Durable Dekton Countertops Are Taking On Quartz

We recently explored quartz, quartzite, marble, granite, concrete, and laminate countertops but decided one counter material deserved its own deep dive: Dekton. This material was introduced in 2013, and it’s slowly been gaining prominence and popularity ever since. Dekton is high-tech, highly durable, and becoming a choice countertop material alongside quartz. Let’s explore.

Let’s go right to the source. Dekton describes DEKTON as follows:

“DEKTON is a sophisticated blend of the raw materials used to produce the very latest in glass and porcelain as well as the highest quality quartz work surfaces.

Dekton employs exclusive Sinterized Particle Technology, a high tech process which represents an accelerated version of the metamorphic change that natural stone undergoes when subjected to high temperatures and pressure over thousands of years.

Electronic microscopy allows us to fully appreciate the material’s zero porosity, a consequence of the sinterization and ultra-compaction process exclusive to DEKTON. This zero porosity and lack of the micro-defects that cause tension or weak spots mark the difference as far as DEKTON is concerned. “

I feel like I know less now. Let’s try this again. Here’s how the marketing VP of Cosentino (Dekton’s parent company) described it to Consumer Reports:

“It’s made of a combination of quartz, porcelain, and glass. I would describe it as a hybrid of the best materials in the market for surfacing.” Okay, that makes a bit more sense. It’s quartz, porcelain, and glass that’s been “sinterized” — intensely heated and compacted — to make it super strong.

• Consumer Reports found that Dekton is great at resisting abrasion, staining, heat, and cuts.
• Home Depot goes a step further, calling it “completely scratch resistant” and claiming it “cannot be scorched or stained.”
• It also stands up to water and UV rays, making it a great choice for outdoor kitchens and dining areas.
• Dekton does not need to be sealed — unlike marble, quartzite, granite, and concrete — all of which require sealing and periodic resealing.
• It’s significantly less expensive than quartz, quartzite, marble, and granite; the uninstalled prices for those materials are the same or more than the installed price for Dekton.
• Though I’ve never seen Dekton in real life, if the photos of Home Depot’s selection are any indication, the stuff is GORGEOUS. I especially like the looks of Trillium and Keon Concrete.
• The material is also available as flooring, siding, and building facades.
• Dekton offers a 25-year warranty on its products, provided they have been professionally installed.

• As part of its thorough testing, Consumer Reports dropped heavy objects onto all of the 14 countertops it tested; Dekton chipped on the edges and was the only counter material that split entirely.
• While Dekton is cheaper than many countertop materials, it is quite a bit more expensive than laminate and concrete.
• Dekton must be professionally installed, so there is no saving money with a DIY install!
• It appears that Dekton is mostly sold by specialty retailers; Home Depot seems to be the exception (though pricing is not available online). It is not available at Lowe’s or Menards.

For further pros and cons, check out this discussion among professionals happening over at Houzz —all the comments are worth a read if you’re serious about installing Dekton.

In general, Dekton costs $60-$95/square foot, installed—and again, it has to be professionally installed. If you’d like to see how it looks in person and in your home, Home Depot has Dekton samples (ranging in size from 2″ x 4″ to 4″ x 4″) for about $10 each.

Finally, let’s see how Dekton stacks up to that sturdy standby: quartz.

• Quartz is stain-resistant, while Dekton is stainproof.
• Quartz is vulnerable to heat; Dekton is not.
• Quartz often becomes discolored when exposed to the sun, whereas Dekton is UV-proof.
• Quartz shouldn’t chip, while Dekton is known to be vulnerable to chips and even splitting.
• Quartz costs approximately $75/square foot uninstalled, and Dekton costs about the same installed.
• Neither material requires sealing.

If you have any experience with Dekton countertops, please share!