Skip Quartzite And Marble — Use A Cheaper, Eco-Friendly Alternative

All home renovations or builds boil down to how much money you have in your budget. More often than not, sacrifices are going to have to be made in order to keep within the limit you've given yourself. This is especially true when it comes to timeless kitchen countertop materials like quartzite and marble. While durable and beautiful, they're not exactly what you'd call cheap. Nor are they necessarily the most eco-friendly options. Despite being natural stones, both are quarried products that require heavy machinery, fuel, and water to remove and transport, each creates dust and waste, and they are often shipped in from distant countries. So, what then is the budget/environmentally conscious buyer to do? Choose porcelain.

Porcelain is a ceramic material made from clay, sand, and other minerals. They are heated together to create a uniform item that is resistant to heat, stains, dents, and scratches, making it more durable than another affordable and eco-friendly material — recycled aluminum. Porcelain can also be manufactured in different colors and patterns, meaning the finished product can look nearly identical to natural marble or quartzite.

Now, the biggest benefit of porcelain over marble or quartzite is the price. According to Angi, marble and quartzite each cost between $50 to $220 per square foot depending on the type you get. Meanwhile, Tilemart numbers show porcelain clocking in at $5 to $15 per square foot for materials, and another $3 to $10 for installation. The beauty is, it's not just the upfront costs that will save you money.

Porcelain tiles — whether used for walls, flooring, or countertops — also saves money long-term thanks to its durability and low maintenance requirements. Natural stones like marble and quartzite require resealing every few years (marble might need resealing twice each year, depending on where it's located) in order to maintain the protective surface that prevents staining and scratches. This doesn't cost a ton, roughly $100 to $350 if you hire a pro, per Angi. Porcelain, being nonpourous, need only be cleaned with soap and water. However, one knock against porcelain is its propensity to chip more easily on edges and corners, so you'll need to be careful there. Of course, replacement will be much less expensive than chipped quartzite.

Besides the fact that you're going to be saving money by installing porcelain, you're also going to be doing your part towards promoting a more eco-friendly material. The raw materials porcelain is derived from are abundant throughout the world and can be sourced ethically, often locally, and arguably sustainably. This doesn't just include porcelain countertops, but porcelain tiles as well. These are an excellent choice if you want a durable kitchen flooring material. 

Another environmental benefit to porcelain is that it can be easily recycled. If the countertops or tiles are in good condition, they can be purchased secondhand at a reduced rate and reused in a new space. Porcelain, whether damaged or not, can also be crushed down and repurposed as materials for new products. This essentially makes any porcelain product indefinitely reusable.