If you’re looking to add a contemporary touch to your home, quartz countertops can bring the modern look you desire. In the last ten plus years, quartz has become a popular choice for many homeowners desiring a sleek look in their kitchen or bathroom.
Quartz counters are a man-made product that is often intended to resemble natural stone. The quartz surface is durable, easy to clean, and can be highly tailored to fit any home.
Quartz countertops are an engineered product manufactured in a factory. The finished quartz slab is a mixture of ground quartz, resins and polymers, color pigmentations, and sometimes an injected image creating the unique finished design. The final appearance of the quartz counter can vary based on how the aggregate is ground. Slabs will be more flecked when using coarsely ground material and a smoother finish with finely ground aggregate. In addition, pigments are often added allowing homeowners to have diverse color selections.
In the production process, pulverized stone aggregate is mixed with the polymers and pressed into slabs under intense heat and pressure. This produces a natural looking stone slab that is both durable and non-porous.
Quartz has become a great option for countertops because it can be uniquely manufactured in any color or pattern. If you’re looking to make a statement with your kitchen or bathroom, quartz countertops offer you a wider color palette than natural stone can due to the unlimited flexibility that engineers have in the design of quartz slabs.
There are many reasons why quartz countertops have become so appealing. The price of quartz is often comparable with natural stone and can be cheaper than others, like marble.
Quartz countertops give a nice expensive look to any kitchen or bathroom, and many people enjoy its appearance and easy upkeep. Quartz countertops require limited maintenance because of their durability. Unlike other countertop options that can require ongoing maintenance, quartz only requires routine maintenance such as dusting and prompt wiping of spills.
Quartz countertops are also great options for custom homes because they are design-friendly. Quartz is more flexible than other stones, so it’s easier to bend and shape the material for curved countertop edges. In addition, with the ability to uniquely manufacture a specific design, quartz countertops can still look similar to natural stone.
Cost: Compared to other stone countertop options like granite and marble, quartz pricing starts at about the same price point at the entry level. Ultimately, the final cost depends on many factors, including how personalized the design, the raw materials injected in the manufacturing process, the slab finish and thickness.
Higher supply: Quartz countertops are more plentiful than other types of countertops because they are man-made and are not limited by geographical areas where specific natural stone colors are found. Quartz manufacturers can adjust production to meet the consumer demand for a specific designed slab, thus supply is only limited to production cycles.
Durability: Because manufacturing quartz uses resin as the binder for the slabs, it produces an extremely hard surface that can be more forgiving to impact. The resins in quartz countertops also produce a scratch-resistant surface.
Clean and stain-resistant: The non-porous, resin-based surface of quartz resisting staining. The cleanability of the smooth surface helps prevent bacteria, mildew, and mold from forming. This is especially useful for heavy use kitchens and bathrooms.
Broader available options: Since quartz countertops are manufactured, the color options and looks available are numerous. If you want a specific color scheme or prefer a flecked appearance over smooth—or vice versa—almost anything is possible.
Cost: While Quartz countertops can be very cost effective for entry level options, it can quickly become more expensive than other competing stone options based on adding intricate design features and surface treatments.
Heat resistance: Quartz generally has a lower heat tolerance than other stone countertops. The resin binders often discolor if hot objects are placed directly on the surface. Thus, placing hot pans and heated hair stylers on it can lead to surface damage. To avoid this, you should always use hot pads. trivets or towels between the quartz surface and hot object whenever possible to lower the risk of damage.
Natural look: While the options of quartz counters are only limited by the manufacturers and the designs they produce, natural stone has a unique beauty that sometimes becomes almost impossible to duplicated.
So as you can see, quartz has both advantages and disadvantages that you should take into consideration when selecting countertops. If you have any questions from the information presented above, please reach out to Wise Stone Choice at (260) 749-8062 or stop at our showroom at 5733 SR 930 E, Fort Wayne, IN 46803. and we would be glad to discuss further.