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Buying quartz countertops in Chicago whittles down to aesthetic and price, but what, exactly, determines cost? Size, labor, color, and grade are responsible for the final buying price. Quartz grade is determined by the slab&#;s thickness, colors, resin, and minerals it contains. Picking a decent grade delivers longevity, ensuring your countertop withstands everyday wear and tear.
We advise our clients to familiarize themselves with different grades of quartz countertops before purchasing so they understand how it impacts durability and stone appearance. Let&#;s review the main factors used by consumers and professionals that help them make savvy countertop choices that become valuable returns on investment.
When it comes to different grades of quartz, there is the first choice, commercial-grade, and second choice. These grades of quartz determine overall cost, durability, aesthetics and impact your home&#;s overall value.
Rich and vibrant coloring with minimal veins;
Smooth finish that&#;s sometimes mistaken for marble;
Virtually flawless, with a unique sparkle;
Expensive, but incredibly durable and beautiful;
Typically consists of 7-8% resin;
Costs between $80 to over $100 per square foot;
Used in hotels, restaurants, bars, and other service industry applications;
Best mix between quality and price;
Costs between $60-$80 per square foot;
Contains between 8-11% resin;
Not as flawless as the first choice, but difficult to detect flaws within commercial applications;
Basic, builder&#;s grade material;
Lacks luster and is duller than first choice and commercial grade quartz;
Commonly used in prefab models;
Used for entry-level projects;
Contains more than 12% resin;
Costs between $50-$60 per square foot;
If you know what to look for, several visual tell-tale signs can alert you to low-quality quartz. Take heed of the following when examining slabs of quartz counters you might buy.
Decent quality quartz is consistent in color within and across slabs. For kitchens requiring more than one slab, this is a prerequisite. While quartz patterns do vary intentionally, the base color or dye lot and movement patterns within a slab or piece should be more or less the same.
Natural quartz crystals are mined and then ground into an aggregate that&#;s fused with resin binders under intense heat and pressure to form a solid slab.
Reputable quartz brands like Caesertsone and MSI Q Quartz manufacture slabs according to specific formulas to ensure superior consistency. Lower-end quartz manufacturers may have less precise mixing procedures or testing rounds, leading to garish color differentiation.
Choosing name-brand quartz that comes with a warranty and hiring a reputable fabricator prevents the purchase of low-grade quartz. Experienced fabricators have the finesse and foresight to lay out similar pieces that, when seamed, display little difference.
Veins, patches, splatters, and any other patterns and textures should seep through the slab&#;s body, i.e., travel all the way to the bottom. Slabs with surface-deep patterns are problematic and will make waterfall edges and undermount sink cutouts look tacky. Don&#;t buy a countertop slab where the color fades or disappears halfway through the edge.
The aggregate setting is also important to examine. Aggregate refers to the crushed material that forms patterns in the quartz. A good quartz slab, like Calacatta Flutter quartz, will exhibit consistent aggregate distribution. In the best quartz countertops, aggregate can be fine or chunky, so long as it&#;s evenly distributed with the slab.
Poorly distributed aggregate may cause pits and pockets, weight and density imbalances within a slab, increasing fragility and the risk of chips and cracks in your kitchen countertops.
A visual inspection will quickly reveal whether a quartz slab is uniform in color and thickness and has a homogeneous crystalline texture. It goes without saying: you shouldn&#;t just order from a catalog- always view the slab in person before buying.
High grades of quartz countertops contain over 90% compacted quartz with minimal premium-grade polymer materials and resins. The combination of these materials produces non-porous, color-consistent slabs during the manufacturing process when compared to other natural stones like granite or marble. On the contrary, poor-quality countertops exhibit resin pooling.
Slabs with gross inconsistencies are sometimes subject to resin pooling that mars the counter&#;s surface. Poorer resins may also be manufactured from sub-par materials and unknown chemicals that are unhealthy. Good resins last for decades and carry certifications. If your supplier can&#;t tell you much about the resins or doesn&#;t provide a warranty, that should be a warning sign.
When examining quartz slabs at eye level, the polish should possess a consistent shine. Whether a counter is polished, honed or brushed, etc., the surface should be smooth. A counter with a blotchy shine is a sign of inexperienced surface polishing, the use of polishing pads long past their &#;use-by-date&#; or cheap resin.
A quality manufacturer will always test a slab&#;s shine with a gloss meter as a final quality check. Quartz that isn&#;t polished properly may be porous in areas and risk damage after use. Not all quartz manufacturers are equal. Quality fabricators take pride in their workmanship and won&#;t risk stocking or installing poorly polished slabs.
It can be challenging to discern the quality of quartz countertops with the naked eye. Below are some fool proof methods to ensure you select a decent grade of engineered stone.
Examine the appearance of the white quartz slab to ensure there are no defects such as cracks, chips, scratches, stains, watermarks, or impurities. Quartz levels of thickness should be uniform throughout the stone. You can also do a pen test by making a small mark on the slab. If it wipes off quickly, then the sample is stain resistant.
Scratching quartz with a steel knife is one way to test hardiness. The blade will produce a black line on a good quartz slab, whereas, on inferior quartz, it will leave a white line. If you&#;re doing a scientific test using the Mohs hardness scale, then quartz, like granite, should rank around 7.
Quartz can withstand heat up to 300 °C. Resin binders in inferior slabs will melt and cause the slab to bend, change color, or become charred. This simple test can be done with a lighter or light cigarette. Fire may leave a black, sooty residue, but on genuine quartz, this can be cleaned with a damp cloth.
To test its quality, you can also drop dilute hydrochloric acid, lemon juice, or white grape vinegar onto a quartz sample. High-quality quartz crystals won&#;t bubble or react to any of the above ingredients. If dark spots develop, this indicates your quartz has a high porosity level and won&#;t be suitable as a worktop surface.
When it comes to quartz countertops, the heat resistance varies depending on the grade. It&#;s important to exercise caution by not placing hot pots directly on the quartz surface and using a trivet or hot pad instead.
Lower-grade of quartz countertops is more susceptible to dull, hazy spots and scratches during food prep. If you&#;re someone who tends to be careless while cooking, it&#;s best to opt for a higher-grade stone as they are more durable and require less maintenance.
For those who may not have the time or inclination to maintain their countertop regularly, a higher grade would be the better option for new quartz countertops as they can last longer without needing sealing or care.
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Natural Quartz Countertops.
While a lower-grade quartz countertop can work well in the bathroom where there is minimal exposure to heat from items like curling irons, it&#;s recommended to choose a higher-grade stone for the kitchen where they need to withstand high temperatures and frequent use.
Quartz is a popular countertop material due to its resilience, durability, and limited porosity when compared to other natural stones like granite or marble. Aside from these qualities, quartz requires almost zero maintenance and comes in an astonishing array of colors and varieties. Homeowners tend to like it because, as a manufactured countertop, its patterning is more uniform, and seams are less visible,
If you want to know what to know about quartz countertops, then you&#;ve come to the right place. At Granite Selection, we have many years of experience fabricating and selling high-quality quartz countertops and are always happy to offer advice to our clients about which quartz suits their needs best. Why not start by getting a free quartz countertop quote for your project?
Thank you to Gold Line for sponsoring this post. All content, ideas and words are always my own. Thanks so much for supporting the brands that make FOXYOXIE.com possible!
I don&#;t want to get ahead of myself, but I think we may have a finished kitchen very soon! Can you even believe it?!
We began the Greenfield kitchen renovation approximately six weeks ago, and last week our quartz countertops got installed.
You read that correctly &#; we have countertops! That means we have a sink&#;which means we are no longer washing dishes in the bathroom and eating takeout for breakfast, lunch and dinner. If that&#;s not a cause for celebration, I don&#;t know what is.
Side note: remind me to never again renovate a kitchen while living in it.
Anyway, &#;busy&#; doesn&#;t even begin to describe the last couple of months. We&#;re taking a much-needed vacation at the moment to recharge our batteries. But once we get back, we&#;ll have just a couple more projects to finish, like installing floating shelves, building out the custom range hood fan, tiling the backsplash, adding hardware, touching up paint, etc. Just a couple minor details, ha!
Back to our beautiful quartz countertops: Today I&#;m thrilled to share all the details in partnership with Gold Line. We&#;ve worked with Gold Line in the past and have always had top-notch experiences. If you are local, I cannot recommend this company highly enough!
Whether you&#;re starting a remodel yourself, or you&#;re taking notes for the not-so-near future, today&#;s article is chockfull of information. Make sure you bookmark it for future reference!
When choosing a countertop material for the Greenfield kitchen, I wanted something high-end, fairly light, and with minimal movement. When talking about countertops, movement refers to the distinct patterns that flow through the piece of stone.
Although marble doesn&#;t necessarily have minimal movement, it is one of my favorite countertop materials, even in a kitchen. But with the Greenfield being an investment property, I knew I had to choose a material with mass appeal. Unfortunately, most home buyers are hesitant to have marble in the kitchen, because, although undoubtedly beautiful, it&#;s one of the least durable and most high-maintenance natural stones. Granite is a significantly more durable material than marble, but it typically has either a very distinct pattern or bold movement, so that was out of the question in terms of aesthetics.
So, I set out to explore quartz.
I&#;ll be honest, before I started researching quartz, I had thought it was a natural stone. I&#;m willing to bet you did too.
Alas, quartz is an engineered, or man-made, stone. It is made up of 95 percent quartzite (hence the name), and 5 percent polymer resins. Essentially, quartz is 95 percent natural, whereas other stones are 100 percent natural. But it is that 5 percent, however, that makes quartz far more durable and more low-maintenance than marble, granite, and quartzite.
The top four high-end countertop materials are granite, quartz, quartzite, and marble. Quartz is the hardest, and thus the most durable of all four. In fact, it&#;s one of the toughest countertop materials available due to the man-made polymer resins.
That said, you cannot cut directly on the countertop. That was the most-asked question when I shared our newly-installed countertops on Instagram.
Important to note, however: You cannot cut directly on any of the other aforementioned materials, either, which is something most people are unaware of. Home buyers mistakenly think that if the countertop material is natural stone, then it can be used as a cutting board. That is simply not true. Sharp knives will scratch and etch the surface of any stone &#; natural or engineered. Quartz ranks higher on the Moh&#;s Hardness Scale at a 7, as opposed to granite, which ranked at a 6. For reference, a diamond is classified as a 10. This means that quartz is the most scratch-resistant material of the four; however, scratch- resistant does not mean scratch-proof!
In addition to being scratch-resistant, quartz countertops are considered heat-resistant too, and can withstand temperatures up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. In fact, this is one reason quartz works well as fireplace surrounds. However, as with most other stone materials, you cannot put a hot pan directly on the surface.
&#;Wait, what? But I thought you just said it&#;s heat-resistant!&#; is probably what you&#;re thinking right now.
If you were to play a hot pan on quartz, the sudden change from cold to hot can result in thermal shock, leading to discoloration or cracking. So yes, while a gradual increase in temperature is okay, putting a hot pan directly on the stone is not. This is a small but very important detail that most home buyers are unaware of, much like the question of cutting directly on stone.
One major difference between quartz and most other countertop options is that quartz is non-porous. As such, it never needs to be sealed &#; unlike most other materials. In fact, Gold Line recommends quartz for anyone needing a low-maintenance material in their kitchen.&#;
For everyday cleaning, Gold Line recommends warm water with a gentle soap solution that doesn&#;t contain any astringents or harsh chemicals, which can wear down quartz with repeated use. Then, using a separate cloth and fresh water, wipe away all traces of soap.
Because of its non-porous factor, quartz won&#;t stain when exposed to colored foods or liquids. However, it&#;s still best practice to wipe away spills as they happen, because the color may not have an effect, but if the spill is in any way acidic, that&#;s a different story.
For a hardened mess, a flexible plastic scraper and some warm water are the perfect tools for chipping away at the mess. For stubborn residue, use equal parts water and distilled white vinegar solution to cut through the film. You can also replace vinegar with hydrogen peroxide. Some people recommend using a magic eraser for stains, but I&#;ve not tried that myself. My guess it that it would depend on the finish of your quartz countertops, seeing how the magic eraser could possibly dull polished surfaces.
Quartz is also antimicrobial, so you can rest assured there is no mold hiding in your countertops. You can&#;t say the same for natural stone due to its porous nature.
Possibly the second most-asked question on Instagram is that of cost. Generally, quartz can run anywhere from $50 per square foot up to $200, and that includes labor.
Want the best quality, best price, and the best overall experience?
I&#;ve got a secret for you: Choose local, small companies over big box stores when ordering countertops. Local companies, like Gold Line, are able to offer a level of customer service you simply cannot find at big box retailers. We&#;ve been using Gold Line for all our countertop projects, and it&#;s always been about more than a transaction for them; it&#;s about building relationships with their clients &#; and that&#;s the kind of people you want on your team when going through a stressful house renovation.
Local, small companies are also able to offer the best price. Big box stores essentially act as the middleman between the manufacturer and the customer. Additionally, yet another third party is responsible for the installation. By eliminating that middle step, you&#;re setting yourself up for significant savings.
Advantages of quartz include:
Disadvantages of quartz include:
We couldn&#;t be happier with the level of luxury that quartz countertops have added to our kitchen. I&#;m so pleased with the experience we&#;ve had with Gold Line and am excited to continue working with them on our future projects! I&#;m currently trying to convince the husband to let me use marble in the Greystone kitchen, but we shall see!
Tune in over the next couple weeks as we finally wrap up the entire Greenfield remodel, including the kitchen and master bathroom. Make sure you&#;re subscribed to the FOXY OXIE list, so you&#;re the first to know when new posts are published.
For more information, please visit Custom Quartz Vanity Tops.