There are numerous elements that go into a high-end kitchen remodeling job, and frankly, very few of them are cheap. The kitchen is one place where paying for the very best often pays off as an investment, but there is no getting around the fact that it can be a big investment.
In the kitchen remodeling world, usually ‘adequate’ just isn’t good enough. This applies to cabinets, major appliances, and floors. Yes, you could make cutbacks in some of these areas, and still have a very nice kitchen, but the same may not be true of counter tops.
For counter tops, there are substitutions for the very best, but they are exactly what they seem to be- substitutions. With counter tops, if you can afford the best, then you will want the best, and the best choice is granite or quartz.
For a long time, granite has been considered the standard in kitchen counter tops. Granite has a lot going for it. It is an incredibly beautiful, incredibly durable natural material.
Granite counter tops are carved from native rock. Granite is a relatively common stone, but it is difficult to work the large pieces needed for a kitchen counter.
Granite is a natural substance, which makes it both wonderful and terrible to work with. Granite is formed deep within the earth’s crust as a pocket of magma cools deep within the ground. As the magma cools, the minerals within it form tightly interlocking crystals, which gives granite its incredible strength and beauty.
Because it is natural, the colors and patterns of granite are not consistent from one sample to the next, or even within the same piece. Whether this is a disadvantage or a natural advantage it is a completely personal decision.
Quartz counter tops are said to be a natural product; they are and they aren’t. A quartz counter top is mostly made from the mineral quartz. So is granite, but whereas the strength of granite comes from interlocking crystals, the quartz in a quartz counter top is held together by a resin binder.
Quartz is among the hardest substances on the planet, it is the seventh hardest known mineral (diamonds are the hardest). This means that both of these counter tops are incredibly strong and scratch resistant. Some dealers even claim that you can cut directly on the counter top without doing damage. (Don’t do it; you may not hurt the counter top, but it is very hard on your knives!)
As tight as the bond between the interlocking crystals of granite is, there is actually a tiny amount of space between the crystals. The resin fills all the space between the quartz in a quartz counter top. This means that the granite counter is slightly porous and must be sealed, and resealed on a regular basis. Quartz counter tops are not porous, and will not need to be sealed.
So which is indeed best? Quartz is very clean and maintenance free. Granite is a natural substance that has a very clean, modern feel, and requires very little maintenance. In the end, it is up to you, the homeowner to decide which is best for your kitchen.
For help with all your remodeling decisions and choices, be sure to contact the experts at Corvus Construction.