For many of us, choosing a kitchen worktop comes down to just one thing — which one looks best? The two most popular materials we supply for kitchen worktops are granite and quartz. Granite is formed from molten magma and consists of granite, feldspar and mica. At County Stone we only use the very best granite slabs and our qualified Stonemasons ensure that the measurements and cut is just right.
In a quartz countertop, quartz is a component coupled with another material to produce the required look. At County Stone we provide three different types of quartz. Even scouring detergents and cleaning products that have strong chlorine content are not recommended for cleaning a granite worktop. Once you a buy a granite worktop, aftercare is important get the most out of your investment.
Quartz: The quartz worktop is easy to clean and keep looking new. By using a regular soap and some warm water or even a mild detergent, the worktop can look fresh and new. There is no need to buy a special soap for it. However, if required you can use a non-abrasive soap with a non-scratch scrub pad. Cleaning your worktop from time to time helps maintain its radiant gloss and sheen for a long -period of time.
If you choose to buy quartz, never make the mistake of cleaning it with anything that contains methylene chloride or trichloroethane — chemicals found in paint removers.
Also, using aggressive cleaners such as dishwashing polishing products should be avoided since they contain high alkaline levels. If the worktop gets exposed to any such product, cleaning it immediately with water should stop it from getting damaged. Granite: Radon is a gas that naturally occurs in earth. Completely natural stones like granite are known to emit minute amounts of radon.
Since granite worktops are fully made from natural rock, chances of them being exposed to radon are high. Quartz: Due to the non-porous nature of quartz, it effectively protects against pathogens. In a way, quartz worktops are naturally hygienic and hinder bacterial growth. Which means you can safely prepare your meals on it, without worrying about food safety.
Granite: When talking about price, granite comes in a wide range of prices. So it makes sense to choose better quality granite, even though it costs more. Stains will usually fade over time, but granite will need to be resealed every years to prevent staining.
Appearance: Because quartz is a man-made material, you can take more control over the colour and appearance of kitchen worktops. However quartz is more susceptible to discolouration in sunlight, meaning that if some parts of your worktop are more exposed to sunlight, it could potentially change the colour of the stone.
Seams may be visible, but concealment is possible if a darker colour stone is chosen. Strength: Quartz is an extremely durable material, resistant to scratching.
Style-wise, in areas of your house where you desire thinner workshops, because of its incredibly high strength, quartz may be preferable. This, in addition to seasonal variations in temperature can leave you with a weakened and less desirable granite to use for countertops.
You may be a bit confused in that there are granite countertops and quartz countertops. As discussed above, granite is a type of rock that is partially composed of quartz, a mineral.
Therefore, what exactly is a quartz countertop? This may remind you of a white sandy beach with a few brown and pink specs. The natural sorting of quartz on beaches is driven by mineral strength I'll get to that below and their differential weathering rates.
As weaker minerals weather and erode relatively quicker than quartz, you are left with quartz as a predominant mineral in well weathered sediment systems i. This creates a very durable artificial rock without pores or cracks. The pigment is used to provide coloration that is naturally found in quartz arenite.
Here, I'll directly compare both granite countertops and quartz countertops with physical, chemical, and geologic parameters. Where noted, I use quartz arenite instead of the composite quartz countertop due to lack of data on the quartz composites. Another important aspect when considering the two options is radon and unfortunately there is a variety of misleading or scare-mongering information online.
Radon is a radioactive gas that is naturally found in granite due to the decay of radium to radon. Granites can contain parts per billion of radium, providing for an extremely small amount of radioactive material to decay and produce radon. Based on significant research from granite's around the world, it is determined that there is a minimal and acceptable amount of radon in average granite building materials.
Although quartz countertops will have less to zero radon, it does not preclude granite as a "less safe" choice in kitchen countertops.
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