Jessica Love with Urbane Design shared with us, through her expertise and experience, the most popular kitchen counter tops today and why!
Quartz is not a natural stone; it is a man-made or engineered stone. Quartz is fabricated from natural silicon dioxide and synthetic materials, meaning approximately 93% of quartz tops are natural. The stone is then blended with a binder and pigment, and then it is formed into a counter top.
Quartz is non-porous so it resists staining much better than natural stone. For cleanliness, a non-porous surface means that it will not harbor bacteria or viruses. It has the same durability as granite but it is quite a bit more forgiving, so it will not chip or crack as easily. Furthermore, the manufacturing process allows for a much wider range of color than you will find in natural stone and the surface is much more consistent in color and texture.
Granite is a light-colored igneous-rock with grains large enough to be visible with the unaided eye. Granite is formed from the slow crystallization of magma below the Earth's surface. It is composed mainly of quartz and feldspar with small amounts of mica, amphiboles, and other minerals. These mineral compositions usually give granite a red, pink, gray, or white color with dark mineral grains visible throughout the stone.
Granite is found in a variety of colors. It is scratch and heat resistant.
Quartzite is a natural metamorphic stone, quartzite is created when sandstone is under extreme heat and pressure from compression of tectonic plates in the earth’s crust. The stone is then mined and sawn into slabs to become countert ops. After this process they are then polished and sealed for better durability.
Quartzite is a high end natural stone with an incomparable aesthetic. Quartzite is heat and fire resistant and with its low porosity, this material is stain-resistant.
Porcelain counter tops are made from non-porous ceramic clay that contains various minerals, such as kaolinite and silica. The material is baked in temperatures ranging from about 2200-2650 Fahrenheit. These extremely high temperatures produce a durable counter top material that is resistant to scratching, cracking, UV light and heat. Additionally, porcelain counter tops are stain- resistant; unlike porous materials such as granite or quartzite, liquids and chemicals will not penetrate porcelain easily.
Contact Urbane Design for an exceptional and one-of-a-kind remodel of any room in your home that will not only leave you in awe, but also leave you satisfied each and every day.
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