28

Jun

Honed Vs. Leathered Quartz Countertops

Quartz is a widely popular kitchen countertop material, and for good reasons. Aside from its durability and longevity, there are many colors and pattern options to choose from. Well, speaking of options, there are also lots of quartz finishes. As more and more homeowners are preferring matte finishes, here is everything you need to know about leathered and honed quartz kitchen countertops.

A Comparison Between Honed And Leathered Quartz Countertops

What Is Honed Quartz?

Honed quartz is a really loved and very good finish of quartz if you are someone who doesn’t like the glitzy and very polished finish of kitchen countertop materials. When it comes to quartz and any other materials for that matter, there is a huge divide in finishes and what people prefer. Some people like the material to be fully matte. Some want a slightly polished finish and some want a complete mirror finish.

Well, when it comes to honed quartz, it is in the category of matte countertop finishes. It is buffed and treated until the top surface of the material looks completely matte. There is not even a slight shimmer or polish to this finish. It is completely matte. So, if you are someone who loves this certain type of finish, then this is the one for you.

Quartz is naturally quite shiny and polished, so if you want the material to be matte, then you have to treat it and buff it until it gets completely matte and that does take some time.

What Is Leathered Quartz?

If you are someone who can’t decide whether you want to go for a completely smooth matte finish or if you want a matte finish with a bit of texture, then don’t worry because quartz is here to save the day with a very unique finish, which is known as a leathered finish. It is pretty self-explanatory when it comes to a leathered finish.

If you have seen and felt leather before, then you would know that it is a matte material, but when you touch it, it is not completely smooth as you glide your fingers over the surface, it is slightly textured. You may not be able to put your finger on it, but it is somewhere between pebbled and slightly gritty.

Well, if you love this type of finish and don’t want your quartz countertops to be completely smooth and flat, then you can go for a leathered finish. It is seriously such a wonderful finish that is matte, but also textured. To achieve this leathered finish, the quartz surface is banged with a very specific mallet, which leaves texture and divots behind, giving it that signature look that you are bound to fall in love with.

Which Finish Of The Two Is Better?

Well. This is a question everyone would love the answer to, but it is not as simple as it seems. There are a lot of considerations that you have to take into account to come to a conclusion whether a finish is better than the other option or not.

The durability, the stain resistance, the general maintenance – all of it is very important to consider before this question can be answered. So, here are some of the things discussed below, and then you can make your decision. If you want, you can explore other types of quartz finishes as well.

Durability

When it comes to durability, quartz is generally a winner in the kitchen, even putting some very loved natural stones to shame. Well, when it comes to specific finishes, things might vary, but not so much as to make a huge difference because you’re still buying quartz countertops after all.

Honed Quartz Countertops

When it comes to honed quartz, it is really durable. It doesn’t require kids gloves to handle it and if you are careful with heat and other things that might damage the material, then you will be good to go for a long time.

Cleaning it is also easier due to the smooth and divot-free finish, so that earns it a couple of more brownie points.

Leathered Quartz Countertops

As far as leathered quartz is concerned, it is also just as durable as honed or any other finish of quartz. At the end of the day, it is quartz, and there is not a lot that can falter this material. However, one major thing that you have to think about is the cleaning.

Cleaning leathered quartz can be hard thanks to all of the texture the surface has going on. This can lead to a bit more time as opposed to other finishes being cleaned, so, it is good that you consider all the bases.

Maintenance

Next up is the maintenance of the two finishes and this is something that you have to consider because you don’t want to get a material that is very heavy on the maintenance side of things.

Honed Quartz Countertops

Well, when it comes to honed quartz, it will require a bit more maintenance than usual. Since it is not a natural finish of quartz, you have to realize that you will need to maintain the material to make it look the same at all times.

The honed finish can lose its charm after a bit and that is when you have to step up your game and maintain this bad boy.

Leathered Quartz Countertops

As for leathered quartz, even though it is generally harder to clean than honed quartz, what is really interesting is that it requires way less maintenance than other leathered materials, like leathered granite or marble.

Since the appearance is quite rugged to begin with, you don’t need to do a whole lot to maintain it, so this is quite encouraging and helpful for people who love this finish but can’t seem to decide which one to go for.

Stain Resistance

you also have to figure out which finish has the most and least resistance to stains, scratches, and all the shenanigans that are common in the kitchen.

Honed Quartz Countertops

When it comes to honed quartz, you need to keep one thing in mind and that is the fact that the matte finish can cause the material to stain. Because the surface is entirely matte and smooth with no chance of camouflage, you will see stains and smears a lot more easily on the surface as opposed to other surfaces. However, you don’t have to worry about scratches because they will be a no-show.

Leathered Quartz Countertops

With leathered quartz, you can get away with a slightly stained and worn surface, because the texture will camouflage everything perfectly. This is quite possibly one of the great things about leathered quartz. You don’t have to rush to clean or get rid of a stain if you don’t want your countertops to be mottled with weird smears all over the surface.

This finish also hides scratches really well and for that reason, it is considered to be one of the best quartz options to go for.

Conclusion

Even though there are more finishes of quartz, honed and leathered are perfect for people who want something that is a bit more on the matte side. Basically, honed quartz is a matte and flat surface, while leathered quartz is a matte but textured surface. To check out samples and other quartz finishes, get in touch with a quartz countertop contractor Potomac.