What You Should Know About Quartz Countertops

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Most people do not understand the fact that quartz countertops are different from other natural stone countertops. This is probably due to the fact that people, in general, are unaware that quartz is actually a form of engineered stone, which means it is made from ground-up particles mixed with plastic resins. Some facts about quartz countertops are mentioned below which you should look over for future references

 

Quartz countertops are not solid quartz

Quartz countertops are a mixture of multiple things blended together, such as a polymeric or cement-based binder, crushed up waste granite, marble or natural stone or even recycled industrial waste such as ceramic, silica, glass, mirrors, etc. And in the mix of all this, some quartz as well, in certain cases may be a lot of it. All these materials mixed together and held with the help of binders gives it the look and feel of stone. These products can be more accurately called engineered stone or compound stone, a term that better describes the way these products are manufactured.

Quartz countertops come from a single source

This technology of creating engineered stone was developed in 1963 and trademarked by the Breton company under the name Bretonstone. The process includes blending of natural stone pieces with a concoction of polymers that eliminates the air in between, and later on heating and shaping the materials into slabs that have the hardness and appearance of natural stone. Brentonstone technology has been licensed to more than 50 companies around the world. Although these companies add their own finish and theme to the product, the main procedure they follow is till that of Breton. Nowadays, some quartz countertops include fragments of mirrors, brass filings and varied mixtures of granite and marble. Varied concoctions lead to unique looks.

The Cheese Connection

Cambria represents a huge chunk of the US market for Quartz countertops, yet not many people know that this American company also produces cheese. It was not until 2000 that they dived into the engineered stone business by purchasing quartz processing equipment.

The term Bretonstone is not French

The trade name Breotnstone is no way related to the word Breton, the term referring to the Brittany region of France. Breton stone has actually developed miles away in Castello di Godego, which is roughly 20 minutes away from Venice.

Quartz countertops are green

Quartz Countertops in Fort Collins are widely available in the majority of stone-like materials that make up the quartz countertops are all waste by-products of quarrying or manufacturing processes. No natural stone is quarried solely for use of quartz countertops. Even the resins that comprise the lower percentage of these countertops have become more natural and less synthetic. Breton’s trademarked word for this specific ingredient is Biolenic Resins which is a combination of artificial and organic resins, the latter derived from non-edible vegetable oils.

Quartz is a popular flooring option too

Quartz is used heavily in floorings across shopping malls, airports and other types of floors. It is evident you have walked on Quartz at some point in time. Countertop applications were introduced in the late ’70s and people were not too upbeat about this option then.

Quartz and granite have become two separate segments

For years, Quartz Countertops in Fort Collins quartz tried to fit in with the natural stone options for quartz countertops in Fort Collins. It aspired to manufacture a reputation of being durable, less porous and easily fabricated.
While granite looking quartz still heads the market in huge numbers, quartz that resembles nothing else is an increasingly popular demand among the public. An example of this being Caesarstone.

Rising quartz lowers granite prices

Due to the continuous rise in the market share of quartz, it is cutting into granite’s market share. Homeowners who would have gone for the granite now go for quartz. Due to this demand, people inclined towards installing granite now can get it at a cheaper price due to a shortage of demand. It is noteworthy that granite prices have constantly dipped over the past decade making the material more widely available.

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