How Well Do You Know Your Stone?
When it comes to stone, you probably know exactly what a granite worktop looks like and what it’s made from (although you might be surprised at the variety of colours there are). You probably know that the granite that looks so fantastic in your kitchen is essentially the same stone that’s quarried from the ground.
But What About Quartz?
You’d be forgiven for thinking the same is true when it comes to quartz worktops, but that’s not actually the case.
It might surprise you to know that quartz countertops aren’t actually made of solid quartz. In fact, about 10% of each quartz worktop isn’t made from stone at all — the reason why, we’ll get into in a minute. First, let’s take a look at how quartz kitchen worktops are created, as well as a bit of their history.
How Quartz Worktops Are Made
Quartz worktops, otherwise known as engineered stone worktops, start their life as stone powder — often using the by-product of the stone industry. As such, it’s actually a very environmentally friendly material.
This pulverised stone is usually quartz, but it can also include other stone such as granite. This makes up 90% of the end product.
To make the worktops, companies such as Caesarstone, Silestone and Unistone mix this powdered stone with a resin- or cement-based binding agent.
This mixture is then compressed and has all the air removed, before being heated, cut and polished.
The End Product
What you end up with is a product that looks exactly like natural stone, but often with more uniform pattern and colouring.
It’s also extremely hard-wearing — resistant to heat, scratches, impact and water.Essentially, a fantastic material for a busy kitchen. But that’s not all of the benefits of Quartz stone – for more on that see our article on the benefits of quartz worktops.
Need More Information?
You can find out more about the quartz worktops we work with, by visiting our quartz worktops page. And if you have any questions about installing quartz worktops into your kitchen, feel free to take a look at our guide to buying and installing kitchen worktops. Or give us a call on 0117 956 3030.