There are few design elements that spark heated debate and divide homeowners as much as granite and quartz. Don’t believe me? Tune into any show on HGTV and you’ll likely hear the prospective buyer/renter wax poetic about their preferred counter top material and shun the other vehemently. But is one really better than the other or is it merely a matter of aesthetics?

To help break down the granite vs. quartz quandary,we thought up five categories to help show the differences between both. By the end of this article,you can decide which one you prefer. Before we get into all of that though,exactly what is granite and quartz?

Granite is a very hard stone and 100 percent natural. It’s mined from quarries all around the world,cut down to a manageable size,then afterwards polished to a fine finish.

Quartz is slightly different because it is not 100 percent natural. Instead,countertops are produced using 95 percent ground natural quartz and 5 percent polymer resins.

Now that you know the basics,let’s see how they compare against one another.

1: Appearance
Granite

Granite comes in various colors and patterns due to the way it’s formed (cooling and strengthening of molten materials). Whether you’re looking for a subtle complement to your kitchen or a standout slab with unique mineral inclusions,there is an almost unlimited selection to select from and no two granite countertops are the same.

Quartz

Among the main reasons quartz has exploded in popularity is because of appearance. Quartz has the look of stone while also allowing property owners to customize the design. While granite offers many options in regards to appearance,you may have to search for the right piece that matches your color scheme. With quartz,the selection process is a lot easier.

2: Price
Granite

According to HomeAdviser.com,the average cost to purchase granite and have it installed can cost between $2,000 and $4,000. You can save money by purchasing the material from a wholesaler and doing a portion of the preliminary work yourself but the actual fabrication and installation of the countertops should be left to a professional.

Quartz

Depending upon the quality of quartz and style of edging,HomeAdvisor.com places the average cost to install quartz countertops between $1,500 and $5,500. You can do some of the preliminary work to save money,but because engineered quartz is heavier than other stone surfaces,a professional installer needs to make sure the space is structurally sound.

3: Environmentally-Friendly
Granite

The only way granite ends up in your kitchen is if it’s quarried which uses a lot of energy. If you select a high-end slab from Italy,for example,there will be considerable transportation involved. Try using indigenous stone when possible or visit salvage shops for pieces that can be cut to fit your needs.

Quartz

Since quartz is engineered,it can be more environmentally-friendly than granite if you use regionally manufactured stone and local fabricators. This cuts down on the distance the material needs to be transported.

4: Maintenance
Granite

Granite countertops should be cleaned daily with soap and water or a mild household cleaner. Some oils and acids can stain so do your homework first to avoid stains. To ensure the longevity of your investment,consider having your countertops resealed once a year.

Quartz

Like granite,you’ll wish to clean any spills on quartz countertops with soap and water or a household cleaner,but that’s about it in terms of maintenance. The solid surface means that there is no need to have your countertops resealed.

5: Durability
Granite

Granite is a durable material that’s resistant to heat and many other kitchen elements. Due to its porous nature though,there can be some staining if spilled liquids are left sitting and damage can be done if your counter receives a high impact blow.
Quartz

Quartz is actually harder than granite and thus,more durable. In point of fact,quartz is nearly indestructible,and because it isn’t porous like granite,it’s easy to keep your countertops relatively bacteria-free. Be careful with cooking pans though: Quartz can be damaged by excessive heat,so use heating pads at all times.
If you ‘d like to explore the differences yourself,contact Peakstone Granite at (336) 324-2875 or visit them at http://PeakStoneGraniteMarble.com

With a lot of online organizations competing for the consumers money and time,failure to effectively make use of search engine marketing in online efforts can quickly spell doom for not only a business’s online presence,but also its offline presence. This choice of handpicked SEO pointers and techniques will offer guidance on choosing an SEO service provider (our recommended one can be found here: https://facebook.com/TripleAgentSEOToronto/) to drive traffic,sales volume and boost exposure.

Off-Page Optimization

To beat the clock on the time it takes to appear on the search engines,hire an SEO agency who will land you placements on a variety of quality blogs & websites in your industry. When the online search engine sees that people are talking about you and placing links to you,they will have a much simpler time discerning your information and positioning your site in their database.

On-Page Optimization

Laser-Focus Every Page on a Specific Search Keyword

Gateway pages will help get more traffic to your website. Your gateway pages must each be tightly themed around a main general keyword. The search engines will understand what every one of your pages is about,and hence will score you a higher ranking. There should be as many copies of this page as there are cities & industries you want to target,each with a different set of keywords that pertains to a specific topic.

Having tightly-themed pages has the added benefit of serving your searchers’ specific intents more precisely,allowing you to better capture the traffic you want.

Go Beyond Broad Keywords

If you run a personal injury law firm,targeting “injury lawyer” isn’t going to cut it. “Toronto personal injury lawyer” or “Toronto impaired driving attorney” will bring you more visitors who in fact have a purchase intent for your services or products.

Keyword Density

It is essential that your SEO service provider places your target keywords in the right spots and at the right frequency as they optimize your site. The greater your keyword density,the more prominently it will appear on live searches. This will upgrade your level of visibility and increase the traffic into your site,maximizing your customers & sales.

Further techniques to uplevel on-page optimization are found at Tips to Rank High on SERP.

Put a Blog On Your Site

Consider including a blog on your site to increase the likelihood your website will be gotten by search engine spiders. While some sites or services might not have regular substantial modifications to material,engines search for new material when indexing sites. Adding a blog site and using it to publish regular and important details will accelerate the search engine optimization of a static site,and then some. A dedicated SEO agency will further help to spice up your blog posts with some extra on-page optimization.

If you would like to learn more about how our recommended SEO agency helps with the technical aspects of SEO,view this: technical SEO case study