Engineered Granite vs. Slabs: How They Stack Up

Last Updated on January 6, 2020

When you’re purchasing granite for your home, whether it be for your countertops, fireplace, floors, or anywhere else you can find a place for it; do you really know the granite you’re using? Where did it come from? How does it compare to other varieties of granite? Basically, is this the granite for me? Well, I think I can shed a bit of light on what you’re buying. Many people choose to install granite as a solid slab, which requires full replacement and construction. Others, like those who come to Granite Transformations for their granite fixtures, select engineered granite that not only doesn’t require a full demolition, but has technical advantages over the standard, mid-range granite.

Let’s break it down, bullet by bullet:

The Water Absorption Test: Less than 0.2% water absorbed with Trend Stone granite compared to 0.58% absorbed with mid-range granite.

The Flexural Strength Test: Engineered Trend Stone can resist up to 28.1 MPA’s (MegaPascals – a unit of measure judging the amount of pressure that can be applied on a given surface), while mid-range granite only supports up to 15.3 MPA’s.

The Breaking Strength Test: Engineered Trend Stone has an index of 49.4 MOR (modulus of rupture – an index attributed to the strength and rigidity of materials) while plain ole’ mid-range granite carries an MOR of only 34.3.

Resistant to Cigarette Embers: Not all of us are smokers, but some are and for those people they’ll be happy to know that all ember stains on engineered granite could be wiped away, while with mid-range granite a yellow halo remained.

After testing these items we can determine a couple of things; engineered Trend Stone is stronger and less porous, and the best part is that the granite overlay installation takes only a couple of days, at most. Check out the varieties of granite options and colors in the products section.