Cracks are always a risk when natural stone countertops are installed. It goes with the territory. The question then becomes whether the risk of cracks warrants choosing some other type of material. We would say no. Experienced craftsmen are particularly good at what they do, so they keep cracking risks to a minimum.
Note that some natural stone materials are less prone to cracking than others. Of course, there are non-stone countertops that are nearly impervious to cracks. To us, the important thing is that you are happy with your countertops once installation is complete. If choosing a different material would make you less happy than going with stone, taking a risk on stone is worth it.
Quartz Countertops Are Great
Among all the stone materials, quartz is probably the best in terms of avoiding installation cracks. Quartz countertops are great because they are an engineered material. And they are engineered to resist cracking.
Regular readers of our blog know that quartz is a naturally occurring mineral found mostly in silica sand. The individual minerals are too small and do not occur close enough together to form solid pieces. So making quartz countertops is a matter of combining the minerals with resins and dyes to create a manufactured material.
One of the benefits of engineering quartz countertops is the ability to make them very strong. Quartz is not brittle like granite and marble. Therefore, it is comparatively easy to install without cracking.
Granite Is Another Great Choice
If you would rather have a true natural stone rather than an engineered product, granite is another excellent choice. Granite is especially tough and durable. While it can crack under extreme stress, it takes a lot to crack a piece of granite during installation.
The other side of that coin is that granite can be tough to cut and shape. Installing a granite countertop really isn’t a DIY job unless you have the proper tools, along with the right knowledge and some experience.
As for quartzite and marble, they require a bit more care during installation. Neither material is terribly fragile, but they do not stand up to stress as well as granite. We would always recommend an experienced installer if putting in quartzite or marble.
Other Material Choices
Quartz, marble, granite, and quartzite are the only countertop materials we carry at Bedrock Quartz. If you are not interested in natural stone or it is beyond your budget, there are other materials to look at. For example, solid surface materials are a lot like quartz in the sense that they are engineered to resist cracks. Some solid surface materials are also repairable in-place if damage does occur.
You could go with stainless steel for a more industrial look. Stainless steel definitely will not crack during installation. It won’t chip either. In fact, there isn’t a whole lot you could do to damage stainless steel during installation.
Laminates are not prone to cracking, either. By their very nature, they are easy to install with little risk of damage. Should a laminate be damaged during installation, repairs are pretty straightforward. Laminates are a low-risk material for budget friendly kitchens.
One last option for resisting cracks is concrete. Concrete countertops are poured in place, guaranteeing no cracks as long as the pour is done correctly. But we get the fact that concrete isn’t everybody’s first choice.
If you are sold on natural stone, and we expect that you probably are, why not visit a Bedrock Quartz showroom? We have plenty of great countertops to show you. Also know that we install everything we sell.