Will acetone or epoxy drips damage Silestone or Cambria?

13 years ago

Has anyone used Silestone or a surface like it in a hobby area where solvents and glues may drip on the counter? Will these damage the surface? Would it be permanent or reparable?

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Granite City Services

13 years ago

Acetone won't damage quartz although the OEM's (including Cambria) specifically recommend against it.

Epoxies, on the other hand, will bond to the quartz materials. Seams in quartz countertops are set with epoxy. You might find it relatively easy to scrape a dried blob of epoxy off the polished surface but maybe not and a razor blade will scratch a quartz top.

A polished granite is considerably more durable than a quartz top and, in the event you do get dried epoxy on it you can scrape the epoxy off with a razor blade without damaging the top.

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Comments (8)

beachlily z9a
13 years ago
I know that acetone won't damage it. When my Cambria was installed, it was cleaned with acetone. Don't know about the other stuff. Sorry.
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User
13 years ago
A brief exposure to acetone won't damage quartz. Prolonged exposure will soften the resin material and cause it to partially dissolve and look "etched" and cloudy. Epoxy will be difficult to remove, as it will bond with the resin then you'd need an expert to remove it and not damage it further.

Overall, the best surface for a hobby area is a cheap sacrificial piece of plywood that you poly, i.e. a traditional worktop that you would see in any production shop. Use some wood edging attached to the top to be able to lay it over whatever "pretty" top you want to put underneath it. It's endlessly renewable at a very cheap cost when it inevitably becomes damaged.
kitchendetective
Original Author
13 years ago
Thank you. As always, I so appreciate the imformation I glean here.
moderndayginger
11 years ago
We had some glue on our new Cambria countertops when the installers were done -- and they used acetone to remove it. It came off quickly but I'm worried that it will damage the countertop. The installer said no, but I don't trust him. Thoughts?
User
11 years ago
Oldryder above is a fabricator, and we trust him.
moderndayginger
11 years ago
He says acetone won't damage Quartz but then says Cambria says not to use it -- so which is it?
User
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
If it was damaged by the acetone, you'd see a dull spot. In Cambria's instructions to installers, it says to clean up using denatured alcohol. You can go to their PDF and show it to your fabricator. Maybe at one time acetone was okay.

Cambria constantly changes their use and care (and warranty) and now says homeowners can only clean it with soap and water, so maybe he was unaware they changed fabricator clean-up too.