Expert Solutions by Experienced Professionals

At Stone Land, we design, manufacture, repair, and install high-quality countertops, vanity tops, backsplashes, fireplaces, and more. Our service is extended to home builders, kitchen and bath dealers, designers, contractors, commercial projects, direct sales to homeowners, and more.

Custom Services

We specialize in designing, fabricating, and installing custom countertops and suggest leading quartz suppliers with a wide variety of colors to choose from. We assist you from start to finish, from choosing a color and style that works for you to the finished product. We pride ourselves on our workmanship and feel confident you will appreciate our after-sales service as well.

Key Difference Between
Quartz and Granite

We want to place emphasis on the difference between quartz and granite.

Material Composition

Quartz countertops, also called engineered stone countertops, are man-made products. They are made of 93% to 95% ground-up natural quartz stone and a small number of other minerals and colorants. The rest is a durable resin that holds it all together. Granite countertops are 100% natural rock that is taken out of the ground, cut to fit, and installed.

Maintenance

Maintenance of quartz countertops is almost non-existent. The resin creates a non-porous surface that needs no sealing or attention of any kind. On very rare occasions, the caulking where the countertop meets the wall may need to be refreshed.

Granite, on the other hand, must be sealed annually to protect its somewhat porous surface against staining and scratching. Keeping it clean is important as well for the same reasons. Avoid harsh all-purpose cleaners for granite. Granite is considered low (but not no) maintenance.

Design Choices

The choices regarding design are many for quartz countertops. Everything from prefabricated slabs in a wide range of colors and patterns to custom-designed, purpose-built masterpieces are available at any time. In general, they are uniformly designed. Complex patterned tops are available as well. Any edge style can be cut into a quartz countertop.

Granite design is chosen rather than created. A wide range of colors and patterns are available thanks to granite’s abundance on the planet. There are limits, though. Every granite countertop is one-of-a-kind. You may have to shop around or even compromise a little to match your desired look. Almost any edge style can be applied to granite countertops.

Appearance

From deep, rich color to modern, light patterns, quartz can match or compliment any kitchen, and being a man-made product; limitations are few. By combining different elements of quartz, minerals, colors, glass, and resin, it can be made to resemble granite or marble, or it can be unique to your tastes.

Employing Mother Nature as the artist, granite countertops have a look that’s all their own. Being a 100% natural product, what you see is what you get. Every piece of granite has different veining patterns and inconsistencies, which lend to its beauty. Patterns and colors may be simple or complex depending on volcanic events that took place millions of years ago.

Maintenance and Care

For all practical purposes, quartz is maintenance-free. Its non-porous surface repels dirt and moisture to resist staining damage. The hardness of the resins resists scratching and chipping well. Standard all-purpose cleaners work well for cleaning.

Granite is a low-maintenance product. In order to avoid staining, it must be sealed every year with a readily available granite sealer. Its naturally strong surface resists scratching and chipping. Wiping often with mild soap and water is usually enough to maintain its beauty between sealings. Avoid using harsh chemical cleaners on the off chance that they damage the stone’s porous surface.

Lifespan

Virtually all quartz countertop manufacturers offer limited warranties for durations anywhere from 10 years to life. This is a testament to their confidence that the product will outlive the home it’s installed in.

The generally accepted estimate for the lifespan of granite countertops is 100 years. The question comes down to care and maintenance. Granite lasts for millions or billions of years in its natural form. However, once it’s cut up and subjected to the rigors of kitchen use, it may run out of practical usability someday. It’s more than likely to last much longer than you own your home, especially if it’s well maintained.

Repair

The manufacturing methods used to make quartz countertops ensure that the product is uniform and solid all the way through. Nothing is perfect, though. In the rare event that quartz becomes chipped, scratched, or cracked, there are ways to fix it. Professionals can buff out scratches. Chips are repaired using color-matching resins. Even some minor cracks can be repaired using special epoxy. DIY repair is not recommended.

Granite is tough to damage. Its porous nature, though, makes it susceptible to stains. These can usually be removed with special granite countertop cleansers. In the event of chips, scratches, or cracks, repair methods are similar to those of quartz and should be performed by professionals.

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