There are many building materials to choose from when designing or remodeling a project.  Engineered quartz is one material that is often used in interior projects, especially for countertops. It comes in a variety of colors, patterns, and textures. The product is made by combining natural and manmade materials including quartz, resins, pigments, and other ingredients.  It is a hard, dense, and nonporous material but can only be used on interiors because the resins are not UV stable for outdoor use. Engineered quartz is often manufactured to mimic popular natural stones, especially white marble, but tends to have less variation or veining than natural stone. Engineered quartz is sometimes marketed as a sustainable, natural material because of the quartz in it. However, as the process of manufacturing engineered quartz below demonstrates, that is not the case.

Manufacturing Process for Engineered Quartz

The manufacturing process for engineered quartz includes many energy and resource intensive steps, resulting in a greater impact on the environment. First, quartz is quarried or mined out of the ground, then crushed. Several other additives are required, such as polyesters, resins, acids, alcohols, styrene, peroxide, and other chemicals to create a series of chemical reactions. These additive materials all have to be manufactured and then transported to a manufacturing plant where they will be mixed and put into molds, compacted, and often heated and cured to create slabs. Depending on the manufacturer, the resulting slabs will vary in size, thickness, and appearance. Since engineered quartz is manufactured and installed in slabs, the seams will be visible in a large countertop application. Also, while engineered quartz is manufactured to be somewhat heat resistant, it is not as heat resistant as natural stone. For example, it cannot be used as flooring over radiant heat because of possible damage from the long-term heat exposure.

Manufacturing impacts of engineered quartz.

Sustainability Concerns

Comparatively, natural stone can be used in most applications and requires only quarrying, fabricating, finishing, and transporting. No additional materials or chemicals are required to create natural stone. The Earth naturally forms the material over time. This means natural stone really is a natural material and has many other attributes, including its wide range of aesthetics, durability, and recyclability. Natural stone contains no Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), meaning it does not emit any harmful gases, making it a healthy material.

Manufacturing impacts of natural stone.

The materials used and the multi-step process required to manufacture engineered quartz also result in a higher global warming potential, as shown below. From an overall sustainability perspective, natural stone has a lower environmental footprint than engineered quartz due to the minimal resources used to quarry, fabricate, fabricate, finish, and transport it. The impacts of these processes have been documented and systematically compared against other materials using the same environmental criteria. This information is a valuable resource when selecting a sustainable material for a project.

Global Warming Potential

The embodied carbon quantities displayed were estimated based on the following:
Unite of Measure: Global Warming Potential (kg CO₂ eq)
Functional Unit: 1m²
Scope: Raw Material Extraction, Transportation, Manufacturing (A1-A3)
Natural Stone: Industry-Wide EPDs for Cladding, Flooring & Countertops
Pre-Cast Concrete Cladding: Industry-Wide EPD for Architectural Precast Panels, 150 lbs per ft3, 4” thick
Engineered Quartz: Average of three individual manufacturer EPDs
Terrazzo: Average of three individual manufacturer EPDs

These characteristics and attributes also make natural stone a great choice when seeking a green building rating certification within the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) or the International Living Future Institute’s Living Building Challenge (LBC). The different manufacturing processes and impacts of building materials are being documented in product labels such as Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and Health Product Declarations (HPDs). These labels make it even easier to qualify for points and credits within LEED and other green building rating systems using natural stone. The labels document and quantify environmental information on the life cycle of a product and allow you to make comparisons and informed decisions on materials that fulfill the same function. The product labels are also intended to demonstrate that the health and environmental claims are transparent, accurate, and meet defined standards. Industry-wide EPDs are available for natural stone cladding, flooring/paving, and countertops. HPDs are available for common natural stone types used in the dimension stone industry including granite, limestone, marble, quartzite, onyx, sandstone, slate, travertine, and more.  (See also: Environmental and Health Product Labels for Natural Stone.)

To further advance these issues, the natural stone industry has been working diligently over the years to make continuous improvements in each area and step of the process. This includes reducing water use, energy use, improving the efficiency of the transportation of natural stone, properly managing and adaptively reusing quarry sites, and many others.

The natural stone industry also created a certification system that determines if a quarry or fabricator meets defined sustainability standards in key areas of importance. This makes it easier to find and use natural stones that meet the standard, simplifying the process of choosing the right material that not only looks and performs well, but also has the least amount of impact on the environment. The standard is also accepted within the LBC, further ensuring its use in sustainable building projects. Even if a natural stone is not yet certified to the standard, the information can be used to vet stone suppliers and ask important questions to help choose the optimal natural stone for your project. For more information, see the Natural Stone Institute’s website at: www.naturalstoneinstitute.org/sustainability.

Manufacturing Impacts Series: Read More

Engineered quartz and natural quartzite are both popular choices for countertops, backsplashes, bathrooms, and more. Their names are similar, and are sometimes (incorrectly) used interchangeably. But even aside from the names, there’s a lot of confusion about these materials.

Here’s a quick and handy reference for understanding both engineered quartz and quartzite: where they come from, what they’re made of, and how they differ.

Quartzite is a natural stone.

Quartzite is 100% natural and comes directly from the earth. Quartzite has formed in locations all around the planet and the most well-known quartzite quarries are in Brazil. Quartzite is also quarried in the United States, Sweden, Canada, Norway, India, and Italy, among other locales. Dramatic settings like the Medicine Bow Mountains in Wyoming show off quartzite in its natural habitat, where an impressive massif of white quartzite rises above the surrounding terrain.

Medicine Bow Peak in Wyoming is made from white quartzite that is over a billion years old. Photo: Wikimedia Commons by Fredlyfish4.

Engineered quartz is manmade.

Even though the name “quartz” refers to a natural mineral, engineered quartz (sometimes also called “engineered stone”) is a manufactured product. It’s made from quartz particles bonded together with resin, pigments, and other ingredients. Manufactured quartz is made in factories in the United States, Europe, and Asia, among other locations.

Natural quartzite contains minerals, and nothing else.

All quartzites are made of 100% minerals, and are purely a product of nature. Quartz (the mineral) is the main ingredient in all quartzites, and some types of quartzite contain smaller amounts of other minerals that give the stone color and character. The diverse options in aesthetics are impressive—and all from the earth. So if you like calm monochrome, nature provides that. If wild streaks of color tug on your heart, nature’s got you covered.

Some examples:

Engineered quartz contains minerals, polyester, styrene, pigments, and tert-Butyl peroxybenzoate.

The exact blend of ingredients in engineered quartz varies by brand and color, and manufacturers tout the high percentage of minerals in their slabs. The oft-cited statistic is that manufactured quartz contains 93% mineral quartz. But there are two caveats. First, 93% is the maximum, and actual quartz content can be much lower. Secondly, that percentage is measured by weight, not volume. A particle of quartz weighs a lot more than a particle of resin. So if you want to know how much of a countertop surface is made of quartz, then you need to measure the ingredients by volume, not weight. Based on proportions of materials in PentalQuartz, for example, the product is around 74% mineral quartz when measured by volume, even though it’s 88% quartz by weight.

Quartzite is made from geologic processes, over millions of years.

Some people (me included!) love the idea of having a slice of geologic time in their home or office. Every natural stone is an expression of all of the time and events that shaped it. Each quartzite has its own life story, but many were deposited as beach sand, and then buried and compressed into solid rock to make sandstone. Then the stone was pushed deeper into Earth’s crust where it was further and compressed and heated into a metamorphic rock. During metamorphism, quartzite experiences temperatures somewhere between 800° and 3000° F, and pressures of at least 40,000 pounds per square inch (in metric units, that’s 400° to 1600° C and 300 MPa), all over the course of millions of years.

Natural quartzites are not all alike. There is variation in how deeply they were buried and for how long, and what types of conditions they endured. Because of this, some quartzites are somewhat porous (like Macaubus), while others are tightly bonded together (like Marine Blue, Taj Mahal, or Fusion). For an explanation of the different members of the quartzite family, check out A Deep Dive Into the Properties of Quartzite.

Engineered quartz is made in a mold.

Many quartz brands are made with the patented Breton process, which involves pouring the ingredients in slab-shaped molds, then subjecting the mixture to a vacuum, vibration, and pressure. In the words of the manufacturer, it’s called “compaction by vibrocompression vacuum process.” The Breton process compresses slabs at around 30 pounds per square inch, and applies heat up to 360° F for around 40 minutes (in metric, that’s 180° C and 0.2 MPa). For comparison, that’s about the same amount of pressure in a car tire, and the same temperature and duration as if baking a casserole. Then the slabs are cured in a kiln, cooled, and polished. Compared to nature’s way of making stone, this is certainly quicker and more controlled, but the amount of heat and pressure used to manufacture a slab are far less than what happens in nature.

Because quartz particles are encased in resin, engineered quartz ends up having low porosity even though it is not compressed as much as natural quartzite (water absorption up to 0.02% in weight, according to Breton). On the other hand, the presence of resin means that engineered quartz is softer than natural quartzite.

Quartzite can be used indoors and out.

Natural quartzite is at home in many applications, from countertops and flooring, to outdoor kitchens and cladding. Harsh weather and UV light won’t affect the stone.

Engineered stone is best left indoors.

As I learned when I left several quartz slabs outside for a few months, the resins in engineered stone will turn yellow in the sunlight.

Quartzite is often misunderstood.

An unfortunate side effect of the desirability of quartzite is the temptation to sell stones as quartzite when they are not quartzite. Thus, quartzite is commonly mislabeled, which has resulted in widespread confusion about the properties of the stone. So-called “soft quartzite” is usually marble, which has entirely different properties than real quartzite. Simple diagnostic tests can be used to differentiate quartzite and marble. Furthermore, some sandstones are sold as quartzite, which further adds to the mix-up. Sandstone and quartzite have the same mineral ingredients (quartz), but quartzite has much lower porosity, as is explained in the Deep Dive into the Properties of Quartzite. Thankfully, it seems that both industry pros and consumers are becoming more discerning about what quartzite truly is, or is not.

Engineered quartz is misunderstood, too.

One well-known brand of manufactured quartz literally calls itself natural stone, which it isn’t. Manufactured quartz is sometimes thought to be maintenance free, which would be nice, but engineered surfaces are not immune to staining, chipping, scratching, or damage from excessive heat. Just as with any other material, users of manufactured quartz surfaces need to be mindful of the properties of engineered quartz and the particular requirements for its care.

Some misconceptions about engineered quartz are addressed in Sifting Through the Confusion about Manmade Quartz Surfaces and Do Engineered Quartz Countertops Stain?

Quartzite needs sealing.

The most common problem with quartzites is inadequate sealing – particularly along the edges and cut surfaces. As described above, some quartzites are porous and care must be taken to seal the stone. When in doubt, be sure to work with a fabricator who is experienced with the particular quartzite you are considering.

Engineered quartz should be protected from heat and not scrubbed too hard.

In a series of tests, major brands of engineered quartz stood up reasonably well to staining, but were damaged by scrubbing with abrasive cleaners or scouring pads. Exposure to hot, dirty cookware damaged some types of quartz, as was shown in a performance comparison of countertop materials.

Which should you use?

There is no simple answer to this question. Each material has its devoted fans and selling points. No matter which surface you choose, be sure to obtain samples that you can test, work with a reputable dealer and fabricator, and take some time to learn about the product. While labels and misconceptions can cause confusion, the combination of informed customers and experienced professionals can help ensure that materials are used in ways that allow them to perform well, last a long time, and look terrific every day.

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Thank you to Dave Scott of Slabworks of Montana, and Tony Malisani of Malisani Inc., for preparing materials for these tests.

There is no shortage of opinions when it comes to countertop materials. We hear about granite being bulletproof and engineered quartz being low-maintenance but is that really true? Much of the information about various materials is either anecdotal or is published by the manufacturers and sellers of products. These sources of information may be spot-on… or perhaps not. It can be difficult to find reliable information about the practical properties of different types of countertop surfaces.

In a quest to bring more data-driven information to the countertop industry, this article offers side-by-side performance testing of four categories of materials. The purpose is twofold: to share test results from various countertop surfaces, and to illustrate how any material can be tested using these basic techniques. Bringing in a little more data to our industry helps everyone understand what to expect from particular products.

A Note About Objectivity

I’m an independent geologist, and I share the commitment of the Natural Stone Institute to bring educational information to the countertop industry, the design community, and consumers. It’s important to note that I didn’t pre-screen any of the materials used in this test. I picked a variety of colors, brands, and materials, ran the same tests on all of them, and documented all of the results. When I began the tests I did not know what the outcome would be. In an age where objectivity seems to be hard to come by, I did my best to remain unattached to any particular outcome. My motivation is to help people understand materials and be able to make informed choices, regardless of what type of material they are working with.

The Matchup: Materials Tested

To keep the tests manageable, I selected just one or two pieces from each type of countertop material. The article, Do Engineered Quartz Countertops Stain?, contains many more test results of staining, cleaning, and scrubbing.

Natural stone samples

• Absolute Black granite with a bush hammered and brushed finish. Sealed with 2 coats of Dry Treat Stain Proof impregnating sealer
• Thunder White granite (also known as Andromeda White) with a polished finish and sealed with 2 coats of Dry Treat Stain Proof impregnating sealer

Engineered quartz

• Caesarstone Eggshell, polished finish
• Sequel Pure Black, polished finish

Sintered surface (a heated and highly compressed blend of clays, feldspars, silica, and other minerals)

• Dekton Trillium, which has an uneven, ‘distressed’ finish

Concrete

• Poured concrete with gravel aggregate, ground flat and smooth, then sealed with Terra Glaze acrylic polymer sealer

The Tests

Hardness

Hardness is the ability of a material to withstand being scratched. It’s a relatively easy property to measure, using metal picks that are calibrated to Mohs hardness scale. Even though Mohs scale was developed to test individual minerals, it’s still a reasonable way to compare the overall hardness of different surfaces. The higher the number, the more the material will stand up to the affronts of metal utensils, cast iron cookware, and roasting pans being slid along the surface.

The sintered surface from Dekton ultimately ranked the hardest material in the test, with a Mohs hardness value between 7 and 8, meaning it’s harder than both glass and steel. The two granites were next in line, with values between 6 and 7. That result makes sense considering the two most common minerals in granite are feldspar and quartz, which rate 6 and 7 on the Mohs hardness scale, respectively. Engineered quartz product Caesarstone Eggshell was slightly softer than granite and was more readily scratched by the #6 hardness pick. Sequel Pure Black was easily scratched by the #6 tool, putting its hardness slightly below 6. The glossy black color of that manufactured quartz material also made the scratches easy to see.

Left: Sequel Pure Black engineered quartz has a Mohs hardness less than 6; the #6 hardness tool can scratch it, as shown here.
Right: Dekton Trillium has a hardness greater than 7, but less than 8. It was the hardest material in the test.

The softest material in the test was concrete. The matrix had a hardness around 4, and the different types of stone aggregate had measured hardness values ranging from 5 to 7.

Acid resistance

Next I tested each sample for its ability to withstand acidic liquids by putting about 1/4 tsp of white vinegar and two droplets of 10% diluted hydrochloric acid on the samples, allowing the acids to sit on the samples for 30 minutes. Diluted hydrochloric acid is the standard method geologists use to identify acid-susceptible stones. After the 30-minute period, the samples were then cleaned with soap and water, towel-dried off, and inspected. There were no visible effects on any of the materials except concrete.

While the acids were sitting on the concrete, a bubbling chemical reaction was clearly visible with the hydrochloric acid, and a slight bubbling reaction could be seen in the vinegar when using a magnifying glass. These reactions indicate that the acids were dissolving the carbonate minerals in the concrete. Once the acids were wiped off, the hydrochloric acid left a pitted area where the surface had been etched. No etching was visible from the vinegar, perhaps because the surface was somewhat rough and non-glossy to begin with.

Staining and cleaning

The ability for countertops to repel stains is a high priority for commercial property owners and homeowners, and it’s hard to predict what types of substances people will put on their countertops. I tested the stain-resistance of the samples with three common substances known to cause stubborn stains: turmeric, food coloring, and permanent marker.

For the test, approximately ¼ tsp of turmeric paste (a mixture of powdered turmeric and water), and two droplets of food dye were placed on each sample. These were left to sit on the samples for two hours, then cleaned off with mild soap and an ordinary kitchen sponge.

The dark colored materials – Absolute Black granite, Sequel Pure Black engineered quartz, and Dekton Trillium sintered surface material – did not endure any visible stains from turmeric or food dye, which speaks well to the ability of a material’s color and pattern to mask blemishes. Throughout all the testing I have done, darker materials and busier patterns are generally more effective at hiding stains.

The Thunder White granite showed very faint stains from food coloring, and these were easily removed with further cleaning with a kitchen sponge and mild dish soap. Thunder White also showed a moderate stain from turmeric, which faded overnight and was only visible because I knew exactly where to look. An observer did not see any stains on the white stone. Over the next 24 hours, the stain faded away completely.

Caesarstone’s Eggshell engineered quartz had moderate stains from both the turmeric paste and food coloring. As I continued to scrub and clean the quartz, the stains lightened, but did not disappear completely. The next day, the stains had faded somewhat, and the only plainly visible stain was from the food coloring.

Concrete was severely stained by both the dye and the turmeric, and further cleaning was only minimally effective at reducing the stains.

Left: Caesarstone Eggshell engineered quartz was stained by blue food dye, pink food dye, and turmeric paste.
Right: The same stains after further cleaning with mild soap and scrubber side of kitchen sponge.

Removing permanent marker

A Sharpie brand permanent marker left an obvious mark on all of the samples tested. The marker stain was most easily removed from Thunder White granite, requiring only mild soap and a kitchen sponge. On all other samples except concrete, non-acetone nail polish remover was required to successfully clean the marker stain.

On the concrete, nail polish remover was able to remove Sharpie marker that had just been applied, but did not remove dried on marker stains. Soft Scrub brand cleanser appeared to be the most effective at removing the marker from concrete, but it only lightened the stain; it did not remove it.

Scrubbing with abrasives

Abrasive cleaning products offer a challenge for some countertop surfaces. Several quartz manufacturers advise their customers to steer clear of abrasives, and for good reason. Abrasives have the potential to dull the finish of manufactured quartz because the resin that binds the quartz particles together is considerably softer than the particles of mineral quartz aggregate that are used in engineered stone.

In this test, two brand name cleaning products were used, Soft Scrub with Oxi, and Bar Keepers Friend. These were applied with an ordinary kitchen sponge with a nylon scrubbing surface, and 30 seconds of vigorous scrubbing.

Soft Scrub uses the mineral calcite as its abrasive agent, and calcite is a mild abrasive with a Mohs hardness of 3. The Soft Scrub left a very subtle hazing on the Sequel Pure Black engineered quartz. The black color and glossy finish is an unforgiving surface when it comes to hiding imperfections.

The Thunder White and Absolute Black granites, Dekton Trillium sintered surface, and Caesarstone Eggshell engineered quartz did not have any visible effects from the Soft Scrub.

Concrete became visibly dulled after using Soft Scrub. It appeared that the satin shine from the applied sealer was removed, and the effect was easily noticeable.

Bar Keepers Friend is a more robust abrasive cleanser containing feldspar, which has a Mohs hardness around 6. Thirty seconds of scrubbing with Bar Keepers Friend left distinct hazy areas on both of the engineered quartz samples. The Dekton and natural stone samples were unaffected. The concrete was significantly dulled from the Bar Keepers Friend, and in fact I could feel the material becoming rough and abraded as I scrubbed.

Heat resistance

Heat impacts surfaces in a few different ways. The thermal shock of sudden heating of a cool surface has been known to break slabs. Furthermore, heat can scorch or discolor materials that have low melting temperatures. Kitchen countertops are exposed to heat in several ways, from being adjacent to stoves and dishwashers, to the potential for having hot pans placed directly on top of them. It’s important to note that quartz manufacturers specifically warn against putting hot pans directly on their surfaces, and thus, the precaution of “don’t try this at home” applies to this test.

Left: The setup for hot, oily skillet test on Caesarstone Eggshell manufactured quartz. Mongolian Fire Oil is on the left, Texas Pete hot sauce on the right.
Right: Hot, oily skillet test underway on concrete. The skillet was heated to 575 degrees F, and placed on the slab for 10 minutes.

I tested heat resistance in two different ways. I placed a very hot cast iron skillet on top of the samples and let it sit for 10 minutes. The skillet weighed 3.5 pounds and had a footprint of 6.5 inches where it contacted the slabs, and was heated to about 570 degrees F.

The hot, dry skillet test left a temporary, light colored mark on the Sequel Pure Black sample, but the mark wiped off. No other test sample surface showed visible effects from that test.

Then, I took it up a notch with the hot, oily skillet test. This is a tough one: the surface of each of the slabs was first sprinkled with Mongolian Fire Oil and Texas Pete brand hot sauce, and the hot skillet was placed on top of the oily surface. This test represents a worst-case scenario where a hot pan is placed on a dirty countertop. While it is certainly not recommended to treat one’s countertop this way, it’s easily within the range of possibility – homeowners, guests, renters, or contractors are not always familiar with the exact properties of a countertop, and errant moves with hot pans do happen.

Dekton’s Trillium sintered surface showed no effects from this test, but every other material had some sort of noticeable change. Thunder White granite showed a slight stain from the hot oil, but the stain faded over 24 hours, to the point where it was invisible. Absolute Black granite exhibited a very subtle darkening of the surface in the area where the skillet had been sitting. This change was so slight that observers could not see it unless I pointed it out.

The Caesarstone Eggshell engineered quartz sample was stained by the hot oil, and initially there was a curved stain in the shape of the skillet, as well as a stain in the center of the area where the skillet had been. By the next day, the curved stain had faded, but the other stain remained. Over the course of several days, the stain lightened further, to the point where it was no longer visible.

The finish of Sequel Pure Black engineered quartz became slightly hazed and lighter in color in the area where the skillet had been sitting. The mark remained permanent.

Concrete was severely stained by the hot, oily skillet test. The stain covered most of the area that had been underneath the skillet, and while the stain faded slightly overnight, it was still large and prominent.

From Left to Right:
Thunder White granite after the hot, oily skillet test and before cleaning.
Damage on Sequel Pure Black manufactured quartz from the hot, oily skillet test (foreground) and from Bar Keepers Friend (background).
Concrete was damaged by all but one of the tests. The sample was pretty beat up by the end of the analysis.

TL;DR – The quick summary

Two materials exited the tests looking the same way they came in: Thunder White Granite and Dekton’s Trillium sintered surface. Thunder White shrugged off Sharpie marker better than any other material, but the stone’s light color revealed slight, temporary staining from hot oil and turmeric. No permanent stains persisted after cleaning, and neither heat nor abrasives affected the stone’s brightly polished surface.

The sample of Dekton Trillium was unfazed by any of the tests. In part, this product is made of materials that resist staining and scratching, and in part, its dark color and uneven surface finish made it hard to spot discoloration or damage. That’s why I was careful to note the degree of visible effects – it turned out that the variations of each material’s color and finish played a role in the way it either masked or revealed different types of damage. Nonetheless, Dekton is clearly a strong performer and I’m curious to do more testing of this relative newcomer and investigate properties such as chipping or cracking.

Absolute Black granite sailed through every test except the hot, oily skillet, which darkened the surface in a subtle way that observers did not notice unless prompted where to look.

The two samples of manufactured quartz each had slight to moderate damage from the tests. The Caesarstone Eggshell was stained by food coloring, turmeric, and hot oil. Over time the turmeric and oil stains faded, while the food coloring persisted. Sequel Pure Black was more susceptible to scratching, and showed some hazing when exposed to high heat. Both types of engineered quartz became dulled when scrubbed with Barkeepers Friend.

Far and away, the concrete suffered the most damage from these tests. Concrete is porous, and that’s what allows stains to penetrate. The cement that binds concrete together contains calcite (calcium carbonate), and thus cement will etch from acids. Lastly, concrete is soft and prone to scratching. This is not to say that concrete should be ruled out as a useful material, but it’s paramount that clients fully understand the properties and performance of concrete before committing to it.

Performance matters

If you’ve read this far, you now know more about countertop performance than most people, so congratulations!

So what’s the bottom line? First and foremost, think about the priorities and details of your specific situation. Is staining likely to be a problem? What about mishaps with hot pans? Do you tend to over-scrub a surface and are worried about damaging the finish? Use the test results that are most relevant to your needs.

Secondly, it’s a great idea to try some of these tests on any product you are considering, whether you are a homeowner or an industry pro. That will give you the most specific information, and you’ll continue to broaden your understanding when you interact with a material. Don’t be afraid to ask your countertop supplier for samples.

How does natural stone fit into all of this? The granite samples stood up very well to the abuses of these tests. Both Absolute Black and Thunder White generally outperformed engineered quartz, they were head and shoulders better than concrete, and they were comparable to Dekton. That’s good news to fans of natural stone – although be sure to investigate your particular material whenever possible.

A vast array of different products, colors, and styles are available for countertops today. Selecting materials can be a dizzying choice, but usually comes down to the same question: Are its properties a good match for your situation? When in doubt, zero in on how a material behaves and performs, try some tests, and learn as much as you can. In an environment steeped in hearsay and marketing copy, real world information will always be your ally.

TAGS:  quartz countertop educate cleaning karin kirk

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Kitchens are often called the heart of the home. So much action takes place in and around the kitchen, from meal preparation and cooking to dining and entertaining. So, when homeowners plan to renovate their kitchen, they want to create a special and unique design that reflects their lifestyle and is also a good investment. Today, there are more countertop materials than ever to choose from and it can be a bit overwhelming deciding where to start. Natural stone is quite often the top contender, with granite and marble being the most popular and preferred choices. Quartz is also often among the narrowed down material choices for consumers. Natural stone and engineered quartz can be somewhat similar in terms of aesthetics and function. These issues are good starting points for the design. However, thought should also be given to the material’s durability, maintenance, sustainability, and cost over the life of the material and kitchen. Let’s take a comparative look at some of these issues before making a decision.

Composition of the Material

Natural stone has been used for many years as a countertop material and has often lasted long beyond the lifespan of the home. Granite is one of the hardest and strongest types of stone available, which makes it a great choice for a countertop. Marble is another preferred choice for countertops because of its beautiful veining and coloration. Marble has been used since ancient times and is still held in the highest regard and is the preference for many of the world’s greatest works of art and architecture. Granite and marble are natural stones that are quarried, cut into slabs, polished, and fabricated into countertops.

Quartz is an engineered product that may contain a large percentage of natural mineral quartz but also include other products. These are not slabs of quarried stone, but an agglomerate of stone-like materials such as stone waste or byproducts that are ground up, bound with resins and formed into slabs for countertops and other products. Manufacturers often say that the typical ratio of quartz materials is 93% mineral quartz and 7% binders that are a plastic polymer or cement-based. In reality, the ratio is calculated by weight, so the finished product may actually consist of 30-40% resin.

Aesthetics

Granite is available in a wide color range and there are many size and finish options to choose from. Every slab of granite is slightly different in color and pattern, making each countertop unique, so the possibilities are virtually endless. Marble offers the most elegant and often dramatic coloring, veining, and tones. Marble also occurs in a very wide range of colors. Marble formed from the purest limestones is white in color, while minerals present in the stone can create a green, pink, gray, or black appearance. The range of color, veining, pattern, and texture are advantages that granite and marble have over engineered quartz.

Engineered quartz is more uniform in appearance because it is a manmade product. There are many colors and unique patterns available; however, many do not look like granite or marble at all. While natural stone ages gracefully and patinas naturally, engineered quartz stays the same.

Durability and Maintenance

Granite can stand up to the most difficult situations and uses, easily handling hot pots and pans or sharp knives. Granite requires little maintenance, although there are different opinions regarding its care. Granite is porous, which is why most fabricators recommend additional protection from staining. Sealing the stone with a penetrating sealer is a common option. Still another option is to allow the stone to breathe with no sealer applied at all. The stains will naturally vanish inside of the deep pores over time.

Know ahead of time that marble does require some maintenance, especially if keeping a high polish is a priority. Marble is porous and can stain, but sealing can reduce these effects. Choosing a honed finish can provide you with the beauty and make etches less visible. If etching does occur, it can be removed with a marble polishing powder and water. Cleaning is quite simple; a mild soap and hot water are often recommended.

This white marble kitchen countertop speaks of timeless elegance.

The resins in engineered quartz do make it a very durable product. Engineered quartz countertops are less porous than granite and marble and do not require sealing. However, it is not as resistant to heat as natural stone. The same resin that makes engineered quartz somewhat low maintenance is what also increases its risk of damage and discoloration from heat and light. Engineered quartz can chip and it is more difficult to repair than natural stone because of the resin. A professional is needed to match the chip and make the repair. However, the repair cannot be polished enough to have it blend in with the rest of the countertop because of the resin. Engineered quartz can also begin to fade or turn yellow within weeks of exposure to direct sunlight due to the pigments not mixing well with UV rays. This does not happen to natural stone, which is why you will see thousands of stone slabs out in a stone yard in direct sunlight.

Quartz top burn mark.

Environmental Issues

It is very important to consider how your choice of material will impact the environment. Both natural stone and mineral quartz are readily available and abundant materials. However, neither is considered to be a renewable resource. Care must be taken in selecting the proper material for the project so that materials, energy and other resources are not wasted.  The biggest difference between natural stone and engineered quartz is that natural stone is 100% natural and does not require the manufacturing of other materials in order to qualify it as stone. Quartz is a combination of materials, some natural and others that need to be manufactured, which is more energy and resource intensive.

The natural stone industry has been implementing environmental standards, practices, and policies for many years. These activities have resulted in findings that demonstrate natural stone is a material of low embodied energy and there are a few environmental impacts from the quarrying, processing, and fabrication steps. A green standard for natural stone was developed in order to help the industry define environmental impacts and make positive changes to reduce or eliminate them altogether. This standard, known as ANSI/NSC 373, is also helpful to architects, designers, and consumers alike, who are able to make informed decisions and compare and select stones more easily across environmental criteria. The stones that carry the ANSI/NSC 373 label validate that they are quarried and/or fabricated in a sustainable manner, contributing to improving the ecology, human health, and social responsibilities through stewardship of the land and resources. To choose from this palette of materials, see the Natural Stone Council’s website at: https://naturalstonecouncil.org/sustainability.

Engineered quartz requires more energy and resources to produce since the minerals are crushed and non-organic resins are added to essentially glue the crushed minerals together.The polyester resins used in engineered quartz are not natural but are made up of chemicals and dyes. Many of these are petroleum byproducts and often contain a filler called alumina trihydrate, which is made from bauxite ore and is mined, often under toxic conditions in developing countries¹. There are serious concerns about the ecological damage to these mining sites and the petroleum use in both the mining and fabrication processes^{2, 3}. The pigments used to make colored quartz countertops have their own associated health hazards. There is some work being done by quartz manufacturers to better understand and reduce these impacts. However, there is not a consistent approach to the effort across the quartz industry as a whole. Products achieve environmental standards or a green certification on a product-by-product basis. So you will need to request an MSDS (material safety data sheet) from the quartz manufacturer to know what is in the product exactly. They are obligated by law to publish these sheets.

Conclusion

Remember to take all of the issues mentioned above into consideration before making a decision. Your countertop should be a personal reflection of your taste and lifestyle. You also want it to be an investment that performs beautifully and is easy to maintain and care for over its lifetime. Be sure to ask a lot of questions during the decision making process to get the answers you seek so you can be assured that your decision will bring you joy and peace of mind. All of these factors combined are among the reasons that natural stone continues to be the countertop material of choice for homeowners.

The tones of the marble countertops and backsplash blend beautifully with the wood flooring to create a warm and comfortable space.

Additional Resources

Granite Life Cycle Inventory
Marble Fact Sheet
Natural Stone Council
Natural Stone Institute
 

Endnotes

1. Green Home Guide
2. Bauxite in Malaysia: The environmental cost of mining
3. Environmental Impact of extraction of aluminum from bauxite

TAGS:  granite countertop quartz educate stephanie vierra

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This article is reprinted with permission from Stone Interiors.

You’re facing the same conundrum that so many marble-loving home owners have wrestled with: you love marble, but is it really worth the care and maintenance to keep it looking beautiful year after year?

Compared to other natural stones like granite and quartzite, marble is a relatively soft stone. It can etch if spills aren’t cleaned up right away, and it naturally develops a patina, or change in color due to oxidation, over time. This is one of the reasons manufacturers are developing engineered surfaces that resemble marble—some people simply don’t want to stress out every time a dinner guest puts their wine glass down without a coaster. But if you’re in love with the classic look of marble, there’s simply no alternative quite as beautiful as the real thing.

We’re here to put your mind at ease, and give you 5 solid reasons why you should make the commitment to a real marble countertop.

1. It can be sealed to add stain protection.

One of the main concerns that homeowners have about choosing real marble for kitchen countertops is that will stain. While marble can be more susceptible to stains or etches from acidic foods and beverages (such as red wine and tomato sauce), there are precautions that can be taken to help avoid this. Your countertop fabricator can ward off stains by applying an impregnating sealer that fills the pores just below the stone’s surface to slow the absorption of liquids, allowing more time to clean up spills. Today’s sealers are highly effective at preventing staining, without altering the look of the stone itself.

While no sealer can prevent etching, which is a dulling of the stone when it comes into contact with acidic materials, a high quality sealer can go a long way in shielding your new marble from stains for years, or even decades. Ask your fabricator if they offer a multi-year stain warranty to help put your mind at ease.

2. Honed marble is just as gorgeous as polished, and you won’t have to worry about etching nearly as much.

Honed marble has a more matte surface finish, meaning any dullness that may occur from a rogue lemon slice will be much less noticeable than it would be on a highly polished surface. Honed marble has a soft, satin finish rather than a glossy shine – a look that many home owners actually prefer.

3. Every slab is unique.

Some homeowners choose to install manufactured quartz countertops that look like marble products, which can be made to mimic natural stones like marble, believing that they will be easier to maintain. While an engineered material might be lower maintenance than marble, it will never have the same depth, unique patterns, and range of colors as natural stone.

Plus, when you install a true marble countertop or vanity, you have the opportunity to select a 100% unique slab. No other kitchen will have the exact same veining and characteristics that you have in yours.

4. Marble is naturally heat resistant.

If you’re a baker, you’ll be happy to learn that marble is one of the most heat resistant stones out there, and is much more heat resistant than a common competitor – resin-based engineered quartz. This quality makes marble a popular choice for fireplace surrounds as well as counters, islands, and vanities.

5. Natural stone increases the value of your home.

Stone countertops will increase the value of your home and appeal to potential buyers, if and when you’re ready to sell. Updated countertops made of natural stone are aesthetically beautiful, and show that you’ve invested and cared for your home.

Still on the fence? Talk to your countertop fabricator before you make a final decision. Most will be more than happy to give you a sample of the marble color you’re eyeing so you can take it home for a field test. Pour some lemonade on it, leave a coffee ring, drop a tomato slice – put your sample to the test to see how it reacts. Better yet, try a sample of both polished and honed marble to see the difference in performance.

Every home owner should take their time to make sure they’re choosing a material that’s perfect for both their lifestyle and aesthetic. A Natural Stone Institute Accredited fabricator would be happy to answer any questions you might have about marble or any other stone material so you can feel confident in your final decision.

TAGS:  marble quartz kitchen countertop educate abby sanders

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We had a chance to sit down with Vinny Tavares, owner and founder of Aria Stone Gallery, who shared with us his manifesto for natural stone and what he believes makes natural stone an irreplaceable art form.

What happened to waiting for the great things in life to present themselves when the time is ripe? And further, what does this mean in the context of natural stone?

You cannot rush natural stone. No one can dictate how the next block—or using today’s direct-to-consumerism phrase—the next “batch” will look. Only nature can dictate which direction the veining will run or how white the background will be. No one can set parameters or define the “next production” for natural stone. The “next production” may not come until next spring because the winter was too wet in the Apuan mountains. Winemakers cannot simply reengineer their grapes into the next special Bordeaux vintage. Not only do you need the right conditions, the proper soil, weather, and temperature but also the right attitude: you cannot speed through the process and expect greatness. Some describe this art form as the ability to work or respond to the environment in an appropriate manner. This couldn’t be truer for marble.

Unfortunately, all of that means you can’t really pre-design a marble slab. There is not a machine where you press “start” and voila, out comes the perfect marble slab on the assembly line. Maybe this quest for the perfect surface is what led to the creation of quartz slabs. But if quartz is indeed better, why model quartz after natural stone? Why can’t it stand on its own, by its own design? Where is its authenticity?

Does producing 300 identical slabs per day seem special? Maybe it seems special if you are the only factory creating it. But what happens when there are 300 factories creating it? Are all those slabs as special as their manufacturers aspire to convince us to believe? Or is it just another mass-produced reinterpretation with the intention of tricking us into believing it is a better version of the original?

Whether it’s synthetic fabric, artificial turf, or engineered stone, you can’t out-design the real thing. That doesn’t mean the attempt to standardize Mother Nature shouldn’t have its place in society. But we can’t kid ourselves that quartz slabs items are in the realm of luxury. Two key aspects associated with luxury are scarcity and genuineness, and both aspects are lacking in these Calacatta-esque slabs. (Processed cheese, anyone?)

Some of the most succulent apples might come with spots. But it’s much better than the chemical, bountiful, perfectly shaped alternative. As the song goes: “Hey farmer, farmer, put away your DDT. I don’t care about spots on my apples, leave me the birds and the bees.” The same thing can be said for natural stone. Fissures and natural pits are part of the natural process. That’s where craftsmanship and human ingenuity play an important role. We don’t need to kill the bees to enjoy the apple. We only need to incorporate these aspects in the art (process) of harvesting the fruit. What do we call again the ability to work with what the environment has to offer?

I personally would rather work with truly special things. Things that are subject to the spontaneity of nature and are outside of our control. Things that maybe at first frustrate us more than we are willing to understand. But eventually the “thing” always reveals itself. The same way that a shiny piece of plastic is not diamond, that faux leather is not parchment, that nylon is not cashmere, and that forcefully compressed quartz minerals blended with artificial pigments and chemicals IS NOT genuine stone.

At Aria Stone Gallery, we promise the real thing, the best nature has to offer. It might not be “human expectation” perfect but it’s the best that has always been and probably ever will be. We are proud to work with the natural elements in their most genuine and authentic form, which in our case is the naturally perfect marble slab.

All photos courtesy of Aria Stone Gallery. 

TAGS:  design geology inspire quarry trends quartz

Selecting Stone Countertops | How to Choose Granite & Marble

I was standing in the middle of a granite warehouse amid 42,000 square feet of stone slabs. My kitchen designer sent me here with just one piece of advice: see what speaks to you.

I was overwhelmed. Until I saw one particular slab. Then I was smitten. You won’t find a connection like this with engineered quartz slabs.

Before I stepped into that stone yard, I had no idea granite slabs could vary so greatly, that dynamic forces of nature could create such fantastic colors out of rock and mineral. There were slabs with subtle glints of light, and slabs with full-on sparkle. Some streaky, others wavy and wild. They started to appear to me like big, beautiful canvases you’d expect to see on a wall, rather than on a countertop. Their crystallization formed impossibly beautiful patterns reminiscent of impressionism, expressionism, some even luminous fields of abstract color blocks. Other patterns looked like aerial photography of gauzy desert landscapes or bird’s-eye-views of rushing rivers. Each slab had movement and volume.

I slowed down and took my time to enjoy the selection process. Even the names were enchanting: Persa Pearl, Mon Cheri, Crema Bordeaux, Kashmir Gold.

On a practical level, I’ve always been drawn to the high performance, low maintenance properties of granite. It’s sturdy and strong. Aesthetically, I love its timeless elegance. Granite would fit as seamlessly into my 1925 Dutch Colonial as it would into a contemporary townhouse.

I also love the uniqueness. Even though granite is the most popular natural stone countertop material, there’s nothing cookie-cutter about it. My neighbor’s granite countertops would never look like my countertops. The idea that I could choose a rock that would be mine alone, not an off-the-shelf product, was compelling. Navigating my way around nearly 100 choices was would be worth it. The fact is that my countertops would be the statement-making linchpin of the entire kitchen redesign. 

Selecting the slab is step number one. Next is deciding on an edging profile. Square, bullnose, rounded, beveled and ogee were on the short list of choices. From there, a fabricator would create a template of my kitchen’s countertops, dimensions, angles and openings. The granite slab is “fabbed” based on the template.

Photo courtesy of Artistic Tile.

Granite warehouses like this one are the midpoint between quarry and fabricator, between raw ore and installed countertop. That these massive 10-foot high slabs may have originated in a 20-ton block plucked out of the earth is astonishing.

I circled the warehouse a few times. Certified Kitchen Designer Nancy Young of Montgomery, Alabama, says it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the choices. “People are always afraid to go with their gut. They hire kitchen designers like me because they don’t feel confident with their selections.”

There are no hard-and-fast rules in selecting granite. Some opt for contrast between cabinets and countertops, going with a design that has lighter colors to set off darker cabinets and vice versa. Others prefer a modern monochromatic look.

It’s not always enough to simply pick out a particular slab. With granite that has a lot of movement, vein patterns, and color variations, it’s also important to identify the section of the slab so the best part doesn’t wind up as a left-over cutting on the fabricator’s shop floor.

Another consideration is how long you plan to be in the home. “Are you going to be selling your house within the next five years or is it your dream house you’re going to be in 20 years?” says Young. The longer the time frame, the less resale value plays into the decision. But in any case, you really want to love it. “It’s not like a paint color you can easily change,” she says.

Granite is quarried in dozens of countries around the world. Brazil accounts for just over half of all granite imported into the United States. Since 2000, the demand for granite has doubled. Prices aren’t necessarily based on the country of origin, sometimes not even quality but on scarcity. The owner of the granite warehouse tells me exotic granites with vibrant colors and greater movement fetch some of the highest prices. The size of the quarry plays a part, too, says Young. “Quarries that are small or that aren’t in use every day means the stone will be rarer.”

Photo courtesy of the author.

In the end I opted for symmetry and uniformity to complement my white cabinets, settling on a blackish-green granite with the exotic name of Ubatuba and a bullnose edging. Flecks of golds and browns seem to appear and disappear in the changing light, an extraordinary detail millions of years in the making.