Frequently Asked Questions: Engineered Stone - Quartz

Question: Can these quartz pieces pop out or chip?

Answer: Yes they can. This usually happens during the fabrication process and is easily repaired with epoxy. If it happens in the field, our installers will make the repairs.

Question: What is natural quartz?

Answer: Quartz is one of the hardest components of natural granite. Quartz rates seven out of 10 on Mohs Scale of Hardness. The only materials harder are diamonds, sapphires and topaz. The quartz crystals are used to create a beautiful and strong surface that is highly scratch and impact resistant. Quartz surfacing is comprised of roughly 93% quartz crystals and 7% fillers and resins.

Question: Will my tops be an exact match to the sample I have chosen from?

Answer: Close but not identical. This is a man made product and each batch may have slight variances in base color. In fact, some slabs may vary slightly from one end to the other! We recommend you view your slabs before production if these variations are of concern!

Question: Can I place a hot pan on my quartz tops?

Answer: Quartz can tolerate moderately hot temperatures for brief periods of time without being damaged. This makes Quartz ideal for kitchens because an accidentally misplaced hot pot will not ruin the countertop. However, take care to avoid direct contact for a long time with very hot pots. If the heat from a pot is allowed to transfer into the quartz top the resin binder could be dmamged. This can create a crackling appearance or a hazy dull spot. This damage is very hard to repair to the original luster. Our recommendation is to always use a hot pad.

Question: Will I have seams? How is it seamed?

Answer: Maybe. The slabs usually are smaller than granite 118" x 55" on average and this usually means more seams than a granite installation. The seams will be similar to a granite installation. Generally a very thin line can be seen and felt.

Question: Can I incorporate an overhang with this material?

Answer: Yes. The same rules apply on these products in terms of overhangs that guide our granite installations. Usually 12" of unsupported overhang is fine.

Question: Do I need to seal my quartz tops?

Answer: No. Quartz surfaces are maintenance free and require no sealing.