What Is Quartz Countertops Made Out Of

Quartz is a mineral that has been used in the making of kitchen and bath countertops for many decades.

What is quartz countertops made out of.

Unlike granite marble and other natural stone countertops quartz countertops are made of engineered stone. They are beautiful durable and easy to take care of making them a great choice for many homeowners. In fact quartz is nearly indestructible and because it isn t porous like granite it s easy to keep your countertops relatively bacteria free. Quartz countertops are an increasingly popular option these days.

Fully 10 percent of the material volume in a quartz countertop isn t stone at all but rather a polymeric or cement based binder. Quartz countertops are man made and consist of quartz chips or quartz dust bound together with resin. Quartz countertops are made by man but are not synthetic since they are chiefly particles of natural quartz aggregate held together and colored with seven percent or less of other substances. Quartz countertops are man made engineered stone countertops formed by combining 90 ground quartz a natural hard mineral with 8 10 resins polymers and pigments.

Unlike granite or marble quartz counters are a mixture of different materials. How are quartz countertops made. Be careful with cooking pans though. Quartz countertops once unknown have developed a reputation over the last 50 years as a high end surface material but the process of gaining respect has been slow even today quartz counters compete with solid surface i e corian and natural stone for space in kitchens and baths.

However you will find that quartz countertops are actually man made and although they consist of 90 quartz the rest of the countertop is composed of resins polymers and various types of pigments. What you may not know is the material used in these countertops is man made. To make the countertops roughly 90 percent ground quartz is blended with about 10 percent resins pigments and various compounds to form quartz slabs. Also called engineered quartz the countertop slab is actually made of this mixture which is pressed into slabs which are hardened by baking and cooling.

Quartz can be damaged by excessive heat so use heating pads at all times. Usually the composition is about 90 95 quartz to 5 10 resin. Some of the most common forms of quartz are known as amethyst ametrine rose quartz carnelian onyx jasper smokey quartz agate milky quartz tiger s eye and so much more. Quartz is actually harder than granite and thus more durable.

Today we look at quartz countertops otherwise known as engineered stone countertops.