Quartz or Granite - Which is the BETTER Countertop?
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- Опубліковано 22 тра 2024
- Online Design Solution - www.mtkd.ca
In this video, I am ranking both quartz and granite countertop to see which one out performs the other. Spoiler alert, they are both pretty good options.
If you are thinking about buying countertop in the near future, and these two options are on your list, this is the video for you.
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Granite is as old as the mountains and has been a premium building material since time immemorial -- it's the very definition of timeless. I fully understand that synthetic quartz composite countertops are fashionable at the moment (and granite is not) but I myself don't much subscribe to fashion trends, and I find that I'm still as impressed with granite as a near-indestructible natural and beautiful material. Warranty or no, I have far more confidence that a granite countertop will survive a hot frying pan being inadvertently set on it than I do that a synthetic resin-based "quartz" countertop would survive the same ordeal. And like it or not, that is a very high-likelihood event in a working kitchen. I have no animosity towards fans of quartz, but I'll take granite, hands down, for kitchen use.
I love my granite and would never outdate it’s beauty and quality. It still rocks in my world! 🤪
Pun intended!
I've worked in the industry for over 10 years. We did 70% or more granite when I started. Now it has flipped to quartz, due to remodeling show trends. I work for a big shop. last year we averaged 12 homes & 8 units (condos etc.) a day. 100 residences a week. I'll put it this way, I have ZERO quartz countertops in my home! To all of you that love your quartz, congrats! I work with over 400 homes a month. Around 5000 a year. Quartz is an okay product. Every shop owner I know, and most of the people that work in the industry, have real stone in their home. Best video I've seen is on this topic is " The Granite vs Stone question"
Very interesting insight from someone with experience! Thanks so much!
What are your thoughts on quartzite? I am leaning towards that for our kitchen.
Fantastic material. Beautiful too! Its a natural stone out of the mountain. It is a little more expensive. But, that's partly because it is so hard. Takes longer to cut it out of the mountain. It takes about twice as long to cut a kitchen out of quartzite, compared to granite. Many colors give you more of a marble look with superior durability. Never seen someone dissatisfied with their quartzite. I highly recommend it if its in your budget!
I highly reccomend quartzite, not as porous as granite, way less porous than dolomite or marble, alot more scratch resistant than granite too. It's next to diamond for hardness meaning you need another stone of that sort or something harder than quartzite to scratch it. You won't scratch your counter with a knife that's for sure.
Great video Mark! I like the new backgrounds!! Really cool!!
I needed to know this. Thanks so much for taking the time to review & compare these two popular surfaces. Be well.
Thanks Mark for Sharing the Video really very informative, covering all the aspects very useful !! Excellent Job
Good to know. Thank you very much. Helped me very much for what we should pick for our new house we are building..
I like quartz in bathrooms and granite in kitchens.
That seems like the most logical preference I can imagine ... well done!
I went with granite countertop for the kitched, but concrete GFRC for the bathroom countertop. How's that for crazy?!
I don't want to deal with mold prevention/cleaning that often comes after time with grouted tiles, etc. Albeit,a single-slab of natural stone or man-made quartz has limited grout-line issues too. The GFRC won't have that issue, or much concern regarding staining either (unless using dyes that will stain anything it touches -- and shouldn't be used in areas one cares about anyway) but still has the weighty feel of natural stone, and the option of smoothess desired.
@@wolfdieter6891 - I like the way you think! Pick materials that can withstand likely abuse and minimize the repair/refurbishment/maintenance work. Concrete sounds like a great alternative if I thought I could manage not to make a disaster out of it, or if I had access to a contractor proficient with it.
Great comparison!
Excellent comparison!
Good ole horse sense for us common folk ..thanks for all the experience along with knowledge we can glean from your videos ... Thumbs up all day everyday....👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻your channel really gives people an alternative to the ones just wanting to promote a channel rather than give us a real life understanding of choices...👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻keep up the good work
Hey Mark Great channel, very entertained and informed with choice of content. Been staying up to date with your channel for this past year. My family business is countertop fabrication and installation. Love natural stone as a choice for myself but greatly appreciate the choices our clients have when given the right info!
Hey! Thanks so much for saying hi and leaving a comment. I appreciate it and love hearing from people in the industry. If you're ever up for doing me on a live stream to chat about countertops, please reach out via email. (mark@mtkd.ca)
@@MTKDofficial Sounds like a great idea Mark. Would love to do so. Ill be in touch about scheduling, keep up the great work!
Your video is helping me choose my kitchen countertop between granite or quartz. Thank you
Thanks for the comparison, though I've already ordered quartz for my kitchen
You made the difference between quartz and granite sound interest, explained well that I had to go over the video 3 times just to remember their differences. Thank you
Hi Stella. Thanks for watching. Glad the video served you well.
I went back and forth for six months about whether or not to switch out my granite for quartz. Let me save you some time: QUARTZ. I had my quartz countertops installed in January. Not ONE regret. Having to use trivets is no big deal and the quartz is so much more beautiful than granite. The look is awesome!!! I used it for my backsplash also (slab).
Oooh slab quartz backsplash. very nice. I agree, a trivet is trivial lol
@@MTKDofficial I also put my outlets under the cabinets so there would be no cutouts.
Are air fryers safe for quartz?
So helpful
To my geologist eye, quartz looks extremely artificial - it reminds me of speckled linoleum school floors from the mid 20th century. While quartzite and granite look (and are) natural. Plus, the word "quartz" is refers to a heat resistant mineral, while quartz countertops do not and are much less heat resistant (due to the presence of resins, polymers, and pigments).
I agree with this. Some of the patterns that look "just like marble" will eventually look like "that fake stuff." The louder the veining, the more likely. I think the relatively solid quartz is nice, not trying to look like something it isn't.
Or REAL quartz [the actual mineral stone of the original name]. Of course, such is prohibitively expensive, and deposits are so small they are still bonded together in amalgamations that don't appeal to me, personally. But, if anyone hears of an eight-foot long piece of citrine or amethyst, buy it for me! 😄
Heard from extended family member their granite chipped on the sink edge when they dropped a bird feeder on it. Probably weighed less than 5 pounds. They said they wished they had gone with quartz. Also at are Home Depot, granite price ranges were more expensive than the quartz. Wonder if it's regional?
I like the mat finished granite
Great info. They're both great products that will outlive their owners. I only dislike the porosity of granite and the price of quartz.
I didn’t think that granite would be the budget option😆. We find the risk of someone (like an inattentive teenage child) putting something hot on quartz the most significant issue next to cost.
I'm trying to think of an instance when a countertop would be subjected to thermal shock and I'm coming up blank. You put a hot pan on the countertop, then remove it and immediately wash with cold water? Would that be enough to crack the surface of granite? If it's that easy to break, it seems like it would be worth more than a 2-second mention. Also I would love a comparison with quartzite as well.
my granite countertop is not sealed. it is more than 20yr old. still going strong. i am sure it will outlast all of us ..... :-)
That’s cool to hear. It’s the safest most non toxic option too.
Yay! I love my quartz choice for my new home! 😁
Our granite counter tops are 23 years old and look brand new. Never resealed. We are renovating a new high end kitchen and thinking of quartz. I hope you’re right.
Quartzite!
Absolutely! Quartzite is natural sone, beautiful veining and color options, and most very stain and acid resistant. Plus, very hard/dense, so it resists other kinds of damage like unintentional scratching.
I did the water/lemon/oil and even scratch test on several different quartzite samples. They all passed with flying colors; hence, wouldn't really even need to be sealed unless one wants to for the comfort factor. Just make sure to choose the best seakers, because putting some on sealer-resistant stones can cause cloudiness from uneeded buildup that the stone refuses to absorb [as it refuses to absorb many stains too].
The only drawback might be if one likes chiseled or multi-faceted edging: quartzite doesn't lend itself to those, unless one finds an exceptional and extraordinarily rare fabricator who can successfully take such on.
Mark what’s your opinion on counter top extraction units
I've never had one myself, so I can't give great advice. However, I think as long as they can draw enough air, I'm all for it.
The requirement to seal granite is a no go for us. We also like the lower luster of quartz vs the shine of granite.
I cook a lot with turmeric, do you recommend going with granite then? Also, I want a lighter shade coountertop almost white some mild patterns would that work with turmeric?
As long as it's sealed properly and the turmeric is not left sitting for a long time, it could be ok. Hard to say, because it depends on the particular piece of granite. As if it comes with a stain guard warranty.
Ask for a sample; reptable suppliers will give you one. But make sure it is from the same slab lot [i.e., the slabs that came from the sane section of the quarried stone].
Test the sample with your tumeric; see what one minute, five minutes, snd 15 minutes of keeping it on does. If it stains quickly, the stone type you're looking at may not be a good category for you. Even after sealing, somrthing that shows such quick staining means you might not get to cleanup spills or splashes quickly enough.
Do the same with the water, lemon-juice, olive-oil test. Those three indredients have different impacts of different mineral compositions. The water and the oil can be absorbed and stain or discolor; the lemon juice can etch [remove the polish look on polished stones; but not an issue woth honed stones]. The etching is more an issue for kitchens, where acid-based foods like lemons, tomatoes, etc can cause challenges. Nevertheless, even cleaners like lysol, bleach, Drayno, and even some body soaps and shampoos can do etching in bathrooms too.
This is the most unbiased comparison I've seen, and for obvious reasons, still biased towards quartz. Being a bit more honest about the durability and taking the fad aspect that makes it a fair assumption that the value of quartz does not tend to be the same in the not immediate future, granite still wins. But I can totally understand someone betting on quartz, and we have to admit granit can never be guaranteed. There are many differences from region to region and each piece is unique - there are positive and negative sides to that. I have never seen it in my country, I didn't even know the material existed, even though I might be around here and I just didn't know about it.
With any natural stone, always chose the actual slab wanted [since each differs do the organic nature of it]. Just as importantly, if there are features in the slab one likes, have the fabricator agree to cut the piece to include it as desired.
Is quartz good as full height backsplash for gas stove ?
I don't see an issue with it. It would have to receive direct heat to have any damage.
Granite it is.
Very good info to have. I am partial to quartz. Granite countertops look old fashioned to me. Could you do a compare video for quartz and soapstone? Also, if I want a "build in" pastry board, what material is best? Maybe it's not worth having, even for people who make dough all the time?
I believe marble is the best for pastry.
I made dough all the time on my quartz countertop. I have heard marble is even better, but was happy for over 12 years with my quartz.
All depends on the granite. Some granites do look like a plate of canned dog food, especially the predominantly tan and brown colors. If you look at the anorthosites such as Blue Pearl there is nothing to match their clean look and the shimmering labradorescence as the incidence of light and the angle to the viewers' eye changes. The "Blue Eyes" anorthosite includes mineral grains that change from white to a startling blue as you walk through.
Some of the granites in the white range have bands of color and flecks of contrasting mineral grains that give each slab a unique appearance.
Quartz manufacturers attempt to imitate the appearance of natural stone, but the final product has a synthetic look that never lets you forget it's a man-made product.
Soapstone? Soapstone is the choice for lab benches in high school chemistry classrooms, and its heat resistance would make it preferable to quartz, but the mineral composition of soapstone is mostly asbestiform silicates and when (and no, I don't mean 'if') the surface is scratched, asbestos minerals can be released. I don't think that is something you would want mixed into your food.
I would rate granite far worse on the maintenance score. There's a reason the quartz marketing highlights the stain resistance. I've lived in several rentals (one brand new, apartment co must've skimped on sealing) where you could see the granite get ugly oil blotches. The granite in my current home (installed in the 90s) has never looked clean. I even tried special products to suck the gross out of it. Once something is down in that porous surface, the look is changed forever, and it feels gross. I can see from less used places that the granite used to have a pretty color. I cannot wait to install quartz.
Thanks for the input. Always great to hear first hand experience.
Depends on the granite too. Many are extremely resistant; a few are not. Warning though, on all counts: the market is somewhat impacted by cheap/doctored/dyed make-overs of lower-quality or imitation slabs. Mostly, but not exclusively, from certain sources out of China and India [although beautiful native stones from India are alvailable too]. Even the suppliers in the USA SOMETIMES don't know they received "less-thans".
Always, before purchasing any natural stone, request and test a sample from the same slab lot being considered.
Concerning granite maintenance, I have observed mineral deposits build up around the faucet of our daughter's granite kitchen counter. The go-to cleaners for mineral deposits (Lime Away, CRC, etc.) will all damage granite, because it is also a mineral. I asked a granite salesman what to use, and he didn't have a solution. Do you know of one?
I haven't heard of one specifically Alan. I'm surprised the sales rep didn't have a solution. That's never come up before for me. I'm on the hunt for an answer.
Yes! Straight vinegar. I use it around all my faucets.
I use a product called M.B. Green Thing. It is safe to use on natural stone. Vinegar and other acidic substances can react to certain stones and damage the polished surface (especially true for more porous stones like marble).
I work at a granite shop, we recommend cleaning with mild soap and water, for stubborn areas with film use soft scrub gel. And always dry your counter tops. Seal every year with 511 impregnator. For marble, open structure quartzite, seal every 6 months.
I agreel. 511 Impegnator is an excellent product.
I use 511 Pourus Plus (same company). It is probably way overkill, but it is ever-so-slightly even more impervious (but not-so-lslightly more expensive - and one might have to order it online because the stores don't always stock it).
Regardless, I found using their short-handled flat-sponges with disposable trays excellent for fully and uniformly applying the sealers.
Quarts will have dull spots if u clean wrong granite is always better and yes it does stain really easily
Granite will crack if you put a hot pot or pan on it from the stove. The thermal shock of a hot pot directly to a cold or room temperature counter is definite.
Ours hasn't crack since 2010 and we put a lot of hot stuff on it.
No it will not. Granite is literally formed under heat and pressure. Nothing that happens in your kitchen, can compare to the environment granites deal with while forming underground.
Hmm! I can't believe it. You gotta be pulling my leg. Wow! I tell you what, that's a huge surprise. I'd be afraid to try it. Wow, yah think you know everything, then get schooled suddenly.😂
@@Dukemeistro, Granite is an igneous rock. It can withstand the thermal shock of the heat of kitchen cookware, unless you are lifting your skillet directly out of an active volcano and placing it on the granite.
Ever see chiseled edges available for "quartz" countertops?
You cannot chisel quartz
What about quartzite? we installed taj majal and it is beautiful.
I'd say it's my favorite overall! There's a depth to natural stone that you just can't fake!
Ever see Iceberg [brand name] quartzite? Beautiful, and it can be lit from underneath. Looks like those beautuful veins and fuzzies on sees inside the surface of a frozen pond in the winter. High-end price though. In addition, if you like chiseled edges, you'll need a skilled fabricator (most can't or won't do a cmgoid chiseling job with this dense stone).
How would you rank quartzite on this comparison? I remember you liked quartzite, and I’m debating using it for my reno
I'd go with quartzite for sure. Love it. It is a natural stone and needs to be sealed, but not a big deal in my opinion.
Many natural Quartzite slabs are so extremely dense they won't need to be sealed; the sealer pretty much just sits on top without absorption. Nevertheless, it is ALWAYS best to do the 3-part test on ALL product samples before choosing the surface one wants. Olive oil, water, lemon juice: put a drop of each on your unsealed sample. Then watch and wait. If the surface absorbs any of these drops or the polished surface becomes stained or etched [polish turns to honed] -- then apply a sealer. If the surface reacts in less than 5 minutes, it isn't a good candidate for a busy or stain-likely areas like kitchens, showers, entries. If it takes between 5 to 15 minutes, then still reconsider or at least understand you'll have to be watchful and clean up spills immediately, even if sealed. 30 minutes or longer, then its a good candidate, but remember sealing does not prevent stains; it only buys you time to wipe up spills before reaction takes place. Back to the Quartzite: I tested Absolute Black [a brand name; and different suppliers use different names] -- and left my 3 drops on for, literally, 4 hours. Zero absorption; zero etching. Even did my steak-knife test (pretend I'm cutting carrots directly on its surface): zero scratches. Tried it with polished Milas Lilac marble: minimal water absorption; very slight oil staining; almost immediate etching from the lemon. Polushed marble is very susceptible to etching from all acids (lemon, tomato, vinegar, hydrog peroxide, bleach). Yet it is gorgeous, and survived centuries on Italian streets. If one sees honed marble, like the ancients did, as a thing of beauty -- then it can be used even as a kitchen countertop. If one only likes their marble shiny polished -- that means being ever watchful and constantly cleaning with non-acidic cleaners (and repolishing any etched surfaces, which is not difficult to do when needed; but, it will be a frequent chore). Best sealer I've found: 511 Porous Plus (most box stores carry other 511 products, but you can order it online).
@@wolfdieter6891that's not true, some quartzites are open structure, like ijen blue, Beverly blue, mont blanc, paramount to name a few. Open structure quartzites need to be sealed every 6 months like marble. Absolute black is a granite, not a quartzite. Whatever you do, do not get absolute black in the honed finish.
As I believe I wrote, "Abdolute Black" is a marketing name. Yes, I know about "Absolute Blak" branded granite. AS i wrote, I am referingvto "Absolute Black" branded quartzite.
As far as habing to seal any natursl stone every six months -- there is absolutely NO legitimate reason to follow such an across-the-board colloquially fabricated "rule" for doing so, except to follow mm unbased "guidelines" that eithef profit retail outlest selling such sealers -- or, ignorant boutique countertop outlets have staff so ignorant they err on the "every six month" slogan.
Regardless, every stone is different. Some may need sealing more frequentky thanm
others; dome may not need sealing AT ALL. Nevertheless. If you have to seal your product every six months, you either must have purchaced the most highly porous stone in existence [akin to caulk], or your used the most ineffective sealer known to man or use your countertop for hydrochloric acid experiments.
Most reputab L e sealers will last for seberal years under normal, household use. Products as goid as 511 Porous Plus will last even longer.
Quartz, being a man-made composite, may have special needs beyound standatd; nevertheless, Quartzite [a natural and highly resistant, stone] dies NOT need sealing "every six months". If yours does, it is likely the source was not from standard quarries, but a low'-grade, dyed and doctored/imperfection-filled product purchaced through far m-to-many disreputible/unregulated suppliers in Vhina, etc. That's why EVERY customer must demand a sample beforhand and do the 3-oart test I noted. Many local warehouses are ignorantly/'>innocently" unaware of the "doctoring" done on the slab they chose to receive from non-quarry wholesalers [currently, mostly via India and China]. The only way to make sure a customer's "Absolute Black", "Iceberg", or someother locally-marketed nomenclature is of the exoected quslity is to test a samole from the slab veing purchased. If the warehouse refuses. go to one tgat will.
Telling people to "seal every six months" is either arbitrary or has become the standard comfort phrase because far too many customers and warehouses can't guarantee Slab A will equal Slab B in quality -- because they've distanced themselves 2, 3, and 4 steps away from buying directky from the quarry itself. Buying from bulk suppliers in China, etc. means bigger profit margins for the boutique box-stores, but also unpredictable/,doctored/unregulated quality.
1. Test each slab before purchasing: oil, water, lemon juice.
2. The results will tell you the FACT if you need to seal or not (intead of a general "every 3-to-10 years basef on assumed-undoctored stone and "brand" type -- or the every six months suggestion that would only be needed fir arbitrary/costly/why-not-just-use-linolium products [or when bought by a boutique seller who offers snazzy displays but hires flashy but ignorant sskes staff.
Went with porcelain for kitchen
Good choice. I love porcelain!!!
@@MTKDofficial Now you'll have to compare all 3 of them. 😊
Question out of range... Where cabinets at your kitchen are coming from? company name? trying to make decision on cabinets. Very painful when you do not have 20k to spend on cabinets. Please and thank you
Well, my cabinets are custom made from a dealer in Atlantic Canada. However, if you are looking for budget friendly with tons of options and very good quality, I'd try IKEA.
@@MTKDofficial thank you. Ikeas’s logistic chain seems to be really broken right now. Soooo many people complaining about wait time and messed up orders.
@@kategreen2422 I am halfway thur a kitchen reno using ikea cabinets. They have an option they don’t tell you, at least no one told me about the first couple of times I talked to ikea people about my reno. If you design and purchase your kitchen thur them in store then you can chose to do a reserve. What that means is three things happen (at least for me).
1. When your order is placed you take pay and take the items they have in stock.
2. At the same time you pay for and arrange delivery of items that are in stock at the warehouse. I live 4 hours away for the bulk of my order came this way.
3. The items they don’t have in stock they create a Reserve order for you. This means that everything left on your order is put aside for you as it comes into the store until all everything left in the order is grouped together and ready for you to ‘click and collect’. They will call or email you when all the outstanding items are in. You go down to ikea and pay for the rest of the order.
Normally you have 5 days to pick all the items up. I made special arrangements to allow for 7 days as I don’t have the option to pop over on my way home from work.
I would say it took about 5 weeks for everything on the reserve to come in and I was okay with that as the contractor was not scheduled to start until 5-6 weeks after everything arrived.
So it sounds like, in terms of objective measurements they’re about the same, or close enough. So why then is Quartz more popular? Probably because people prefer the look of it.
I remember when quartz was first getting popular in my area. The marketing highlighted the fact that it was stain resistant and maintenance free. You could get so many pattern options. People really gravitated toward it. It's name almost became synonymous with quality (whether true or not).
People buy what designers are telling them to buy. Granite has a lot of color variations and movements that can be hard to design around. I've heard a lot of designers say that granite is "outdated" or "too busy" my belief is that designers these days, don't want to put in real work, so they stick with white or grey cabinets, and white or grey counter tops. Every once in awhile they'll throw in some black. There's no color anymore, it's sad. Every house looks the same. But that's all about to change. California and Australia are considering a ban on quartz. The fabrication of quartz has been linked to Silicosis in fabricators.
Try black hair color. Could not get it out of quartz.
oooh. good one. I'll add that to the list for sure.
So what countertop would be a 10/10.
None that I can think of. They all have some pros and cons
Im confused because quartz stains easily with water. So maintenance should be lower
I've also seen granite stained with water. Maybe it is a little dependant on the slab itself and the percentage of resins and binding agents to mineral.
So..turmeric is my issue,,,help
That is an issue for sure. I've found on quartz, a magic eraser does the trick. You just need to be cautious as it is an abrasive pad. Same goes for granite.
What about quartzite vs. granite?
Quartzite for me.
@@MTKDofficial would love to see a comparison video.
Would you spend more money on quartzite?
I think sealing and resealing is a big deal. how often does it have to be resealed. nobody reseals
Depends on the stone. Usually twice a year is recommended.
I BOUGHT 2X8 GRANITE SLAB FOR $220 BUCKS AT CONTRACTORS WAREHOUSE
2X8 QUARTZ WAS LIKE $440 FOR THE CHEAPEST ONE
That's the way to do it.
Revisit a kitchen that had quartz for 5 or 10 years and revisit a kitchen with granite for 5 or 10 Years, ask the customers their opinion on how they thing their stone faired over the years, guaranteed natural will outlive this quartz fad. I work in the industry and would not take the $120/sqft quartz counter over $20 natural stone, give me giallo ornamental over cambria any day, even if cambria was 20 a foot.
I feel like you just push Quartz. You gave granite and Q equal rating for sledge hammer and heat…. Warranty is a joke and you give Q 10 and Granite 6!!!!! You gave Q perfect scores repeatedly and none to granite!
Decent review, a joke of a rating. BS on what people want today…
Glad this got you fired up! Happy New Year!
Yeah…I’ll be sticking with the old school mountain slab. No thanks Italy keep your resin.
You overlooked the elephant in the room! Granite is radioactive ☢️. It can be a little or it can be moderate. All depends on the quarry.
Very good point.
What do you mean radioactive??
Can you give a little more info on this?
Team granite for sustainability!! Quartz is just a trend. It'll need replacement in 10yrs.
Granite is the fading trend. Quartz is ideal in that colors and patterns can be specifically ordered.
Quartz has no warranty. And I am a fabricator.
explain
Why wouldn't you warranty it? We warranty our quartz. The only thing we do not warranty, is marble in the kitchen.
Warranty score tilted the win for quartz. Clearly biased review.
I have laminate and don't sell quartz. Clearly not a biased review.