Is a Silestone worktop better than granite?

cuffie

I was all set for getting a granite worktop but a friend has just mentioned Silestone. More hardwearing?? Can anyone help?

[Deleted User]

My understanding is that silestone is less porous, more hardwearing and more heat resistant than granite, but personally I prefer the look of granite.

Ferazzi

I am a stone mason , and have worked with granite and quartz for over ten years now, making mostly kitchen worktops.

I personally prefer granite as it makes your worktop unique and not another one like it in the world, also granite polishes to a much higher sheen then quartz which has almost a matt finish.
The advantage of quartz is its non porous surface, so any liquid left on the surface over time can just be wiped away, however most quartz colours will fade in direct sunlight and for this reason quartz can not be used outside.
Both quartz and granite are highly scratch and heat resistant, but repeated exposure to high heat will cause both surfaces to lose their sheen so a pan stand is a must.
Like everything for sale, lower prices usually reflect lower quality materials.
I am happy to advise on any granite or quartz so you can decide on the right surface for your needs

Daniel
Ferazzi - Stone masonry for Contemporary Design

lindos90

Ive had the same dilema, in the end we decided to go for quartz, but not silestone, its the most expensive quartz (and we have had quote a few quotes!!), and the main difference between this and other quartz is that it has microban in it, thats all.

The reasons we went for quartz..

Offers a more consistant surface, not as porus as granite, doesnt need as much maintaining such as repolishing/resealing, and most importantly I wanted sparkles:o, and not even granite star galaxy gave me that! There are lots more colour options too, (although we wanted black with mirror flecks anyway!)

Theres compaq, Rotherhams gemini, lots of others, although we were advised against 'direct imports with no particular brand' as the colours were not as consistant between batches.

We have ordered toba blackridge by samsung, and if the snow eases off I will get the templates done next week!

I would recommend you go direct to a local granite/quartz company rather than via your kitchen supplier, you will have more control over the installation, probably see real sheets in their warehouse rather than just a tiny sample in a kitchen showroom. You may even find you can get a better deal as your kitchen place will be taking a cut (although he will probably say he can get it cheaper as he has an account with his worktop supplier and can get a 'good deal').

In my quest for my kitchen Ive learnt a fair bit, if I can help I will, fire a way with any questions!;)

Mayflower10cat

We went for granite after much deliberating.... The difference in quotes was incredible - about £3k difference between the highest and the supplier we actually went for. Not a large kitchen at all so being quoted almost £6k was jaw-dropping.... We used a local man, he bought an entire slab which was a one-off but was just the amount we needed. The bigger companies, we found, could supply almost the same granite but quite where the rest of the ££s were going was anyone's guess. It does look very beautiful and has been much admired. I love the fact that every bit is different, we also have some little bits that look like fossils!

Alan_M_2

With the heat resistance of quartz, do bear in mind the term "resistant" not "heat proof".

Also note that quartz will scorch very easily.

Quartz will cope fine with boiling water, hot drinks etc, however you're going to struggle if you want to pull roasting tins out of the oven and plonk them on your shiney new quartz or take a pan off the hob and pop it on the top.

Compare this to granite, where it's not unusual for a mason to use a blow torch to dry out granite after wet cutting.

One of my regular stonemason customers burns the offcuts of quartz he gets rather than filling up the skip he uses to dispose of granite off cuts.

Granite and Quartz are simply different products, it's like comparing apples and oranges. They tend to get lumped together as fabricating and installation is pretty similar in either material.

Quartz comes in colours that can never be acheived with natural products, it also has a high degree of stain resistance (but do note it is not stain proof).

Granite is harder wearing (the darker colours are) and polishes to a higher degree.

I sell both on a wholesale basis, my personal thoughts are if you want white or primary colours, quartz is a better product.

If you want black or darker shades granite is the way to go.

I will add this though, I'm not sure why a product that is marketed as almost entirely impervious actually needs an anti bacterial agent (microban - which is actually a pesticide)? That still puzzles me.

Alan_M_2

lindos90 wrote: »

Theres compaq, Rotherhams gemini, lots of others, although we were advised against 'direct imports with no particular brand' as the colours were not as consistant between batches.

All quartz manufacturers batch each production run (there's number printed on the reverse side of the slab).

You only use one batch for one job, so any change between batches is entirely irrelvant unless you're being provided a generic sample rather than seeing the slab of material being used specifically for your fit.

I'm afraid you've been fed a bit of spin there.

Alan_M_2

Van1971 wrote: »

My understanding is that silestone is less porous, more hardwearing and more heat resistant than granite, but personally I prefer the look of granite.

SIlestone (or generically quartz) is less porous than granite.

Scratch resistance depends on which granite it's being compared to, quartz is more scratch resitant than say Kashmir white, but less resistant than Star Galaxy. However you also need to consider that some colours (such as blacks) can show scratches more than lighter colours - in either material.

Granite can be face polished if it's scratched, quartz can't.

Quartz is not more heat resistant than granite, that is a misconception.

lindos90

Alan_M wrote: »

You only use one batch for one job, so any change between batches is entirely irrelvant unless you're being provided a generic sample rather than seeing the slab of material being used specifically for your fit.

I'm afraid you've been fed a bit of spin there.

What he was saying was that there was a very noticable difference in look and quality between each batch number, compaired to samsung/silestone/compaq type, where batches were more similar. Maybe I didnt explain well enough.

He had lots of cutouts lined up outside the workshop, and we compired them, not little samples.

Alan_M_2

lindos90 wrote: »

What he was saying was that there was a very noticable difference in look and quality between each batch number, compaired to samsung/silestone/compaq type, where batches were more similar. Maybe I didnt explain well enough.

He had lots of cutouts lined up outside the workshop, and we compired them, not little samples.

Still, as I mentioned, your kitchen would be produced from a single batch so batch shade varience wouldn't be an issue, you'd be fitting a product that you'd been and picked the actual slabs (I'd hope).

Also quartz left outside discolours in natural light very quickly indeed, as already mentied previously in this thread it is unsuitable for use externally, so the offcuts shown to you could easily have suffered this problem (and they do discolor in a matter of days, so two identical pieces left outside with a two week gap would appear as different colours.

The list of instructions wholesalers get about the storage of this product makes you wonder where it is suitable for any form of use including:-

(These are Silestone, compac and cimstone storage instructions)

It cannot be stored outside as the natural acidic element of rain will etch and dull the surfaces.

It should be kept out of direct sunlight (even inside buildings) or it will discolour.

It has to be adequately supported in as vertical position as possible as the material will warp.

It is a nice material, but it's not granite and should not be compared to granite.