Granite vs. Quartz Countertops

There is no doubt about it, granite is a beautiful product for countertops. The material does however have some inherrent problems that can be avoided by using man-made quartz countertops that can be equally attractive. Granite is a natural stone product and like most stones, granite is porous. Those small pores can allow certain substances to stain granite if it is not properly sealed and cared for. In fact most sealant manufacturers recommended that granite be sealed at least once per year. Quartz never needs to be sealed since the natural quartz is encapsulated in a nonporous resin that will never stain. Granite can also be easily etched with acids such as citric acid found in citrus fruits and other household chemicals. Again, quartz does not have this problem; leave a lemon on quartz all night if you wish and the product will look the same in the morning. Both products are heat tolerant and both are premium countertop products. Most people cannot even tell the difference between granite and quartz. I suggest quartz in almost all circumstances except when either there is a very tight budget, since quartz is a little more expensive than low-level granite, or when an extremely exotic type of granite is desired.  Discover and share home improvement knowledge at www.HomebuiltHowTo.com.