Quartz countertops have already become ‘the next big thing’. People from all over the world are in love with artificial rocks, nourished by artificial colors.

All you should know about quartz countertops

While you may admire the quartz kitchen tops, you should know about the following interesting facts regarding quartz countertops:

Formation of Quartz

It is interesting to know the formation of quartz kitchen tops. A lot of people think about the contradiction of natural stone and manmade’

The thing is that, quartz countertops are made by using almost 93% of ground quartz and mix it up with 7% of colors, polymers and resins. The combination yields an uncountable variety of colors.

It is also important to know that when manufacturers say that their quartz countertop products have 7% resin, they mean 7% resin by weight. In reality, the resin volume is almost 35% of total finished product.

Cost Varies

You might have heard that quartz kitchen tops are cheaper than granite kitchen tops. This is true but even in the price range, there are multiple types of quartz countertops.

Low end quartz countertops are around $35 per square foot while higher end quartz countertops go all the way, up to $150 per square foot.

This is just like ‘the more sugar you put, the sweeter it will get’. Cost of a quartz countertop depends upon many factors including color, material, thickness of a slab and quality of a stone.

The Secret of Buying Quartz Countertops

You may find it tempting to go to large home improvement stores but you will end up disappointing over there, as prices are high, variety is limited and they don’t have skilled contractors, considering they aren’t specialized in only quartz countertops.

What you need to do is to try the local market. There are skilled    workers in local stone yards, who are in touch with the market. Due to growing competition, every yard is updated with industry standards and trendy design practices. You will find a large and yet, affordable variety in terms of material and craftsmanship from these vendors.

Avoiding Pushiness

Sometimes, a seller has one item in large quantity and they want to dispose it. While it is completely okay to let them give their valuable suggestions, do not get push over by their over emphasis of a particular choice.

In the end, it is your money and it is only fair that you should have the final decision.

Difference from Granite

Granite is stone and quartz is also stone so what’s the difference? Good question! The difference lies in their making. While granite is 100% unique stone, quartz is a mixture of quartz, colors and polymers.

Granite is porous and this means, you have to seal it, otherwise, it will get spoil with the passage of time. This is not the case with quartz and quartz is also known to provide better scratch resistance than granite.

Quartz and Quartzite Are Not Same

While both of them look extremely similar, quartzite is not engineered stone and it has to be sealed, in order to avoid stains.

Quartzite does offer more heat resistance though. With both having similar prices, it is important to know what you are getting!

Environment Friendly

Most people have misconception that quartz products are not ‘green’ i.e. they are not environment friendly. This is wrong because production of both, granite and quartz has very low emissions of carbon.

Cleaning Quartz Kitchen Countertops

With so many chemical cleaners in the market, you may get duped into using any chemical cleaner. Who knows, it may have abrasive nature, which can damage your quartz countertops.

Avoid using harsh chemicals and make a habit of using trivets under crock pots and pans.

Quartz and Stain Resistance

Quartz kitchen countertops are very stain resistance. They have higher stain resistance than granite countertops, but definitely does not mean that they cannot develop stains. If stains are allowed to stay at a place or are very acidic, they may leave their mark. The best practice is to don’t allow them to stay. If a liquid is spilled on your quartz countertop, clean it as soon as you can.

To avoid stains, keep your liquids away from slabs and when you are cutting fruit, try to use a cutting board, instead of directly cutting on the countertop. If there is gum and paint on the slab and you want to remove it, get a plastic scraper and scrape it gently.

If oil is spilled on the slab, use a cleanser, which is also a degreasing agent and is safe to use on quartz kitchen tops potomac md.