The kitchen and bath industry has recently seen an increased interest in granite and engineered quartz products for counter tops.
Granite may vary in pattern and color significantly from smaller samples. We recommend that customers select their slabs of stone from a local holding company so they are aware of the unique characteristics of their stone prior to its fabrication.
Quartz products, like Silestone and FormicaStone are made from approximately 93% natural quartz. The remaining 7% consists of pigments and polyester resins. These engineered products are more consistent and should closely match the color samples available.
While very similar in many ways, some important things to remember are:
- Seams will be visible.
- Stone and Quartz products can not be scribed to fit the wall as tightly
as laminate or solid surface tops can.
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Granite must be sealed annually with an approved stone sealer.
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These counter tops are HEAT RESISTANT but NOT heat proof.
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Use hot pads, trivets, cutting boards etc. directly under hot pans,
heat producing appliances, cookie sheets etc. to distribute the heat
and protect the counter top. Extreme heat can crack the top!
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Cracks can not be repaired.
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Scratches can be repaired on a Granite top, but not on a Quartz top.
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Quartz tops have warranty. Granite does not.
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