Everything You Wanted to Know About Quartz

Quartz has become an increasingly popular choice for creating beautiful surfaces around the home. Used for everything from quartz kitchen countertops to bathroom floors, quartz surfaces  are competing with more traditional materials like granite and marble. If you’re looking to remodel and want to know more about this cost-effective, durable slab option, read on.

What is quartz?

Quartz is an engineered material not to be confused with quartzite, which is a natural stone. Quartz slab is made of about 93% crushed ground quartz, a naturally-occurring crystal-like mineral, combined with 7% resins to form an extremely hard surface that’s comparable to granite in many ways.

What does quartz look like?

Quartz is man-made and can be created in a virtually endless variety of patterns and colors. It is often made to imitate the look of more expensive natural stones, such as Calacatta marble. Quartz surfaces can achieve the same classic style and finish as granite and marble, and can be engineered to include the beautiful veining and variations typically seen in natural stone.

If you choose to go with quartz countertops for your kitchen, you’ll have options in just about every imaginable color, from bright white to gold to charcoal black. Quartz comes in solid colors or can feature veined, fine grain, or coarse grain patterns. Some variations of quartz feature visible fragments of quartz crystals, which create a shimmering effect on the surface. It’s also available in several different finishes to give you the exact texture you’re looking for.

What are the benefits of quartz vs. natural stone?

Quartz makes an excellent choice for kitchen countertops, for several reasons. Here are just a few:

• Cost—Quartz is around the price of a mid-level or mid-range granite, making it an especially great option if you’re on a budget or if you have lots of counter space to cover.
• Stain Resistance—While granite and marble are both porous stone, which can stain easily if not properly sealed, quartz is non-porous and therefore very stain-resistant. This makes it a good choice for high-traffic kitchen countertops or bathroom applications.
• Durability—Quartz is an extremely strong and hard material, making it resistant to scratches and the wear-and-tear of a busy kitchen.
• Consistency—Unlike granite, which can feature several color changes in a single slab, quartz is designed to have a consistent color throughout that will not fade or change over time.
• Versatility—Available in an ever-expanding range of colors and patterns, it’s easy to find the perfect quartz surface for your home.
• Maintenance—Quartz is easy to maintain, as it does not require regular sealing like granite, marble, and other natural stone surfaces.

If you’re wondering what material to use for your next renovation or slab project, quartz may be the perfect surface for you. Whether you’re looking for a timeless white marble look or love the appearance of a dark granite, opting for quartz is a great way to achieve a stunning design without breaking the bank.

See for yourself what your quartz kitchen countertops could look like with the Just Imagine Visualizer from Arizona Tile.