Thank you so much. This video helped me a lot.. Got my new home and planning to go for Modular kitchen and had no idea about quartz. Everybody is asking to use quartz on countertop, but I was not sure. From 30 years am seeing Granite been used in my home and till date it looks beautiful and new. No scratches, not a single mark on it. So finally I have decided to go for Granite..
Granite for me. First of all, natural stone is timeless. It might not be trendy but it always looks good. Sure, it needs to be sealed every 5 years (which takes all of an hour). My last house had granite which was installed 20 years before, it still looks beautiful! With quartz, I have also seen stains as well as yellowing near windows. I prefer a countertop made of natural stone instead of plastic mixed with stone dust. Just my preference!
Also note you can avoid the transport energy foot print sometimes too, example is Granite is quarried everywhere in my area and the place that processes it is 15 miles from me. (Quarries in Minnesota) Sometimes it pays to ask the source of the materials you are buying if that important to you.
We are picking out our granite tomorrow; this information was AWESOME! Thank you so much for all the info. We had originally thought to use quartz, but after much discussion with our contractor and friends and family, we decided on granite. Such beautiful natural stone.
I wish you did videos on all building products. I appreciate your approach in explaining differences and the pro's and cons for each product. You just seem honest
Thanks for the video..excellent thoroughness. Our last home had 30mm dark granite benchtops in the kitchen. Over 10 years of heavy use saw no chips, no stains and no oil or liquid rings. Our new home has quartz light coloured bench tops. In 18 months we've chipped the edge 3 times, had dark stains numerous times despite regular use of polisher/sealer and because of this need to be careful leaving dark coloured berries and vegetables sitting directly on the bench top. To be fair, the stains have so far been able to be removed with several treatments of cleaners or alcohol. Quartz benchtops are a classic case of form over function imo.
I just had a new renno and installed quartz countertop, petro grigio, a dark gray with light grey lines. Not even a month later, when water is left, and I try to wipe it off, it stays like a oily mark. After about 2 months there are light grey rings where cups were left and where water was standing for longer unnoticed, like under the coffee maker and the orchid pot. These rings which are seemgly just water stains, cannot be removed at all. I tried the stone maker's white cream cleanser, and don't want to use anything more harsh. I asked the manufacturer for advice and to send a tech out to comment, no tech yet. For years back in South Africa, most high end kitchens and businesses, had granite, some even granite floors and it had none of this water mark issues. So my personal opinion is, granite is more durable and even less maintenance, than quartz. If I knew that, I would have paid the extra for granite or other natural stone. I thought quartz was better because it is sealed and can't stain and is more environment friendly and costs less. Now to replace that quartz will cost me more. Must say on my quartz if I spill curry during cooking, it comes off easily when wiped off, and does not stain. I don't understand how the quartz is so easily stained with just water when it is supposedly a sealed product, and yet my designer and others rave about quartz.
Quartz shop worker here. Try Barkeeper's Friend on a dry microfibre rag, and then finish it up with acetone. I have yet to see a stain not come out, and that includes blood stains from when I injured my hand a few months ago.
Having never before been in the position to even think about buying a countertop, I never knew that granite had to be sealed. Now that we are in a position to buy a countertop, we went with quartz. This was a very informative video, as are all of your videos. Thank you for all you do, Belinda.
Heads up, quartz has to be sealed as well. I work in a stone shop, and all of our stuff is sealed, even the cheaper white stuff. Try to avoid gritty cleaning stuff like magic eraser. Stick with Barkeeper's friend and a dry cloth. I have yet to see it fail.
@@awlthatwoodcrafts8911 Genuine quartz is non-porous yes, but 99% of the stuff on the market isn't actually quartz. It's an epoxy pour made with quartz dust and other ingredients, poured into a HUGE slab (standard is around 126×63 inches iirc). These slabs are sealed to keep dust and other particles from getting into the pour while it cures. The slabs are then thrown on a huge CNC saw to be cut and shaped to the customer's needs. Hope this helps :)
We recently did a kitchen remodel and swapped countertops, a bigger island, moved the stove to an exterior wall (so it could be vented), custom cabinets, everything. It cost more than my first house (however, I am old). The result was nothing short of spectacular. However, we struggled with the quartz vs. granite question more than any other decision. To be honest, I felt all along we would choose granite (we have always had granite - again we are old) but later wish we had quartz. Indeed, this is what happened. We love our new kitchen, but quartz countertops would have been a better choice. Alas, what's done is done. I have spilled wine, tomato sauce, paint, stain, etc. on my countertops and never had a stain. Love, love, love, your videos.
@@dulcirao I think it is more attractive, but it is not "bullet proof" - so I am told. I am told it can be scorched by hot pan and stained. I like the look, but I am still a little scared of durability.
Quartz is Form over function. The attractiveness and novelty of a new kitchen fades after a few months and after that you'll just want to cook food and move on with your day. Having stains from the simple spills or hot pans is just an extra hassle. So you've made the right choice :)
We chose quartz countertop primarily for its clean aesthetic for our kitchen remodel and now we think we should have chosen granite. Quartz is not totally non porous as being claimed by the industry. In fact it does get stained very easily and has a more matte finish. Granite seems to be more glossy and since its so busy, staining wouldn't be a problem with quartz. Anyways what is done is done :)
Thank you for the great info! Appreciate so much that you ask to avoid planned obsolescence. I’ve seen so many videos where people just want to get rid of the countertops because they’re “outdated” and knowing how much energy goes into producing the countertops that are supposed to last a lifetime, that is truly a waste. We bought a house during the pandemic that was built in the 80s’ and had the brown/black granite countertops in the kitchen and bathrooms. Initially we didn’t like them as they looked “outdated” just like all the design influencers were saying. But overtime the granite really grew on me. I don’t worry about laying hot pans on it. It’s are always cool to the touch and easy to clean. I even think it looks nice together with our MCM style furniture. The all-white trend is starting to go away now. Who knows what the next trend will be. I’m happy with the timeless, all-natural granite countertops. Ps we built a minibar in the basement, and went with a light color quartz top because of the cost and that it works better with a basement of limited lighting. Conclusion: we love both, and it is ok to have different styles in different spaces of the same house.
This is the first video of yours I've seen & i appreciated your factual, non biased information. This was very refreshing & I thank you for that. I am getting ready to get a new kithen & the timing couldn't have been better. I really couldn't get an honest answer to the difference between the two as the only people I could ask were sales reps for each product. Again, Thank You!!!! Can't wait to watch more of your videos. 🙂
ANY excuse to use an LOTR clip :) AirThings sensor: amzn.to/3IsdTjP Here's my video on Tub & Tile Refinishing: ua-cam.com/video/mCtWhPcd62g/v-deo.html And on Planned Obsolescence: ua-cam.com/video/yKf2UppIMbs/v-deo.html
As a geologist, I would always pick real stone over manufactured product even if it means a little maintenance. Building a new home. My kitchen supplier has been pushing me to use trendy quartz. It seems most “granite” suppliers now also recommend “quartz”. If you are going to go for quartz, go for quartzite, a silica rock that has been metamorphosed and recrystallised by high temperatures and pressures.
Why though? Talking about quartz at least, I would rather have a continuous non-porous crystal structure than a naturally formed crystal personally. It seems like having a molecularly flat countertop would have a lot of advantages in terms of keeping things clean and smooth. More pure crystals, with less breaks in the structure, are stronger overall, no? And growing crystals for ourselves is more environmentally sustainable than digging them out of the ground in theory. I guess we don't really use solid slabs of crystal much yet, but once we do I would absolutely jump on them as fast as possible. Aluminum oxide would also be a really cool countertop, and it could be doped with different elements to change the color too
Granite, which I installed in several homes as a Contractor can be truly beautiful. In addition it is a natural stone which gives a home a very natural feel. If you love having some nature in your home Granite is the choice.
Do me a favor and read my comment above regarding this video and then tell me what you think about epoxy. Epoxy doesn't bring anything into your home except beauty, functionality, and affordability. K-Otic Creations
Great message on avoiding planned obsolescence. Your videos are a breath of fresh air. My parent had their heavy cast iron bathtubs painted professionally. Smelly and toxic, agreed. But that method has lasted years. Perhaps only the DIY kits are low quality.
Absolutely. And I wouldn't necessarily say that the DIY kits themselves are low quality, but rather the Preparation of the surface that is done poorly. That's the major key. Read my entry above that explains this a bit.
they have better materians and know how to work with them. as long as you pay for a good one a professional will take the time required to prep everything. if a person is just doing it at home its more likely that a bit of soap scum gets missed and then if you layer a cheap kit on top of that then it bubbles and peels.
Prep prep prep. 90% of all successful renovation/restoration is in the prep. And most people think the sum total of prep is “clean it up first” Heat, mechanical grind, acid etch, binder coat, 2 part mixing just to name a few
Thank you, this is very helpful. I decided to use granite because it's less expensive right now and because it's a natural material, which is appropriate for my house's style. I won't mind maintenance, as I love spending time in the kitchen.
I love the thoroughness of your presentations. Very impressed. I am an architect with decades of experience. Every time I watch one of your videos I learn something new. Very well done!!!
I prefer quartz. I really enjoy your videos. The way you explain things is both scientific but easy to understand. Thank you for another informative video!
My friend insisted I put in granite when I bought my house 18 years ago. I put in laminate, much to her disgust. It held up beautifully all these years. I have to replace it as my remodel needs more of the same style, and it is sadly discontinued. So I'm going with a Wilsonart laminate. They are coming up with some really interesting and beautiful styles, the price is right, and granite and quartz are now as common as can be. I'm so out of fashion, I'm in!!!!
Thank you for another informative and practical video! We love the look of granite, but for the price, durability, and reduced maintenance - we prefer quartz. Our kitchen is heavily used, and not for show.
Many thanks. My wife has a history of lung cancer but survived. Knowing about Radon before we bought, we selected the quartz for our kitchen redo. Most of the people who did the work were not aware that they were cutting into and working with material that could have Radon in it.
This is a great video. My wife and I watch lots of the home reno shows. They always seem to go for trendy. As an analogy: In mens' suits there are the classic designs that will be wearable or many years, even decades. They can be updated with a change of shirt and/or tie. But, there are the trendy suit cuts that will be out of style in couple of years. I prefer the classic style that I can look for decades. Great on the epoxy fake granite or quartz counter top treatments. A friend did that type of treatment on their kitchen floor. The found that it yellowed with age. Also, epoxy is not relatively hard surface so it scratched with normal foot traffic. Lastly, for a counter top it is not very heat resistant.
As a professional Real Estate investor and house remodler, I can definitely say that the "DIY" Kit that is sold to either roll or spray on are pure junk. I have gone into a few houses where an owner used them and as you said, they tend to turn yellow, if you are lucky. Many of them peel off. Why is that you may ask? Because of the preparation, or lack of preparation that happens when a DIY person is using them. You absolutely positively Need to make sure that the surface is clean, and has been thoroughly etched and then rinsed clean again before you even start to apply the coatings. Now, since I put name and reputation on every house I sell, if I am not replacing the tub and surround, and I am going to have it painted, I spend the money and have a professional come in and coat it. It only costs about $1,000 per tub/surround in this location, but I've seen it less in other areas. But, and this is a major concern, if the former owner has already tried to do this, and the walls and tub are still in good condition, the spray guy will charge you about $500 more, just because he is going to have to work even harder to remove the bad coating. But even then, it is still a LOT Less expensive than replacing the tiles and tuning or shower. Oh, and the Professional spray doesn't stink or make your house smell as bad as the DIY kits. I'll post a video of the one I'm having done is finished.
Good answer. I was about to post that when well done epoxy paint will not peal or yellow. It's incredibly durable, but requires a lot of prep work. Now on the toxicity I can only say that you are not supposed to snort it. It's nasty stuff, but once it's cured it doesn't stink or release any dangerous chemicals. It's actually a pretty fantastic material, just not one you want to do a half assed job of applying.
@@blahorgaslisk7763,They all stink wjen being applied. But typically the Pro-grade doesn't stink as bad/strong, and not as long to dry as the store bought, DIY kits do.
i think it's awesome how committed you are to this channel - I can't tell if this is before or after your wedding but the fact that you filmed it still in your wedding dress just demonstrates your dedication to bringing knowledge to the disempowered. (jk though seriously love your channel and content)
Thanks to you I’m just now learning about the term “planned obsolescence”. My husband and I were talking about how the older refrigerators last forever but the newer ones have to be replaced almost every 5-10 years if you’re lucky. BTW, we just closed in a house recently and one of my top priorities was that it had to have granite counters. I have never really liked the quartz and especially the fact that it can’t handle too much heat. Where are all of my Sunday dinners and Thanksgiving feasts supposed to sit. There’s only so many pot holders in my house.
We had a Caledonia gray granite counter in our kitchen for 18 years and sold the home and moved to a new house. We'll get granite again, albeit a lighter color this time. We loved our granite counters and never had any issues and "sealing" took 5-10min about once a year. We never had any stains and we used our kitchen every day and we cook alot.
Just started working at Majestic Kitchen and Bath as a Director of Supply Chain and these are really helping me understand the product lines and the markets involved. Would love to sit down and pick your brain sometime if you're ever on the East coast!
Do me a favor and check out my comment above regarding epoxy. It's probably one of the last ones. I have an epoxy company here in St Pete Florida and I can guarantee you a product far superior than any stone you're going to find at a fraction of the cost with 10 times the beauty. I was watching this video to learn about the various Stones which are in fact my competition. That means I was trying to inform myself about products that are not my own so I can be better prepared to cross sell customers to me. And that's the easy part nearly all of the time unless people just want to have a stone just for status. She was right when she said there is a lot of energy that goes into obtaining all of this material. That's not true with epoxy. Epoxy is a modern building material that provides unsurpassed beauty and versatility if purchased from the right professional.
Man i cant stand the trend of painting EVERYTHING white! We moved to a house last year and ALL of the window and door trim are painted white, the interior doors are white, the wood panels on the walls of the basement are white. Feels like a trendy airbnb. Lol rant over, great video, always love the info and i appreciate you going into the pros and cons of different building materials
I don't know how to thank you for this video. We're in the process of constructing our house with the builders. I was obsessed with quartz until I saw this video (and other videos how quartz countertops are made). Will never opt for quartz.
Fair warning with Quartz, different lighting can bring out pink undertones you didn't see in the showroom. I'd ask to bring home a piece to look at in your home before making a decision.
This is especially true with LED lighting. While LED lighting may appear white, it is actually made up of several spectral peaks so that certain colors or shades may disappear under LED lighting.
We bought our house 10 years ago, I painted the oak cabinets white and faux finished the laminate countertops to look like granite and sealed them with resin, It was beautiful and no one could believe it was all done with paint… we finally did the long awaited renovation and put in hardwood floors and installed a new kitchen and it was all done by the Pros.. we chose bianco antico granite and it is absolutely beautiful. I couldn’t see spending top dollar for quartz knowing that I could have made a counter that looked the same especially since it is really just stone dust and resin. I love that the granite is a true stone slab from Mother Earth..
The improvement store tried to talk me on to quartz, I guess because it was more expensive, but we opted for a beautiful granite that we picked out ourselves from a supplier. It has gold colored flecs in it and is lighter than most granite. I sealed it myself. It's beautiful and we love it. Thanks for your many comparisons and analyses.
A side note: Don't cut on your granite or quartz countertops period. Aside from damaging the surface, your damaging your knife. Like Belinda said, it's recommended to use a cutting board for chopping. :D
It all comes down to whether you're motivated to build a living space that you aim to live in and use and represents YOUR esthetic values or you're building something that will still be "trendy" and marketable in the short term and reflects some random "designer's" guess at future selling points. I always went with the former viewpoint and enjoyed looking at and living in the houses I built. Most of the "trendy" designer concepts turn out to be expensive and "live around" ideas, not "live in and enjoy". Expecting to keep everything pristine and looking unused is not living "YOUR life, it's living in a showroom.
@@jmackinjersey1 You meant "Tangerine". LOL. It's illogical to conflate *mass produced* with *individuality* and yet "educated" consumers do it every second of every day.
@@milesobrien2694 Trends come and go on a regular basis. I build/remodel for a neutral pallette. But you can rest assured that a majority of the houses I sell in the $300k to 450k range will pretty much stay the same for a long time. However, I've closed on many houses in the $500k and up and on the same day their decorator and contractor are also showing up, many times not just to paint, but to rip out a lot of the high end kitchen and bathrooms that I just installed. I've gotten to a point where I either get the buyer involved when I'm around 75% done so they can pick out the finishes, install mid level products or simply don't go into that price range any more. What's even better is some times I'm able to go back in those houses and either buy back some of those items at a reduced price or get them out of the dumpster. Sometimes I even get the job(if they have a decent attitude and I'm not too busy already.) It's funny how those with old money act.
@@jmackinjersey1 I changed an avocado green toilet for an elderly customer a few years ago. Got home from work and it was still in the back of the truck. My wife asked what that was for, i told her it was for our basement bathroom. If looks could kill.
Most of you are saying is correct except cost of quartz. As a fabricator, quartz is so difficult with color matching in the same lot, scratching, chipping, staining and discoloring with heat. Granite and quartzite Is the way to go. And I agree don’t paint your tops. And most of quartz is made over seas, barely any brands manufacture quartz in the US. But great video!!
Love your messages. Mostly love your applied knowledge to everyday life. You have the knack of transferring your scientific knowledge to common living, and your explanations are clear and thorough. Keep up the good work! And thanks!
Countertop professional with 30 years of experience here. I got suspicious when you talked about granite being energy inefficient. One of the reasons that granite cost a quarter of what it used to is because they no longer ship blocks from Brazil to Italy to get processed. You lost me when you started talking about radon. First of all the one incident where stone meant for the consumer market had signatures of radon was in a topaz mine, they're pulling out jewelry, not countertops. Also if we're talking purely statistically any engineered stone has the same probability of being radioactive that natural stone does. Granite ranges from 6 to 8 on Moh's hardness scale. One final point I would like to make is granite, by and large, is not porous. It disinfects better than any countertop surface except for stainless steel. If it does need to be sealed the sealer is good for 15 to 30 years so long as the countertops are inside. If anyone has any further countertop questions I'd be more than happy to answer them to the best of my knowledge.
@@cetriyasArtnComicsChannel there's a reason restaurants and institutions use stainless steel. It's easy to clean and easy to maintain. As long as you don't mind the scratches, can fit pre-made stainless tops into your layout, or can afford custom made, stainless steel is an amazing choice for kitchen countertops.
@@Ladybird33 I highly prefer granite over quartz for a multitude of reasons but I'll give you a quick rundown: less expensive, easier to repair, natural beauty, temperature resistance, no third party hassles. Speaking to that last point, as a fabricator, if I install Cambria countertops and you have an issue 6 months down the road there is now a three-way battle between you, me, and Cambria on whether or not this is warranty work and if so who is footing the bill. I do not hesitate to give my customers a lifetime guarantee on their granite countertops.
@@Ladybird33 The double pencil rolled edge (a quarter inch roundover on the top and bottom of the stone) is ergonomical, durable, affordable, and fashionally flexible. Being a stone guy I would be lying if I didn't tell you my personal favorite edge was a chiseled edge. If you're choosing a chiseled edge make sure your fabricator knows how to do it right. There's a fine line between looking rugged and being rough so that it's unfunctional.
Thank you for this information about Granite & Quartz especially commenting about what I've been hearing a lot of these days of that, "Oh..., it's dated.", or the "obsolescence"..., of things really outstandingly fine & still wonderfully in vogue.
Great video. I've long wondered about which of these fancy countertop materials were manmade and what was the process of quarrying, cutting and finishing the natural ones. It would be great to have a video on other countertop options too as these two here probably top the price ladder.
I like the message of this video, say no to fads and planned obsolescence. Why you would ever paint over a beautiful stone countertop is beyond me. My basement apartment doesn't have anything quite as luxurious as quartz or granite countertops, but the kitchen supply store across the street was throwing out old 1ft quartz sample tiles, so I guess now I have some really nice serving platters 😸
I love how you put A2Z info about the topic, and that part where you dive deep into how a certain material is obtained or manufactured, with clips, is amazing.. Subscribed 😊
Been in this trade for quite a while, those coffee stains you described can be stubborn to remove with regular soap and water. Soft scrub is the best thing to use on stubborn marks in quartz it takes them right out.
What I like the best are your videos... I can always come back here for accurate information. I'm soooo glad to see your channel growing more and more!!!! 😊
Great video, lots of good information. I honestly thought quartz was solid stone. That said, your bathtub paint looks like it could've been a surface prep issue. If it was a steel tub, it really needed to be sandblasted/sanded down to metal, then primed and coated to get a good adhesion. If it was a plastic tub, then there really wasn't anything you could've done to make the paint stick better. Some products claim to have a good adhesion to plastic but I've never seen it work, especially not on a surface that gets walked on and high moisture and temp environment.
So glad I clicked on this. (Not sure why the algorithm brought me here.) This is such a concise and informative video on countertops. Thanks for the post.
I like the options of colors and the look of the quartz, but my absolute must-have for the kitchen is the ability to put a hot pan on it without damage. For that reason, I only go with granite. For my office where I have a computer, printer, monitor, etc I chose quartz.
I was so excited when the title said "Everthing you need to know" but I was a little disappointed when I watched until the end and still didn't know which color to pick...😉. Love your work/chanel.
If Radon was an issue surely Stonemasons wouldn't work with Granite. Designed kitchens for 40 years. Granite, Quartz and Corian all used on a regular basis. In my own kitchen we have Colonial White Granite and Lava Rock Corian. Took two years designing and adjusting the design to come up with a good working kitchen that not only looks good but is hard wearing and easy to clean.
(ex-)Fabricator of stone surfaces here- Their durability is a bit more complicated: Granite cracks much easier than quartz does. Different kinds of granite crack easier- I've found that the more branch-like the patterns, with stronger banding between colors, the easier it can crack between those bands. The granites that are more chunky and speckled seem to be generally better, other than the bainbrook brown/peach colors, which felt.. sandy? in their strength, and would kinda crumble with enough force. The least fragile granite I've worked with is Black Galaxy. Quartz scratches and stains much easier, but what it doesn't do, is it doesn't crack. Breaking up some slabs with a sledgehammer (to fill a container for recycled waste cuts) was always a pain for quartz. Half of the time, a sledgehammer would bounce off of the chunks of it. Since countertops settle over time, and are often installed over cheap, junk cabinetry, it's actually a decent plus to have a crack-resistant countertop
@@weeveferrelaine6973Good information Weeve. It's all relative as what is the next closest durable counter top especially with the ability to handle a hot pan?
@@fredflickinger643 If a hot pan is your focus, Granite is best, Marble second best (has some vapor issues from the pan, as well as the pan will scratch it), and I would not suggest putting a hot pan on quartz at all. Though it would be less-disastrous than laminate, I guess. As for non-stone countertops, I can't really say. I'm not familiar with all the alternatives to really rank them properly. Granite does handle hot pans really well though, as long as the granite isn't wet (which might cause the water in the stone to transition to steam, and cause spalling)
I always wondered what the difference was. Now I want to know about quartz vs quartzite, this is the first time I have heard of quartzite. Future video maybe? 🙂
I truly appreciate you comment about how both of these products are "good for a lifetime" (certainly a human one!). Then we Americans visit castles in Europe that have materials FAR older than most (no, ALL) counter tops in the USA (no, FAR older than the USA!) -- that are replaced frequently -- only to then comment how we "loved the homes in Europe". It's all marketing created demand. Thank you for bringing some sanity to things.
I’ve worked in the countertop industry for the last 30 years. I remember the quartz rep in 1999 saying it was the next big thing. I thought he was crazy, but he was right. 5 years later we cut 80 slabs in a year. This is a very good review. Extremely educational. I haven’t had a stain in quartz that I could get out. Bar keepers friend and acetone. Thank you for the excellent video.
Great vids. Concise, but highly informative. Very professional channel. I love that you take the time in your descriptions to have a detailed summary. Lots of links to references, products, and video blocking to jump forward or backward in vids quickly..
Whoa! You are amazing presenter! I love your presentation so much because it is succint, fact-driven and you come across as sincere, believable and very professional. You are truly and indeed, a breadth of fresh air. Thank you so much!
quartz has a better character like water resistance, stain scratch resistance, easy to clean and not need to be sealed, and its has brighter and stylish colors, for commercial and residential place, quartz is better choice, and the price can be better than granite if coming a good supplier
I have quartz countertops by Cambria. Excellent. NO staining. One smaĺ pice is on my coffee bar where coffee is made every day. After on year NO STAINING AT ALL.
I definitely was not my experience with courts. I went to Ikea because I heard that they had a great price on quartz countertops. Problem, they didn't have any samples that you could take home so they encouraged me to go to one of their suppliers. I went to the supplier to get a sample to take home and we struck up a conversation regarding some of the qualities of the courts. Quartz was way more expensive than the granite. And I actually like the natural variations in color because it is a natural product. Wind up getting the salt and pepper for the countertops and the black via latte for the island and I couldn't be happier with the results. Being able to take hot pan and place it directly on the countertop without having to find a trivet or some type of pad is gold. The maintenance isn't as bad as people make it out to be either. I just seal my countertops annually after I do a water test on them. You just drop a beat of water on it and leave it on there for a couple hours it would be the water stays that means that the sealant still works if not you need to apply a new ceiling. Most of the granite suppliers and installers have a sealant that will last for two to three years and then it's upcharge for a sealant that is 25 years. I didn't get the 25 year because I feel that I can take care of it myself but for some folks the 25-year can be a great benefit. Wallet is porous because it is a natural stone it is also disease resistant particularly when the proper sealant has been applied. For my money granite is far superior to courts in most every way that counts it is flame resistant it is stain resistant with the proper sealer and it is water resistant it's easy to clean it's been a dream to maintain and it shines like no other.
great show, lots of info. On the epoxy part, it depends on the type you use and the primer you put down. I use Stone coat ( no VOC ). Your right about not buying in the idea your stone is outdated. Most of that though is so they can sell the resurfacing products
I've had granite countertops in my houses for the last 20+ years. Never had any concern with radon gas. I once worked for a granite countertop installer. The truth is that the radon from granite countertops is usually so miniscule that it isn't worth mentioning. The other product manufacturers are the ones pushing the radon fear. I'll take my granite countertops, sealed with the standard 15 years sealer, over quartz manufactured countertops. I remember seeing one quartz slab, in the yard, that had been exposed to sunlight and rain too long. It FADED and WARPED like a sheet of OSB wood. Both man-made and both not the best solutions for a top surface solution. NEVER once saw a slab of natural granite warped. It would fade a little if left out for too many months, much like paint on anything outside, but would polish up with proper attention.
Used to be a Stone fabricator- Granite does warp, especially stored under strain, and in high-humidity situations. A lot of it warps a very small amount while shipping intercontinentally, but yeah- not as bad as quartz seems to, with UV exposure. Quartz is way more affected by UV, though the epoxy coating on granite, especially the cheaper coatings, can yellow/darken with exposure. Radon is a concern, but only for a few very specific kinds of granite, that are in the very upscale market, and come with disclaimers about radiation. I definitely would personally prefer granite over quartz, but one thing quartz does have going for it, is it's almost unbreakable. If anyone cares about the utility value of their countertop, I'd recommend Black Galaxy granite, it has a very hard, glassy feeling to it, and is not prone to breaking easily. I would recommend against marble countertops, they seem to have the worst of both worlds- scratch/stain easy, and break easy too.
@@danielbuckner2167 I was the CADA Designer so I never actually worked in the field. I suspect some stones would warp more than others just as different woods do. I seem to recall something being said about granite slabs will warp, but I didn’t notice it. We turned out the inventory quickly. Perhaps that is why. They definitely stored the Quartz under cover but not the Granite.
Lol I swear any time I get a bright home improvement idea; I also get a Belinda Carr video telling me why I shouldn't. Thanks for saving me time and energy.
Ty for the thorough information you provided. I love the granite I currently have except for the base color which matches more with wood color cabinetry, however, I wish there was a granite with white color that is not as busy. Let me know if you know of any that go with white cabinets and gray island that would go well with both. I just subscribed to your channel! Great job👍
I work in the countertop industry. Granite is the way to go, and we recommend it every time. Maybe someday quartz will be superior in every way, but that's not today. Granite has more complex colors and is more interesting to look at over time. If you are building new or replacing cheap non-stone countertops, sure, choose granite or quartz and it will be fine. But if you have granite already, keep it. It will stand the test of time.
Thank you well done. I am sorry for you experience with the epoxy. Epoxy is a good produce but really difficulty work with, It looked like the prep of the surface was not adequate and spray on is was good choice.
This was very informative. I'd love to see an additional breakdown of sintered stone countertops like Neolith or Dekton, which seem like the best of both granite and quartz - but it's hard to see around the marketing to tell if it's really worthwhile.
Thank you for the in-depth look into the two options. Was very informative. Took these points and visited a store. On my trip to the Kitchen company, they proposed a material called "Composite". I wonder if you know and would maybe make a future video on that? :D
Our corporate overlords won’t allow for anything but planned obsolescence! A good example I have is, I remodeled my bathroom four years ago, bought the nicest, most expensive faucets I could get at the local big box, even got a matching set for the kitchen. Well, the finish on the bathroom sink drain is failing, the handle on the tub is failing, the shower head is leaking at the seam, and the sprayer nozzle in the kitchen stopped working. Mind you, the faucet in the basement bathroom (from the mid 50’s) is still shiny and still works flawlessly. What am I to do? There are no stores that seem to sell solid nickel coated brass fixtures anywhere. I’d pay several hundred dollars for a good faucet knowing I wouldn’t have to replace it for the rest of my life.
VERY well done Belinda ! THANK YOU for a most informative video and with great pics aiding that ample amazing info. It's always a pleasure to watch your video creations and the engineering knowledge you share so brilliantly . Kudos to you dear lady, your offerings SHINE BRIGHTLY as the numbers of subscribers clearly shows ! Until the next visit STAY WELL in these times of great change & GREAT NEW AWAKENINGS happening planet wide for all of us ! ------ from Canada J.
I hope this great awakening is a good thing. I' m getting kind of nervous with how fast everything is moving. I dont see things happening in our favor. Its definitely happening just due to the fact that "the most powerful man in the world" (which we were told and obviously not true) has dementia and no one is talking about impeachment or resignation
Also a note on planned obsolescence... I tell people the more trendy something is then the quicker it will go out of style. Find something that you like and makes you happy and show some individuality and it will be worth having for decades.
I think this is excellent advice- I definitely agree, haha. Though I feel like the people most likely to want trendy things are also the people who won't really listen to that advice.
I think Porcelain is the way to go, it can be ordered and custom cut at Kitchen home improvement shops as granite or quartz would be. To save big money I'm doing mine with Home Depot 24"x48" tiles..only $2.50 per sq. ft! So, I get a few grout lines here and there but they are few and far between. My whole countertop and matching backsplash project will be only about $600, and that's with the underlayment, Hardie backer, mortar and grout.
Thank you for this really great video. My wife and I watch a lot of home improvement shows and we never really thought about the difference between granite and quartz counters. I will not watch these shows with a slightly more educated point of view.
I was told by our local granite countertop manufacturer that the sealing process they use is a new technology and the sealing is now good for 10 years before it needs to be resealed.
Hello, Belinda! 🌷 Your Channel popped up, as I’m in the process of replacing my kitchen countertop. I watched this video, & hearing you talk about your workplace quartz staining, I am now uneasy about choosing quartz. Is it possible to seal it, & if so, what should I use? BTW, I am your newest Sub. 👊🏽
Thank you so much. This video helped me a lot.. Got my new home and planning to go for Modular kitchen and had no idea about quartz. Everybody is asking to use quartz on countertop, but I was not sure. From 30 years am seeing Granite been used in my home and till date it looks beautiful and new. No scratches, not a single mark on it. So finally I have decided to go for Granite..
Granite for me. First of all, natural stone is timeless. It might not be trendy but it always looks good. Sure, it needs to be sealed every 5 years (which takes all of an hour). My last house had granite which was installed 20 years before, it still looks beautiful! With quartz, I have also seen stains as well as yellowing near windows. I prefer a countertop made of natural stone instead of plastic mixed with stone dust. Just my preference!
Also note you can avoid the transport energy foot print sometimes too, example is Granite is quarried everywhere in my area and the place that processes it is 15 miles from me. (Quarries in Minnesota) Sometimes it pays to ask the source of the materials you are buying if that important to you.
How long before yellowing?
May I know what product you used for polishing and sealing?
@@rrbarti I use Miracle Sealants 511 Impregnator Penetrating Sealer.
@@c0rnd0g_19 : thank you
We are picking out our granite tomorrow; this information was AWESOME! Thank you so much for all the info. We had originally thought to use quartz, but after much discussion with our contractor and friends and family, we decided on granite. Such beautiful natural stone.
I wish you did videos on all building products. I appreciate your approach in explaining differences and the pro's and cons for each product. You just seem honest
Thank you! I try to stay unbaised.
Hey there. Read my comment above and tell me what you think?
Thanks for the video..excellent thoroughness. Our last home had 30mm dark granite benchtops in the kitchen. Over 10 years of heavy use saw no chips, no stains and no oil or liquid rings. Our new home has quartz light coloured bench tops. In 18 months we've chipped the edge 3 times, had dark stains numerous times despite regular use of polisher/sealer and because of this need to be careful leaving dark coloured berries and vegetables sitting directly on the bench top. To be fair, the stains have so far been able to be removed with several treatments of cleaners or alcohol. Quartz benchtops are a classic case of form over function imo.
I just had a new renno and installed quartz countertop, petro grigio, a dark gray with light grey lines. Not even a month later, when water is left, and I try to wipe it off, it stays like a oily mark. After about 2 months there are light grey rings where cups were left and where water was standing for longer unnoticed, like under the coffee maker and the orchid pot. These rings which are seemgly just water stains, cannot be removed at all. I tried the stone maker's white cream cleanser, and don't want to use anything more harsh. I asked the manufacturer for advice and to send a tech out to comment, no tech yet.
For years back in South Africa, most high end kitchens and businesses, had granite, some even granite floors and it had none of this water mark issues.
So my personal opinion is, granite is more durable and even less maintenance, than quartz. If I knew that, I would have paid the extra for granite or other natural stone.
I thought quartz was better because it is sealed and can't stain and is more environment friendly and costs less. Now to replace that quartz will cost me more.
Must say on my quartz if I spill curry during cooking, it comes off easily when wiped off, and does not stain.
I don't understand how the quartz is so easily stained with just water when it is supposedly a sealed product, and yet my designer and others rave about quartz.
Which brand of quartz do you have? I decided on quartz, but now not so sure😭😭😭😭😭
@@denisemartin3603 smartstone in Australia
Quartz shop worker here. Try Barkeeper's Friend on a dry microfibre rag, and then finish it up with acetone. I have yet to see a stain not come out, and that includes blood stains from when I injured my hand a few months ago.
Having never before been in the position to even think about buying a countertop, I never knew that granite had to be sealed. Now that we are in a position to buy a countertop, we went with quartz.
This was a very informative video, as are all of your videos. Thank you for all you do, Belinda.
Thank you!
Heads up, quartz has to be sealed as well. I work in a stone shop, and all of our stuff is sealed, even the cheaper white stuff. Try to avoid gritty cleaning stuff like magic eraser. Stick with Barkeeper's friend and a dry cloth. I have yet to see it fail.
@@QtheLaserDude from everything I've read, quartz is non-porous so it doesn't need to be sealed.
@@awlthatwoodcrafts8911 Genuine quartz is non-porous yes, but 99% of the stuff on the market isn't actually quartz. It's an epoxy pour made with quartz dust and other ingredients, poured into a HUGE slab (standard is around 126×63 inches iirc). These slabs are sealed to keep dust and other particles from getting into the pour while it cures. The slabs are then thrown on a huge CNC saw to be cut and shaped to the customer's needs. Hope this helps :)
We recently did a kitchen remodel and swapped countertops, a bigger island, moved the stove to an exterior wall (so it could be vented), custom cabinets, everything. It cost more than my first house (however, I am old). The result was nothing short of spectacular. However, we struggled with the quartz vs. granite question more than any other decision. To be honest, I felt all along we would choose granite (we have always had granite - again we are old) but later wish we had quartz. Indeed, this is what happened. We love our new kitchen, but quartz countertops would have been a better choice. Alas, what's done is done. I have spilled wine, tomato sauce, paint, stain, etc. on my countertops and never had a stain. Love, love, love, your videos.
Why did you wish you had done Quartz?
@@dulcirao I think it is more attractive, but it is not "bullet proof" - so I am told. I am told it can be scorched by hot pan and stained. I like the look, but I am still a little scared of durability.
Quartz is Form over function. The attractiveness and novelty of a new kitchen fades after a few months and after that you'll just want to cook food and move on with your day. Having stains from the simple spills or hot pans is just an extra hassle. So you've made the right choice :)
@@manan-543 Really well said.
I have had my quartz countertops for 20 years and still love them and they are still beautiful!!! Loved your informative video!!! thank you!
What color do you have?
What was the manufacturer?
How has it not stained yet?
We chose quartz countertop primarily for its clean aesthetic for our kitchen remodel and now we think we should have chosen granite. Quartz is not totally non porous as being claimed by the industry. In fact it does get stained very easily and has a more matte finish. Granite seems to be more glossy and since its so busy, staining wouldn't be a problem with quartz. Anyways what is done is done :)
Thank you for the great info! Appreciate so much that you ask to avoid planned obsolescence. I’ve seen so many videos where people just want to get rid of the countertops because they’re “outdated” and knowing how much energy goes into producing the countertops that are supposed to last a lifetime, that is truly a waste. We bought a house during the pandemic that was built in the 80s’ and had the brown/black granite countertops in the kitchen and bathrooms. Initially we didn’t like them as they looked “outdated” just like all the design influencers were saying. But overtime the granite really grew on me. I don’t worry about laying hot pans on it. It’s are always cool to the touch and easy to clean. I even think it looks nice together with our MCM style furniture. The all-white trend is starting to go away now. Who knows what the next trend will be. I’m happy with the timeless, all-natural granite countertops. Ps we built a minibar in the basement, and went with a light color quartz top because of the cost and that it works better with a basement of limited lighting. Conclusion: we love both, and it is ok to have different styles in different spaces of the same house.
This is the first video of yours I've seen & i appreciated your factual, non biased information. This was very refreshing & I thank you for that. I am getting ready to get a new kithen & the timing couldn't have been better. I really couldn't get an honest answer to the difference between the two as the only people I could ask were sales reps for each product. Again, Thank You!!!! Can't wait to watch more of your videos. 🙂
ANY excuse to use an LOTR clip :)
AirThings sensor: amzn.to/3IsdTjP
Here's my video on Tub & Tile Refinishing: ua-cam.com/video/mCtWhPcd62g/v-deo.html
And on Planned Obsolescence: ua-cam.com/video/yKf2UppIMbs/v-deo.html
As a geologist, I would always pick real stone over manufactured product even if it means a little maintenance. Building a new home. My kitchen supplier has been pushing me to use trendy quartz. It seems most “granite” suppliers now also recommend “quartz”. If you are going to go for quartz, go for quartzite, a silica rock that has been metamorphosed and recrystallised by high temperatures and pressures.
Couldn’t agree more.
Why though? Talking about quartz at least, I would rather have a continuous non-porous crystal structure than a naturally formed crystal personally. It seems like having a molecularly flat countertop would have a lot of advantages in terms of keeping things clean and smooth. More pure crystals, with less breaks in the structure, are stronger overall, no? And growing crystals for ourselves is more environmentally sustainable than digging them out of the ground in theory. I guess we don't really use solid slabs of crystal much yet, but once we do I would absolutely jump on them as fast as possible. Aluminum oxide would also be a really cool countertop, and it could be doped with different elements to change the color too
I love my new quartz countertops! They look very natural, light and durable!
Quartz and Quartzite two totally different things.
Hey there. Read my comment above and tell me what you think?
Granite, which I installed in several homes as a Contractor can be truly beautiful. In addition it is a natural stone which gives a home a very natural feel. If you love having some nature in your home Granite is the choice.
Do me a favor and read my comment above regarding this video and then tell me what you think about epoxy. Epoxy doesn't bring anything into your home except beauty, functionality, and affordability. K-Otic Creations
Yup!!!
It’s granite all the way for me !!!
Great message on avoiding planned obsolescence. Your videos are a breath of fresh air.
My parent had their heavy cast iron bathtubs painted professionally. Smelly and toxic, agreed. But that method has lasted years. Perhaps only the DIY kits are low quality.
Absolutely.
And I wouldn't necessarily say that the DIY kits themselves are low quality, but rather the Preparation of the surface that is done poorly. That's the major key. Read my entry above that explains this a bit.
You can find pros that can do a great job, along with the ones who do worse than a blind rabid monkey.
@@jmackinjersey1 no, they really are inferior. It might be ok with good prep but the better coating would last way longer with the same prep.
they have better materians and know how to work with them. as long as you pay for a good one a professional will take the time required to prep everything. if a person is just doing it at home its more likely that a bit of soap scum gets missed and then if you layer a cheap kit on top of that then it bubbles and peels.
Prep prep prep. 90% of all successful renovation/restoration is in the prep. And most people think the sum total of prep is “clean it up first”
Heat, mechanical grind, acid etch, binder coat, 2 part mixing just to name a few
Thank you, this is very helpful. I decided to use granite because it's less expensive right now and because it's a natural material, which is appropriate for my house's style. I won't mind maintenance, as I love spending time in the kitchen.
Belinda you are awesome. Thank you for the honest reviews that are packed with interesting info. May you have a wonderful day.
I love the thoroughness of your presentations. Very impressed. I am an architect with decades of experience. Every time I watch one of your videos I learn something new. Very well done!!!
Hey there. Read my comment above and tell me what you think?
I prefer quartz. I really enjoy your videos. The way you explain things is both scientific but easy to understand. Thank you for another informative video!
Me too. Just had it installed on my new kitchen island.
How long have you had it?
My friend insisted I put in granite when I bought my house 18 years ago. I put in laminate, much to her disgust. It held up beautifully all these years. I have to replace it as my remodel needs more of the same style, and it is sadly discontinued. So I'm going with a Wilsonart laminate. They are coming up with some really interesting and beautiful styles, the price is right, and granite and quartz are now as common as can be. I'm so out of fashion, I'm in!!!!
Hey there. Read my comment above and tell me what you think?
Thank you, Belinda. It is very informative. I had opted quartz for my countertop a year back and I am very happy about it.
Do you have any issues with coffee or tumeric stains on the quartz countertop? Also, what's the color of your countertop?
I love how you explain the environmental impacts into your product reviews. I’d choose domestically produced quartz any day.
Thank you for another informative and practical video! We love the look of granite, but for the price, durability, and reduced maintenance - we prefer quartz. Our kitchen is heavily used, and not for show.
In AZ quartz is about 40% more in than granite in cost. It's ridiculous.
Many thanks. My wife has a history of lung cancer but survived. Knowing about Radon before we bought, we selected the quartz for our kitchen redo. Most of the people who did the work were not aware that they were cutting into and working with material that could have Radon in it.
This is a great video. My wife and I watch lots of the home reno shows. They always seem to go for trendy. As an analogy: In mens' suits there are the classic designs that will be wearable or many years, even decades. They can be updated with a change of shirt and/or tie. But, there are the trendy suit cuts that will be out of style in couple of years. I prefer the classic style that I can look for decades.
Great on the epoxy fake granite or quartz counter top treatments. A friend did that type of treatment on their kitchen floor. The found that it yellowed with age. Also, epoxy is not relatively hard surface so it scratched with normal foot traffic. Lastly, for a counter top it is not very heat resistant.
As a professional Real Estate investor and house remodler, I can definitely say that the "DIY" Kit that is sold to either roll or spray on are pure junk. I have gone into a few houses where an owner used them and as you said, they tend to turn yellow, if you are lucky. Many of them peel off.
Why is that you may ask? Because of the preparation, or lack of preparation that happens when a DIY person is using them. You absolutely positively Need to make sure that the surface is clean, and has been thoroughly etched and then rinsed clean again before you even start to apply the coatings.
Now, since I put name and reputation on every house I sell, if I am not replacing the tub and surround, and I am going to have it painted, I spend the money and have a professional come in and coat it. It only costs about $1,000 per tub/surround in this location, but I've seen it less in other areas.
But, and this is a major concern, if the former owner has already tried to do this, and the walls and tub are still in good condition, the spray guy will charge you about $500 more, just because he is going to have to work even harder to remove the bad coating. But even then, it is still a LOT Less expensive than replacing the tiles and tuning or shower.
Oh, and the Professional spray doesn't stink or make your house smell as bad as the DIY kits.
I'll post a video of the one I'm having done is finished.
Good answer. I was about to post that when well done epoxy paint will not peal or yellow. It's incredibly durable, but requires a lot of prep work. Now on the toxicity I can only say that you are not supposed to snort it. It's nasty stuff, but once it's cured it doesn't stink or release any dangerous chemicals. It's actually a pretty fantastic material, just not one you want to do a half assed job of applying.
@@blahorgaslisk7763,They all stink wjen being applied. But typically the Pro-grade doesn't stink as bad/strong, and not as long to dry as the store bought, DIY kits do.
i think it's awesome how committed you are to this channel - I can't tell if this is before or after your wedding but the fact that you filmed it still in your wedding dress just demonstrates your dedication to bringing knowledge to the disempowered.
(jk though seriously love your channel and content)
Thanks to you I’m just now learning about the term “planned obsolescence”. My husband and I were talking about how the older refrigerators last forever but the newer ones have to be replaced almost every 5-10 years if you’re lucky. BTW, we just closed in a house recently and one of my top priorities was that it had to have granite counters. I have never really liked the quartz and especially the fact that it can’t handle too much heat. Where are all of my Sunday dinners and Thanksgiving feasts supposed to sit. There’s only so many pot holders in my house.
Hey there. Read my comment above and tell me what you think?
We had a Caledonia gray granite counter in our kitchen for 18 years and sold the home and moved to a new house. We'll get granite again, albeit a lighter color this time. We loved our granite counters and never had any issues and "sealing" took 5-10min about once a year. We never had any stains and we used our kitchen every day and we cook alot.
Just started working at Majestic Kitchen and Bath as a Director of Supply Chain and these are really helping me understand the product lines and the markets involved. Would love to sit down and pick your brain sometime if you're ever on the East coast!
Do me a favor and check out my comment above regarding epoxy. It's probably one of the last ones. I have an epoxy company here in St Pete Florida and I can guarantee you a product far superior than any stone you're going to find at a fraction of the cost with 10 times the beauty. I was watching this video to learn about the various Stones which are in fact my competition. That means I was trying to inform myself about products that are not my own so I can be better prepared to cross sell customers to me. And that's the easy part nearly all of the time unless people just want to have a stone just for status. She was right when she said there is a lot of energy that goes into obtaining all of this material. That's not true with epoxy. Epoxy is a modern building material that provides unsurpassed beauty and versatility if purchased from the right professional.
Man i cant stand the trend of painting EVERYTHING white! We moved to a house last year and ALL of the window and door trim are painted white, the interior doors are white, the wood panels on the walls of the basement are white. Feels like a trendy airbnb. Lol rant over, great video, always love the info and i appreciate you going into the pros and cons of different building materials
Agree , plus subway white tiles on every kitchen wall , white, because cheap primed MDF trim.
I don't know how to thank you for this video. We're in the process of constructing our house with the builders. I was obsessed with quartz until I saw this video (and other videos how quartz countertops are made). Will never opt for quartz.
Thanks for another informative video Belinda! And a special thanks for making this information easy to digest for the layperson (like myself!)
I agree! I love these!!
Fair warning with Quartz, different lighting can bring out pink undertones you didn't see in the showroom. I'd ask to bring home a piece to look at in your home before making a decision.
.
This is the case with any product with any colours. Lighting and seeing it next to other colours will always change how it looks
This is especially true with LED lighting. While LED lighting may appear white, it is actually made up of several spectral peaks so that certain colors or shades may disappear under LED lighting.
Great tip! This happened to my sister. She thought that she was having white quartz countertops installed….nope, they were light pink. 😝
We bought our house 10 years ago, I painted the oak cabinets white and faux finished the laminate countertops to look like granite and sealed them with resin, It was beautiful and no one could believe it was all done with paint… we finally did the long awaited renovation and put in hardwood floors and installed a new kitchen and it was all done by the Pros.. we chose bianco antico granite and it is absolutely beautiful. I couldn’t see spending top dollar for quartz knowing that I could have made a counter that looked the same especially since it is really just stone dust and resin. I love that the granite is a true stone slab from Mother Earth..
Imagine the insane amount of craftsmanship and effort that was require to work with granite before the advent of power tools.
The improvement store tried to talk me on to quartz, I guess because it was more expensive, but we opted for a beautiful granite that we picked out ourselves from a supplier. It has gold colored flecs in it and is lighter than most granite. I sealed it myself. It's beautiful and we love it.
Thanks for your many comparisons and analyses.
A side note: Don't cut on your granite or quartz countertops period. Aside from damaging the surface, your damaging your knife. Like Belinda said, it's recommended to use a cutting board for chopping. :D
We used to make heat trivets from smaller pieces, and it just doesn't matter what you say to some customers. If its shaped like a cutting board…
It all comes down to whether you're motivated to build a living space that you aim to live in and use and represents YOUR esthetic values or you're building something that will still be "trendy" and marketable in the short term and reflects some random "designer's" guess at future selling points. I always went with the former viewpoint and enjoyed looking at and living in the houses I built. Most of the "trendy" designer concepts turn out to be expensive and "live around" ideas, not "live in and enjoy". Expecting to keep everything pristine and looking unused is not living "YOUR life, it's living in a showroom.
No matter how you look at it, 70's Avocado green,... still ugly today and decades from now.
Same with that orange color.
@@jmackinjersey1 You meant "Tangerine". LOL.
It's illogical to conflate *mass produced* with *individuality* and yet "educated" consumers do it every second of every day.
@@milesobrien2694 Yeah, Tangerine.
@@milesobrien2694 Trends come and go on a regular basis. I build/remodel for a neutral pallette. But you can rest assured that a majority of the houses I sell in the $300k to 450k range will pretty much stay the same for a long time. However, I've closed on many houses in the $500k and up and on the same day their decorator and contractor are also showing up, many times not just to paint, but to rip out a lot of the high end kitchen and bathrooms that I just installed.
I've gotten to a point where I either get the buyer involved when I'm around 75% done so they can pick out the finishes, install mid level products or simply don't go into that price range any more. What's even better is some times I'm able to go back in those houses and either buy back some of those items at a reduced price or get them out of the dumpster. Sometimes I even get the job(if they have a decent attitude and I'm not too busy already.)
It's funny how those with old money act.
@@jmackinjersey1 I changed an avocado green toilet for an elderly customer a few years ago. Got home from work and it was still in the back of the truck. My wife asked what that was for, i told her it was for our basement bathroom. If looks could kill.
Most of you are saying is correct except cost of quartz. As a fabricator, quartz is so difficult with color matching in the same lot, scratching, chipping, staining and discoloring with heat. Granite and quartzite Is the way to go. And I agree don’t paint your tops. And most of quartz is made over seas, barely any brands manufacture quartz in the US. But great video!!
Love your messages. Mostly love your applied knowledge to everyday life. You have the knack of transferring your scientific knowledge to common living, and your explanations are clear and thorough. Keep up the good work! And thanks!
Countertop professional with 30 years of experience here. I got suspicious when you talked about granite being energy inefficient. One of the reasons that granite cost a quarter of what it used to is because they no longer ship blocks from Brazil to Italy to get processed.
You lost me when you started talking about radon. First of all the one incident where stone meant for the consumer market had signatures of radon was in a topaz mine, they're pulling out jewelry, not countertops. Also if we're talking purely statistically any engineered stone has the same probability of being radioactive that natural stone does.
Granite ranges from 6 to 8 on Moh's hardness scale.
One final point I would like to make is granite, by and large, is not porous. It disinfects better than any countertop surface except for stainless steel. If it does need to be sealed the sealer is good for 15 to 30 years so long as the countertops are inside.
If anyone has any further countertop questions I'd be more than happy to answer them to the best of my knowledge.
what are your thoughts about stainless steal counter tops? I do cook a lot and want something efficient for my small kitchen.
Hi William, do you prefer granite over quartz? Also, which edge design would you recommend? TY
@@cetriyasArtnComicsChannel there's a reason restaurants and institutions use stainless steel. It's easy to clean and easy to maintain. As long as you don't mind the scratches, can fit pre-made stainless tops into your layout, or can afford custom made, stainless steel is an amazing choice for kitchen countertops.
@@Ladybird33 I highly prefer granite over quartz for a multitude of reasons but I'll give you a quick rundown: less expensive, easier to repair, natural beauty, temperature resistance, no third party hassles.
Speaking to that last point, as a fabricator, if I install Cambria countertops and you have an issue 6 months down the road there is now a three-way battle between you, me, and Cambria on whether or not this is warranty work and if so who is footing the bill.
I do not hesitate to give my customers a lifetime guarantee on their granite countertops.
@@Ladybird33 The double pencil rolled edge (a quarter inch roundover on the top and bottom of the stone) is ergonomical, durable, affordable, and fashionally flexible.
Being a stone guy I would be lying if I didn't tell you my personal favorite edge was a chiseled edge. If you're choosing a chiseled edge make sure your fabricator knows how to do it right. There's a fine line between looking rugged and being rough so that it's unfunctional.
Thank you for this information about Granite & Quartz especially commenting about what I've been hearing a lot of these days of that, "Oh..., it's dated.", or the "obsolescence"..., of things really outstandingly fine & still wonderfully in vogue.
Great video. I've long wondered about which of these fancy countertop materials were manmade and what was the process of quarrying, cutting and finishing the natural ones.
It would be great to have a video on other countertop options too as these two here probably top the price ladder.
Working on more countertop videos!
Concrete, stainless steel, and butcher block are some alternative countertop options. I wouldn't know about the cost of those though.
@@eklectiktoni cheaper than copper - corian is another option
I like the message of this video, say no to fads and planned obsolescence. Why you would ever paint over a beautiful stone countertop is beyond me.
My basement apartment doesn't have anything quite as luxurious as quartz or granite countertops, but the kitchen supply store across the street was throwing out old 1ft quartz sample tiles, so I guess now I have some really nice serving platters 😸
Without your videos, I'd be lost. Thank you for all your research and efforts. A true educational experience.
I love how you put A2Z info about the topic, and that part where you dive deep into how a certain material is obtained or manufactured, with clips, is amazing..
Subscribed 😊
Been in this trade for quite a while, those coffee stains you described can be stubborn to remove with regular soap and water. Soft scrub is the best thing to use on stubborn marks in quartz it takes them right out.
So with your experience..quartz or granite ?
Well presented. Hard to believe anyone would paint a granite top.
I agree, I don't why people destroy perfectly good decor with an update and in 30yr they want to make the home look original again
100% agree, rejecting planned obsolescence is the most environmentally choice! This goes for houses, furniture, cars, electronics, etc.
What I like the best are your videos... I can always come back here for accurate information. I'm soooo glad to see your channel growing more and more!!!! 😊
Great video, lots of good information. I honestly thought quartz was solid stone. That said, your bathtub paint looks like it could've been a surface prep issue. If it was a steel tub, it really needed to be sandblasted/sanded down to metal, then primed and coated to get a good adhesion. If it was a plastic tub, then there really wasn't anything you could've done to make the paint stick better. Some products claim to have a good adhesion to plastic but I've never seen it work, especially not on a surface that gets walked on and high moisture and temp environment.
Hey there. Read my comment above and tell me what you think?
So glad I clicked on this. (Not sure why the algorithm brought me here.) This is such a concise and informative video on countertops. Thanks for the post.
I like the options of colors and the look of the quartz, but my absolute must-have for the kitchen is the ability to put a hot pan on it without damage. For that reason, I only go with granite. For my office where I have a computer, printer, monitor, etc I chose quartz.
Hey there. Read my comment above and tell me what you think?
I like the quartz colors better too...now im just confused😭😭😭😭
Wood and composite organic bench tops are also an option. A wood top panel can be as little as $70 new. 2200mm by 600 mm
My next kitchen is going to be made with modified tool boxes and butcher block top. Wet area a salvaged vintage sink
The best technical video on this subject that I have seen. Thank you!
Thanks, Claudia!
most informative video about granite vs quartz I've found so far!!! thanks for putting so much effort in these videos!!👏
Thank you, Victoria!
I was so excited when the title said "Everthing you need to know" but I was a little disappointed when I watched until the end and still didn't know which color to pick...😉.
Love your work/chanel.
If Radon was an issue surely Stonemasons wouldn't work with Granite. Designed kitchens for 40 years. Granite, Quartz and Corian all used on a regular basis. In my own kitchen we have Colonial White Granite and Lava Rock Corian. Took two years designing and adjusting the design to come up with a good working kitchen that not only looks good but is hard wearing and easy to clean.
You are so pleasing to listen too. Very interesting. I hope kids, teens watch your videos; you're a natural educator! Thank you Miss.
Thank you!
Cheers for durable and lifelong materials! Trends are always fleeting and circle back around;)
(ex-)Fabricator of stone surfaces here- Their durability is a bit more complicated:
Granite cracks much easier than quartz does. Different kinds of granite crack easier- I've found that the more branch-like the patterns, with stronger banding between colors, the easier it can crack between those bands. The granites that are more chunky and speckled seem to be generally better, other than the bainbrook brown/peach colors, which felt.. sandy? in their strength, and would kinda crumble with enough force. The least fragile granite I've worked with is Black Galaxy.
Quartz scratches and stains much easier, but what it doesn't do, is it doesn't crack. Breaking up some slabs with a sledgehammer (to fill a container for recycled waste cuts) was always a pain for quartz. Half of the time, a sledgehammer would bounce off of the chunks of it. Since countertops settle over time, and are often installed over cheap, junk cabinetry, it's actually a decent plus to have a crack-resistant countertop
@@weeveferrelaine6973Good information Weeve. It's all relative as what is the next closest durable counter top especially with the ability to handle a hot pan?
@@fredflickinger643 If a hot pan is your focus, Granite is best, Marble second best (has some vapor issues from the pan, as well as the pan will scratch it), and I would not suggest putting a hot pan on quartz at all. Though it would be less-disastrous than laminate, I guess.
As for non-stone countertops, I can't really say. I'm not familiar with all the alternatives to really rank them properly. Granite does handle hot pans really well though, as long as the granite isn't wet (which might cause the water in the stone to transition to steam, and cause spalling)
Nice information with in-depth study...! Saved me from a lot of headaches. Thanks.
I always wondered what the difference was. Now I want to know about quartz vs quartzite, this is the first time I have heard of quartzite. Future video maybe? 🙂
I truly appreciate you comment about how both of these products are "good for a lifetime" (certainly a human one!). Then we Americans visit castles in Europe that have materials FAR older than most (no, ALL) counter tops in the USA (no, FAR older than the USA!) -- that are replaced frequently -- only to then comment how we "loved the homes in Europe". It's all marketing created demand. Thank you for bringing some sanity to things.
I’ve worked in the countertop industry for the last 30 years. I remember the quartz rep in 1999 saying it was the next big thing. I thought he was crazy, but he was right. 5 years later we cut 80 slabs in a year. This is a very good review. Extremely educational. I haven’t had a stain in quartz that I could get out. Bar keepers friend and acetone. Thank you for the excellent video.
Did you mean a stain that you COULDN'T get out?
Great vids. Concise, but highly informative. Very professional channel. I love that you take the time in your descriptions to have a detailed summary. Lots of links to references, products, and video blocking to jump forward or backward in vids quickly..
I just came across your channel for ICF blocks. You're so informative and professional. Thank you!
Whoa! You are amazing presenter! I love your presentation so much because it is succint, fact-driven and you come across as sincere, believable and very professional. You are truly and indeed, a breadth of fresh air. Thank you so much!
quartz has a better character like water resistance, stain scratch resistance, easy to clean and not need to be sealed, and its has brighter and stylish colors, for commercial and residential place, quartz is better choice, and the price can be better than granite if coming a good supplier
I clicked on this video due to your beauty. Very informative video. I have many granite workstops but I didnt know about them
I have quartz countertops by Cambria. Excellent. NO staining. One smaĺ pice is on my coffee bar where coffee is made every day. After on year NO STAINING AT ALL.
I definitely was not my experience with courts. I went to Ikea because I heard that they had a great price on quartz countertops. Problem, they didn't have any samples that you could take home so they encouraged me to go to one of their suppliers. I went to the supplier to get a sample to take home and we struck up a conversation regarding some of the qualities of the courts. Quartz was way more expensive than the granite. And I actually like the natural variations in color because it is a natural product. Wind up getting the salt and pepper for the countertops and the black via latte for the island and I couldn't be happier with the results. Being able to take hot pan and place it directly on the countertop without having to find a trivet or some type of pad is gold. The maintenance isn't as bad as people make it out to be either. I just seal my countertops annually after I do a water test on them. You just drop a beat of water on it and leave it on there for a couple hours it would be the water stays that means that the sealant still works if not you need to apply a new ceiling. Most of the granite suppliers and installers have a sealant that will last for two to three years and then it's upcharge for a sealant that is 25 years. I didn't get the 25 year because I feel that I can take care of it myself but for some folks the 25-year can be a great benefit. Wallet is porous because it is a natural stone it is also disease resistant particularly when the proper sealant has been applied. For my money granite is far superior to courts in most every way that counts it is flame resistant it is stain resistant with the proper sealer and it is water resistant it's easy to clean it's been a dream to maintain and it shines like no other.
I love your practical insights on building materials!!! Thank you!...and I totally agree say no to all forms of planned obsolescence!
Thank you!
I had granite, never again. Stains, mold , mildew and general upkeep. Quartz is more expensive but I love that it’s the opposite of granite
great show, lots of info. On the epoxy part, it depends on the type you use and the primer you put down. I use Stone coat ( no VOC ). Your right about not buying in the idea your stone is outdated. Most of that though is so they can sell the resurfacing products
I've had granite countertops in my houses for the last 20+ years. Never had any concern with radon gas. I once worked for a granite countertop installer. The truth is that the radon from granite countertops is usually so miniscule that it isn't worth mentioning. The other product manufacturers are the ones pushing the radon fear.
I'll take my granite countertops, sealed with the standard 15 years sealer, over quartz manufactured countertops. I remember seeing one quartz slab, in the yard, that had been exposed to sunlight and rain too long. It FADED and WARPED like a sheet of OSB wood. Both man-made and both not the best solutions for a top surface solution. NEVER once saw a slab of natural granite warped. It would fade a little if left out for too many months, much like paint on anything outside, but would polish up with proper attention.
Used to be a Stone fabricator- Granite does warp, especially stored under strain, and in high-humidity situations. A lot of it warps a very small amount while shipping intercontinentally, but yeah- not as bad as quartz seems to, with UV exposure.
Quartz is way more affected by UV, though the epoxy coating on granite, especially the cheaper coatings, can yellow/darken with exposure.
Radon is a concern, but only for a few very specific kinds of granite, that are in the very upscale market, and come with disclaimers about radiation.
I definitely would personally prefer granite over quartz, but one thing quartz does have going for it, is it's almost unbreakable. If anyone cares about the utility value of their countertop, I'd recommend Black Galaxy granite, it has a very hard, glassy feeling to it, and is not prone to breaking easily. I would recommend against marble countertops, they seem to have the worst of both worlds- scratch/stain easy, and break easy too.
I have a large island slab amongst some construction material leftovers and it is about 9 ft 3 in by about 40 in. It is warped like a damn banana!
@@danielbuckner2167 Granite or Quartz?
@@partsdave8943 granite.
@@danielbuckner2167 I was the CADA Designer so I never actually worked in the field. I suspect some stones would warp more than others just as different woods do. I seem to recall something being said about granite slabs will warp, but I didn’t notice it. We turned out the inventory quickly. Perhaps that is why. They definitely stored the Quartz under cover but not the Granite.
Lol I swear any time I get a bright home improvement idea; I also get a Belinda Carr video telling me why I shouldn't. Thanks for saving me time and energy.
Lol!
Ty for the thorough information you provided. I love the granite I currently have except for the base color which matches more with wood color cabinetry, however, I wish there was a granite with white color that is not as busy. Let me know if you know of any that go with white cabinets and gray island that would go well with both.
I just subscribed to your channel! Great job👍
I work in the countertop industry. Granite is the way to go, and we recommend it every time. Maybe someday quartz will be superior in every way, but that's not today. Granite has more complex colors and is more interesting to look at over time. If you are building new or replacing cheap non-stone countertops, sure, choose granite or quartz and it will be fine. But if you have granite already, keep it. It will stand the test of time.
Thank you well done. I am sorry for you experience with the epoxy. Epoxy is a good produce but really difficulty work with, It looked like the prep of the surface was not adequate and spray on is was good choice.
This was very informative. I'd love to see an additional breakdown of sintered stone countertops like Neolith or Dekton, which seem like the best of both granite and quartz - but it's hard to see around the marketing to tell if it's really worthwhile.
Hey there. Read my comment above and tell me what you think?
Bravo for calling out these tic toc trends.....Stupid is as stupid does.
Brilliant analysis and presentation 👏
Awesome video and commentary 👌
Belinda brings learning to a new level.
Hi Belinda,
Stumbled upon your channel and subbed immediately. You're very concise and thorough. Great job and well done. Thanks for existing. 👍
Thank you for the in-depth look into the two options. Was very informative.
Took these points and visited a store. On my trip to the Kitchen company, they proposed a material called "Composite". I wonder if you know and would maybe make a future video on that? :D
I love your comparison videos! Such a great format. I could watch like 100 more of these on any topic :D
Thank you!
Our corporate overlords won’t allow for anything but planned obsolescence! A good example I have is, I remodeled my bathroom four years ago, bought the nicest, most expensive faucets I could get at the local big box, even got a matching set for the kitchen. Well, the finish on the bathroom sink drain is failing, the handle on the tub is failing, the shower head is leaking at the seam, and the sprayer nozzle in the kitchen stopped working. Mind you, the faucet in the basement bathroom (from the mid 50’s) is still shiny and still works flawlessly. What am I to do? There are no stores that seem to sell solid nickel coated brass fixtures anywhere. I’d pay several hundred dollars for a good faucet knowing I wouldn’t have to replace it for the rest of my life.
Exactly!
These videos haven't been showing up on my timeline. >_< Your talkshow style stuff does but I come for this content ;.;
VERY well done Belinda ! THANK YOU for a most informative video and with great pics aiding that ample amazing info. It's always a pleasure to watch your video creations and the engineering knowledge you share so brilliantly . Kudos to you dear lady, your offerings SHINE BRIGHTLY as the numbers of subscribers clearly shows ! Until the next visit STAY WELL in these times of great change & GREAT NEW AWAKENINGS happening planet wide for all of us ! ------ from Canada J.
I hope this great awakening is a good thing. I' m getting kind of nervous with how fast everything is moving. I dont see things happening in our favor. Its definitely happening just due to the fact that "the most powerful man in the world" (which we were told and obviously not true) has dementia and no one is talking about impeachment or resignation
Wow. Never knew so much. Your narration is just awesome 👌.
Do me a favor and read my comment above regarding this video and tell me what you think about epoxy then.
Also a note on planned obsolescence... I tell people the more trendy something is then the quicker it will go out of style. Find something that you like and makes you happy and show some individuality and it will be worth having for decades.
I think this is excellent advice- I definitely agree, haha. Though I feel like the people most likely to want trendy things are also the people who won't really listen to that advice.
@@weeveferrelaine6973 👍
I think Porcelain is the way to go, it can be ordered and custom cut at Kitchen home improvement shops as granite or quartz would be. To save big money I'm doing mine with Home Depot 24"x48" tiles..only $2.50 per sq. ft! So, I get a few grout lines here and there but they are few and far between. My whole countertop and matching backsplash project will be only about $600, and that's with the underlayment, Hardie backer, mortar and grout.
Thank you for this really great video. My wife and I watch a lot of home improvement shows and we never really thought about the difference between granite and quartz counters. I will not watch these shows with a slightly more educated point of view.
I like content such as this. Clarified quite a few points I was also trying to figure out between these two types
I was told by our local granite countertop manufacturer that the sealing process they use is a new technology and the sealing is now good for 10 years before it needs to be resealed.
THANKS BELINDA 🤗 FOR ENLIGHTENING US…So we never take quartz for granite 😊💚💚💚
Hello, Belinda! 🌷 Your Channel popped up, as I’m in the process of replacing my kitchen countertop. I watched this video, & hearing you talk about your workplace quartz staining, I am now uneasy about choosing quartz. Is it possible to seal it, & if so, what should I use? BTW, I am your newest Sub. 👊🏽