Why Quartz Countertops Are So Popular
Your countertop can make a statement about the rest of the space it occupies. Whether it’s in your kitchen, living room, or bathroom, your countertop can add a touch (or more) of elegance and highlight the design of your room.
Enter quartz countertop surfaces: ideal for homeowners who need a low-maintenance material. Quartz is highly durable and virtually maintenance-free, making it perfect for nearly any space. These days, many homeowners are choosing quartz over other countertop materials to achieve clean, contemporary designs.
Let’s take a look at what makes quartz so easy to care for and why homeowners are choosing it for its aesthetics, in addition to its appealing price tag.
Quartz Characteristics, Care, and Cost
Quartz, like porcelain, is a manmade material that typically contains 90-95% ground quartz that's then mixed together with resins, polymers, and different pigments. Among quartz’s most appealing features is its durability. Ultra-hard and requiring very little maintenance, quartz is a nonporous material that doesn't need to be resealed regularly.
Because it’s manmade, homeowners can enjoy a wide variety of colors and patterns when they choose a quartz countertop. It’s also available with many different finishes, such as polished, honed, and textured styles, which can give quartz a dazzling resemblance to other natural stones.
Quartz’s man-made origins and durable composition bring with them several cost and care points to consider:
High durability means quartz is ideal for kitchens that see a lot of activity. Quartz’s hardiness allows it to stand up to scratches, scrapes, and high heat, which makes it perfect for high-use kitchens.
Maintenance for quartz countertops is incredibly easy and low-effort. Quartz is simple to care for and difficult to stain, and it can be maintained with basic materials like mild dish soap and warm water.
There’s no doubt that cost is at the front of most homebuyers’ minds as they decide on a countertop surface. Quartz has a reputation for affordability without compromising quality, durability, or appearance.
Quartz is Perfect For Multiple Layouts
Chances are good that you’re already familiar with some of quartz’s biggest selling points and are ready to choose it for your new countertop. Quartz’s natural stone-like appearance and durability provide multiple exciting design options that can extend beyond just your home’s kitchen.
Quartz is no doubt a great choice for kitchen countertops, but it also works wonderfully for countertop surfaces in other rooms of your home as well.
Where Quartz Countertops Shine The Brightest:
High-use kitchens and busy families benefit immensely from easy-to-clean and antimicrobial quartz surfaces that require little care.
Homeowners who are working with modest budgets may want to consider quartz for their countertop surface since it’s relatively inexpensive compared to other surfaces.
Quartz provides a level of consistency in patterns and colors that are unseen in other natural stones. Because of quartz's manmade origins, it can mimic natural patterns seen in granite and marble.
Homeowners who are interested in installing a new quartz countertop can look forward to a wide range of options for their interior design project, especially compared to those of other natural stone countertops. That’s why Alpha Surfaces makes it easy for homeowners to find attractive designs for quartz countertops that complement multiple rooms in their home.
Rooms That May Not Be Best For Quartz
We recommend that you consider alternatives surfaces to quartz if your home redesign and remodeling project is taking place in:
Rooms that require added intricacy and depth, which may benefit from materials other than quartz. Quartz surfaces may not provide the level of varied and unique patterns that are often visible in natural stone surfaces, such as granite.
Kitchens that experience lots of spills and stains. Quartz does resist oil, coffee, wine, juice, and other common kitchen spills, but it is not 100% stain-resistant and is susceptible to stains from solvents, sodium hydroxide, and permanent markers.
Quartz countertops are popular and affordable countertop surfaces for just about any homeowner. Since quartz mimics the appearance of natural stones such as marble and granite, it’s easy to see why its appeal has grown so rapidly in recent years.
However, homeowners who are looking for extravagant countertop surfaces with intricate natural patterns and colors may want to consider alternatives to quartz, as it doesn’t usually have the range of colors of textures as other stones.
Maintaining And Adding Lifetime Value to Your Quartz Countertop
Thinking of what comes next after you install a new quartz countertop?
Backsplashes
Quartz is already an affordable and attractive surface, so why not use even more of it for your backsplash design?
Consider using pieces of quartz that have lighter or darker pigmentation than that of your countertop’s surface for a chic contrast. Quartz-on-quartz backsplashes can create a low-profile gradient of dark and light colors that are easy to apply and even easier to maintain.
Finishes
Countertop finishes can create an added level of symmetry between your new countertop and the other areas of your room. Styles such as polished finishes add a lustrous and reflective effect to quartz countertops that can pair perfectly with their natural appearance.
Other options like honed finishes instill a non-reflective glow in your quartz countertop and create a more modern, chic layout for your room. Simply put, a new countertop project needs the perfect finish to fully round it out.
Is Quartz Your Dream Surface?
Quartz countertops are popular for homeowners of any type who need attractive yet subdued-looking surfaces. Although quartz may not have the complex, natural patterns, and colors of certain stones, it more than compensates with its high durability, low maintenance requirements, and visual similarities to natural stone slabs.
Interested in learning more about everything that goes into designing and installing a new quartz countertop in your home? We break down the entire process in our comprehensive, free Ultimate Buyer’s Guide. Download it today to see what it’s like to get a new countertop with Alpha Surfaces.