Granite is a natural stone consisting of the minerals, quartz, feldspar and Mica. Natural veins, fissures and mineral deposits combine to give granite its beautiful and natural appearance.  Its extreme hardness makes granite uncommonly durable and extremely appealing for use every day in the home. Granite does require sealing annually if you choose not to add our permanent sealer.

Quartz surfacing is composed of 93% quartz crystals and 7% polyester resin.  Quartz has taken the best of what nature has to offer in terms of the durability and the beauty of stone.  Through extensive engineering, a manufacturing process was developed utilizing intense pressure and heat to increase the color consistency, stain resistance and strength of this stone product. Being non-porous, Quartz does not require the use of sealants, and it withstands typical wear and tear beautifully.  Professionally developed colors are computer-calibrated to maintain consistency, allowing designers and customers to make the perfect selection from samples.

It depends on what you mean by better. Both are beautiful, durable materials that will last you a lifetime.

Each slab of granite is unique – no two slabs of granite are exactly alike. Granite also has more depth and typically has a higher sheen than quartz.  With a standard sealer, granite needs to be resealed annually. However, with our permasealer, the countertops never need to be resealed to be stain resistant.

Quartz is typically more consistent in patterning and coloring throughout. Quartz can range from colors with a lot of character to solid colors that are very uniform. Quartz is non-porous and therefore does not require sealants to protect it from staining.

The price depends on the color category you choose, no matter if you choose granite or quartz. Typically the more exotic the stone, the more expensive it will be. The price does not have anything to do with the quality of the material.  Please contact your dealer for more details.

There are a variety of factors that go into the price of the stone – availability of material, difficulty in quarrying, breakage, supply and demand, etc.

Our core brands are Silestone, Caesarstone, Viatera and Vicostone.  We have samples on display in our showroom.  We also fabricate most brands of quartz, including:  Polarstone, Curava, Dekton, Eco, MSIQuartz, Hanstone, Ellipse, U Quartz, OneQuartz, and more!

Granite can stain if it’s not sealed properly. It is recommended to seal your countertops annually to prevent stains. You can choose to add a permanent sealer to your tops for an additional charge. With this sealer, you never have to seal your granite countertops again. Quartz does not have to be sealed because it is non-porous and stain resistant.

Both Granite and Quartz are extremely scratch resistant. They are not scratch proof – anything can be scratched if you really want to scratch it. Granite is above stainless steel on the Measure of Hardness scale, which means that stainless steel shouldn’t be able to scratch it. Based on recent testing, Granite and Quartz are the toughest countertop surfaces available on the market today. It bears mentioning that due to the hardness of granite and Quartz, it will most likely dull your knives. We recommend using a cutting board to keep your tops looking great for many years.

Granite and quartz can withstand high temperatures; however, it is possible to crack granite by shocking the stone. Setting a hot pot on a piece of stone which is cold (from a bag of ice or an Air Conditioning vent) may cause a thermal shock that can crack your countertops. Stone absorbs heat very quickly and takes a long time to cool. Setting a 400-degree pot on stone will quickly heat the stone. When the pot is moved, the stone may be hot enough to burn someone for 15 minutes or longer. We recommend you use a trivet or hot pad on any stone countertop.

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Quartz – 118” x 53” is typical. There are some Silestone colors that are available in larger sizes. If you have a top wider than 53” and want quartz, please request a list of these colors.

Granite – Slabs will vary in size, but a good rule of thumb for maximum useable space is 110” x 65”.

Some stone has movement and veining that requires us to do a slab layout. We generate a high resolution digital photo of your slab(s) and will use your custom template to create a virtual layout of what your countertops will look like when installed. Not all stone will require a layout due to consistency of pattern and color. We recommend viewing this layout sent via email on a computer instead of a tablet or phone. The SlabSmith Layout is done after template. Once this layout has been approved by the homeowner, we can proceed with fabrication.

Natural Stone is unique and beautiful.  While we cannot guarantee, if there is a certain area of your slab you want to make sure is included, or an area you do not like and wish to have excluded, we can provide a photo to you prior to fabrication. We can generate a high resolution digital photo of your slab(s) and will use your custom template to create a virtual layout of what your tops will look like installed.  Not all stone will have a layout due to consistency of pattern or color.  If your stone color does not require a slab layout, there will be an additional charge for this service.