Maplewood Covenant Business Which is Better Granite or Quartz?

Which is Better Granite or Quartz?

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

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Combatant type 2: “The Misguided” (Part 3)Combatant type 2: “The Misguided” (Part 3)

By John Sage Melbourne

Allow’s take a look at unacceptable generalisations from personal experiences.

In addition to being misguided by others,combatants might additionally misguide themselves. This can occur when they develop unacceptable ideas and also attitudes from their personal experiences with cash,spending and also developing wealth. For instance,rather than seeing times of economic hardship as a ‘wake up telephone call’ to learn how to be extra monetarily proficient (and also thus empowered),they could formulate a sight that wealth creation is hard and also not truly feasible for the average individual like themselves (thus ending up being dis-empowered). If offered sufficient support,this sort of over-generalisation can turn into a full idea system that will misinform and also misguide their future perceptions,decisions and also perspective toward wealth creation.

Surprisingly,the ability for somebody to inappropriately generalise from personal experience can occur whether that experience was regarded as good or negative at the time. It’s understandable how somebody can create unacceptable ideas and also attitudes from a negative economic experience,however how does it function when the experience declared?

An instance of somebody developing an unacceptable generalisation from a positive economic experience could occur if they had made a big amount of cash really promptly from a risky financial investment,bargain,or organisation endeavor. And let’s claim,for this instance,that their lucrative returns actually had more to do with good luck than sharp planning. Since this person might not possess the economic competence required to discern the difference in between good economic decisions and also large good luck,they might inappropriately wrap up that the high-risk strategy they used was a good one. In addition,that idea is enhanced in their mind by seeing the high returns they’ve “attained” by using such a strategy.

Consequently,they might inappropriately decide that the strategy is good enough to use once more in the future. What ultimately takes place is that they will wind up shedding more cash than they win,and also their funds will at ideal carry out like an unforeseeable roller coaster,or at worst they will merely keep shedding a growing number of cash with each “bargain” they go after. The ultimate outcome is that they will remain to fight with their economic status and also never ever truly prosper.

Comply With John Sage Melbourne for extra professional property financial investment guidance.

In addition to good and also bad experiences,somebody might additionally create unacceptable generalisations from no experience at all! As an example,somebody might believe they are not able to invest or feel it is a lot too terrifying to invest merely due to the fact that they have never ever done it previously. For many people,a lot of their restricting ideas,point of views,assumptions and also attitudes about developing wealth in their lives originate from not just knowledge-based ignorance however additionally from experiential ignorance. Once somebody starts to do something about it they will get experience. From experience can come understanding,and also from learning can come confidence. Confidence can then bring about more action and also the cycle then develops momentum. Lots of Misguided Combatants can hold unacceptable assumptions and also ideas about wealth creation merely due to the fact that they have never ever taken action to discover the reality of how it works in real practise.

Moreover,somebody can additionally create unacceptable generalisations about wealth creation from vicarious experiences of others. Lots of combatants are misguided by their very own assumptions,reasonings and also dreams about the financial investment experiences of good friends,family members,and also also total unfamiliar people. For instance,a combatant might hear a story from a pal of how an financial investment situation had gone wrong. The combatant might then visualize how distressed they would certainly really feel if they remained in that same situation.

Consequently,they might inappropriately wrap up that all such financial investments are bad and also undesirable. As opposed to picking up from the story about how to be a smarter investor,rather they dis-empower themselves by developing an unacceptable generalisation from their vicarious experience of somebody else’s financial investment blunder.

To find out more about investor types,see John Sage Melbourne here.

OASDI Limit 2024 Update: MaximizeOASDI Limit 2024 Update: Maximize

Last year, we saw a significant shift that rattled the foundations of Social Security contributions. This year is no different; 2024 brings another wave as the oasdi limit 2024 climbs higher than ever before.

You’ve heard whispers at work about it or seen headlines flash across your screen. It’s time to get a clear picture because this change isn’t just news—it directly impacts how much you’ll pay into Social Security and what your future benefits might look like.

I’m peeling back the layers on these new rules so you can see exactly how they play out in real dollars and cents for both employees and employers alike. Stick around—knowing this could make all the difference when planning for retirement or crunching payroll numbers.

Understanding the OASDI Limit in 2024

The OASDI limit, which affects your paycheck by deducting a portion of it for Social Security taxes, is an impactful part of the Old-Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance program. For those scratching their heads, let me break it down: The Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program caps how much of your Income can be taxed for Social Security each year. And guess what? In 2024 this cap is jumping up to $168,600.

What is the OASDI Limit?

The OASDI limit, or Social security wage base, acts like a ceiling on earnings subject to that familiar social security tax we all love to hate. It’s like saying “You only have to pay up until here; after that enjoy your hard-earned money.” This isn’t just an arbitrary number though—it’s pegged to average wages which means when we’re all making more dough on average, Uncle Sam adjusts his slice of our pie accordingly.

This leads us into why this matters: if you earn under $168,600 in 2024 (which most people do), every dollar earns its own little shadow called FICA—yep that pesky payroll tax—but if you soar above that amount? Well then congratulations high-flyer. Your additional income gets off scot-free from these particular taxes.

Calculating Your Contributions

You might now wonder how they decide who pays what. So let’s get down with some math fun—you contribute a steady rate of 6.2% towards social security taxes from each paycheck until your earnings hit that sweet spot—the wage base limit ($168,600). Once there however it stops even if salary keeps climbing because there’s no need for wings where eagles dare not perch—or something poetic like that.

Your employer matches this dance step-for-step contributing another 6.2%, so together both are grooving at a combined total rate hovering around 12.4%. But before self-employed folks start feeling left out don’t worry—we haven’t forgotten about you. You guys get double dipped since technically being both employee and employer which brings us to paying full combo meal deal at said tasty tune of 12.4% solo style—all without any fries on side unfortunately.

How the OASDI Limit Affects Social Security Contributions

Buckle up buttercups because changes in these limits affect everyone involved—from workers diligently watching deductions disappear from their paychecks right through companies doing the actual deducting themselves. Employers must keep tabs to make sure correct withholding happens based on updated figures, or else they might face the wrath of IRS spirits come audit time—and nobody wants that kind of unexpected surprise.

Turn Intention Into ActionTurn Intention Into Action

By John Sage (financial advice)

You have made it! We’re now at the end of my blog series about the secret rules of wealth development. If you’ve come this far,you are in a much better area than many other property investors,but your journey to adopting a wealth mindset still isn’t total.
Today,I wish to cover the last 3 guidelines to wealth production,so buckle up – we’re ending this list with three of the most crucial rules in life that you need to follow.

Guideline 8: Action helps

If you’ve read my blog,I hope you’ve felt inspired. That’s my goal. I share my wealth of knowledge with ordinary individuals like you with hopes that you’ll use it to produce real wealth for you and your household.
Pay attention to that word – I hope that you’ll use this information.
See,this information is great,and you might read every monetary book under the sun,but if you don’t do anything with the knowledge,it’s useless.
Investing and creating wealth is a series of actions and you can’t win by resting on the sideline. If you feel stuck like you don’t understand where to go,the very first step is to take action. Wealth will not simply land on your lap.

Rule 9: Proficiency

Individuals get fortunate all the time. Luck is never ever a bad thing,and I would be lying if I didn’t state that luck didn’t influence my monetary success throughout the years. The thing is,I’ve never ever depended on luck.
Luck needs to never be your go-to investing technique,and even in other locations of your life,you should not ever simply hope that you’ll get lucky.
Instead,you need to deal with luck as a nice surprise and a boost to your existing method. How do you go about browsing the financial world without luck? Well,you require skills.
You need to continuously grow and inform yourself,so your investing methods are backed by truths and trustworthy information. Structure skills take time,but given that you’re spending your time reading this blog,you’re on your way.

Guideline 10: It gets simpler

Here we are – the final guideline. The more that you go on this financial journey,the simpler that everything will get.
With every book you read and every choice you make,you’re becoming more skilled,and the difficulties these days will become easy actions for your future-self.

So,with this information and all the rules from the series,it’s clear what your next action is:
With your new-found values and set of guidelines,start making choices and take action. Make mistakes,make fantastic choices,get lucky.

Click here for more advice from John Sage.

www.johnsage.com.au John Sage (financial advice)