Being one of the oldest trades in the human history, stone masonry is now the most popular craft in Melbourne for creating buildings, structures and sculptures. The people involved in this craft are called as stonemasons. It ranges from memorial masons for creating cemetery memorials, fixer stonemasons for building decorative corbels to a domestic or commercial stonemason in Melbourne for installing custom stone benchtops.

Among all, the benchtops have a major impact on every Melbournian’s Kitchen renovation project. Whether you want to give a rustic, modern, industrial or contemporary look to your kitchen, stone benchtops are very important to enhance the overall look and ambience of your kitchen. In order to have a perfect installation of kitchen benchtops, it is essential to approach an experienced stonemason in Melbourne.

Different Types of Materials Used In Kitchen Benchtops
If you are thinking of building a new home or want to renovate your existing kitchen, there will come a point where you are confused in terms of selecting the right type of material for your kitchen benchtops. Here is the list of different stone kitchen benchtops you can choose from.

Silestone
Travertine
Caesarstone
Granite
Marble
Quartzite
Smart Stone
Quantum Quartz
Stone Italiana

If you get stuck in the selection process, quickly get an insight into the interesting tips to choose stone benchtops for your kitchen.

All of these materials can be cut and shaped in a variety of styles to suit your kitchen space. Still, for some individuals selecting the best benchtops for the kitchen is the matter of confusion. There are two popular choices on which most of the people are seen debating is the granite benchtops and Caesarstone benchtops in Melbourne. It can be hard to decide between the two of them because both are top quality benchtops that will last for years and also both have an attractive appearance. Here are the factors to consider which will help you decide the best benchtops for your kitchen.

Granite vs. Caesarstone: What are The Deciding Factors?

One of the important aspects of any kitchen renovation project is about choosing the best benchtop for your kitchen. The battle continues on deciding which one is better Granite or Caesarstone? Keep in mind below-mentioned deciding factors, which will provide you with a little insight about these two products.

Durability
One of the important factors to consider is durability. It is essential to know how strong the material is before you make any decision. Caesarstone is much more break and crack resistant as compared to granite because it performs two times better in sudden impact tests. Also, it is almost four times better in constant pressure tests. Overall, both the materials are highly scratch resistant.

Staining
Granite is porous and vulnerable to staining. It needs to be resealed minimum once a year in order to reduce the chances of stained and getting a dull appearance. On the other hand, Caesarstone is approximately 17 times less porous than granite and thus almost it is stain resistant. You don’t need to seal the Caesarstone, so there is no annual maintenance.

Texture
If you are fond of colours and different textures, then granite benchtop in Melbourne is the ultimate choice. Since it is a natural stone, you will find each one in a different texture. However, Caesarstone offers a look of natural stone with ease of maintenance. It is a smaller piece of material with added pigments. The final outcome is manufactured in the factory, so the colour or variation is going to look the same in every Caesarstone benchtops.

Material
Generally, a granite benchtop is a solid slab of stone which can be a great material for your home improvement project. In the market, there are countless varieties of granite which can differ in terms of density, porosity, amount of pitting etc. On the other hand, Caesarstone benchtop is a manufactured product using approximately 93% quartz aggregates and other 7% resin and pigments which is used to bond the stone together.

Price
The installation cost of granite can range from 40$ to $50 per square foot. Still, the final cost of granite benchtops will depend on different factors such as the quality, variation, availability and individual costs of the installer and fabricator. Thus, choosing the granite manufacturer and installer requires careful considerations. However, the installation of Caesarstone benchtops in Melbourne typically ranges from $60 to $100 per square foot. This cost solely depends on the colour or variation you choose. Every Caesarstone surface comes with the lifetime warranty.

The Final Choice
The final decision of choosing between Caesarstone and granite benchtops in Melbourne always depends on the homeowner. Both the materials are of high-quality which will last for years. Still, the confusing factor might be the price, which you can go wrong. Don’t take the decision considering the price because there is a possibility that low-cost benchtops might not fit your kitchen or your specifications. Thus, rather than focusing on the differences between the two, focus on your vision regarding the overall kitchen look.