Caesarstone vs granite??
Comments (25)
blueblin
Original Author10 years agoP.s. I'm going for a "modern eclectic" look. The eclectic part will hopefully be added with coloured accents.Susan Berry Design, Inc.
10 years agoGranite is beautiful because of all of the variations. Ceasar stone is a harder (density) product than granite with constant color. The Ceasar is a bit more modern, but we do use natural stone all the time in modern designs. The Antique Brown is beautiful.tanyaoz
10 years agoCaesarstone is an incredible product. Very easy care and forgiving. Mine is white and all manner of food stains will come right off. Over ten years of punishing use and it still looks new. I really love the fact that the patterning will be consistent. If you decide going with granite make sure you choose your piece so there are no surprises come installation.blueblin
Original Author10 years agoThanks so much! do either of you, or anyone else know if there is maintenance for antique brown like regular sealing needed?sierrabb
10 years agoNatural natural natural!! granite all the way! It is so much more special and each piece is its own, miraculous work of art. I briefly considered composite choices, but the more I looked the more blah the composites seem to become to me. One trip to the granite yard and I was 100% sold. When I spotted the granite I purchased, I literally felt my heart skip. If you haven't visited a distributor yard yet, I highly recommend you do. Best of luck!User
10 years agoGranite can chip, fyi. I was so shocked to find that out in my home and at a friend's home. I have both granite and caesarstone in my house. Personally, I prefer the caesarstone to the granite, because of maintenance and the consistency of pattern, but I understand the appeal of granite.Scott Design, Inc.
10 years agolast modified: 10 years agoAnother issue with Caesarstone as well s other engineered quartz products is their concern about heat...
This comes from their FAQ's section
"Caesarstone can potentially be damaged by sudden and rapid temperature changes, especially near the edges. Therefore, using inexpensive and readily available hot pads or trivets is always recommended, especially when using cooking units such as electric frying pans, crock pots, or roaster ovens. We do not advise putting hot cookware directly on the Caesarstone surface."
http://www.caesarstoneus.com/customer-service/faq/Scott Design, Inc.
10 years agoRegarding smileyface 2013's comment...yes, it will chip so if you are going to use an undermount sink, DO NOT overlap the sink edges with the granite. Set the granite edge back to reveal some sink top edge so a pot or pan does not come up and out of the sink and hit the granite edge.blueblin
Original Author10 years agoThank you all - all of these comments have been so helpful. I will weigh everything and it should be easier to come to a decision. Much appreciated! :)Jenny Youngblood
10 years agoI love the first picture! Beautiful and has more visual interest in my opinion.Caesarstone
9 years agoHey blueblin, if you want to see our gallery of different collections, colours and styles, you can check out our site>>
http://www.caesarstone.ca/en/The-Catalog/Pages/By-Color.aspxSarah Jones
9 years agoI am having the same dilema with the exact same choices. But for an outside bbq and fire pit. what did you end up choosing?twjenner
9 years agoYou won't have trouble putting a hot pan etc on granite. hot items can cause quartz to crack.
Touchstone Concrete
7 years agoI just want to correct some comments about the hardness of Caesar stone or other quartz engineered products over granite. - first we are a large fabricator of all these products and they all have pros and cons. Engineered products such as Caesar stone have a vickers hardness score ranging between 96 - 146 (Caesar stone is actually on the low end of this scale Hanstone Quartz is at the high end and subsequently costs more) most granite has a vickers hardness of 850 it thus scratches and chips much less than engineered Quartz.
Heather Macdonald
7 years agoA friend has Quartz and hers has chipped around the sink...I'm also having a hard time choosing between the 2 for my new home.Touchstone Concrete
7 years agoIf you hate chips then use an edge profile that is a bit more round. Tight chamfered edges - tight pencil or eased edges chip fairly easy. Staron and Corian rarely chip.
The Kitchen Abode Ltd.
7 years agoDepending upon your perspective each has their pros and cons, there is just no perfect counter top material.
Granite provides a look that is virtually impossible to replicate, it's about as durable as you can get but will require sealing probably once a year, it's a relatively simple procedure. Due to the natural variances you will need to visit slab suppliers to make your choice.
Engineered quartz provides a more consistent look and color combinations that are not always available in granite. They do not require sealing but that does not mean they will not stain. The heat issue relates to "Thermal Shock", during the manufacturing process there can be minor hidden fissures which under a rapid temperature change could grow and become visible. The sample you see is what you get so there is no need to go slab hunting
Mid range granites and mid range engineered quartz are about the same price.
These two product types are always discussed with my clients. My recommendation is to choose the product that best suits the look you are going for. Just my opinion, but I would not get to hung up about those engineered quartz lifetime warranty claims, just read one very carefully and judge for yourself.
Graham
Touchstone Concrete
7 years agoIt is not just Thermal shock. These countertops will burn. We have had it happen to Hanstone, and Ceasar stone. Here is a link to show that it happens right here on Houzz.
[https://www.houzz.com/discussions/help-with-burnt-quartz-counter-top-dsvw-vd~3288835[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/help-with-burnt-quartz-counter-top-dsvw-vd~3288835)
It is plastic with Sand - We can call it quartz or some other fancy name like engineered stone but basically it is sand mixed with plastic. I am not saying it bad but it is not perfect and being a fabricator of these products plus Corian, Staron and Granite I can say that they all have plus and minus points. Some have presented quartz as being exceptional and the best quality - it is not.
Flo Mangan
7 years agoYou have plenty of info here so I will just add a perspective for your choice. Picture your kitchen countertops. Notice you will be seeing mostly the edges and the tops on an angle. For that reason, I think the blacker choice would look better with your white cabinets. Your flooring become an accent. I hope that helps you some. All products you are considering have pros and cons. All will work quite well. I would focus on your vision for overall look.The Kitchen Abode Ltd.
7 years agoTouchstone Concrete - Thanks for the link. Have never seen an actual example where this has happened. I always inform clients that they can not place hot items directly on the tops. You are correct about the plastic (resin), had this discussion recently with an engineered quartz manufacturer rep. They are a bit tricky (my opinion) as to how they state this, which is by constituent weight. This makes the resin content around 7%, but if it is calculated on volume then the content is 30% or higher.
Graham
rwong1
last monthi can't even put a hot mug of tea on my white quartz countertop without it leaving a grey ring. I have so many trivets and racks on those darn countertops that it looks just plain messy. And quartz is not impermeable! I have stains from just leaving something on it overnight. The worst stain is from a can that I left for a couple of weeks, not realizing that there was moisture under it. It left one stubborn rust stain. I will never buy quartz again. Hope nobody shames me for not keeping a pristine kitchen. And if you do, then all I can say is dull people have immaculate homes.
ReSquare Architecture + Construction