granite vs quartz countertops
facts: granite is a natural stone, and quarz is man-made. that being the main diference between the two, stipulates all the prons and cons. as with everything, the final choice is determined by your specific needs and wants. granite, being less expensive stone, is more affordable, and, being natural, every granite slab is unique, so not only will you pay less for your conutertop, but you can be sure that your countertop is unique. granite comes in bigger slabs, compared to quarts, hence, less seams on the countertop. and, finally, granite can be used inside as well as outside. however, granite does need to be resealed once in a while, since, due to its natural origin, granite has pores into which moisture can seap. proper granite maintenance requires resealing once a year and takes about 5 minutes.
quartz, being man-made, has virtually no variation from slab to slab and you can pick out the color and rest asured that your countertop will have the same design and color. also, quartz is twice as strong as granite, and does not have to be sealed... at all... never. with quartz you have more styling options, compared to granite. while natural stone does have unique designs, quartz comes in patterns mimics natural stone and patterns, providing much wider variety of designs, colors and patters. unfortunately, it is more expensive: quartz will cost you around 56% more than cheapest granite and, despite having all of the advantages of man-made stone, it does lack the natural beauty and feel of granite.
if your heart is set on stone countertop, there are many things to consider, and, if you are going with granite, the best idea would be to visit the stoneyard and pick out the slab that you like the most - that way you can be sure that you will get the countertop that you want.
if you are still considering, read our article on how to choose the countertop