Natural Stone vs. Engineered Stone - Pros & Cons

Hi I'm Danielle, on the Design team at Revive and we're about to unravel the age-old debate: Engineered versus Stone countertops. It's a battle of durability, style, and functionality. Here are the pros and cons to Stone vs Engineered Countertops.

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STONE

Marble

Marble is a natural stone that offers elegance with its timeless appearance and cool surface for optimal baking; however, its porosity and scratch sensitivity demand regular maintenance and care to prevent staining and damage. Despite a variety of colors, its softer nature makes it more susceptible to scratches and etches.

Quartzite

Quartzite has an elegant, marble-like appearance and exceptional durability making it resistant to scratches, impacts, and high temperatures. However, its heaviness requires adequate support in cabinetry, and the price can vary significantly based on factors like rarity and color, potentially exceeding the cost of other natural stones. Additionally, while it provides various color choices, it may have fewer options compared to engineered quartz.
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ENGINEERED

Quartz

A great engineered stone example is Quartz. Quartz is highly durable, resisting scratches, stains, and impacts, while its non-porous surface requires minimal maintenance and eliminates the need for sealing. It offers a wide variety of colors and patterns, though its sensitivity to extreme heat and potentially higher cost compared to certain natural stones are noteworthy drawbacks.

Porcelain

Porcelain offers exceptional durability, resistance to scratches, stains, and heat, with the added advantage of large slab sizes, minimizing seams in extensive countertop areas. While its non-porous surface ensures low maintenance and design flexibility, potential edge chipping during installation with a relatively higher cost are notable drawbacks.