Are you searching for the best countertops for your Morehead City kitchen or bath renovation? While granite is appealing, you might be thinking about quartz. Is it really stone? Is it just as hard as granite?
Learn all about this versatile surface to make a more informed decision for your home improvement project.
Quartz Starts Out as the Debris of Granite Quarries
Every slab of quartz begins next to a mountain in a granite or quartzite quarry. While cutting out massive blocks of stone, dust, and rubble accumulates near the pristine granite. This aggregate is rich in quartz crystals. It is collected and sent to a quartz manufacturing facility.
Resins, Presses, and Ovens Create Quartz Slabs
At the factory, the stone dust is mixed with resins to create a material that is a lot like clay. It is pressed into molds that match the popular slab size of approximately 56 inches by 120 inches. These molds are rolled into gigantic ovens where it is baked until it turns into the tough quartz used for your countertops.
Colors, Veins, and Inclusions are Added By Quartz Designers
There is a bit of artistry that goes into making quartz. Before the soft slabs head into the oven, flecks of stone, glass, and color are added to their surface. This lets the factory create slabs that mimic the look of marble or granite or just about any color and texture.
The machines used to apply the extra colors are capable of producing non-repeating patterns, which gives you the appearance of natural stone. While many slabs are created at the same time, no two will be exactly the same.
The Result: Quartz Countertops that Perform As Well As Granite
When put to the test, quartz is just as tough as natural stones like granite and marble. Only quartzite will surpass it in hardness tests. Its manmade structure offers a less porous surface. This helps it to resist stains as well as or better than granite.
Quartz can be made with the edge of your choice and is cut just like stone for a customized fit to your kitchen.
Custom Quartz or Granite Countertops: The Choice is Yours
Some homeowners want to install granite counters because they are a natural material, which makes it an eco-friendly choice. However, quartz incorporates the waste created by the granite quarries, which also earns it a green stamp.
Both materials look similar, are cut precisely to fit your kitchen, and will last 20 years or longer before they show any signs of wear. Finally, the cost between the two is comparable.
The only criteria you should be thinking about when deciding on quartz or granite is which slab will turn into countertops that you will love.
Compare Quartz and Granite Slabs at Onslow Stoneworks
If you would like to see both types of countertop materials side-by-side, head on over to the showroom of Onslow Stoneworks in Morehead City. Take the opportunity to savor, touch, and fall in love with the perfect stone for new kitchen counters worthy of your beautiful home.