Whats The Difference Between Granite And Quartz?

So you have decided on a countertop. It’s a big investment so you have done some research. Little did you know your research may have been skewed by marketing teams of Engineered Stone manufacturers. Day after day clients come into our countertops Victoria BC shop and say the same thing. “we want quartz as we don’t want the maintenance of natural stone, quartz is also much stronger”. This is textbook marketing babble pushed onto you by these companies. I will give you an unbiased view of the pros and cons of Natural stone and Quartz. Currently Quartz accounts for approximately 50% of our business so it is a good time to make this Blog Post.

Firstly lets talk about Granite

Cons

  1. Can sometimes be scratched
  2. Chips if not careful
  3. Stains if not sealed on some materials
  4. Harder to work with for a fabricator
  5. Fragile in more exotic variants
  6. Non “A” grade slabs are not desirable
  7. Needs to be resealed from time to time
  8. Cracks along sink bars etc if not careful

Pros

  1. Can withstand heats over 1500 Degrees Fahrenheit
  2. Scratches on the surface can be repaired(exclusively by Abstract Stone)
  3. Chips can be repaired easily
  4. Sealing only needs to be done every 1-5 years and only takes 20 mins
  5. Rodding ensures reinforced material never fails
  6. Never sun fades like Quartz
  7. Been around for hundreds of years
  8. Each slab is unique
  9. Bigger slabs
  10. Stains are easy to remove
  11. Resistant to many chemicals
  12. Applications from floors to walls to bathtubs. Very weather resistant

 

Quartz

Cons

  1. If hot pan is left on countertop is can melt the resin
  2. Warranty doesn’t actually cover any damages
  3.  Scratches easily and cannot be repaired
  4. Stains cannot be removed
  5. Cannot have 90 degree corners as it voids warranty and may crack
  6. Small slabs
  7. The more exotic looking the more resin which means scratching is easier
  8. Sun can fade the resin
  9. Chemicals will wreck the surface
  10. Can randomly crack
  11. Chinese quartz has been tested positive for carcinogens
  12. Cannot use outside

Pros

  1. Withstands heat up to 450 Degrees Fahrenheit
  2. Scratch Resistant
  3. Stain Resistant
  4. Never needs to be sealed
  5. Warrantied for 15 years usually
  6. Uniform pattern
  7. Can get them very white unlike granite
  8. Weighs less and easier to work with than granite
  9. Many different brands
  10. Very strong tensile strength

These are not all the pros and cons of Granite and Quartz however it is the most common ones. Quartz is a great product and we will never talk you out of choosing it. However you need to pick it for the right reasons. The major issue with quartz is how they market it. They can say whatever they want against natural stone because they are branded products. Natural stone come from a quarry and carries no branding. Therefore no marketing. If you read the fine print on quartz manufacturers warranties and claims you can be sure that they use tricky words that sound amazing but aren’t. Such as the word “resistant” . If you are aware of these downfalls of both products you are able to make a better informed decision and save yourself from being thoroughly disappointed after such a large investment.   Brendan Carson

Stain Removal From Your Stone Countertop

If your granite countertop has a stain you may be able to remove it yourself. It is a very easy process to do . A few things to think of before you start is to figure out what kind of stain it is. If it is an organic stain then it will be easily removed using this process. Organic stains are those that are not oil based. Coffee, wine, orange juice etc. If it is stained from oil it will not be removed using this process. Please be sure your countertop is granite! this may ruin the finish on marble, travertine etc. If you suspect your countertop was made with low quality granite then do a test area to be sure the process does not ruin polished surface. For more information on chinese granite and how to spot the low quality before it gets put in your kitchen then please check out our website for that info. Next thing to test is whether or not your countertop is sealed properly.  Take some water and sprinkle it on the surface in a few different spots. If it beads on top then its sealed. However if it slowly seeps into the stone and darkens it, that means it wasn’t sealed properly or needs a reseal. Do not seal your countertop before removing your stain. It will seal the stain right in and makes this process much harder. Please follow these steps and repeat if necessary.

 

Things you will need:

 

Baking Soda

Peroxide

Plastic Wrap

Masking Tape

Water

Towel

 

 

After you have cleaned your countertop you will need to mix up a poultice using the baking soda and peroxide. In a cup add making soda first and then peroxide in small amounts until you make a paste. The consistency should be that of icing used for making cakes etc. If it is too wet it will just make a mess, too dry and its useless. Next, Apply the poultice you have made onto the stained area. Apply it 1/4 ” thick and go past the affected area by 1″ or so. After applying cover in plastic wrap. Tape down the edges of the plastic wrap , but leave a 2 inch strip un taped and lift it off the surface so it can allow air to circulate a bit. Don’t touch it!, leave it for 24 hours and then check to see if it is dry. It must be hard to the touch and have no moisture to it. If not dry leave for another 24 hours. After it is completely dry it is time to remove the plastic wrap and wipe the poultice off.  Wipe the area clean with water afterwards and dry with a towel. Inspect the area and determine if the countertops stain has been removed. You may need to repeat this process a few times however the stain will lift.

 

Once your stone is stain free you must seal the countertops. There is lots of info and a list of products to use on our website.

Now you know how to remove stains from your countertop and how to bring them back to original look. Hope this helps

 

Brendan Carson

 

Abstract Stone Ltd.

Victoria Bc

V8z4b9

www.abstractstone.ca

778-433-067