Natural stone materials for countertops include marble and granite whereas quartz countertops are engineered stones. Here are some important details of all of them, involving their lifespan and how much they can last.

The Life Expectancy of Natural and Engineered Countertops

There are plenty of natural stone and engineered countertops to choose from, but how do you know how long will they last? Here is a list of different countertop materials whose life expectancies are given.

Granite Countertops

Granite is one of the most sought-after kitchen countertop materials and it is famous for a good reason. Granite is a very beautiful natural stone and it has an intricate design on it as well. it has abstract veining on it, both light and dark in color, with the base color being extremely beautiful and smoky in color.

Granite makes for a wonderful kitchen countertop. It is a very durable material. It is strong enough to sustain any large impacts made on the material’s surface and it is also scratch resistant. Being a natural stone, granite is a porous material. Porous materials have a tendency to absorb any liquid present on its surface. Granite is no different either. What you can do to make granite waterproof and resistant is to seal the top surface.

Sealant is a polymer-based gel like substance, which fills up the pores of the exposed surface and prevents water or any liquid from coming or invading in the pores of the stone. All in all, granite is considered to be the most durable natural stone, with a huge life expectancy. It is supposed to last for a lot of years, which makes it classic and timeless.

Marble Countertops

Marble, another great natural stone option for countertops, is also a very famous material among a lot of people. Marble is mostly available and preferred in lighter colors with diminished and faint veining. It makes the stone look extremely regal and elegant. It adds a luxurious feel to the stone and any countertop.

Marble, being beautiful as it is, can be a very fragile material. It cannot sustain a lot of impact, unlike other natural stones like granite and soapstone. Marble can chip easily as well, so it is not a good choice for places where there is a lot of human traffic and where there are children around. You don’t want the marble to shatter on impact.

Also, unlike granite countertops, you cannot sit on marble either. it is a weak stone, but it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t last long. It can last long if you take care of it properly and if you maintain it. The average lifespan of marble countertops is about 6 to 7 years, if maintained and looked after properly.

Quartz Countertops

Quartz is made with quartz pigments and crushed minerals. Quartz is very reminiscent of granite. The best thing about quartz stone is that it has no seams when it is being installed. A lot of the times, there are problems faced, when the stone is being installed as countertops.

The seams in a lot of stones, like granite and marble can be easily identifiable and they can look bad. Quartz, on the other hand, leaves no seams and lines of demarcation, which makes the countertop look smooth and put-together.

Quartz also lasts for a long time, like granite and it is also less expensive than granite. One thing you need to take care about, regarding quartz, is that you should not put hot pans and pots on top of quartz. You should always use trivets on top of quartz countertops, if you must put anything hot on top of the surface.

Soapstone Countertops

Soapstone is also reminiscent of granite. It is also very strong like granite. In fact, soapstone countertop is just as strong as granite. Soapstone, as the name suggests, is a soap like stone, which has a slippery and lustrous texture. Soapstone can take anything you throw at it.

There you go! Now you know the life expectancy and a good gross estimate of how long your natural and engineered stone countertops can last. Moreover, when choosing and installing a kitchen countertop, make sure to hire reputable granite countertop installers Durham NC for longer lifespan of the material.