So you want to upgrade your kitchen or bathroom with a new countertop, but you're not sure what your options are. Chances are you've heard of granite and marble. After all, they have been used for myriad building purposes for centuries and you always see marble and granite countertops in luxury homes.
But what about Silestone...isn't it great than granite?
Refrigerator Door Seals
Well, it depends on what you think is better. However, Silestone and other makers of engineered quartz stone countertops, such as Zodiaq and Cambria would have you believe their goods is a valuable upgrade from granite.
Engineered stone countertops are a artificial goods that mixes quartz found in granite with a resin to make a face with properties approximately same to granite. Silestone and all the other companies make essentially the same product, which is widely regarded as an excellent countertop surface.
However, these companies try to make mountains out of molehills in an attempt to sell their goods and compete against granite which is and has bee the most popular and proven face type.
Myth #1: Sealing granite is a horrible, dirty chore.
This issue has been blown way out of proportion with marketing. It's always listed as a benefit and one would get the impression that granite is defective and must be sealed with over and over to safe it.
True, you don't have to apply a granite sealer to an engineered stone counter top. And hey, that's great, but applying a granite sealer is indubitably a very easy and infrequent "wipe on, wipe off" procedure. It is not a major chore and for all practical purposes it isn't a determining factor when comparing Silestone vs. Granite.
Also, it doesn't take a closet full of special chemicals to safe your granite and keep its luster as Cambria and other engineered stone counter top manufacturers recommend on their websites. Hey, to their credit they are just trying to effectively store their product.
A microscopic private about most granite . . .
You could do nothing but wipe it with a toady for years and it would still look gorgeous. Minor, easy maintenance performed periodically will, however, give you peace of mind and bring out the best in your granite and natural stone. And the same can be said about quartz. Care and cleaning is equally easy for whether surface.
Myth #2: Again with the sealing.
You may also read that you must seal granite to maintain it's shiny polish. Not true. Sealing is for stain resistance. Both natural and artificial stone counter tops are polished by grinding and buffing the face into a smooth shine.
Myth #3: Granite harbors bacteria.
Silestone also tries to claim their goods resists bacteria while granite "harbors" bacteria. This is totally false. Studies prove that both granite and quartz are among the safest and cleanest surfaces on the store today, but one isn't classic to the other.
So Which Countertop Is Best?
Well, once you remove the hype and you understand that artificial quartz countertops and granite accomplish equally well and that the care and cleaning of each face is essentially the same, the decision between granite and Silestone, Cambria, Zodiaq or other quartz counter tops normally comes down to color, pattern and perceived value for most buyers.
Color and Value
Granite enjoys a greater "prestige" due to it's natural uniqueness and is therefore, of greater value in the minds of most homeowners and buyers. New granites come on the store all the time from dissimilar countries providing hundreds and maybe thousands of dissimilar colors and patterns to select from.
Silestone and other engineered stone manufacturers offer 20-50 color choices all of which have basically the same repetitive pebbled appearance. The benefit here is that you never have a problem matching a pattern or color at a seam, which sometimes is a problem with granite. Of course, you may end up with the exact same countertop as your neighbor, which won't happen with granite as each slab is unique.
So, whether you select engineered stone or granite you will get an excellent countertop surface. Just don't listen to all the marketing hype and pick your goods based on what color and pattern you like best.
Silestone vs. Granite Countertops - The Real Story
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