A premiumcountertop materialfavored by kitchen and bathroom designers,quartzis oftenconfused with natural stoneand solid surface countertop materials.
What Is a Quartz Countertop?
Like natural stone, quartz possesses a deep, rich appearance and a solid, rock-like feeling.
The Spruce / Kevin Norris
Like solid surface,quartz has synthetic additivesthat stabilize the material and eliminate natural stone’s unpredictability.
Beyond that, quartz, also called engineered stone, is its own, unique material.
Quartz Countertop Manufacturers
There are several different quartz manufacturers to choose from.
Listed here are a few of the leading brands.
Cambria
Cambria is a privately held Minnesota-based company that began as a dairy business in 1936.
Having entered thequartzcountertop industry in 2000, Cambria is a relative newcomer.
However, Cambria is unusual in that it cannot be purchased at big box home improvement stores.
It can only be found at kitchen and bath dealers or purchased through builders, architects, and designers.
Caesarstone
Formed in 1987, Caesarstone calls itself “the original quartz surface manufacturer.”
Caesarstone was developed by the kibbutz as a way to replace its failing terrazzo tile industry.
Caesarstone is known for pushing the design envelope.
Its Motivo Collection offers deep embossing in crocodile skin and lace textures.
Silestone
Based in Almeria, Spain,Silestoneis the flagship quartz brand of Italian company Cosentino.
If Caesarstone is known for its natural stone-like appearance, Silestone’s distinguishing factor is its vibrant solid colors.
Silestone is not just limited to countertop and backsplash materials.
Matching Silestone designs are available in sinks, vanities, and shower pans.
Silestone offers a robust 25-year limited warranty that is transferable to subsequent owners and includes no pro-rata limitations.
Smaller Quartz Brands
A number of mid-sized quartz manufacturers have emerged in recent years.
Some designers like to use these companies because they offer highly favorable prices for their clients.
LG Viatera has a total of 51 colors among three different collections.
It is known to be competitively priced and includes four different collections.
Now called Corian Quartz, the brand offering includes about 48 color options.
Design and Edges
The range of designs is the single biggest difference among quartz brands.
Edge profiles are built into the slab at the factory, not formed by the fabricator.
As Dalton notes, “I like quartz and there are several differences beyond color and pattern.
Warranty
All quartz brands come with a warranty.
What differs is the length, limitations, and transferability of these warranties.
Price
As can be expected, prices vary among brands.
Quartz slab prices are wholesale-only and are confined to the supply chain between manufacturer and approved dealer/installers.
Much like purchasing an automobile, consumer quartz prices are negotiated with the dealer and are variable.
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.
This means that quartz counters are harder and more durable thannatural slab granite.
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.”
Depending on the skill of the installer, this seam can be minimized but it will never be invisible.
Color consistency, even color distribution, and vibrance are all tell-tale signs of high-quality quartz.
The most common style of quartz countertops is neutral-toned, with shades of white and gray.
