The Pros and Cons of Quartz Countertops

If style and durability are at the top of your priority list when looking for kitchen or bathroom countertop materials, check out quartz. It isn’t cheap, but it’s one of the most desirable countertop materials out there, according to remodeler Art Dann. It looks like stone, but it’s actually man-made, and that allows for more design and color variations than you can get with a natural material quarried from the ground.

Dann outfitted the bathrooms in his home and rental units with quartz, and he sings the praises of this “nearly indestructible” material. He cautions that quartz does have its drawbacks, so it isn’t for everyone, but if you’re adding countertops as part of a kitchen or bathroom remodel, it’s definitely worth a second — and even third — look.

About Quartz Countertops

If you think you could round up all the quartz crystals decorating windowsills in your neighborhood, grind them into a fine powder and mix them with glue to make a quartz countertop, you’d be right (assuming you had the equipment to do all this). That’s basically how quartz countertops are manufactured.

Quartz is a moderately hard mineral with a Mohs hardness rating of 7. That makes it harder than glass or steel, but not as hard as diamond, which has the top rating of 10. In a quartz countertop, the ground quartz is mixed with polymer resin in the proportion of 93 to 95 percent powder to five to seven percent resin. The result, which is sometimes called quartzite or engineered stone, is harder than natural granite (Mohs rating of 6 to 7) or marble (Mohs rating of 3 to 4).

Pros of Quartz Countertops

Let’s start with the three main reasons why quartz countertops are so popular;

Color and Design Variations

One of the things Dann likes best about quartz is that you can customize quartz to create colors and patterns to fit almost any design scheme. This is because the powder/resin mixture forms a slurry before the resin hardens, and manufacturers can manipulate it and add pigments. For a contemporary look, some quartz countertops include recycled glass and metallic flecks. Quartz countertops can look just like granite or marble, or they can have their own distinctive appearance.

Low Maintenance

One of the problems with natural stones like granite and marble is that they are porous, which means you have to seal and re-seal them to prevent them from staining. “This is a big problem in rentals,” says Dann, “because tenants tend not to be very careful, and once stains happen, they are difficult, if not impossible to remove.”

Because of the resin content, quartz is non-porous, so it doesn’t need to be sealed to resist staining. Not only that, a quartz countertop is more sanitary than one made from natural stone, because it doesn’t absorb bacteria or other microorganisms. A third benefit is that quartz countertops are nearly twice as scratch-resistant as granite.

Environmentally Friendly

Quartz is a common mineral that is easy to find and—compared to natural stone—easy to mine. There’s no need to cut countertop-size slabs directly from the ground and transport them over large distances, as you have to do with granite or marble. Moreover, quartz countertops often contain glass and other recycled materials and used countertops are recyclable. They can be ground up and mixed with new resin and pigments to create new countertops.

Cons of Quartz Countertops

Remember Dann saying that quartz countertops aren’t for everybody? Here are four reasons why:

Cost

Quartz is one of the costliest countertop materials on the market. According to Home Advisor, the price for a quartz countertop can be anywhere from $3,000 to $7,500. Compare that to granite, which costs from $2,000 to $4,500 for the same size slab. Other countertop materials, including stainless steel, wood and laminate, are much cheaper.

Poor Heat Resistance

“Don’t use quartz outside,” cautions Dann. “The heat from the sun can soften the resin and warp the countertop.” For the same reason, you have to be cautious about transferring hot items from the stove directly to the countertop. “Unless you want to make a permanent imprint of your tea kettle, put something on the countertop to protect it before you put your kettle down.”

Slab Size Limitations

Standard quartz slabs are 65.5 inches wide and 132 inches long, so oversized countertops require a seam. This isn’t true of natural stone, which can be cut to any size.

Installation Can Be Difficult

“Quartz is a bear to cut,” says Dann. “I do it with a diamond blade on my circular saw or angle grinder, but it’s slow-going and cutting raises huge amounts of dust.” The dust can be harmful to breathe, so use of a respirator is recommended.

Actually, DIY installation isn’t recommended, and some manufacturers will void the warranty if a pro doesn’t do it. Quartz is heavy, with some slabs weighing as much as 1,200 pounds, and your countertop can crack or break if you drop it. It’s better to tack installation charges onto the total cost of the installation project than it is to risk damaging the countertop or injuring yourself.

About the Expert

• Art Dann is a retired contractor and the owner of Dann Construction in Santa Cruz, CA. He has been active in the building trades for almost 50 years.