Granite Vs Silestone: Which Is Better?

Kitchen renovation is an exciting undertaking, but the wealth of decisions you have to make can produce a lot of stress. One of the most common sticking points for renovators is the material that they select for their countertops. Most countertops debates these days come down to either granite or silestone.
Let’s look a little deeper into this important decision.
Both are Bacteria Resistant
Many advocates of silestone argue that it is bacteria resistant, while granite becomes a breeding ground for germs. This argument primarily comes about due to the fact that granite almost always has more pockets and divots in its surface than the permanently smooth silestone.
While granite countertops due feature a more irregular surface, if you clean yours regularly than there will be nothing to worry about when it comes to bacteria.
Looking at them from a material standpoint, both granite and the quartz-based silestone naturally resist bacterial growth.
Silestone Comes Pre-sealed
This argument is true, and goes in favor of silestone. When you install a silestone countertop it will already be sealed to resist water, staining, and all other imperfections which build up over time. Granite countertops often require you seal them yourself to give them the same level of perfection against the daily wear and tear you will subject them too.
While silestone is inarguably more convenient when you first install it, the process of sealing granite is not particularly difficult, time consuming or expensive. You will only have to seal your granite countertop once, and after that initial procedure it will remain as clean and protected as silestone.
Granite Usually Costs Less
Silestone countertops are usually more expensive than granite to purchase. Silestone is a processed material, while granite countertops are cut from whole natural slabs of stone. In some markets, a silestone countertop can cost up to 30% more than an equivalently sized and shaped granite countertop.
The price of granite is variable, however, and the best deals on the material generally come from specialty sellers and not the big-box home improvement stores.
Remember that Looks Matter
While your kitchen is primarily a functional space, you have to remember that it also should be as aesthetically pleasing as possible. When it comes down to it, most people prefer the look of granite countertops over silestone countertops.
Granite countertops are cut from a single slab of stone, which gives each piece its own unique look and patterning. No two granite countertops will ever look exactly the same.
On the other hand, silestone countertops are all uniform in their construction. While silestone comes in a wide variety of colors, you will have a handful of granite colors to choose from as well if you go with the former material.
Making the Choice
At the end of the day, neither granite nor silestone are demonstrably better than the other as countertop material. The decision that you make will likely come down to nothing more than personal preference, and which fits the overall theme of your kitchen project better.
If you can afford it and if you prize convenience above all else, than silestone will be the more obvious choice.
If you are more concerned with aesthetics and spending less money, than granite makes the better option.
But at the end of the day, they are both great materials for kitchen countertops and you won’t go wrong from choosing either one.