Need Something Durable? Check Out Quartz

Our customers keep plenty of details in mind when they’re shopping for a new countertop. You might think that you only need to worry about how the countertop looks—but you could not be more wrong. Even more important than the countertop’s surface is what’s underneath: a countertop’s durability.

The more durable your countertop is, the more use you’ll get out of it. Many people place durability high on their list of needs because it proves that you’ve made a good investment and that your countertop won’t need a replacement for decades—maybe ever.

Kitchens and bathrooms, the two most commonly remodeled rooms, are the places in a house that see the most activity. Because of this, you need to incorporate countertops that can handle everything a busy lifestyle entails. A countertop is meant for gathering, preparing, cooking, eating, and more, and the last thing that you want is a material you can’t trust or one you always have to worry about.

A durable countertop is a quality investment that will give you back what you put into it in the form of toughness, lasting quality, and added value. If those things matter to you, then quartz is the countertop material that we recommend.

Because it’s so beautiful, versatile, and durable, quartz has seen an uptick in popularity over the last few years. People love it because it can mimic the look of a natural stone, but it comes with almost none of the general upkeep.

Quartz has even grown to be more popular than granite, the most highly sought-after natural stone. The reasons that people love granite are based on the same reasons that people love quartz; they are big fans of how beautiful and durable it is. But what’s great about quartz is the fact that not only does it call for less maintenance, but it’s actually harder, stronger, and heavier as well. With quartz, you’re getting everything that granite promises—and more.

If you want to know more about why quartz is your best choice for durability, keep reading. Our quartz experts at Sanford Granite put together this article in hopes of sharing all that you need to know about this man-made material.

Quartz Is Engineered, Not Natural

Quartz is made up of 95 percent quartz stone, but the other 5 percent of its contents are made up of polymers and resins, and this classifies it as an engineered stone instead of a natural one.

The quartz fabrication process was created about eighty years ago by Italian engineers, with tons of focus placed on making the stone as strong as possible. It was the goal of these engineers to create a material that scored higher on the Mohs Scale of Hardness than most natural stones, and they succeeded.

Scoring a 10 on the Mohs Scale is the hardest a material can get—for instance, diamonds score a 10. Granite scores around a 6, and quartz comes out victorious with a 7.

As long as you treat your quartz correctly (meaning that you don’t set out to purposely damage it), it will remain resistant to cracks, scratches, and burns for its entire lifespan.

Quartz Is a Low Porosity Material

Quartz is a naturally nonporous material because it’s an engineered stone. It doesn’t need to be resealed periodically in the way that granite and other natural stones do—it can be sealed once during fabrication and never again.

Many people love the low porosity of quartz because they don’t have to worry about it sustaining damage from liquids or staining or becoming a hot spot for germs and bacteria.

Quartz Is a Heat-Resistant Material

Much like how quartz is resistant to liquid damage, it’s resistant to heat damage as well. It’s created to withstand very high temperatures, and it will remain tough against them even more effectively than marble, granite, and soapstone do.

But even though hot pots and pans probably won’t crack your quartz, we like to play it safe with these things. Just because your quartz can handle it doesn’t mean that it should. In order to ensure that your countertop lasts as long as it possibly can, we recommend the use of hot pads and trivets.

Quartz Is a Low-Maintenance Material

As we’ve previously stated, quartz is very easy to care for. It doesn’t call for resealing, nor does it need any fancy products to get it clean—soap and water will do just fine. As long as you steer clear of acidic cleaning products, you have nothing to worry about with maintaining the good looks of your quartz countertop.

Check Out Quartz

At Sanford Granite, we believe that quartz is worth the durability investment and has a unique flair that can lend its style to any home. If you have questions about quartz or would like to schedule a consultation with us, give us a call at (407) 490-4896.