Both made, not quarried. Both non-porous. Where they part ways:
See all the work →Both are made, not quarried, and both are non-porous, so neither ever needs sealing. They part ways on heat, sunlight and how large a surface you want to cover.
Quartz is ground quartz bound with resin, typically in 2cm and 3cm, and it is very consistent from slab to slab. It resists scratching and staining well. Its limit is heat and sun: hot pans go on a trivet, and most quartz does not belong outdoors. Installed: Cambria Bentley in Naperville and Caesarstone Vanilla Noir in Chicago.
Porcelain is fired at very high heat, so a hot pan goes straight on it and it is UV-stable outdoors. It comes in large, thin slabs, usually 12mm, which makes it the material for full-height backsplashes, floor-to-ceiling fireplaces and shower walls with almost no seams: the Calacatta Gold fireplace in Chicago, the bookmatched fireplace in Western Springs, the Statuary shower in Barrington.
Porcelain is very hard but brittle at an unsupported edge, so edges are usually mitered and cut with care. Quartz is more forgiving to fabricate and to live with on a busy counter.
They can also work together: the Chicago kitchen pairs Calacatta Gold porcelain with Pure White quartz.
| Quartz | Porcelain | |
|---|---|---|
| Heat | Use a trivet — the resin can scorch. | Hot pans straight on it. |
| Sun / outdoors | No — UV can discolor the resin. | UV-stable. Outdoor kitchens, yes. |
| Sealing | Never. | Never. |
| Scratching | Strong resistance. | Very hard; brittle at an unsupported edge. |
| Thickness | 2cm and 3cm. | 12mm slabs; mitered to read thicker. |
| Walls & fireplaces | Countertops mainly. | Full-height backsplashes, fireplaces floor to ceiling, shower walls — almost no seams. |
| Installed | Naperville, Burr Ridge, Lake Forest, Chicago, New Berlin. | Chicago, Western Springs, Barrington, Park Ridge, Northbrook, Hinsdale. |
