Quartz Game Review

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Hunting for the perfect quartz countertop?

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There are a lot of brands to choose from, but sometimes that blessing can also be a curse.

Some brands manufacture top quality countertops, but there are even more that cut every corner they can to squeeze every last dime of profit out of you.

If you don’t buy a top quality brand there’s a good chance that you’re not going to be happy with them by this time next year.

We put this guide together for you to recommend a few of the better brands. You can’t go wrong with any of these, and they each have a reputation for quality engineered stone and fair customer service.

• Cambria
• Silestone
• Caesarstone
• LG Viatera
• Corian
• Pental
• Daltile
• Hanstone
• Wilsonart
• Vicostone

We intentionally aren’t numbering this list since all of these brands have good reviews, offer their own pros, cons, and unique styles. Having said that, there are plenty of manufacturers who could arguably be named the best brand of quartz countertops. So instead of trying to choose one I’d rather give you a list of good options.

White quartz like this are very popular and can be bought from most manufacturers, but stick to the major brands. Img Src

Silestone, Cambria, and Caesarstone are three of the most popular brands of quartz, so let’s take a closer look at them. The others on the list are good too, so if your fabricator prefers to work with one of them I would take their advice. Typically they know what’s best since they work with the product every day.

Cambria

Cambria is a privately-owned business, as opposed to a publically owned company that has stockholders to worry about. That, in and of itself, doesn’t necessarily make them the best - but it does mean that they can run things a little bit differently, having more control than a publicly-traded company who is beholden to earning as much revenue as possible for their shareholders. It show in their reviews too because you won’t find much negative press about them.

Cambria is well-established in North America, and in the United States of America in particular. They have multiple locations in Minnesota, and they’re also in North Carolina, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and they’ve even got a location in Canada too. They are also sold at Costco, and since they are usually so competitively priced, it may be worth your time to get a quote from there.

Quartz Board Game

Cambria offers a full lifetime warranty, they stand behind their products in a serious way. Their designs are downright beautiful, and in some cases it’s hard to describe some of them as anything other than art. In particular the Golden Dragon, Marwell, and Huntley lines look like they could be paintings hanging on a wall in a gallery, but instead they’re quartz countertops that’ll look every bit as tasteful on a counter.

Silestone

Silestone, made by Consentino, likes to call themselves call themselves the original quartz. In 1990, they set out to create a new product that would improve on the benefits of granite countertops; what they ended up with is the brand we know as Silestone.

Silestone comes with a 25 year warranty, which can be transferred, which is a nice perk to a potential buyer if you put your home up for sale.

Silestone is made by combining natural quartz along with other raw materials to improve durability and performance. It’s also used for walls, flooring, and in bathrooms. It’s a versatile material that gets great reviews from lot’s of homeowners. There are a heck of a lot of tones, styles and colors that you can choose from to help you get the exact look that you’re envisioning.

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Caesarstone

Caesarstone was one of the first companies to make quartz countertops. They’ve been a leader in their field for a long time, offering a ton of different designs and styles, and working closely with a number of skilled designers.

Caesarstone has an excellent comprehensive warranty and they are enthusiastic about taking care of their customers, although we have found a lot of fabricators that don’t agree with that statement. If your fabricator does not like working with Caesarstone I would take their advice and see what they have to offer instead.

What to AVOID?

Rather than listing specific brands that aren’t great, we find it’s more useful to tell you some traits to look for. Brands come and go, but this advice will be timeless.

Avoid buying any slab that you can’t see in person before buying regardless of how many good reviews you have read about them. When you order from big box stores you aren’t able to see the exact surface you’ll be getting. It’s highly recommended to head to the local stone yard or to a local fabricator to see and touch full slabs of quartz in person.

It’s also a good idea to avoid brands that aren’t made in the United States. In particular, there is a lot of cheap quartz that is manufactured in China. The problems with the quality of the stone coming from China is well documented. I’m sure there are some good companies making quartz slabs in China but unfortunately they are the exception to the rule.

Summary

Upgrades like a farmhouse sink or this slightly thicker counter will make your countertop the star of the kitchen.

If there’s one surface in your home where quality matters and where you’ll notice the difference every single day, it’s your countertop. Don’t buy the cheapest slab you can from a “no-name” brand. The best way to guarantee that you’ll be happy with the countertop you choose is to buy a well known brand and to see the slab in person before you buy it.

Would you like to design an elegant kitchen that fits your budget?

Here are a few articles I wrote that can help.

• 10 sly but simple cheats that save more money than buying stuff on sale
• How to cut the cost of cabinets by 20% or more
• Get the lowest price on countertops, flooring, lighting, and appliances

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Quartz, commonly known as Cambria, Caesarstone, Silestone, Radianz, Zodiaq, Hanstone and Viatera is one of the newer technologies in countertop materials. These materials are comprised of a blend of approximately 93% quartz and 7% polyester resin that are pressed into slabs using a “vibrocompression vacuum process”. After the blocks cure, they are then cut into 2cm and 3cm thick sheets. One of the main suppliers of equipment for making engineered stone is the Breton Company in Italy.

There are several benefits to choosing a quartz material for your countertops. First of all, they are non porous, which means the material will not harbor bacteria and is stain resistant. It is a very dense material which makes it impact and scratch resistant. Quartz materials come in a wide variety of colors and patterns, some of which look like natural granite, marble, limestone and concrete. Most manufacturers carry a ten year warranty on the material.

Quartz countertops are not without their drawbacks. If your countertops are larger than manufactured slabs, you may have one or more seams. This is a very difficult material to repair if damaged, particularly if the finish is affected. Quartz materials are heat resistant, however high heat appliances can burn the material. Quartz products are available in honed and leather finishes. These finishes are higher maintenance in that they tend to show fingerprints, hard water spotting and some staining.

Quartz countertops are an excellent choice for both residential and commercial applications. They offer a wide range of colors and patterns and are non-porous, which means they are safe for the food service and health care industries. They are also resistant to a wide variety of chemicals, which make them ideal for laboratory areas.

Generally speaking, quartz is very difficult, if not impossible to repair. In particular, if the shine on the surface of the material is dulled from heat or chemical burns, the original shine can not be restored. If cracks do occur from abuse or high heat exposure, it can be very difficult to repair the damage so as not to be noticeable.

QUARTZ COUNTERTOP MANUFACTURERS:

• Cambria
• Silestone
• Radianz
• Zodiaq
• Hanstone
• Sage Surfaces
• Technistone
• Caesarstone
• LG Viatera

PROS – Non-Porous, heat and scratch resistant. Many colors look like natural stone but many manufacturers offer colors not found with natural stone products.

CONS – Expensive, seams are visible and not as heat resistant as granite. Patterns mimic granite but are much more consistent.

CARE & CLEANING – Daily cleaning with a Glass cleaner, all-purpose cleaner or just soap and water.

WARRANTY – 10 to 15 year manufacturer warranty. Be sure to read the warranty before your purchase.

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COST – Quartz countertops are considered premium products and therefore are on the higher end of the price scale. The cost for quartz surfaces can range from $70 – $100 square foot installed.