When renovating a kitchen, two of the most popular and premium countertop material choices are quartzite and quartz. At first glance, these two surfaces may appear quite similar with their sleek looks and color options mimicking natural stone. Nevertheless, there are some important distinctions between quartzite and quartz that affect their functionality, durability, and maintenance requirements for kitchen countertops.
What is Quartzite? A Natural Stone
Quartzite is a naturally occurring quarried stone that originates as sandstone. Through heating and compression over centuries, the quartz particles recrystallize and fuse into an extremely hard and dense quartzite slab.
Since it’s a genuine stone material, quartzite countertops have unique veining patterns with color variations even across the same slab. Earth-toned hues like grays, beiges and warm creams are common along with some striking whites. The crystalline sparkle gives quartzite excellent depth.
Quartzite is one of the hardest natural stones around, ranking 7 out of 10 on the Mohs hardness scale, making it very scratch and etch resistant, even more so than granite. However, quartzite is porous, so counters require regular sealing to prevent staining from spills, oils, and acids.
What is Quartz? An Engineered Stone
Quartz countertops are not a naturally occurring stone, but rather an engineered composite surface made of ground quartz stone particles combined with resins and pigments. The people at Bedrock Quartz explain that the binding resins give quartz its distinctive solid, non-porous construction that requires no sealing.
With up to 95% ground quartz content, these counters have excellent hardness and durability. Quartz scores a 7 on the Mohs scale, standing up very well to scratches, cuts, and cracks from kitchen activity. The resin binders also give quartz excellent stain and heat resistance compared with most natural stones.
One key advantage of quartz is the nearly limitless color palette and aesthetic options. Varying the resins, pigments and quartz stone particles means manufacturers can replicate the veining and hues of natural stone or create solid, uniform colors and modern patterns. There are thousands of different styles available in both speckled and clear finishes.
Maintenance Differences
While quartzite is extremely hard, its porous nature requires regular sealing every 6-12 months to repel staining from substances like oils, wine, citrus, and other kitchen spills. The surface can also potentially etch if exposed to acidic foods and cleaners. Quartzite is also more prone to cracking and chipping compared to quartz.
In contrast, quartz countertops are one of the lowest maintenance surfaces for kitchens. Their non-porous composition never needs sealing or special treatments. Stains cannot penetrate the surface, and quartz is not reactive to kitchen acids, chemicals or heat. The resins give it excellent crack and impact resistance.
You can wipe both quartzite and quartz counters with a damp cloth and mild soap or cleanser for basic cleaning. But quartz gets the edge for effortless care and stain protection in kitchen settings.
Cost Factors
For countertop projects on a budget, quartz will generally be the more affordable option over quartzite, which is considered a premium natural stone material. Most quartzite slabs will run 15-30% higher in price compared to equivalent quartz countertops.
Nonetheless, there can be a wide variance in costs based on slab availability, suppliers, brands, complexity of fabrication and installation. Working with knowledgeable suppliers is key to getting the best value on premium quartz countertops or quartzite slabs.
Conclusion
Overall, quartzite and quartz counters both offer exceptional luxury, durability and aesthetics for kitchens based on different priorities. Quartzite delivers an authentic, one-of-a-kind natural stone surface while quartz excels with its versatile looks, low-maintenance, and stain resistance, perfect for active family kitchens.
