scrub pad on the back of the sponge on my formica counter and it scratches it. Can I safely use one on granite or quartz? I need to scrub a lot dried sweet potato, etc. I would try a plastic scraper first. They do make scotch-brite pads that are specific for stone.

I would be willing to try that. I use my granite countertop as a cutting board with no problems. I have had my countertops for years. I have set hot pans on it and used it for a cutting board.

It still is as shiny and beautiful as when it was first installed. No way a resin product will take the place of a beautiful, solid stone…. We had our dark granite sealed once shortly after it was installed.

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We are on year 12 and they look as good as the day they were geometric stock market returns by year table. I likely will never have them sealed again.

I just bought new cupboards from Ikea fiberboard I believe, not real woodbut I love the modern European design. Vic market trading hours easter I use cement concrete counter tops with these ….

My husband installs granite countertops and hate the IKEA cabinets due to being to fragile. What he does is builds a frame inside of the cabinets to support the granite tops. I have been told by fabricators that you cannot always get the same polished shine on quartz edges as on quartz countertops, especially with darker colors. Has anyone had this experience with quartz? Presently planning to replace our kitchen countertops and are considering both options, i. I have seen some striking granite I feel would work well in our home, but now believe I should give quartz a further look.

Hi, My wife and I just started remodeling our kitchen we are in NY. Wanted to know what Quartz company is better Caesarstone, Pental Quartz or Cambria? Very confusing, any help would help. If you make the decision to install quartz you need to be aware it is not impervious to heat. It will crack or scorch if heat is left on it for any length of time. That said, try looking at Hanstone.

Same composition of quartz as the other mentioned quartz products but with a much more affordable price point. My husband is a fabricator and stock market advice 2016 vs 2016.5 install a lot of this product and have not had any customer complaints about.

We have problems with black mold growing where our stainless steel sink and granite counter top meet up in our kitchen. Does anyone else have this problem or maybe was it not sealed properly at time of installation?

Building a new home and trying to decide if we want to go with granite again because of this issue. I too have the same issue with the sink area by my granite. I have tried many things to clean and have not been successful.

Also would appreciate any insight or solution to this. My husband instals granite, quartz and marble. All undermount sinks seem to have this problem, including my own.

I take a butter knife to clean it and make sure after using the sink try to dry the area. Its a wet area so mold will grow there. You could always go old school and get an overmount sink. What is the cost range and installation range I can expect from a quartz kitchen counter? I have 82 sf. I just bought a keystone counter top. They said it was quartz. I assume they are right and it is quartz made by keystone? Any comments would be appreciated.

Do the installers handle the removal of the old one? My parents were told that using coffee makers, crock pots, electric skillets on a regular basis on a quartz counter would void the warranty. They were looking at Cambria.

Are you familiar with this sort of warranty or void of such warranty. Please make sure to read it over very carefully. We love the color and look in general, but have just noticed two chips, one on a corner and one by the sink.

This has been very disappointing, since we never had this issue with our granite counters, and our quartz counters were just recently installed. Do you have any pointers on chip repair? I would leave that to the professionals in your area. Trying to fix that on pricing american options using lu decomposition own can just make things more obvious.

It still looks great and I have never sealed it. I am careful to dry around the sink after use in the bsthroom! Looks just like it did when it was installed 14 years ago! Is your granite dark or light? It seems like a dark granite would not show the stains, but light would.

Thanks for the straightforward comparisons and the details. This helps me with my budget planning and I appreciate your comments on the pros and cons of each.

This will be a big help to me. Deal breaker for me is the environmental impact. This review seemed actually Fair and Balanced, and helped me realize that my needs should swing the balance between two pretty equally quality products.

I am currently remodeling my kitchen and fell in love with Super White Quartzite and Calacutta Quartzite because I love the marble look. I was warned by the staff that they have had some clients have no issues with quartzite and some have had significant staining issues. People often mistake quartzite which is all natural to quartz which is man made. I recently purchased my countertop with the Tampa location they were so professional and helpful, I must say they made the installation so easy and so easy they were in and out 3 visits!

Thank canadian forex brokers mt4 granite transformation. Hello Anthony, Thank you so much for your information. I just visited the stone yard in my town today. I originally wanted granite but found out that quartz was cheaper and I found a great color. Then I read your information here. But, now I am going back to granite even though I DO NOT want to annually seal it.

However, the leeching of VOCs concerns me. I teach nursing and I am getting older and the long term effects of leeching VOC makes me concerned. Thus, I fell in love with quartz but I am going back and getting granite. A BIG thank you for keeping me from what I would have thought to have been a mistake when I found out later about VOCs particularly after the expense. What a fantastic website. The information is easy to find and broken down so well. I never comment on sites…but I had to for yours!

I will be telling people about your site! I may be a little late to the party, but I had to speak up. I just had a quartz countertop installed. I bought mine from Lowes, who sub contracts to a manufacturer in San Fransisco in California anyway and they were a wonderful company to work with, sales team, installers, and all.

I know thats a little nutty but Im an artist, and I find the crushed stone colors fascinating. Hi Anthony, thank you for making my choice easier. I am going to choose quartz! Was looking at caser stone. One question I do have do you know how long the bench can be before it must have a join?

Make sure to read the pages on Caesarstone. Their getting a TON of complaints from consumers. Good day Anthony; I submitted a rebuttal last night, correcting your knowledge about geology, your website response would not except the letter. It also stated that I had submitted this letter before.

Opposing viewpoints should be a wake up call. My guess is that you have an agenda. Your website links to Chinese prefab countertops. Are you a fabricator or do you just sell blanks? You do a disservice to the stone industry. People reading this are going to be confused. Please check your facts and acknowledge your intentions!!

Sorry about that Marc. I wish I could find that Chinese fabricator your talking about because they definitely should not to be linked to from here. Those are sub-par all the way. I forgot to mention that my stone company suggested and gave me a cleaner that has sealing properties in it. The quartz does not have to be sealed but they recommended I use it for the seams.

I am not sure if my Fantasty Brown is quartz or quartzite — I am not sure where I picked up the quartzite term. Laura seems to have answered that. My slabs came from Haverhill, MA and I could not be more happy with them. Due to the length of my back counter, I had to have two seams. Because this stone has waves like marble — it is much more difficult to match at the seams. The stone people did a great job keeping a similar flow to the counter.

If seams bother you — this may not be the stone for you. Can you tell me the name of the company who installed your countertops? Very well summed up Anthony. In my area quartz is significantly higher in price than the majority of the granite colors. I recommend to all of my customers I am a kitchen designer to choose what they like in terms of colors and patterning.

I just completed a kitchen renovation and needed to make a countertop choice between granite and quartzite. My back counter is 17 feet long so I chose quartzite Fantasy Brown because of the marble-like flow. In my area Northeast Quartzite costs more and I was told by several realtors and stone dealers that it is now the more desireable countertop for home buyers. Are you sure what you bought is quartzite and not quartz?

The answer is different depending on what you have. Is there a brand name? Fantasy Brown is not man made or engineered, the slabs are mined naturally. I have the leathered texture installed in my house and we put hot things on it. I am having a leathered finish Fantasy Brown countertop installed in my kitchen.

The yard stressed that this is a very durable marble, not quartzite. Fantasy Brown has a good track record in kitchens these days, so maybe this is a distinction without a difference, as they say.

If you think that you do get enough sun for this to happen go with a lighter color. Leading the way is Cambria with a line of colors that few can match. Anthony I do have to say that most cleaners are fine to use on Granite. The best and cheapest cleaner is warm water.

There are only a handful specific cleaners out on the market today. The key is finding a ph balanced cleaner. Water is ideal having a ph of 7 anything higher becomes acidic and anything lower becomes basic. Both can strip the sealer from the counter top. As far as not sealing Quartz, I like to use a cleaner that has sealer properties in it on both. It gives a nice luster with giving a great cleanability aspect to the surface for either option.

No seams or mismatched comor patterns!!! Could not be happier with the acid stained counters we have!!! Just be sure to check with the manufacturer and use a recommended cleaner. But generally, things like windex, formulaand vinegar solutions are completely safe. We are building a house and all four bathrooms and kitchen counter are granite ,however had I read the comparison prior. Thank you so much for all this information.

What about heat factors? Both resist heat equally well. You can feel comfortable putting hot pots and pans on either surface. Accidents do happen however, so it may be prudent to use a trivet when you can. The little bit of hassle is probably worth protecting your investment. Thank you, reading all the pros and cons helps. I liked your information on the sealants. All your knowledge is helpful. My question for you is what do you have for your own countertops?

Thanks, really clearly explained. Nice to know either way I am going to love my work top. I have chosen quartz because I like the patterns better than granite. Do you have a stone yard in your area. I would talk to them and see what they sell for sealants. Their options will be much higher quality than those from stores like Home Depot. Granite does not have to be sealed yearly. There is a wonderful product called DRY TREAT that is good for 15 years.

It has been on my granite counter for fours years now. Those counters have stood up to even a cut lemon being left cut side down overnight. Grease, wine, pomegranate juice… nothing leaves a mark. We cook nearly every day.

From stir-frying to roasting and baking. We drink wine, cut directly on it, get lemon or lime juice on it, put hot roasting pans straight out of the oven onto the counter-top with no trivet, saucepans and frying pans off the cooktop. We have NEVER sealed it. As for cleaning, we just use dish soap and water. It looks exactly the same as the day we got it. This was installed back before granite became relatively cheap. Anthony Greer, Thanks for the information!

Can you comment on Quartzite? If you can find pure quartzite I say go for it, but a lot of slabs are sold as quartzite when they are not. Here is more info on it for you. I think both countertops are completely over rated. There are much less expensive options that work just as well. And if you live in a tract home, with vinyl siding and a camper or boat parked in the driveway, Formica might be right for you.

But if you live in a custom brick home, on an acre of land and want to increase the appeal and value of your home, an elegant looking and well functioning counter surface is the way to go. Some houses will never return your investment in upgrades. It is good to know when not to over build. If you're considering a countertop upgrade you'll want to consider both granite and quartz. Image Galleries You May Enjoy 47 Pictures That Prove Granite Is Superior To Quartz Pictures Of Luxurious Custom Kitchens A brief rundown of quartz and granite Granite countertops are quarried naturally from the earth as enormous chunks of stone.

Click image for a closer look. Andrea May 15,6: Mina Lucas April 21,4: Artemis April 12, My worktop is Ann Nankervis March 20,2: Scott J March 21,4: Jennifer January 18,5: Jennifer January 18,2: Scott J February 22,5: Either is a good choice for a busy kitchen. Kirk Little June 14,7: Leslie Kling December 13,4: Angela November 8,9: Can a crack caused by a heated serving hatch used by a chef be repaired?

ElleJ September 21,5: Daniel June 8,5: Shelly, I am sorry to hear about your disappointing experience however, I would like to take some time to address your situation as it is a common one that occurs within the industry. Miki Darling August 3,8: Has anyone had any experience with Cosmos quartz countertops?

Ken Zearley August 18, Stephanie November 16, Hello Miki, Ken is reffering to Kosmos It is a Black granite with tons of loose feldspar in the actual composition so it is quite brittle Cosmos Quartz are actually comperable to MSi Q Quartz.

Dan March 21,6: Ang July 31,9: Will light colored granite hold up to stains as well as the medium colors. John January 20, Norman July 11,5: Quartz, also called engineeree stone, does not require any maintenance like the others do. Jeff May 21,2: Ann July 2,8: Mike June 7,4: Lorna May 6, Roger May 13,1: Chris April 17, Julie May 13,2: With quartz is better to avoid the direct contact of objects that have just come off the stove. MA June 18,4: Becky December 28,7: You can put any hot pan on granite….

Brooks Zaremski April 8,8: Pointing out nonsense June 8,5: Maryann March 31,9: ZZz March 24,6: Bob Zed July 9, Orlando Resident June 14,2: JM June 16,3: Karen July 6,1: Julie March 15,2: Lori March 10,3: Sharon Myers January 1,4: Thomas April 14,3: I actually lost interest about a quater of the way down.

Please try sticking to the point. Ya, and paragraphs were invented for a reason! Meemie April 18,3: Mary May 3,8: What is your point?? This is just some long winded rambling!!! Anonymous July 20,7: John H August 16,2: Kim August 28,3: Denny November 28, You really need to take a breath and smell the roses girl.

Paige January 27,6: BCD April 19,4: Ann Mehrman April 24,4: What in blue Blazes are you on about love? Nell Pratt December 24,5: Cat February 19,8: For outside kitchens consider Dekton is sold at a home depot.

Mary November 6,2: Bob P February 26, Elsie October 2, Zyna March 8,7: KristenS September 23,1: Anonymous October 6,2: Anonymous September 21,3: Judy Kelley September 14,5: Karen December 4,3: AL GARDNER September 10,8: Anthony Greer September 30,4: Brian August 12,8: Anthony Greer August 16,6: Amy October 22,5: January 15,1: What color is your granite?

I want a light stone, but am afraid of the staining. Malka July 13,9: Alfredo Silvestre June 12,5: Tom S June 9, Granite seems to be cold to the touch. How does quartz compare? Connie Saltarelli June 11,5: Joe June 9, Mark Pilot February 22,6: Lori McBride May 27, DeniseCallaghan March 7,1: If you are still considering concrete… give me a shout.

Pat May 22,3: Fielstra May 13,2: Anonymous November 7, Lisa May 7,2: Ann May 20,4: Marlayne April 2,4: Marsha April 1,8: Toni March 27,6: Anthony Greer March 28,5: Dave Lessaris March 12, Anthony Greer March 12,4: Mellisa Otwell February 10,6: Anthony Greer February 13,6: Leslie renz February 3, Julie Pickering January 31,7: We just had our kitchen renovated, and chose Cambria Quartz.

Anthony Greer February 13,5: Anonymous November 11,1: Bill Galic January 31,3: Kerry January 31,1: Amy January 30,3: Jasmine vega January 14,5: Barb January 8, Lindsey October 16,1: Em October 5,7: Anthony Greer January 17,6: Marc Miltenberger October 1,3: Anthony Greer January 17,7: Cindy April 14,1: Bonny March 29,4: Judy March 21, Brendan April 1,5: Laura March 30, Cindy March 17,4: Anthony Greer March 25,2: Hi Cindy, Are you sure what you bought is quartzite and not quartz?

Lynne Nelson March 13, Bryce March 10,3: Coming from someone else in the industry I would agree with everything above! Bonny March 29,3: BrandonBrandon September 5,9: Jim Tobola March 1,1: Patti February 23,8: What about cleaning both, any issues with cleaners? Anthony Greer February 26,2: Hi Patty, No issues.

Tamar David February 18,4: Melody Church February 17, Thank you, Melody Church. Anthony Greer February 18,4: Sharon February 16,6: Anthony Greer February 17,4: I have quartz in my kitchen. Mia June 28, What made you choose Quartz over Granite and have you had any issues with staining or heat? Sasha February 15,8: Tony Lamley February 13,5: You mention sealing annually, what is the best product for this? We have a new granite countertop in our remodeled bathroom and love its look.

We needed it so we could have an under mount sink. Anthony Greer February 15,3: Hey Tony, Undermount sinks are a beautiful look. Mitzie Webster February 7,8: Ryan January 31,1: I read most of this page. Thank you so much for the pros and cons for both countertop. Anthony Greer January 31,3: Michelle January 14,1: Anthony Greer January 15,2: Adam December 16,9: