Quartz vs Granite

[hurrdurr]

Did some research online, and other than aesthetics what would you guys choose when building a new home?

Would like to see some peoples experience with either.

Thanks

[JRSC00LUDE]

I don't think it really matters in a home to be honest but, Quartz is "foodsafe" whereas Granite is not. Quartz is also maintenance free whereas granite does require occassional resealing.

[roopi]

I ended up choosing Quartz simply because no need to reseal.

[Weapon_R]

Quartz is hideous.

[88CRX]

Granite needs to be sealed like once a year.... wax on, wax off. Not a huge deal IMO.

Had the choice between several 'standard' granites or a couple different quartz colors. Went with granite and it looks amazing.

[CD007]

Seeing as Quartz and granite look alike and most people don't know the difference, I say get quartz.

[88CRX]

Originally posted by CD007
Seeing as Quartz and granite look alike and most people don't know the difference, I say get quartz.

They don't look the same

Quartz is a consistent color (like concrete) and granite is all over the place as its natural stone.

Quartz


Granite

» Click image for larger version

[JordanEG6]

Depends what kind of look you're going for. I was going for a simple, contemporary look, so I went with a Jadestone Quartz in an off-white color.

Granite looks awesome too, but I didn't like some of the colors. But to each their own.

[JDMMAN]

Quartz all the way if you want to match all the counter tops in the home (too hard to get the exact same granite for everything if you have a large kitchen and vanity).

Plus, Quartz is extremely low maintenance compared to granite.

[Phl0xed]

Never had any problems with my granite, personally. Have a friend who went with Quartz instead because of its 'maintenance free' advertising and it chipped within a few months and she's already has to have it repaired. I'll reseal my granite instead.

[sputnik]

Originally posted by Weapon_R
Quartz is hideous.

Granite is hideous.

[FishPoo]

I was pretty deadset on getting quartz due to its advertised low maintenance and durable surface which is nice, but I don't think the maintenance for granite or durability is much worse than quartz.

After looking at slabs, every quartz piece looks the same (if you get ceasarstone in X color, they all look uniform) and with granite, you can't go off the sample piece as no slab is alike. I thought I'd check out granite slabs in the warehouse and I ended up picking a granite slab.

I might end up putting quartz in some of the bathrooms to mix things up, but aesthetically, I'd say the random uniqueness of granite won me over especially for the kitchen. There's some really cool quartz out there as well which aren't all uniform but they're an expensive upgrade.

[JustinMCS]

I like both. However, with regards to the sealing comment, I was in Home Depot the other day and saw their granite comes sealed with this guarantee:

"Requires no sealing -_ granite from The Home Depot comes pre-sealed with stain protection backed by a 15-year limited warranty."

[never]

Originally posted by 88CRX
Granite needs to be sealed like once a year.... wax on, wax off. Not a huge deal IMO.

Yeah, people talking about resealing granite as a huge deal but it's super easy. Clean counter, let dry, spray on sealer, let penetrate for 15 minutes, wipe off excess and you're done. Including drying, shouldn't be more than 1/2 an hour.

[black_2.5RS]

I have a friend who recently built a house and the trades were drinking coffee from a leaky timmie's cup. It left a nice coffee ring stain in the quartz and it couldn't be removed (although a lot of scrubbing made it look less prominent). Ended up having to change the entire countertop. I'm not overly convinced that quartz is as maintenance free as claimed.

I have granite and it's extremely durable. Sealing annually isn't much work. Takes more time to move the coffee maker, toaster, etc on the counter top than to seal it.

[Doozer]

I've had granite countertops for 8 years since we built the house, haven't sealed anything. Counters look like glass when they're wiped, water still beads on them and we don't have a mark on them. We set hot pots on them, cut on them occasionally (my bigger concern is for the knives than the counter), and they look like they're brand new.

Maybe I'll seal them at some point, but as of today, I've done 0 maintenance and we've loved them.

Probably be just as happy with quartz, but as many have stated, I think the maintenance of granite isn't even a concern. It's like not buying a truck over a car because you spend more time washing it. Literally, that's the time difference that someone might spend "maintaining" granite, probably less.

[Sugarphreak]

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[Sugarphreak]

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[tch7]

The only thing that I'd let sway your choice is which one you prefer aesthetically. Generally speaking, quartz is good with more modern architecture and decor where you have simple lines and shapes, and granite is better with a more traditional place. I like things clean and simple, so prefer quartz.

Here's the quartz in my place, which is new and modern. It has lots of dime-sized flakes in it that give it a good sparkle as you view it from different angles, but nothing as bold as granite. Only been here a few months, but so far it's holding up nicely (also have it in my bathrooms).


My parent's place (traditional, but renovated) has lots of blue pearl granite. It's nice, but after about 5 years with no maintenance there are areas that show a little wear when you look closely (particularly around the sink).

[That.Guy.S30]

I just changed everything to a white quartz. Looks awesome and modern. I find granite more traditional. Never liked granite.