The Professionals and Cons of Granite, Quartz, and Marble Counter tops

Whether or not you’re constructing a brand new house or renovating your kitchen, you’ll need to decide about your counter tops. For those who’d prefer to go together with a pure stone—versus laminate counter tops, for instance—you’ll be able to go for granite, quartz, or marble.

The following step is figuring out which stone is the most effective match to your finances and your family wants. Listed below are among the professionals and cons of granite, quartz, and marble counter tops to contemplate when making your resolution.

Granite counter tops

A well-liked alternative because the Nineties, granite is a mixture of interlocking mineral crystals that is available in quite a lot of colours with pure wave-like or speckled patterns.

Professionals:

• Very exhausting, dense, and extremely sturdy
• Can face up to cuts and doesn’t scratch simply
• Warmth resistant
• No two granite slabs look precisely alike
• Not as expensive as when it first grew to become mainstream

Cons:

• Stone is brittle and has the potential to chip or crack
• Porous, so if the stone is unsealed (or the seal has worn off over time), it may possibly stain
• Extraordinarily heavy: Not all counters and cupboards can assist it

Quartz counter tops

A substitute for granite, quartz is stone (90% quartzite) that has been processed and sealed right into a protecting epoxy resin (the remaining 10%). Although particular costs rely on the range, usually talking, quartz prices roughly the identical as granite.

Professionals:

• Tougher than granite and extremely sturdy
• Set-it-and-forget it: No have to reseal
• Nonporous, so it’s extra hygienic, water resistant, stain-resistant, and simpler to maintain clear

Cons:

• Not heat-resistant
• Doesn’t maintain up as properly outdoor as it may be broken by excessive solar publicity

Marble counter tops

Thought of essentially the most luxurious of the pure stones, marble is thought for its distinctive veining and basic look.

Professionals:

• Excessive-impact design that may elevate a complete room
• The softness of the stone makes it simpler to buff out scratches and stains
• Warmth resistant

Cons:

If it seems that pure stone isn’t the precise match for you in spite of everything, there are nonetheless loads of different countertop choices to contemplate, together with butcher block, concrete, and tile, amongst others.