Choosing Your Countertops

One of the many decisions to make when remodeling a kitchen or bathroom in your home (or building your dream one) is to decide on the type of stone you want to use for your countertops. Granite is a very hard stone and 100 percent natural. It’s mined from quarries all around the world, cut down to a manageable size, and then polished to a fine finish.
Quartz is slightly different in that it is not 100 percent natural. Instead, countertops are manufactured using 95 percent ground natural quartz and 5 percent polymer resins.
Both are used in the homes we build and remodel and are often mixed throughout different rooms. Let’s see how they compare against each other.
Seen Above: Alaska White Leathered Granite by Riken Construction – Sanford, Florida Construction

Granite Countertops

Granite Pros

  • Each slab of granite is totally unique.
  • There are hundreds of shades/colors of granite slabs to choose from and they’re beautiful and impressive to look at. many people consider the imperfections to be what makes granite so distinctive.
  • Granite can be used outdoors. Because it a natural mineral granite is built to withstand the elements. It won’t weather or fade because of exposure to the sun.
  • When granite is correctly sealed by a professional, your granite countertops won’t soak up liquids and are stain-resistant.
  • Granite countertops will not melt or blister when exposed to heat. They are one of the most heat-resistant countertops on the market.
Seen Above: Azure Blue Granite by Riken Construction – Daytona Beach, FL Construction

Granite Cons

  • Granite, by nature, is absorbent. If your granite countertops aren’t properly sealed or left unsealed, it could end up absorbing oil, wine and juice which will create a stain that you won’t get rid of.  To ensure the longevity of your investment, consider having your countertops resealed once a year.
  • While these counters are very durable, a heavy object dropped on a corner might crack or chip the granite. This isn’t common, but it can happen under the right circumstances.

Quartz Countertops

Seen Above: Quartz Countertops by Riken Construction – Orlando, FL. Construction

Quartz Pros

  • Quartz (being human made) is manufactured in a variety of different patterns and colors.  This gives you alot more options for both monotone textures or colors that have more variation.
  • Quartz Countertops don’t require any maintenance. One of the biggest benefits that quartz has is it doesn’t need to be sealed and it’s stainless. Quartz countertops can handle oil, tomato, wine, coffee, juice and many other stainable products. Plus, quartz doesn’t hold viruses or bacteria so you know that your countertops will be clean when you wipe it down.
  • Quartz is actually harder than granite and thus, more durable. In fact, quartz is nearly indestructible, and because it isn’t porous like granite, it’s easy to keep your countertops relatively bacteria-free.
Seen Above: Quartz Countertops by Riken Construction – Lake Mary, FL Construction

Quartz Cons

  • Quartz is heat resistant; however, the resin and polymer fillers are not.Exposing quartz countertops to hot cookware could melt the resins and cause permanent discoloration and damage.
  • If you’re on a tight budget, you might want to consider other materials besides quartz. All the great aspects of quartz—durability, non-porous, ability to custom design—come with a cost.
  • The versatility of its appearance is a distinct advantage; however, if you’re looking for the truly unique look of natural stone, you might be better off with granite or marble.
Seen Above: Granite Countertops by Riken Construction – Deland, FL Construction Give us a call. Our team would love to walk you through every step of the process to choosing your countertops for your new home or home remodel. We look forward to working with you.