Quartz
As quartz countertops continue to create a buzz among people who are designing their kitchens, some may be confused with terminology that people are using. Let’s clear that up. Firstly, quartz countertops are man made, meaning they are created by man and not from the earth like granite and marble. Second, when people use the term engineered stone, they are just talking about the process of making the quartz countertop. You might also hear people just use Cambria when talking about quartz countertops, which is a popular luxury manufacturer of countertops. Lastly, quartzite is a natural stone that has quartz in it.
Quartz is a hard mineral that is crushed and combined with resins and color under intense heat to make a slab.This process makes the slab look like natural stone and enhances its strength, and durability. Quartz delivers when it comes to colors with movement similar to marble and granite. Also, it is highly hygienic and never needs to be sealed. Just be careful with hot pots which could damage your countertops.
Cambria is a leading brand because of their ability to create a beautiful selection of dramatic and stylish designs. They source their own quartz and do not import materials from outside America. Another added feature of Cambria is that it can only be purchased through bath and kitchen designers, like Progressive Dimensions, and not big home improvement stores so customers can be assured that they are getting top of the line quartz. There are, however, other brands of quartz that we carry that have all the same qualities as Cambria so when you’re looking for colors we have endless towers of sample pieces from Emerstone, Silestone, PentalQuartz, MSI, and HanStone.
Finally, quartzite is made naturally when quartz and sandstone go through a process of extreme heat and pressure in the earth. This natural stone, however, has to be sealed and can withstand hot pots.
I hope this helps. I highly recommend that you stop in any of our showrooms to look at samples or full size slabs of popular quartz colors. Our designers can lead you in the right direction when it comes to choosing a countertop that blends nicely with your color scheme and is within your budget.
