Do straight edges have sharp corners?

Quartz manufactures will not warranty straight edges on countertops. They are too sharp and will definitely chip off. I have seen it in someone's home and it looks horrendous. A good fabricator will refuse to do sharp edges due to their knowledge of the quartz brand's restrictions on such practices.

Dawn Danley-Nichols, what edge do you have on your quartz?

You can specify any treatment of the edges you want. I wouldn't call it "sharp" but it enhances 3cm granite or quartz. It is especially good in more modern settings, but works with any really. If you were concerned about "sharp" they could gently smooth that edge without creating another "plane" if you know what I mean. Almost like sanding the edge of a wood item just to knock the edge down a tiny bit.

I just charged a couple nearly $600.00 to repair all the chipped straight edges on their 2cm granite tops, re-profile and polish the sink cut-out, and rehang a leaking sink. Their home was for sale. The area in front of the dishwasher looked like a war zone, top and bottom.

I put Cambria quartz in our remodeled master bath a couple of years ago and knew I wanted it in our new kitchen and powder room. I selected it for the master bath because it is non-porous, so I knew I wouldn't have to worry about soap rings, water, etc. We were told specifically not to put pots directly from the oven onto the kitchen countertop, but if you have a crock pot that sits in a holder (i.e., not directly on the quartz surface) it is fine. I absolutely love our quartz!

Hi there,

There are many manufacturer's of quartz and not all are created equal, some are made with cheaper resins and others more expensive heat tempered resins which make them a bit more resistant to "thermal shock". Thermal shock is what causes the cracking in both quartz and granite countertops, going from one temp to another in extreme change. Neither material is indestructible, both have pros and cons, I would weigh out what is most important in terms of function and design and go from there. There are some who can put a hot pot directly on granite without incident but I would not expect this to be the case 100% of the time, some of this has to do with mineral composition and the inherent heat handling capabilities within that particular stone. Some granites will have quite a bit of veining in them and those areas can be more susceptible to cracking if put through enough stress which is why most suppliers will tell you not to sit on the overhang of your island or ask you not to place hot pots directly on your countertop. If you find a quartz supplier that says their product is resistant to extreme temperature changes I would ask for a copy of their warranty to ensure you are protected in the event it happens. Some quartz can stain as well depending on the manufacturer, be sure this is covered in the warranty. Some will go as far to show you samples of how their products do when acidic or high staining products are left on them. Both are beautiful options, choose what you feel most comfortable with after you gather your research and then do your best to protect your investment with hot pot holders and use the cleaners recommended by the suppliers.

I hope this helps :)

I have rarely seen one home where I've like the granite; it's sooo personal. Quartz on the other hand is much less offensive and can add to a much more cohesive look than busy granite. But, then there's marble. The best. I have quartz, love it, low maintenance, pretty and my kitchen looks light and bright because of the color I chose. Still, I regret not getting marble. I don't care about etching, etc. nothing beats the look imo.

I just unetched a marble kitchen; they have deep regrets.

Wow, Granite Guru...I may have to look at quartz a little more~ Thank you for the invaluable information!

Granite can be repaired far easier and in more instances than quartz though, wouldn't you say, Joseph? I haven't encountered a granite issue we couldn't fix, but we have torn out and replaced plenty of quartz.

"Granite can be repaired far easier and in more instances than quartz though, wouldn't you say, Joseph?"

Yes.

Customers get what, where, and why, but I always keep how and who. No way was my name going on a notch-fill job like she wanted. Nuh-uh. Granite, maybe.

My only remaining worry is that I do not want to have to use a trivet or cutting board under things like a crock pot or instant pot or toaster. I never have and I'm afraid I won't get used to doing it. Do people with quartz really set these appliances on something to separate them from the quartz?

Jen Hans, i am getting cambria quartz for the first time and i plan to use a trivet or cutting board or something for anything heat related!! I think it would be ok with a little heat, but i am taking no chances. This quartz is very expensive and i plan on keeping it for a longvtime lol

"Do people with quartz really set these appliances on something to separate them from the quartz?"

If they want to keep the coffeemaker from popping the fine particulates in their black Silestone, they do:

Does anyone know the price points for good quality Quartz and granite?

I have gotten quite a few quotes - I need 54 sq ft. My quartz quotes range from $6000 to $8000. $6000 was for Cambria Torquay and $8000 for Caesarstone Calacatta Nuvo with quite a few in the middle like Hanstone Tranquility, MSI Calacatta Classique.
The one granite quote I got was for Super White, which I believe is a quartzite. That came in at $5600.

I believe my cambria is 90.00 per swuare foot

I found they were about the same, with good quality granite slightly above Caesarstone.

After spending hours reading about quartz versus granite in the kitchen, I concluded that I do like the patterns or designs of a lot of quartz but I'd be foolish to do quartz because I do not think it's as worry free as granite -- pure and simple. Quartz is a man made product and resin is not dependable. I'm saving my fondness for quartz for the bathrooms (I have five of them.) in my new build where I can easily replace a relatively small, confined countertop. Replacing chipped or damaged kitchen countertops would be a major upheaval in my home. By the way, people who use marble in their kitchens in my opinion are foolish, impractical people who will learn from their mistake soon enough. Finally, my builder said that granite is definitely the better product for kitchens. Comments, anyone?!

That's a relief to hear. My builder told me that two years ago but I've spent endless hours researching and I really do think quartz has issues. Tonight I finally made up my mind to go with a White Delicatus Granite after seriously considering a Zodiaq Quartz. Thank you very much, Flo!

You are welcome and you will LOVE Delicatus. It is stunning. Just make sure you get to the granite place and personally select those slabs along with a cabinet door sample and flooring sample, paint samples if you have that as well. Getting all the pieces together will help you confirm your choice. Delicatus has some fairly wide variations so when you find the "slabs" you love, get photos of them, look on the side edges for the "bundle #, and slab# and take a photo and write those down. Make sure they are also on your granite/fabricator order specifically. Also, note that when you look at the slab at the yard, you will be looking at it in a vertical position. It will look different laying flat on cabinets, so try getting photos from a side angle. Get 3cm and do an edge that is simple for the biggest look. One slight grind on the top edge is sufficient, don't need an edge on the bottom of the slab piece. That will give you the biggest look. It will also look different in your lighting in your new space, so just be prepared for that. Backsplash selection will need to be matching your cabinets or the background of the slabs you select and quiet. Matching grout. I think those are the major factors. Oh, get undercabinet lighting so your backsplash "shines" and overhead and pendant lighting are spectacular! Hardware with the Delicatus is probably best in chrome or brushed nickle since it has gray undertones. But some are doing the aged brass with it since the aged brass has come on strong in the marketplace! I'm excited for you (in case you didn't guess! lol) so have fun, and keep us posted!

Flo, I was excited to read your reply re Delicatus! Thanks so very much. You have made excellent suggestions regarding the stone selection process. I'm doing gorgeous Brizo chrome faucets in the two sinks; however, I am not doing a backsplash except for 3 or 4 inches of the Delicatus. I despise tile and grout lines so I'm simply doing paint (Stone Hearth by BM is my current choice.). I'll never understand the popularity of subway tile. I know people love pendants but I find that they break up the flow of the room and I also find that many of them become dated relatively quickly. (I tend to hold on to any fixture I choose and don't replace them like many people.) I do have another question: Does the stone look lighter or darker when it's flat?

S H:

Please do some more research before posting. The 93% v. 3% (where is the other 4%?) is engineered stone by weight, not volume. Estone is 66% quartz and 34% resin by volume.

Engineered stone is not nearly as heat resistant as natural stone, no matter the color:

It was a typo..93% quartz on average and 7% resin and the quality of any product varies widely. quartz is a natural stone that is MUCH harder physically than granite. no denying it is engineered, but to state (as one coment did-that the composition of a quartz countertop is mostly resin) would be false and that was my only point. You can buy cheap quartz and you can buy expensive quartz. You can buy cheap granite and you can buy expensive granite. This will be due to location, rarity, and demand.

"... quartz is a natural stone that is MUCH harder physically than granite."

That's true, but it lacks context. You must compare a very hard 66% with a very soft 34% resin content against granite.

This is why you can't get the gloss on estone that you can on natural stone. All that resin just doesn't shine as brightly, no matter how much you polish.

Joseph Corlett, LLC you figures are out

Quartz is 93-97% quartz depending on the manufacture and range of stone.

Your statement of very soft... where's the backing proof?? Corian is way softer that is why it scratches and can be repaired with some sandpaper

Gloss rating is also incorrect as most new range of quartz is at 75gu which is what most granite are and above most marble. Whilst Corian is around 30 -40gu classed a semi gloss

We can actually increase the gloss rating on quartz to over 90gu

Again if you do not know what you are talking about..... PLEASE DO NOT COMMENT!!

We cook nearly every day, from scratch. We both work full time and demand the least effort from the materials we are choosing. I researched my little heart out. All materials are susceptible to heat and other pressures. Read the specs for each brand. We decided to go with an acrylic countertop a.k.a solid surface . HIMACS only because I fell in love with one of the colors. . Acrylic because it's not cold (baking with yeast) and renewable (highly repairable). I brought samples of different materials home. and tested them with heat and every household chemical I could find. Put samples to the test.

P.S. Mr. Corlett answered many of my questions.

tdemonti all stone will crack from heat, just at different temperatures. But all will break under point loads, quartz has a higher tolerance to this than any granite but the reverse is for heat.

Great that you have done some testing at home in the environment that you are using them in... great idea.

Best of luck with it all and hope you enjoy your new kitchen

QSCCRE:

You continually make the claim that I don't know what I'm talking about, but you never substantiate it.

I'll wait.

QSCCRE:

Tell me more about stone repairs, please.

Will you two stop it. You both bring great knowledge and expertise to the table, so comon man--end it. Move on. Please.

Not a big fan of Quartz so far. We installed Silestone. First day is a pasta stain that won't come out. Ghost stains seem to appear out of nowhere. A few little chips, which might have been from install, don't know. Would never buy quartz again, and won't recommend it either. One week in, and it already looks like crap. Much rather have a cheaper repairable acrylic. In fact, if this staining keeps up, I may turn this quartz into a shop workbench top, and re-due the countertops . Not a happy camper blowing 7 grand on friggin crushed stone and epoxy.

We've had Cambria Berwyn Quartz in our kitchen for a couple years now. We have a large, long island made of the same that we eat dinner at daily. I've got a toaster, Keurig, wine fridge and a large crock pot that get alot of use. We don't have a single stain, cracking or any chipping. In my opinion this particular quartz just doesn't stain. We've left used refillable Keurig coffee filter cups on the counters for a few days at a time and zero staining. We've spilled tomato sauce. Nothing. We don't set hot pans and pots on the surface, we use a cork hot pad. We use cutting boards to cut on. Otherwise we use it as we'd use a counter in any kitchen. It looks just as gorgeous and sparkly as it did when it was installed. I'd use it again in a second...and we may be doing that in our master bath when we reno it this winter or spring.

I've heard mixed reviews about quartz, too. It seems like some people have issues with cracking, especially with heat, while others have had no problems at all. It's hard to get a clear answer since experiences vary so much.

When I was looking into quartz, I used this comparison site to find affordable service options. It helped me find the best deal and I had a great experience with the installation and customer service.