Are you remodeling your kitchen and having a hard time picking between quartz and granite countertops? It will help to know some of the key differences between them.

Quartz

Quartz is different from granite because it is a man-made material. While it may look like natural stone, it actually is not. The majority of it is made with natural rock, but it also includes resins that give it color and additional strength. Some people have a personal preference when it comes to this because they want a natural stone in their home while others do not. 

The biggest benefit of quartz is that it is an incredibly durable material, and it is nonporous as well. It is never going to absorb water or a substance that has water in it. This includes tomato sauces, red wine, and substances that have bacteria. This makes it very easy to clean quartz.

Granite

Granite is a natural stone that is sourced from the earth, which gives the material its own pros and cons. The pros being that granite is an incredibly beautiful material with every piece being unique with the natural streaking through the material. It means that you have to go out and look at slabs of granite to find the one that you like since you can't buy it from a catalog. In addition, no one else is going to have a granite countertop like yours.

However, the fact that granite is natural means that the countertop material is not as strong as quartz. Some granite may be weaker than other pieces simply due to how the stone was formed, and it is hard to tell how weak or strong a particular piece of granite will be. Some granite will have a laminated mesh structure on the back that gives it strength and protects it from cracking and breaking. 

Granite is also a porous material, which allows it to absorb water and other materials that contain water. You are able to seal granite though to make the material nonporous and give you the same protection as granite. If you want a very glossy countertop surface, then you need to know that granite can be polished to give you that finish that you desire

Reach out to a countertop specialist in your area for assistance sourcing either material. For more information on granite countertops, contact a granite countertop supplier in your area.