Granite vs. quartz is one of the hottest topics in interior design, and you’ll find fierce advocates for both materials. While both granite and quartz can enhance the design and performance of bathroom and kitchen countertops, there are some distinct differences between the two materials.
Quartz is more affordable and requires less maintenance, while granite is a natural stone with unique beauty. We’ll explore the differences between granite and quartz, the specific pros and cons, and how to decide which is best for your bathroom or kitchen design project.
What Is Granite?
Granite is a 100% natural stone that gives homes a unique and natural appearance. Granite is an igneous rock composed chiefly of quartz, feldspar, mica, amphiboles, and other minerals. Granite forms over millions of years as magma slowly crystallizes, producing the unique appearance of granite. Granite is an excellent option if you’re looking for a natural and unique material. Each slab has a distinctive look, meaning your countertop won’t be like anyone else’s.
Granite is mined from quarries across the globe and cut, polished, and fabricated into slabs. As a natural stone, it’s extremely strong and utterly unique. Granite is a premium material that can add a sense of luxury and natural elegance to any project. Granite has long been a preferred countertop material and held the number-one spot for many years until recently, when designers and homeowners began to favor quartz over granite.
What is Quartz?
Unlike granite, quartz is a manufactured material that uses natural content, including quartz — one of Earth’s strongest and most abundant minerals. While quartz countertops aren’t 100% natural, they compete directly with granite when it comes to durability and performance attributes. Quartz countertops combine the best of natural stone with cutting-edge manufacturing and innovations that enhance the design and characteristics of the product.
Quartz countertops consist of crushed quartz crystals combined with resins and pigments that allow manufacturers to produce an “engineered stone” product that is nonporous, durable, and replicates the look of natural stone or other aesthetics.
Color of Granite and Quartz
Granite is a great option if you want a unique, natural look. Every granite slab has its own pattern and colors from the embedded natural minerals and crystals. Granite comes in various colors and styles, with no two slabs sharing an identical look. The uniqueness is great, but it also comes with some limitations. It can be challenging to know just what the granite will look like once it’s installed since each slab is unique. Homeowners and designers are also limited to the colors and patterns available in nature so finding the exact aesthetic you desire may be challenging.
Conversely, quartz offers unlimited design potential and comes in a broader array of colors and patterns. Quartz may look like Terrazzo, Marble, Granite, or other stones, or it may have a different look entirely. Quartz is a great place to start for those who like a clean, sophisticated, and modern look and have a strong sense of what they want their countertops to look like. For years, granite has been the go-to material for many homeowners, but quartz has outpaced granite in 2022. Based on its performance characteristics and price, quartz may continue to hold the number position for some time.
Cost of Granite and Quartz
Both granite and quartz are premium products, meaning they’re more expensive than other products, such as laminate. However, granite and quartz both hold their value and may help increase the value of your home should you decide to put it on the market.
Pricing for both materials depends on where it’s sourced. While granite is plentiful in nearly every region, much of the granite that people buy is imported. Transporting and shipping quartz depends on many factors, including supply chains, shopping schedules, petroleum prices, tariffs, etc. Quartz may also be imported. However, quartz manufacturers have factories across the globe. For instance, LX Hausys, the manufacturer of VIATERA Quartz, has manufacturing facilities in places like the United States, specifically Adairsville, Georgia, to help defer transportation costs.
Prices for granite average around $80 to $175 per square foot installed, while quartz prices average slightly less, around $80 to $140 per square foot installed. However, these are merely guidelines; both materials range in price based on the quality of the materials and other factors.
Granite and Quartz Maintenance
If you’re a homeowner or designing for a homeowner who doesn’t mind doing maintenance to protect their countertop, then granite could be a good fit. If you’d rather not have to maintain your countertops other than clean them, you’ll want to consider quartz.
Quartz is virtually maintenance-free. It’s nonporous, meaning it repels dirt, moisture, bacteria, and stains. Granite has to be sealed as often as once a year to resist stains and prevent bacteria, mold, or other unwanted fungi from growing in the pores of the countertop.
Granite vs. Quartz: Which is More Environmentally Friendly?
It’s tempting to think that the more natural a product is, the more sustainable it is, but that is not the case with granite. Granite is an unsustainable, non-renewable resource that takes millions of years to develop. Mining granite from quarries is an energy and water-intensive process that has an irreversible impact on the planet. It requires a great deal of energy to unearth granite, leaving pits of exposed Earth and mounds of waste. The process also contributes to water and air pollution. Granite is far from eco-friendly, even if granite supplies are plentiful worldwide.
On the other hand, manufacturing quartz countertops makes use of a lot of the waste generated in mining and quarrying operations. Mining waste and by products contain high levels of natural quartz that are used in the manufacturing of quartz countertops. Quartz recycles and uses waste to produce its product. While the manufacturing process for quartz also uses water and energy, the carbon load and environmental impact are easier to document and control with quartz.
Both granite and quartz can be recycled into other products or reused again, and both materials have a long lifecycle, which helps negate some of the impact. You’ll want to consult with the manufacturer to understand the specific environmental product declarations associated with each product.
Reasons Why You Should Consider Quartz
Because quartz requires less maintenance and is more environmentally friendly, it’s worth consideration. Quartz is typically less expensive and comes in many more design and color options. It doesn’t require sealants and is far more hygienic than unsealed granite. Quartz manufacturing can closely match the beauty of natural stone with even greater performance.
VIATERA Collections & Products
Using an eco-friendly manufacturing process, VIATERA by LX Hausys is National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) and GREENGUARD® certified. LX Hausys America earned Declare Label achievement for its portfolio of VIATERA Quartz Surface products. Issued by the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), Declare labels provide a basic level of transparency by disclosing all product ingredients, enabling customers to see the contents of a product so they may make informed purchasing decisions.
VIATERA Quartz uses only the finest quartz available and contains up to 93% natural quartz for a strong, nonporous surface that’s hygienic and easy to clean and maintain.
VIATERA Quartz by LX Hausys comes in five collections with varying colors and styles.
The Calacatta collection brings the luxurious look of Italian Calacatta Marble to a nonporous, hygienic surface that’s easy to care for.
The Masterpiece collection from VIATERA allows you to channel your inner artist and add color to any canvas with a palette of exquisite hues and unique designs that will make any space a true work of art.
The Musica Collection from VIATERA offers quartz surfaces that reflect the elegant and timeless beauty of the finest classical music while drawing inspiration from the allure of natural stone.
The Urban collection matches the ethos of a vibrant metropolis with sophisticated, cosmopolitan designs and edgy appeal, perfect for industrial and modern interiors.
The Classic Collection from VIATERA combines timeless, beloved colors that draw their inspiration from the earthy and ethereal tones found in nature. This is an ideal collection for traditional and trendy projects.
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