McCamy Construction

Whether you’re building a new home and drawing plans for the perfect kitchen, renovating one a couple decades old, or remodeling to keep up with the times, your countertops will set the tone of your overall kitchen design because of their fundamental contribution to visual appeal.Over the years, granite and quartz have proved to be the two kitchen countertop materials most popular among our clients. Let’s review each one.Granite Countertops

Granite is a natural stone made of quartz, mica, and feldspar. It is quarried from around the world and taken directly from the earth as a single chunk of volcanic rock. The rock is then cut into large blocks or individual slabs by machinery and sold to manufacturers. Pros

• unique, natural appearance
• hard, durable, and scratch-resistant
• stain, heat, and water resistant
• easy to clean
• high resale value

Cons

• expensive
• not uniform in appearance
• sample may differ from actual product
• heavy and inflexible, difficult to install
• some maintenance- annual resealing to maintain stain-resistance
• visible seams
• overused, not a rare material
• going out of style as other countertop materials (such as glass, stainless steel, and engineered stone) are trending

Price The cost of a granite countertop depends on a number of factors, such as the stone’s origin and rarity, slab thickness, and manufacturer expenses. The average price of a typical granite countertop can fall anywhere from $45-400 per square foot. However, this estimate does not include the installment, edging and tempting, any special finishes (polished, sandblasted, brushed, or flamed), or annual resealing, Quartz Countertops Quartz countertops are man-made engineered slabs. Resins, polymers, and pigments are added to ground natural quartz to create its unique appearance. Pros

• hard, durable, and scratch-resistant
• non-porous
• stain and crack resistant
• easy to clean
• low maintenance– no sealing or resealing
• lots of color options

Cons

• expensive
• may discolor over time if exposed to direct sunlight
• visible seams on large countertop designs

Price Quartz countertops range from $60-100 per square foot, not including the cost of installment. Our Recommendation Although there is a wide range of kitchen countertop materials that may fit your home’s unique style, when deciding between granite and quartz, we recommend quartz. The initial cost is higher than that of granite, however quartz is less expensive long term and provides greater benefits. Quartz is more durable and requires far less maintenance (no resealing) than granite. It comes in a variety of colors and variations all for one price, whereas the cost of granite is tiered based on distinctive qualities. If you’re considering a marble countertop, quartz can be engineered to have a marble-like appearance and will not be as porous as genuine marble and the color will last longer. Quartz also has more anti-bacterial components than granite. Our in-house designer recommends Cambria quartz because of the numerous options available. Tier 1 granite has been so popular over the last several years, its cost has dropped tremendously because of the its wide availability. Because of this, more people choose granite as a kitchen countertop material. If you are wanting a more unique look, quartz is definitely the way to go. At McCamy Construction, we are a different kind of construction experience. Your dreams are important to us because they are the basis upon how we build. You will meet with our designer before we build, renovate, or remodel your kitchen. Throughout the process, you will continue to connect with her to ensure your vision is carried out every step of the way. For more kitchen renovation ideas, check out some of our completed projects or custom home designs. If you have any questions or are simply interested in more information, please contact us  and we would be happy to schedule a consultation.