Which kitchen countertop is better? |
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Natural stone tile countertop |
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Natural stone tile available in wide variety of colors, sizes and shapes. Spaces between tiles filled with grout and all lines are visible what is not the best quality of tile counter.
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3 |
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4 |
Quartz manufactured in many colors. Unlike natural stone, quartz has uniformed color pattern. |
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Fairly good countertop for any kitchen.
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3 |
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5 |
Excellent counter for any kitchen design.
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Depends on tile. Granite tiles are extremely scratch resistant while travertine or limestone could be scratched by sharp objects.
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Quartz kitchen counters have superior scratch resistance ability. Surface of quartz is nearly impossible to damage with a kitchen knife. |
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Some natural stone tiles are fairly chip resistant while some could be shipped easily.
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Natural stone is extremely heat resistant material.
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5 |
Quartz has excellent resistance to heat. Hot pots or pans placed directly on counter normally do not damage the surface.
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If not sealed regularly stone tiles can be easily stained.
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5 |
Impervious to stain. Quartz is non-porous material means liquids and dirt cannot penetrate its surface and cause discoloring.
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Stone tiles are durable material with hard surface.
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4 |
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Quartz is extremely hard and it is one of the most durable countertops on the market. |
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Filled with grout, but visible seams between tiles. |
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4 |
Quartz is manufactured in slabs certain dimensions. Depending on producer, length of a slab vary from 7 to 12 feet. It is impossible to make seamless quartz countertop which is longer than 144 in. Professional engineered stone installers always hide seams as much as possible, but they are still visible.
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Self-rimming kitchen sink is the best option. |
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Any type of kitchen sink from undermount stainless steel to drop-in cast iron can be installed with quartz countertop.
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Depends on installation quality and maintenance. Lifespan of stone tile countertop normally over 50 years.
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Proper installed quartz countertop can easily last 70+ years.
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Adequate cleaning and sealer application will ensure long lasting performance of stone tile kitchen countertop. |
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Quartz is practically maintenance free countertop and requires very little care after installation. |
Typical weight per square foot
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Greatly vary. One square foot of 3/8” thick granite tile weight about 6 pounds. Additional 8 – 10 pounds per square foot is a weight of cement backer boards, mortar and plywood or MDF sheets. Total weight of tile countertop might vary from 14 to 16 lbs (6.4 – 7.3 kg) per square foot.
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Normally one square foot of 1 ¼” thick quartz countertop weight approximately 15 pounds (6.8 kg). |
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Normally it is cheaper to purchase tile with all additional materials for building natural stone tile counter compare to buying quartz countertop.
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Quartz is one of the most expensive materials for kitchen countertops. Prices greatly vary and mainly depend on manufacturer and color of a synthetic stone. |
Installation cost (labor)
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Cost to build natural stone tile countertop is high.
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Quartz countertop fabrication, delivery and installation normally cost approximately 35% – 40% of a total cost to get a new synthetic stone counter installed.
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Moderate difficulty task.
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Quartz kitchen countertop should be professionally installed.
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Building new L-shaped 30 – 35 square feet granite tiles kitchen countertop from scratch might take a few days to complete.
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5 |
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In-home installation of U-shaped 35 – 37 square feet of quartz kitchen counter typically is a 3 - 4 hours project. Fabrication of synthetic stone countertop normally takes couple weeks after placing an order.
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Damaged tiles could be replaced, but often tile countertop repair could be a challenging task. |
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Depends on damage, but cracks might be extremely hard to repair. |
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Grout discoloring, stain appears on stone tile surface, grout cracks.
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Cracks or damages of quartz kitchen countertop are normally a result of improper installation or great physical abuse. Under normal usage, adequately installed quartz counter shouldn’t have any problems for many years.
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Natural stone tile and quartz are both durable and long lasting kitchen countertops. Solid quartz is a premium material for kitchen counters which normally perform better than tiles, but it is costly option. With enormous variety of solid countertops on the market, tile becomes very unpopular choice for covering the surface of kitchen counters. Many homeowners who cannot afford expensive quartz or solid natural stone countertop simply go with a laminate what is a great solution if budget is low.
1Rating was estimated on the scale from 1 to 5, accounting 1 as lowest and 5 as the highest quality of a product. Always consider the fact: not all products made equally the same and performance of particular material significantly depends on individual product quality, adequate installation, and proper maintenance.