Worktops Face-Off: Granite Vs Quartz, Which is Better?

Choosing the best worktop or countertop is pretty challenging. There are a lot of materials in the market with varying designs, textures, and colours. It is no wonder most clients spend a good number of hours – if not days – deciding on the best worktop to opt for.

Each material comes with several benefits as well as disadvantages, therefore, it is crucial to weigh the pros and cons relative to the intended usage before making a choice.

While granite is touted as the ‘boss’ of them all because of its unique features, it is porous and a bit difficult to maintain compared to quartz. Thus, granite may not be your best bet if maintenance is a deal breaker.

However, granite offers lots of advantages over quartz, especially in terms of outdoor use, uniqueness, and longevity.

So, basically, every material is a winner. It, however, depends on the features you are looking out for.

That said, here is a quick comparison of both materials, taking into account their various advantages and disadvantages. I’m positive this will help to expedite the decision making process. Enjoy!

  1. Durability

Granite: Granite material is fairly resistant to heat, damages, and other environmental factors. If maintained properly, granite worktops and countertops could last up to a hundred years. Compared to quartz, it may take the second lead as it is porous, as such, more vulnerable to stains, spills, moisture, and damages.

Quartz: Quartz, on the other hand, is way stronger and more resistant to moisture, heat, spills, stains, and other damages. These features make it better adapted at withstanding damages, thus,  requiring less maintenance and lasting longer than granite.

  1. Appearance

Granite: When it comes to unique designs and styles, granite is, undoubtedly, your best bet. They come in a wide range of designs yet, no two granite contain the same pattern. This makes it the go-to choice for clients who want something out of the crowd.

Quartz: As an engineered stone, quartz tends to offer a wider range of options to homeowners compared to granite. Although the patterns are not unique as seen in granite, they are specially engineered in different styles and contemporary designs to meet the taste of the average homeowner out there.

  1. Maintenance

Granite: Granite worktop requires more care compared to quartz. You will have to clean it regularly to avoid build up and stains. Also, it requires sealing from time to time – say once or twice every year – depending on the how often you use your worktop and what you use it for.

Quartz: True, you get to clean quartz worktops regularly, however, it does not require as much maintenance as granite does. For starters, you do not have to reseal every year.  For ease of maintenance, I’m positive quartz is the smart choice here.

 

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Porcelain vs Natural Stones

As a rather new kid on the block, only a handful of people know about this new wave of worktops. If I asked “which is your favourite worktop material?” Your answer would likely be either granite, marble or quartz. Well you are not alone. 9/10 people would answer the same.

There is now an alternative which is becoming increasingly popular, porcelain worktops. Porcelain worktops come with a host of benefits, including but not limited to; durability, heat resistant, eco friendly and lightweight.

Porcelain is typically made from a type of clay called China clay. This clay is known to contain a huge amount of kaolinite, silica, feldspar and other mineral mixtures which accounts for its unmatched strength and longevity. When fired up, this clay forms an extremely dense material that is almost impossible to crack, scratch, chip or destroy.

Benefits of porcelain worktops:

  1. Durability – Although granite prides itself as the strongest stone around, porcelain has proven to be way stronger due to the mineral mixture it is made of. Thus, porcelain worktops are sure to last just as long as granite worktops.
  2. Low maintenance – No sealing necessary and highly water resistant. Cleaning and maintenance is very easy in comparison to stone. You can restore the glamorous look of your worktop with just a damp cloth. No special cleanser, no sealing and not much attention needed at all.
  3. Damage Resistant – Porcelain is touted to be highly resistant to damages – and for good reason. This new wave of worktops tends to be resistant to heat, scratch, spills, stains and UV light. They are made tough enough to handle prolonged exposure to heat, UV light and spills.
  4. Eco-friendly – Made from natural materials but is also renewable. Since it is made from clay, porcelain can be recycled and used as raw materials to manufacture other products.
  5. Lightweight – Unlike natural stones that are typically heavy, porcelain is fairly lightweight, as such, can be transferred easily without breaking a sweat. The new 4mm thick porcelain even offers more advantages, Natural stones just can’t beat it.
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A guide to matching your kitchen worktop to the rest of your kitchen…

Mint Green Splashback

As the most functional part of the home – the heart of the home if you will, the colour scheme of your kitchen is crucial to defining your taste and aesthetics. This is why most homeowners spend time and money to choose the perfect colour scheme for their kitchens.

There are just too many options to choose from and too many factors to consider – the worktop, floor, wall or backsplash, kitchen appliances, etc.

One wrong move with matching your kitchen colour scheme could ruin your entire interior décor.

As the most challenging room to decorate in the home, we took the time to create a foolproof guide on matching your worktop colour with other colours in the kitchen. For inspiration, visit our Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/granitesworktops/

  1. Remember to Keep it Simple

First things first, always remember to keep your kitchen design simple. The kitchen is typically the most functional part of the home. It is where you spend the most of your day. Therefore, it is crucial to keep your colour scheme simple as it will require a total revamp or a little makeover from time to time.

Kitchen trends come up every year. Homeowners are always on the lookout for these trends as it is a good way to enliven the kitchen. A room that is used daily and subject to change should be maintained with a simple aesthetic taste that can be easily upgraded or remodeled.

Most homeowners will readily go for the traditional all-white kitchen or white and black. However, kitchen trends for 2019 suggest you bring more hues to your kitchen. Hence, we would advise you carefully select a colour scheme that is both simple and unique to match your aesthetic style and taste while being simple enough to easily change or upgrade in the near future.

Experts advise you choose two dominant colours and one accent colour to complement the bold colours.

  1. Decide Your Worktop First

One common mistake most homeowners make is matching their worktop to cabinets, floors, and walls instead of matching cabinets, floors, and walls to the worktop. Okay, here is what we mean.

Worktops should be the determinant factor of your colour scheme. These luxurious stones come in different colours, textures, and designs. It is pretty difficult to find one that fits perfectly into your already existing colour scheme. But it is so much easier to adjust or create your colour scheme to match the design and colour of your worktop. Therefore, be sure to choose the colour of your worktop first before making your kitchen colour scheme.

  1. Make a Colour Scheme

The next step after choosing your worktop is to make a colour scheme that blends well with the design and colour of your worktop. While creating your colour scheme, remember our first rule – keep it simple. Bold colours should be reserved for walls, kitchen accessories, and small appliances. To complement these colours, you could use an accent on bigger appliances and other parts of the kitchen. This will help give it a contemporary feel while keeping it simple enough to adjust in the near future.

 

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Expert Tips On Maintaining Your Work Surfaces

After Care: Expert tips on how to clean stone surfaces 

It is no doubt that stone worktops add a finishing touch to any space – whether an office space, kitchen, or wet room vanities. However, having these luxurious stones comes with some form of responsibility.

True, they are somewhat strong and likely to last for a long time – even without care. Nonetheless, the care and maintenance you give to your worktop have a role or two to play in its longevity. With proper care, your worktop is sure to maintain its texture and quality for as long as possible.

To help achieve this goal, we decided to compile a list of some expert tips on how best to care for your worktops.

  • Clean off spills as soon as possible. A little spill from foods or drinks could cause huge damage if left unattended to. Even sealed worktops are not immune to spills.  Be sure to wipe spills off immediately.
  • Worktops such as granite worktops require sealing from time to time. Be sure to reseal your worktop as and when due to prevent damage to the worktop. Depending on the rate of usage, you could seal just once or twice a year.
  • Avoid prolonged exposure to excessive heat. It is crucial to protect your worktop from excessive heat. Always place trivets or mats on top of the worktop before placing a hot pot, plate, or pan on it. Prolonged exposure to heat could cause the spot to crack, crystallize and eventually discolour.
  • Pay close attention to the type of chemical you use on your worktops. These luxurious stones are easily damaged by hard chemicals such as bleach. Make sure your worktop is not exposed to acid or any other chemical.
  • Worktops, irrespective of the type, require daily cleaning to maintain its shiny and radiant look. Therefore, it is crucial to clean your worktop regularly. Also, be mindful of the cleanser or detergent you use to clean your worktop. Some cleansers contain harmful chemical or worse – acid. Steer clear from cleansers such as your everyday bathroom cleansers, lemon juice, bleach, vinegar and other cleansers that contain harsh chemicals.
  • Make sure you employ soft, lint-free microfiber cloth when cleaning your worktop rather than abrasive materials that would leave scratches on the surface.
  • It is advisable to clean your worktop immediately after use. Quickly spray a suitable cleanser [water does the magic sometimes] on it and wipe gently with soft cloth.
  • Tough stains require more than water. You will need to employ the help of a suitable cleanser. To eliminate tough stains, it is advisable to spray your worktops with a  cleanser and leave to settle for a while. This is to ensure that the bonds in the stain are entirely broken to allow for an easy wash. Warm water also comes in handy in such cases.
  • Avoid activities such as chopping directly on the worktop or using hard substances to clean the surface as these activities could leave scratches on the surface.
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