Like natural stone, QUARTZ possesses a deep, rich appearance and a solid, rock-like feeling. Like solid surface, quartz has man-made additives that stabilize the material and eliminate natural stone's unpredictability. Beyond that, quartz, also called engineered stone, is its own, unique material.
Common Quartz Characteristics - All quartz countertops, despite the brand, are derived from the Breton company's original Bretonstone technology created over 50 years ago by Marcello Toncelli. Bretonstone technology and machines are licensed to 52 companies around the world. While licensees add their own flair and nuances, they are still working off of Breton's original patent. Despite the brand, several qualities of quartz are the same.
Composition - Around 93 percent mineral content. The high degree of mineral content gives quartz its distinctive look and feel. By contrast, solid surface's 66 percent mineral and 33 percent polymer content lends a silky, soapy feeling to the material.
Hardness - The process of creating quartz countertops saves the hardest mineral (quartz) and eliminates softer minerals and impurities. This means that quartz counters are harder and more durable than natural slab granite.
Water Absorption Rate - Quartz's low water absorption rate of 0.5 percent is on par with another low porosity material—porcelain tile. If the material weighs less than half of 1 percent more as a result of water-absorbing into its surface, it is considered to be nonabsorbent.
Heat Resistance - Quartz's minerals are impervious to heat, but its synthetic binders are not. As Nancy Dalton of design firm Baywolf Dalton notes, "This material is not heat-resistant. The binding materials will be damaged at high temperatures. Think hot fry pan. Some people think quartz is indestructible and that's just not the case."
Visible Seams - Unless the countertop is small enough to be fabricated from a single slab, two slabs often need to be seamed together. Depending on the skill of the installer, this seam can be minimized but it will never be invisible.
Quartz Design Differences - Different quartz brands and product lines offer various features and material properties, from colors and styles to the available sizes of the raw material.
Design and Edges - The range of designs is the single biggest difference among quartz brands. "Designs" is the industry shorthand for several qualities of the slab's visual appearance: overall color, size, and shape of minerals, streaks, and striations. Edge profiles are built into the slab at the factory, not formed by the fabricator.
Slab Size - Due to the need to seam quartz, it is better to use the largest slabs possible to minimize seams. As Dalton notes, "I like quartz and there are several differences beyond color and pattern. When I can specify a jumbo slab and avoid using two slabs for a project, it's a win and cost savings."
info from thespruce
MPC carries 5 brands of QUARTZ COUNTERTOPS in every style imaginable. Our Builders Studio has several brands and styles showcased in our kitchen and bath displays. We also have samples to view.
Cambria offers the natural beauty you demand. Once thought impossible for quartz, the color, depth, clarity and natural variation found in Cambria designs are equaled only by how our product performs. Cambria surfaces are 93% pure quartz. Granite typically only contains 40–60% quartz, along with more porous, weaker minerals. That’s why granite is more susceptible to damage. Cambria’s durability also means you can be more creative with it. Draw daring edge shapes with wider overhangs to create
a kitchen like no other.
Corian Quartz Made with extremely hard quartz crystals, Corian® Quartz keeps its good looks and survives the impact of nicks and cuts that can occur with daily wear and tear, minimizing short and long-term maintenance. Quartz is found in great abundance in the earth - it is naturally hard and scratch-resistant. Quartz even ranks a 7.0 on Moh's Hardness Scale, which is used to measure the scratch-resistance of a material. Only diamonds, ranking 10, topaz, and sapphire are harder than quartz.
Hanstone Natural Quartz is one of nature's hardest surfaces. In fact, it's twice as hard as granite. HanStone Quartz is not only a high-performing surface, but is also a luxurious, durable, low maintenance surface product which offers the following advantages:
- Available in 60 patterns featuring the industry’s most natural-appearing finish
- Non-porous and requires no sealing
- Lustrous surface requires no conditioning or polishing
- Heat, bacteria and stain resistant
- Chip and scratch resistant
- Easy to maintain and clean (mild soap and water)
- Safe — tested and certified by the National Sanitation for Food Safety
and Food Contact under the NSF 51 Certification - Backed by a Commercial 10-Year Limited Warranty
- Backed by a Residential Lifetime Limited Warranty
- GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified®
- GREENGUARD for Children & Schools
Silestone natural quartz is a product that stays at the forefront of innovation and design. It’s genius is its ability to meet your changing needs and lifestyle, offering you over 70 stunning colors with exclusive colors in the Zen, Life!, Mountain and River series collections and two exceptional textures, opening a path to invent cutting-edge styles and designs. Silestone natural quartz is a stone product that delivers it all: beauty, versatility, reliability, consistency and durability. This unique combination of features makes it the perfect surface for countertops, flooring, walls, backsplashes, fireplace surrounds, shower enclosures, vanity tops, tub decks and more.
Viatera quartz surface is designed and created around the idea that a countertop is more than a place where meals are prepared. It is where good memories are born. Whether you're looking for a surface that stands up to the demands of daily life, or a surface that resists the wear of commercial applications, Viatera® allows you the freedom to create a space that truly reflects the beauty and wonder of life.
Viatera is comprised of 93% quartz, one of the hardest minerals on earth, giving the material the superior strength to stone. Should you accidentally inflict a deep scratch or surface impression, a trained professional can easily resurface your Viatera® thanks to its sealant-free consistency.