Which Worktops To Choose – Quartz and Granite Edition

Quartz and Granite worktops

In the kitchen world there are lots of different worktops available, in previous articles we have explored Laminate worktops, the benefits and downfalls, and today we will look at Quartz worktops and Granite worktops.

Whenever speaking to a customer about quartz worktops and granite worktops the first thing we do is explain what the difference is.

In simple Terms in the kitchen world Granite is a natural product, it is dug out of the ground, cut and polished and you get what nature created, every piece will be different.

Quartz on the other hand is a manmade stone – the manufacturer mixes the crushed stone to the colour they want and mix a resin and press it into slabs.

Not only is the resin they use quite often stronger than the original stone, but it gives you consistency of colour throughout, so your worktops will be the same from one end to the other, this can be an upside or downside depending on your preference.

Granite – So from above we know that it is a “natural” product, every slab will be different and you may have variations in colour throughout.

As it is a natural product there may able be inconsistencies in the product or potential weak points, you may be unlucky enough to bang a pan in the wrong place 12 or 18 months from now and chip it, it is a bit of “the luck of the drawer”

Having said that, Granite can be stunning, its variation can be absolutely beautiful!

You will also find that granite will range a lot more in price than a quartz will, if it is a rare granite and very popular then the costs will be astronomical, if it is not so popular and there are quarry’s full of it the price can be quite reasonable.

In general the darker the colour the stronger the stone – so a white granite will be quite a soft material compared to a black granite.

Our final bit of advice on granite is – if you are having it, go and actually see the slab you are having and check the colour and any blemishes, reserve the one you want and you will get a stunning worktop.

Quartz worktops – As it is manmade you will get consistency throughout the whole product so one end of your kitchen will match perfectly to the other, you may love this or you may hate it!

It also tends to be a stronger product thanks to the resins they use and, in my view, can take quite a lot of wear and tear and in quite difficult to actually damage.

Some companies also make sinks out of quartz so you can have an under-mounted sink in the same colour as your worktops.

But just like everything in this world there are brand names, the BIG players, they spend the most on advertising, product development and brand awareness, but because of this their costs are the highest.

Whenever you are looking for a solid stone worktop, our best suggestion would be to go look around, choose a colour you like and ask if they have something similar that may be cheaper than the one you chosen! You never know – it could save a few £100 or even a few £1000