Shopping for a Quartz Countertop

While waiting on our new kitchen cabinets from Cabinets-To-Go, I have been shopping around for a kitchen countertop. You have a couple different choices. You can go with Granite, Quartz, Laminate, Solid Surface, Wood or Stainless Steel. You can also go for the new trend of a concrete countertop or a recycled glass countertop. I have been reading and doing some research and they don't have the concrete countertops totally 100% yet for the kitchen. Concrete tends to be porous and must be sealed and even then it can stain and the seal will wear off with use. The recycled glass countertops are really cool, not only in the look of them but also the concept of using recycled glass. However, a couple of the companies that make the recycled glass countertops are mixing them with concrete, making them a porous surface subject to stains. I have also read that some of the glass pieces can pop out if too hot of a pot or plate it set on the surface. The company, Glass Recycled, is making recycled glass countertops with stone or porcelain mixed with an epoxy resin. They are very cool looking and can be quite pricey, even it it is made of recycled materials.

I have decided to go with a Quartz countertop. They are very durable, scratch and heat resistant, and non-porous. They have great durability all around the board. They also have become more expensive than Granite, because of their rising popularity with homeowners. There are many different companies that make Quartz in a range of colors. Some of the companies include: Dupont Zodiaq, Caesarstone, HanStone, Cambria and Silestone. The prices range so its best to pick a color you like and get an estimate. I drew out the plans for our kitchen with measurements and took it with me, the process goes much faster that way. The color that I like the best so far is from Hanstone called Specchio White.

This Quartz stone has a little bit of a blue hint in it when you look at it in person. So it will work perfectly with the "sky blue" scheme I want to go with in the kitchen.

With any countertop make sure you ask if the price for the square footage includes fabrication and installation. Also, you should decided early on what sink you want as well and whether it will be under mounted or top mounted. I will be going with a under mounted sink, as its easier to sweep dirt and food off the countertop right into the sink. There are also different materials you can choose for a sink like Stainless Steel, Silgranit, Composed Granite, Quartz Stone, Porcelain, Cast Iron, and Acrylic. Some of these materials will show scratches and may chip, such as the Stainless Steel and Acrylic. Then you have to remember to buy a faucet and your kitchen countertop can be installed and the holes for the sink and faucet can be drilled.