Silestone Vs. Granite

There has been a lot of talk about superiority of silestone countertops over the ones prepared from granite. It is said that silestone is far more superior to granite in many aspects. It becomes necessary to make the silestone vs. granite comparison in a manner to uncover the truth.

Finding the useful information about pros and cons of both silestone and granite should help us understand which product (countertop stone) is better.

Studying the qualities and benefits of granite and silestone should be useful from the point of buying the best material for countertops. Let us get into the details of qualities of these countertops.

The silestone countertops are made from quartz and resin. These materials are crushed and mixed together to form an artificial/man-made product. Colors and patterns of quartz are homogeneous. The silestone being an engineered stone, it is available in a standard thickness of 3 cm.

One of the advantages of silestones being engineered and not natural is that a customized appearance can be provided to the countertops. It is therefore, available in a variety of designs and patterns. Silestone countertops are easy to maintain.

It is an igneous rock extensively found in nature. These rocks have a medium to coarse texture. Granite stone has been traditionally used to make flooring tiles required in monuments and other buildings for a long time. Those granite rocks with a porphyritic texture are known as porphyry. Color of granite stones vary on the basis of mineralogy and chemistry.

The granite countertops are therefore, found in different colors ranging from gray to pink. It is a durable material which retains its color over time. Just like any other engineered stone, granite can be cut as per the need of customer. The comparative study of granite and silestone made in the following paragraph throws some light on this topic.

The siletone is an engineered product, unlike the granite rock that is found naturally. This material is engineered from quartz stone.

Granite, on the otherhand is cut and polished to the desired levels before being installed as a countertop. Granite is a bit expensive than silestone. The following points should help understand the difference between silestone and granite in a better manner.

• Being a naturally found stone, granite has many different patterns and colors. It is sourced from different countries and therefore, one can choose from a variety of designs. Silestone being an engineered material, limited number of patterns are available for choice.

• The manufacturers of silestone claim that bacteria can easily grow on granite countertops. It is said that silestone resists bacteria and therefore, doesn't allow their growth to take place. However, the truth is that both granite and silestone are capable of resisting the growth of bacteria.

• Price difference between granite and silestones could be the result of more number of colors being available in granite stones. There is rise in the availability of number of colors in silestones over time.

• The silestone countertops do not require much maintenance. Granite countertops on the other hand should be sealed regularly. Silestone being a non-porous material, you don't have to seal it. The chances of dust particles getting trapped in it are thereby reduced to a great extent.

• Silestone contains quartz which is sensitive to rise in temperature. Therefore, it may crack if heat rises beyond the tolerance level. In terms of tolerance to heat, granite is better than silestone; it doesn't crack easily.

• If these countertop materials are compared on the basis of toughness, both granite and silestone are equally strong. This is because quartz (silestone) falls in the category of toughest materials on earth like the diamond, topaz and sapphire.

Granite and silestone, both have their own set of benefits and limitations. The silestone and granite comparison cannot be ended by saying that either material is superior than the other. In fact, both these materials have useful qualities.

Finally, one can say that choosing granite over silestone or vice versa depends largely on the design patterns you prefer. Some of you may not find a particular pattern in the naturally available granite. Others may get bored with the repetitive patterns of artificial silestone countertops.

Thus, it is a matter of perception and choice rather than quality when you are comparing these stones; both materials are equally superior. One should therefore, assess the requirements and make an appropriate choice in the selection of materials for countertops.