02/27/2020
The SCIENCE Behind the BEST STONE TOPS:
PS: I don’t mention the cost of materials because they’re generally similar and vary from fabricator to fabricator.
NATURAL-GOD-MADE-STONES:
1. GRANITE: Is a -God-Made- extremely hard, igneous rock (spewed up from volcanos for example) consisting mainly of quartz, mica, and feldspar and often used as a building stone. Granite boulders are laboriously cut into slabs and honed or polished to make them into countertops. Granite tops are easy to clean, extremely durable, heat proof, and scratch resistant. The Granite tops in our Kitchen have been there for over (20) YEARS, and when cleaned look brand new! (We cook a LOT and are not very tidy!) Granite also comes in a lot of different colors, but many are fairly “speckled” which not everyone loves.
2. QUARTZITE: Quartzite is also a natural -God-made- rock which was originally pure quartz sandstone. (Quartzite is metamorphic meaning that the Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tectonic compression (in other words-by God.) The boulders are fabricated into countertops in a process similar to Granite. Quartzite has the exact same physical properties as Granite-is easy to clean, heat-proof, scratch resistant and durable) and also comes in a lot of colors. The pattern of each slab is limited by natural formation and may be inconsistent from one end of a slab to the other.
3. MARBLE: Marble is also a -God-Made- metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. As a countertop it’s heat resistant like Grainte and Quartzite, BUT can be scratched and/or permanently stained by chemicals, hard water, or acids like RED WINE and VINEGAR! The reason people LOVE Marble is its unsurpassed beauty! It often comes in very light or white and includes lovely gray veining. I don’t generally recommend Marble for Kitchen Tops (especially now that we have ENGINEERED QUARTZ STONE available-See Below) unless the client is well educated and chooses it anyway. Before choosing Marble in a Kitchen ask yourself, “Do I want to be the “Countertop Police?” On the other hand, Marble is appropriate to use in Master Baths where the traffic is lighter and “more adult.”
4. SOAPSTONE: Another -God-Made-material, Soapstone is a talc-schist, which is a type of metamorphic rock. It is composed largely of the magnesium rich mineral talc. Soapstone is often a mid-tome to darker gray. It’s heat-proof, but needs to be sealed against staining (hard water, RED WINE etc) and WILL SHOW SCRATCHES. Clients often choose SOAPSTONE for the softness of the feel and also the soft flannel gray color; they must be accepting of the patina that will appear over time. (PS: You can get a very convincing soft flannel Soapstone look by honing Black Absolute Granite, but it will still be more vulnerable than polished Granite.)
MANUFACTURED or ENGINEERED STONE:
1. QUARTZ: Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silicon and oxygen atoms, but that’s NOT what the Countertops are, and that’s why it’s confusing. Tops made of Quartz should rightfully be called MANUFACTURED or ENGINEERED QUARTZ TOPS because they are made BY MAN (or WOMEN) of 70-90%+/- Quartz combined with polyester resin, ethenylbenzene (also known as styrene), pigments, and other additives! The reason we make these tops is to control the color and pattern of the material while retaining most of the durability and functionality of Granite tops. ENGINEERED QUARTZ TOPS are unaffected by most chemicals, and heat and scratch resistant- but they WILL SCORTCH at very high heat due to the polyester resin and other additives. The best part is that you can get very light colors with soft veining -like Carrerra Marble-like finishes- in ENGINEERED QUARTZ TOPS!
So there you have it; the Science behind STONE TOPS. My recommendation is to choose the most functional material for Kitchen Tops that will satisfy your desire for color. So, if you want a darker stone Granite is still King, but if you want a Carrera Marble-like finish go with an ENGINEERED QUARTZ TOP! If you’re remodeling a Master Bath, by all means, choose whatever material makes your heart sing!
