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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.
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?
Made from one of the hardest minerals on earth, quartz countertops are arguably the most durable option for kitchens. They&#;re also some of the most eye-catching. They come in a wide variety of colors, including fire-engine red and apple green, as well as earthy browns, blacks, and creams, with sparkles and veining for the look of granite or marble. But unlike natural-stone slabs, which are mined, these slabs are engineered in a factory.
Their primary ingredient is ground quartz (about 94 percent), combined with polyester resins to bind it and pigments to give it color. For some designs, small amounts of recycled glass or metallic flecks are added to the mix. The resins also help make these counters stain and scratch resistant&#;and nonporous, so they never need to be sealed. Compare that with granite, the reigning king of high-end countertops, which typically requires a new protective top coat at least once a year.
In the past, the biggest knock against quartz was that it lacked the patterns and color variations you get with natural stone. But that&#;s a moot point now, with all the manufacturers offering multihued slabs with enough flecks, swirls, and random patterning to make them almost indistinguishable from the real thing.
They were once available only with a polished finish; now you can get one with a honed, sandblasted, or embossed treatment. So if it&#;s the look of matte limestone, textured slate, or glossy granite that you want, there&#;s a quartz countertop for you. Read on for help picking one to match your budget, your cooking and cleaning needs, and your style. We&#;ll go over the pros and cons of quartz countertops so you can make the best choice.
Expect to pay about the same as you would for natural stone, around $60 to $90 per square foot, including installation.
Natural-quartz crystals are mined, then ground into a dust or an aggregate that&#;s fused with resin binders under intense heat and pressure to form a solid slab. Pigments added during the process impart color to the countertop.
DIY or hire a pro?
Like natural stone, quartz slabs are very heavy. And though the added resins make them more flexible, they, too, can crack if not properly handled. Work only with certified installers.
Where can you buy it?
Order through kitchen-design showrooms or from home centers and big-box stores, such as The Home Depot, IKEA, and Lowe&#;s.
How long do they last?
For as long as you have your kitchen. Quartz countertop manufacturers provide warranties ranging from 10 or 15 years to lifetime, depending on the company.
Here are the pros and cons to consider when deciding to go with quartz.
It&#;s low-maintenance.
Unlike natural stone or wood, it never needs to be sealed. Just wipe with soapy water for daily upkeep. Surface stains can be removed with a gentle cleansing scrub. Avoid scouring pads, which can dull the surface, and harsh chemicals that could break down the bonds between the quartz and resins.
It&#;s antimicrobial.
Resin binders make quartz counters nonporous, so stain- and odor-causing bacteria, mold, and mildew can&#;t penetrate the surface.
It&#;s design-friendly.
Some makers offer jumbo slabs for uninterrupted runs of countertop. But even with standard slabs, typically 60 by 120 inches, the seams can be almost imperceptible; added resins allow cleaner cuts without chipping as stone does. The resins also make quartz more flexible than natural stone, allowing fabricators to bend and shape it into sinks or the sides of a curved island. And it&#;s versatile enough to be used on floors and walls&#;fabricators can even cut the slabs into standard tile sizes.
It&#;s pricey.
Compared with DIY options, such as wood, laminate, and concrete, which can cost less than $10 per square foot, quartz, like granite, is expensive&#;about $60 to $90 per square foot, including installation. Acrylic solid surfacing, another competing option, costs about $40 to $80 per square foot installed.
For more information, please visit Sparkle Quartz Countertops Wholesale.
It can&#;t take extreme heat.
Quartz counters are heat and scorch resistant, but only up to a point. Most manufacturers say their products can handle up to 400 degrees F, but a sudden change in temperature or sustained heat from a pan left on the counter may cause the surface to crack. To be safe, always use a trivet or a hot pad.
It can&#;t weather outdoor use.
Install it outdoors in an uncovered area, and you&#;ll void the warranty. Direct sun beating down on it day after day can cause colors to fade or the countertop to warp or split over time. Currently, none of the major manufacturers offers an outdoor-approved quartz counter.
iStockShop around to compare colors and prices. Some quartz makers sell exclusively through big-box stores; other slabs are available only through independent kitchen and bath showrooms.
Pick your brand and color, and set up a time for a fabricator to visit your home to take measurements and make a template of the tops of your base cabinets.
Unless you are keeping existing fixtures, you supply the dimensions for the sink and faucet cutouts as well as any drop-in appliances, such as a cooktop.
Get a price quote and place your order. Once the fabricator knows the complexity of the installation, including the edge profile, number of slabs, and cutout details, they can quote the actual cost of the entire job.
Wait, but not too long. Assuming your base cabinets are in and your kitchen is otherwise complete, the fabricator can get the slab from the distributor or direct from the manufacturer and shape it to your specs in about a week.
If you&#;re using multiple slabs, consider asking the fabricator to get them from the same manufacturing batch to ensure the best possible match.
Schedule the installation. The fabricator lays the slab directly on top of cabinets; in general, no plywood underlayment is required. It&#;s held in place with silicone-based construction adhesive, and any seams between slabs are filled with color-matched epoxy resin.
Undermount sinks are installed with clips (and sometimes wood braces) that attach to the underside of the countertop. Expect installation for a typical kitchen to take from a few hours to a day.
Brown veining against a sand background. Giallo Michelangelo, Zodiaq by Dupont, about $60-$100 per sq. ft.*
*All prices include installation.
Recycled-glass flecks glisten in a blue-gray base. Calm Springs, Zodiaq by Dupont, about $60-$100 per sq. ft.
Earthy recycled-glass particles add sparkle. Forest Snow, Eco by Cosentino, about $62-$78 per sq. ft.; ecobycosentino.com
Tan watermarks speckle a brown base. Vintage Limestone, Viatera by LG, about $67-$72 per sq. ft.; lgviaterausa.com
Vibrant blue highlighted with translucent particles. Celestial Blue, Zodiaq by Dupont, about $60-$100 per sq. ft.
Small iridescent blue and charcoal flecks. Waterford, Cambria, about $75-$80 per sq. ft.; cambriausa.com
Gray striations for the look of Carrara. Tranquility RU613, HanStone, $55-$95 per sq. ft.; hanwhasurfaces.com
Solid turquoise with a contemporary feel. Slice of Ice CW102, HanStone, about $55-$95 per sq. ft.; hanwhasurfaces.com
Reddish-brown lines mimic veining. Ivory Wave MV620, HanStone, about $55-$95 persq. ft.; hanwhasurfaces.com
Black and gray-blue streaks against taupe and cream. Praa Sands, Cambria, about $75-$80 per sq. ft.; cambriausa.com
A lively solid. Green Fun, Silestone by Cosentino, about $54-$74 per sq. ft.; silestoneusa.com
Subtle cream veins look nature-inspired. Piatra Grey, Caesarstone, about $65-$85 per sq. ft.; caesarstoneus.com
Granite-like veins and light-reflecting crystals. Canterbury, Cambria, about $75-$80 per sq. ft.; cambriausa.com
Metallic flecks impart shine. Chrome, Silestone by Cosentino, about $70-$89 per sq. ft.; silestoneusa.com
Gray-toned particles and swirls on white. Atlantic Salt, Caesarstone, about $65-$85 per sq. ft.; caesarstoneus.com
Thin white lines overlay a jet-black base. Black Knight , Caesarstone, about $65-$85 per sq. ft.; caesarstoneus.com
A matte-finish warm gray. Altair, Silestone by Cosentino, about $54-$74 per sq. ft.; silestoneusa.com
Copper-colored flecks add depth. Mariposa Buff MV410, Samsung, about $50-$60 per sq. ft.; staron.com
This sandy hue has faint color gradations. Sugar Storm, Viatera, about $67-$72 per sq. ft.; lgviaterausa.com
A granular texture imitates fossil and shell fragments. Natural Limestone, Viatera, about $67-$72 per sq. ft.; lgviaterausa.com
Like a slice of blue mineral chunks. Ocean Palace , Caesarstone, about $65-$85 per sq. ft.; caesarstoneus.com
It doesn&#;t get much more luxurious than a semiprecious-stone countertop formed from real slices of colorful quarried crystals, such as agate and amethyst. Added resins work like a glue to bind the gems together into a continuous countertop while also making it stain and scratch resistant. These opulent tops would add a dramatic look to a small kitchen island, a built-in bar, or a powder-room vanity.
Shown: Concetto Collection in Brown Agate, Rose Quartz, and Tiger Eye, about $400 per sq. ft.; caesarstoneus.com
Just about any edge profile that you can get with stone can be replicated with quartz. The standard eased edge, slightly rounded over so that there aren&#;t any sharp angles, and the more fanciful ogee, which resembles an S curve on its side, are two of the most popular treatments.
Your fabricator will help you select an edge that suits your kitchen&#;s style and the countertop&#;s thickness&#;typically ½, ¾, or 1¼ inches&#;and will shape the profile using a template provided by the manufacturer. Fabricators can also do custom designs, such as a chiseled, raw edge (shown) or a gently cascading three-level waterfall-style profile. Keep in mind that the more complex the edge, the higher the cost.
Shown: Desert Limestone with chiseled edge, about $65-$85 per sq. ft.; caesarstoneus.com
This slate-gray countertop has a muted, lived-in look to match the zinc stools and the weather-beaten-steel pendant light. Open shelves and painted cabinets with bin-pull drawer hardware add to the kitchen&#;s homey appeal.
Shown: Fieldstone, about $75-$80 per sq. ft.; cambriausa.com
A white countertop with subtle gray veining, a glossy finish, and a simple eased edge makes a crisp contrast with the green-painted cabinets and sleek stainless-steel fixtures and appliances.
Shown: Misty Carrera, about $65-$85 per sq. ft.; caesarstoneus.com
Two warm countertop colors complement the stained wood cabinets. A washstand-style curved backsplash behind the range adds a vintage note. On the island, a 5-inch mitered edge profile gives the work surface a chunky, furniture-like look.
Shown: Nottingham (perimeter), and Sussex (island), about $75-$80 per sq. ft.; cambriausa.com
A black-and-white color combination is always a classic. Here, the dark countertop pairs with the lighter perimeter cabinets. The contrasting scheme is reversed on the island, where an ogee edge profile adds an extra dose of sophistication.
Similar to shown: Zodiaq Galaxy Black and Cloud White, $60-$100 per sq. ft.
You won&#;t find ready-made slabs for kitchen counters, but home centers now offer smaller bathroom vanity tops with faucet drillings and undermount-sink cutouts. Expect to pay $350 to $900 for a vanity top, depending on the size and color.
Home-furnishings manufacturers are also catching on to the pluses of quartz. Room & Board offers dining, cocktail, accent, and counter-height tables with five different quartz-top options and a choice of bases.
Get a custom-look vanity for less by wedding a prefab counter (sink included) with a stock cabinet.
Shown: Solieque Bisque Baroque, from $640; homedepot.com
You aren&#;t just limited to using quartz in the kitchen, check out these smart and unique use-cases.
Mix and match quartz tops and wood bases for an updated farmhouse table.
Shown: Linden walnut table with white quartz top, from $1,700; roomandboard.com
Unlike marble, quartz won&#;t be marred by an errant splash of bath oil.
Shown: Blizzard, $65-$85 per sq. ft.; caesarstoneus.com
Quartz is antimicrobial, so it won&#;t harbor bacteria from soiled clothes. Just be sure to clean up bleach spills quickly to prevent damage.
Shown: Brentwood, $75-$80 per sq. ft.; cambriausa.com
In a fully tiled shower, a corner seat crafted from a quartz remnant means fewer grout lines to keep clean.
Similar to shown: Ultra White, $67-$72 per sq. ft.; lgviaterausa.com
You can stop worrying about red-wine rings; because quartz is nonporous, vino can&#;t penetrate it.
Similar to shown: Tranquility, about $55-$95 per sq. ft.; hanwhasurfaces.com
Quartz can withstand very high temperatures as long as the heat is indirect. So go ahead and surround your firebox with it.
Shown: Concrete, $65-$85 per sq. ft.; caesarstoneus.com
By topping your nightstand with quartz, you won&#;t need a coaster to keep morning coffee or tea spills from staining.
Shown: Ashford, $75-$80 per sq. ft.; cambriausa.com
Want more information on Calacatta Quartz Slab, Calacatta Quartz Stone? Feel free to contact us.