How Quartz Countertops are Made

When a person is making a decision of purchasing anything, he or she needs to do their research and educate themselves about this item well enough so that they are able to make the best choice. Especially if this purchasing decision is about something as expensive as a countertop and as long lasting, hopefully, extra focused research is required.

Sometimes when you are researching a topic, you find yourself wanting to know all there is about this topic to feel the satisfaction of having complete information that you can trust to make a thoroughly calculated decision or just out of curiosity. And if you have been looking into options for countertops materials, you must have come across the fact that quartz is not found in nature in the same form as it is in countertops and that a slab of quartz is manufactured. In case this fact surprised you and made you curious about how a quartz countertop is made, you have come to the right place.

Mining quartz out of the mountains

What you need to know first is that quartz a mineral made of oxygen and silicon and it is the second most found mineral in earth. Its natural structure made quartz one of the most strong and durable materials there are. Quartz is very common that there are quartz mines almost everywhere in the world. However, quartz exists so deep inside earth that it needs heavy explosives and expensive machinery to be extracted. Once the quartz is out, its pieces are extracted in multiple shapes and sizes using bulldozers.

Manufacturing Quartz countertops

After the mining, the extracted quartz pieces are categorized in groups according to their quality and the possibility to use them. The producers of quartz countertops get the pieces of the stone that goes into the manufacturing process by the ton, bigger pieces are broken to be more manageable too. The biggest piece of quartz that goes into manufacturing countertops is no larger than a pebble; otherwise, quartz is grounded to a sand-like texture. These sizes are the best for forming the most beautiful designs and patterns for countertops. The best and most used colors of quartz in manufacturing slabs of countertops or either clear or white; this is also better for having complete control over what color the countertop is going to be.

These little pieces and grains of quartz are then mixed with resin in a ratio of about 93% quartz and 7% resin along with other minerals that are usually added to give the quartz slab it recognizable color. The mix is then formed into a slab and put in a special oven for specified duration. After the quartz slab cools, it is polished and that would be the final form of a quartz countertop and it is what you can get at its best quality from Phoenix Quartz. This slab of quartz is what reaches the client and get installed in the kitchen or bathroom after is has been properly edged.

No matter what your needs are for the quartz or granite countertop you want in your kitchen, be sure that KB Factory Outlet will have it ready for you in the best quality and wide color selection that is guaranteed to include your color of choice.

We’ll be glad to show you around our warehouse, so you can see the variety and feel the quartz material up close. Whether you visit our store at Tampa or Largo our knowledgeable staff will help you decide which countertop is right for you. Give us a call at 8882991180  Schedule a Consultation  our team of experienced stone and surfacing professionals here at kbFactoryoutlet is here to help you with every step of the way!

Quartz Vs Granite for your Kitchen's Countertop

Everybody keeps hearing that it is better to use quartz over granite or the other way around when they are remodeling their home and going to have new countertops installed in their kitchen or bathroom. While everyone has their own preference, preferences is not the most important factor in this case since it is more important to consider the design of the kitchen or bathroom where the countertop is going to be installed, the space available for than countertop, and your own budget, which can really be the one and utter controller of your choices. Either way, very few people who say they absolute recommendations of either quartz or granite, according to their own preference mostly, will provide you with clear criteria that you can use to make your own decision independently. This is why Quartz Phoenix is offering you this clear comparison between granite and quartz so that you are able to know which is best for you, your family, needs, and for a better design for your kitchen as well.  

Overview of the making of quartz and granite countertops

- As you may well know, granite is a natural stone which means that it gets extracted from the earth in huge chunks and then the granite countertops get cut and shaped into the familiar shape of countertops, and then these countertops are polished to finally be suitable for installation in kitchens and bathrooms.

- Quartz, on the other hand, is man-made out of crushed pieces of quartz that is mixed with hard resin; the usual ratio for this mix is 93% crushed quartz and 7% resin. This mix is then manufactured in various shapes and designs of countertops.

 What each type of stone cost as a countertop

As we mentioned before, most people have a strict budget that they have to commit to in every detail of the remodeling process including the countertop decisions. And whatever material you decide to install in your home’s kitchen or bathroom, you should know that neither quartz nor granite comes cheap.

- For granite, it will cost you at least $60 per a square foot, and that is just the starting prices of the natural stone as they go up from there on.

- Quartz is a little more pricy as it costs from $70 to $90 per square foot, but keep in mind that these prices compared to the multiple benefits you would get from investing in a quartz countertop seems very reasonable given that the hard resin on the surface of a slap of quartz is sufficient unlike granite which, in some cases, needs to be sealed.

Quartz vs. Granite in terms of aesthetics

Now, this is an entirely personal decision as it completely depends on the preferences of each single person or family. No one can tell you what to like or find beautiful, but it if there is going to be a comment in terms of the looks of these two materials of countertops, it has to be the fact the people who prefer more earthy natural looking stones prefer to have granite countertops, while those who prefer a more modern and cleaner looking surface would go for quartz.

No matter what your needs are for the quartz or granite countertop you want in your kitchen, be sure that KB Factory Outlet will have it ready for you in the best quality and wide color selection that is guaranteed to include your color of choice.

We’ll be glad to show you around our warehouse, so you can see the variety and feel the quartz material up close. Whether you visit our store at Tampa or Largo our knowledgeable staff will help you decide which countertop is right for you. Give us a call at 8882991180  Schedule a Consultation  our team of experienced stone and surfacing professionals here at kbFactoryoutlet is here to help you with every step of the way!