I know it's a GardenWeb cliche on almost any forum to say that installation is more important than brand, but in this case I think it is true. Even Consumer Reports, which rates Quartz the best overall counter material (ever so slightly edging granite), doesn't pick a "best brand". They are pretty much all the same, distinguished only by the pattern you like and maybe which one is on sale. On the other hand, a poorly fabricated or installed quartz countertop can be a nightmare.

This post was edited by Dovetonsils on Sat, Dec 27, 14 at 17:53

You might want to take a look at some of the recent threads concerning "pooling" of the resin in quartz countertops (link attached to one recent thread). I seem to recall someone mentioning that one brand had more instances of "pooling" than the others (Cambria?). In any case, some are of the opinion that these "pools" look more like flaws, so check the manufactures specs regarding what they consider "normal" when it comes to "pooling". Better to be aware than surprised.

Here is a link that might be useful: Recent resin

I would stay away from Cambria, based on
some sorry sagas about resin blobs. These
can be large, isolated blobs, defects, that the
manufacturer has deemed acceptabl, part of
its beauty, so will not guarantee you won't get
them.

There have also been issues of chipping with
quartz but I don't know if it is brand specific.

{{gwi:2142109}}

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0500211820610.html

Here is a link that might be useful: blob discussion

Jinx, snookums!

It is completely unfair to single out Cambria for resin pooling, because the more "movement" you have in your lineup of offerings, the more resin pooling you're going to get.

Stick with vanilla quartz and you'll have little pooling to worry about, no matter the manufacturer.

If you have the ability to pick your own slab that will ensure you don't get one of the very few slabs that might show an issue with resin pooling.

You're likely to get a similar product from any quartz distributor that licenses the Breton manufacturing process.

If you are in CA as your handle suggests, you should look at Pental. They are reasonably priced.

I have had Silestone and now have Cambria. Very happy with both of them. I did not have the kind of quartz that has swirls or mimics natural stone. Mine is the kind with the chips and it is very consistent and uniform throughout so that's probably why I've had no issues.

Cambria is known for its innovative movement. But when it looks really really bad and they won't do a thing about it because they don't consider it a flaw....well......

So the big boys are the same except for colors and patterns. All use the same Breton technology. You'll need to check lesser brands to make sure they use Breton. I won't buy Chinese quartz because they steal the technology.

I started with Caesarstone Buttermilk in my kitchen and was so disappointed to see some white smeary resin marks. Fortunately, the installer damaged my slab on install and I switched to a similar pattern in Pentalquartz so that I could go to the warehouse and pick out a slab. The first one in the pile had a white resin blob. So any company's quartz can have resin blobs. Or a white quartz can have a tiny black anomaly or a black quartz can have a white one. Usually you can template around it. Whenever possible, go chose your slab and be there for the template.

I'm looking for a vanity countertop now and will probably use Pentalquartz again. I like quieter countertops. I found a swirly Cambria that was the perfect color but just couldn't bring myself to buy Cambria sight unseen. It would have been fabricated four hours away, and I'd have to approve a photo of the template. I just don't trust the swirly patterns that much.

I've seem mosquitoes pressed into plastic laminate and black specs in white Corian. Nothing's perfect.

"It is completely unfair to single out Cambria for resin pooling, because the more "movement" you have in your lineup of offerings, the more resin pooling you're going to get."

Cambria places itself at the forefront of complaints because they no longer limit the size of pools they consider unacceptable and because those pools are large and do not flow with the pattern and because they are the ones doing patterns that can create the larger more offensive globs and because they force their manufacturing defects onto the customer when there is a problem and a dissatisfied customer.

Two of the four patterns shown above are the smaller chips not the larger or swirling patterns.

"I've seem mosquitoes pressed into plastic laminate and black specs in white Corian. Nothing's perfect."

And this is considered acceptable? For many companies (and if I were doing counters), these defects would not make it onto someone's counter because they exercise quality control measures and ethical business policies and practices. I would also not lump those defects, or the ugly, isolated resin blobs, into the category of customers demanding unattainable perfection.

"If they consider these blobs (that for most of us look like a bird was passing through) ..."

Some of the pictures above make me think, "someone blew their nose ..."

"And this is considered acceptable? For many companies (and if I were doing counters), these defects would not make it onto someone's counter because they exercise quality control measures and ethical business policies and practices. I would also not lump those defects, or the ugly, isolated resin blobs, into the category of customers demanding unattainable perfection."

Yeah, you and your crew might not miss a mosquito. Uh huh. Please tell us more about how to run a successful countertop operation.

The OP must have seen the three of you go at it before because he has now vacated the thread....

Here is a link that might be useful: round 2

No one is "going at it." Disagreeing is not fighting, but you seem to want to turn it into one. I see it as more of a "spirited discussion"!

This post was edited by jellytoast on Sun, Dec 28, 14 at 14:41

Looks to me like we all helped with a decision, lol. White. Blob free.

Title of new thread:

"Finally have made a decision as to a new countertop"

I also notice you are not without comment or argument on these 'blob' threads.

" ... these defects would not make it onto someone's counter because they exercise quality control measures and ethical business policies and practices. I would also not lump those defects, or the ugly, isolated resin blobs, into the category of customers demanding unattainable perfection."

Actually, I think these sound like great practices for a successful countertop operation! (with "successful" meaning a success in the customer's viewpoint as well)

I didn't say you were fighting, jellytoast. The three of you often (I'll say I've seen it at least a dozen times) get into these long, drawn-out disagreements on basically the same topic that doesn't change anyone's mind. Have you noticed the OP seldom returns to the thread once you all are done with your disagreement?

"Have you noticed the OP seldom returns to the thread once you all are done with your disagreement?"

No, I haven't noticed that happening any more frequently in threads that we participate in than in threads that we don't. But I have noticed that this is the second time you have called us out on disagreeing, when you often do the same. Am I now supposed to avoid posting my thoughts or opinions in threads that Tre and Snookums2 have posted in? So what if we disagree? IMO, a thread like the previous "resin pooling" thread (which me, snookums2, and now you have all linked to in this thread!) could be really helpful to someone considering quartz for their countertops. They can get a very clear view of how fabricators and customers can view the same product differently. Maybe the OP sees these pools as beautiful and acceptable, or maybe they see them as hideous. Regardless, at least they can be aware of the possibility of their presense in their countertops and choose accordingly. In any case, I tend to think that this time someone's mind DID change as the OP decided to go with the "safer" choice in white quartz, which was suggested by Tre as having fewer flaws.

Hey, this is how we roll.

LOL.

"Actually, I think these sound like great practices for a successful countertop operation! (with "successful" meaning a success in the customer's viewpoint as well)"

Yes, the customer is where it's at. And without them, you are nothing, nowhere.

Most, if not all, of these "spirited discussions" revolve around consumer advocacy issues or customer bashing. Defending the customer is a tough job, but somebody has to do it, lol.

I'm considering a quartz product. After reading this thread, I'm going to be vigilant about inspecting the slab before acceptance. I had no idea that I would need to watch quartz products as closely as marble/quartzite products. Caveat emptor.

We looked at our quartz slabs. We got some funny looks, because apparently, few people ask to do that, but no one objected. I think it is a safe way to avoid unpleasant surprises. Before that, I'd ony seen the 3" squares. It's a big jump from that to a whole kitchen, even though ours was not a "swirly" pattern.

I don't know how I'd feel if I had to drive 3 hours to do it, but given how much it cost, I'd probably still do it! (We just had to drive a short distance to the warehouse and get "the guys" to move a few things around.

I couldn't find this post, so thought I had not sent one; therefore, started another.

Like HomeChef59, I was unaware of problems with quartz. Now I am forewarned and will certainly look at the slabs.

Thanks to all of you for your responses.

Calumin, I do not live in California. I did look at the Pental site and discovered their products are not available in my area. They do look beautiful on the monitor.

Look! The OP has returned to her thread, despite the shenanigans of Snookum2, Trebruchet, and Jellytoast!

:-)

(edited for spelling)

This post was edited by jellytoast on Mon, Dec 29, 14 at 15:57

Tre and other countertop folks....I'm planning on installing LG's Quartz product in my kitchen. It's called Viatera (the rococo color). Any experience with it?

Viatera is a fine product by LG. If that's the color you like, have at it.

We have both Cambria and Caesarstone. They are both excellent; my wife and I prefer Caesarstone.

Wow, we are looking at countertop ideas and I really don't want granite (wife does). But those "blobs" are hideous and I can't imagine any company who wants to stay in business trying to force a consumer to live with them.

THANK YOU for posting that information. I would never have known and I can guarantee my wife would go BALLISTIC if that showed up in her kitchen.

"THANK YOU for posting that information. I would never have known and I can guarantee my wife would go BALLISTIC if that showed up in her kitchen. "

in my experience "ballistic" is a good description of the likely response from the typical customer when faced with ugly blobs in their countertops.

Given that, it's amazing to me that many fabricators either deliberately or thru negligence fail to educate their customers BEFORE they make a selection. Dealing with a pissed off customer is simply not worth the headache if it's avoidable. (sometimes it's not avoidable as a small percentage of the buying public is simply crazy ...)

op just a thought..if you are looking at the cambria types that mock granite, possibly you should be looking at the real thing.
i too started out sold on quartz but i really like the movement in cambria (but not the price.) it dawned on me that since i liked all that movement i really was a granite person. i had gotten scared away from granite from the whole idiotic radon articles and was afraid it would chip a lot. neither is true and quartz also chips on occasion.
i went with granite and am not disappointed. both surfaces are lovely to look at and durable so it's really a look preference.

It does not matter which quartz company you use, DuPont zodiac, cambria, sile stone , creaser stone, or han stone and otherâÂÂs The company that invented the process is an Italian company call Breton stone. They hold the patient on the process and everyone that makes a quartz product pays a royalty to Breton Stone. The only difference between these companies is color pallet, price and quality control. By quality control I do not mean durability of the product they are all the same I mean color consistency. Cambria has the best color pallet in the industry but their color match from lot to lot even from one end of the sheet to the other has seen problems. Han Stone has one of the best color match reputations in the business. DuPont, Sile Stone, creaser Stone also have decedent color match. I would not let the color match issue deter me from Cambria; the color match issue has more to do with the off fall (a fabricator trying to use waste material from one job to another). Hope this helps.

Ps. On the resin pooling you can solve this by insisting to see the slabs before your fabricator cuts them. If there is an area that you do not want they can in most cases work around it if they canâÂÂt they can order another slab and return the one you do not like. I know this requires another trip to you fabricator but with the amount of money these thing cost well worth it. DuPont says if the blemish (resin pool) can be covered with a 50 cent piece it is not a defect (most use this same standard)

This post was edited by psu6301 on Tue, Dec 30, 14 at 11:48

"(sometimes it's not avoidable as a small percentage of the buying public is simply crazy ...)"

I suppose the same could be said of the selling/servicing public. It is as difficult for buyers to deal with "craziness" as it is for sellers. I kind of feel like it is "crazy" of the manufacturers to pass off these defects as "normal" and "enhancing" and then try to make you feel like you are the crazy one for complaining about them. All the more reason to make sure that you and your fabricator are on the same page regarding aesthetics.

"I kind of feel like it is "crazy" of the manufacturers to pass off these defects as "normal" and "enhancing" and then try to make you feel like you are the crazy one for complaining about them."

I agree 100%. If you read my posts you know I spend a LOT of effort educating customers prior to the sale. The crazy I'm talking about is the customer that blames the contractor for his or her own decisions:

"It doesn't look like I thought it would and you should've told me I wouldn't like the color I picked."

or a problem due to ignoring the advice of the expert:

"I know you told me travertine was a poor choice for kitchen countertops because it's soft and porous but now I have a stain and you should've sealed it better."

the aforementioned are real life examples.

Understood, oldryder. Many of us are very appreciative of the fine example you set here for fabricators. My post was in no way intended as a disagreement to what you had said, just pointing out that customers, too, have to deal with occasional craziness.

(edited for spelling).

This post was edited by jellytoast on Tue, Dec 30, 14 at 13:29

Thanks for the feedback Trebuchet!