Granite vs Quartz

Age old debate.  Granite is cheaper and supposedly has a 25 year stain warranty.  Quartz is more expensive but theoretically can't ever stain.

I'm looking at $1600 ish for Quartz and $1330 ish for Granite.

If that theoretically can't ever stain is realistic, then that seems like a small premium.

In reply to Curtis : we went for quartz mainly because we preferred  the look.  I will say I expected quartz to be a bit more inclined to crack if something heavy was dropped on it.  

I dropped both a hammer and a heavy light fixture from the height of about 14 feet without a single nick or crack.  ( I have a bridge  over a kitchen counter and was up working on the  beams when both dropped ) 

What about the man made stone products like the Cambria stuff?

In reply to RossD :

Quartz is man-made. 90% ground stone and 10% epoxy or some such resin.

Word from my buddy who works at a countertop manufacturing place is that Quartz is the more durable of the two options.

Pete

I had quartz installed in my Pittsburgh house, but the wife divorced me and bought out the house before I could really use it.  I make the joke that she wanted the countertops more than she wanted me.

Thanks for the tips y'all.  Sounds like Quartz is worth the coin

When faced with the same decision a few years ago, I went quartz for the lower maintenance requirements and the more predictable strength (granite is produced in a factory with very few controls over inclusions). Never regretted it.

IIRC granite is somewhat more resistant to cracking with a hot pan on it.

Quartz ftw. Stain resistance is worth it.

We just did quartz.  Never stains is what they say.  It was not cheap but nothing is and the premium over granite is not really that much. 

Plus SWMBO said that is what she wanted.

It doesn't need a backer board like granite.  I guess the epoxy gives it some bending tension capacity.

In reply to Curtis :

Will you really live there 25 years?

If so, will you really go 25 years without wanting to change or update the kitchen? 

frenchyd said:

In reply to Curtis : we went for quartz mainly because we preferred  the look.  I will say I expected quartz to be a bit more inclined to crack if something heavy was dropped on it.  

I dropped both a hammer and a heavy light fixture from the height of about 14 feet without a single nick or crack.  ( I have a bridge  over a kitchen counter and was up working on the  beams when both dropped ) 

 

Granite on a backer board is pretty tough.  When I had to haul away my old granite tops when the wife wanted quartz I was faced with having to move around these 300 lb slabs of the stuff and bring it to the dump.   I figured the best way was to break it up but the sledge hammer was not doing the job.   I ended up laying it across some 2 x 4's and driving my truck over the unsupported spans.  That did it.  A few passes on each slab got it down to 25 lb pieces.

jharry3 said:

Plus SWMBO said that is what she wanted.

That’s all that matters.  

It’s worth looking at the prefab slabs if you have a reasonably basic layout.  The cost is all in the cuts and finishing not the counter itself.  

In reply to jharry3 :

I bought a granite counter top that had been on display at my local big box store to use as a shop bench. 10’ x 2’ cost me $95. But they cracked it in half loading it and refunded my money and let me take it home.  I epoxied it back together and still use it as a work bench especially if I have to straighten out something. 

I wail away and it just takes everything I can give it.   

We have quartz in the kitchen and granite in the bathroom. Quartz is 6 years old, granite is 5 years old, both look like the day they were installed. The granite slab we have in the bathroom is probably prettier, since it's natural stone, but the quartz is more consistent-looking.

IMO, you can't go wrong with either one.

Granite is cheaper than Quartz up there? Wasn't when we put new counter tops in a couple years ago. We went Quartz for a few reasons. We liked the looks better, maintenance free and higher temp resistance than Granite. Plus supposed to re-seal Granite every few years. The higher temp resistance is what tipped the scales to Quartz for us. My wife cooks her Korean soup in a big pot (turkey fryer size) on the cooktop and she's small so she slides it off the cooktop to the countertop and the countertop doesn't scorch.

Dare I ask.....where does soapstone fit into this mix?

We have granite and like it a lot. I'm sure it depends on the rock, but I can't imagine what we could put on ours to stain it. Ours is over 10 years old. I prefer it because of the variations on the pattern. Quartz is a good product, but I don't care for the look.

Yup.  The cheaper granite is about $44/sf and quartz starts around $55/sf

I'm highly vexed for another related reason though.  My plan was to rip out a 24" cabinet and put and end panel in to install a dishwasher, but, since the cabinet is exactly 24" (as is the dishwasher), I would need 3/4" more for the end panel.  I just don't have room between the cabinet and the door, even if I take the door casing off and go right to the threshhold.  If the cabinet doors on the other side of the L weren't so thick I could probably do it, but there is just 1" I can't seem to find.

In this photo, the left side of the L is where I want the dishwasher and there isn't enough room.  There is room if I put the dishwasher in the corner beside the sink, but then I give up the counter space which is already very slim.  I thought about tweaking the dishwasher 1/4" crooked so the door would open angled away from the sink cabinet, but that would mean that both the end panel and the dishwasher door would be crooked and look hokey.

rustybugkiller said:

Dare I ask.....where does soapstone fit into this mix?

As I understand it, similar cost, but porous and a bit soft.  I haven't looked into the engineered soapstone though.  It might have a better durability.

RossD said:

What about the man made stone products like the Cambria stuff?

That;s what we have. Stuff is gorgeous, and amazing. Hot pans? No problem. koolaid? no biggie. doesn't stain, hard as rock, doesn't care about heat or cold. Love ours

EDIT: I don't have any photos on my phone without other things in the way. 

You might be able to get the portable dishwasher conversion kit for your dishwasher and install it without the top or casters and shim or foot it to support the countertop. 

I’ve spent the past 4 years heavily involved with quartz (engineered stone) fabrication. It’s good, but it can (rarely) stain. I’ve also seen cracks from thermal shock when a hot plate is placed on it. It’s also very resistant to scratching, but can scratch. 

 It’s actually pretty easy to work with. We used cnc’s, but even hand cutting and finishing isn’t hard if the geometry is simple.

I like that excellent idea but I'm going to try something else first.  I got some oak end trim panels which are basically 1/8" masonite with an oak veneer.  I'll flat frame them with some 1x3 planed down to 1/2" thickness.  Then I think I can install it on the end flush with the door frame and kick the front out about 1/8" to get what I need.  Then screw a 2x4 to the wall for support in the back.

I just don't want to have trouble if I have to replace or service the dishwasher.  If it is the only support I'll have to re-do all the custom fab work every time the dishwasher has to come out.