Why Quartz Is Popular
Quartz is a popular material in the stone fabrication industry. It is used by a number of design professionals, architects, fabricators, and home builders for all sorts of hard surfaces. In this article we will look at some things that make quartz surfaces desirable for hard surfaces.
Before we get into why professionals and homeowners continue to popularize quartz, let's briefly mention some aspects that you might want to give some thought to.
There are a number of aspects that go into selecting any stone material. Each one will have specific characteristics that determine its strengths and weaknesses. For quartz, there are a number of important aspects to owning and caring for it. Some of these facets include:
- Owning Quartz Countertops
- Daily Cleaning & Maintenance
- Stain Removal
As you can see, there are a number of things to think about when it comes to quartz surfaces. Owning quartz surfaces and working with them requires some basic knowledge and there is even specific tooling and supplies that go with owning or fabricating quartz material. We will circle back to these aspects of working with and owning quartz, but first, let's see what qualities make the material desirable and how quartz has come to have those characteristics.
Characteristics of Quartz Surfaces
It is important to note that we are talking about engineered quartz surfaces. We make that distinction because sometimes readers are under the false impression that quartz surfaces are quarried for the Earth; like granite and marble for example. To understand why fabricators and homeowners select engineered quartz, we need to take a look at the characteristics of the material itself. After all, it is the characteristics of a material that determine its performance. So what are the features of quartz surfaces?
The first characteristic that contributes to the desirability of engineered quartz is its hardness. Quartz is a natural mineral that is used to produce engineered quartz. The mineral quartz is very hard. So engineered quartz is also very hard. Why is the hardness of a material so important? Simply put, it is because it contributes to the scratch resistance of the material. The harder the material, the more resistant to scratching the material is. Scratch resistance in turn, means the material will last longer. Let's look at another feature that makes quartz desirable.
Another facet of the makeup of quartz surfaces is the stain resistance. This too is an extension of the characteristic of the surface. Quartz surfaces are non-porous and therefore do not absorb liquids that could discolor the material. They can, in fact, become discolored by substances that dry or stick to the surface. However, there are ways to correct and protect quartz from these types of stains.
The last quality of quartz that we will talk about is the color selection. Since there a large number of quartz colors from which to choose, it is comparatively easy to find one that matches your design palette. In fact, quartz colors are so diverse that virtually any design style can be created using engineered quartz surfaces.
Given the reasons that we just considered about quartz materials, it is easy to understand why people choose this material for their interior designs. The scratch resistance, stain resistance, and color selection are all good reasons for considering quartz for a countertop or other hard surface.
Quartz Countertop Fabrication
As we mentioned earlier, specific equipment is needed if you are going to work with quartz surfaces. This includes fabricating quartz countertops. Let's briefly take a look at two aspects of fabricating quartz surfaces.
Cutting Quartz Countertops
Cutting quartz surfaces is important when it comes to fabricating countertops for the kitchen. Quartz is composed of various materials including minerals, pigments, and resins. Therefore, when cutting quartz countertops, it is important to use appropriate diamond blades for cutting quartz. In addition to using the correct blade it is important to follow the specifications for the blade. Finally, cutting the quartz in the suggested manner is also important to the success of the fabricator.
Quartz Countertop Adhesive
The second aspect of quartz fabrication that we will mention here is bonding quartz surfaces. Quartz adhesives are available in a variety of price levels. Hence, you will find that Tenax offers multiple lines of adhesives for gluing quartz surfaces. The following is a list of quartz glue offered by Tenax:
As you can see from the above list, not every project is going to require the exact same product. Some projects will be indoors. Others will be outside. Or maybe the project you are working on requires glue for low temperatures. Knowing a bit about the project and what adhesive you need will make the install successful.
People are choosing quartz for their kitchen countertops, worktops, and bathroom surfaces at a high rate. Therefore, knowing what makes quartz such a popular option and what equipment is needed for fabricating this desirable material is important to selecting the proper tools. Having the correct tools and adhesives for quartz countertop fabrication is one of the first steps to reaching your goal of successful countertop installs.
