A kitchen remodel is a big endeavor and expense. The layout, cabinet design and work surfaces material are all important decisions. These decisions not only affect day-to-day living, but the long term value of your home. A well designed kitchen with quality material can add tremendously to a home’s appeal to a prospective buyer. Because of this, high quality work surfaces made from quartz are quickly becoming a popular choice among kitchen designers, new home contractors and homeowners undertaking a kitchen renovation.
Quartz is the second most abundant natural mineral on earth. Its natural abundance is due to quartz’s stability in a wide range of temperatures and its high chemical and physical resistance to wear. It also has a natural brilliance that reflects light. In fact quartz is often found in granite and accounts for granite’s sparkle. These properties make quartz an ideal material for kitchen work surfaces and countertops. As large slabs of quartz due not occur naturally, manufactures developed a unique process similar to that used in composite work surface production. In this process, quartz is mixed with resin and pigment and injected into a mold. The mold is then put under pressure until the material is cured. This results in a slab that can then be finished to make a high quality work surface for the kitchen and other installations.
Because a work surface made from quartz is non-porous, it does not have to be regularly sealed like other natural stone counters and it is more sanitary as the surface will not trap food particles or bacteria. It can be cleaned with any standard household cleaning product. A quartz work surface is also harder than other counter materials, even granite, so it is more resistant to breakage and surface chipping.
Perhaps one of the best things about a high quality work surface made from quartz is the variety of colors and patterns available. Since the pigment is introduced during the process, there is an almost endless variety available. If remodeling a kitchen, consider a high quality work surface made from quartz and enjoy the benefits of maintenance and worry free material.
