Why You Should Buy Quartz Countertops
- dwight253
- May 22
- 5 min read
If you're just getting started shopping for new countertops, your head is probably spinning with all the different types of materials and styles available. There's everything from synthetic materials like Formica® and Corian®, to beautiful natural stones like granite, quartzite, and marble.
While Stone & Cabinet Outlet offers several varieties of natural stone and can source synthetic countertop materials, we recommend engineered quartz countertops for most of our customers.
Keep reading to learn about quartz and why it's an excellent choice for new countertops.
What is Quartz?
Quartz is an engineered, man-made stone countertop material.
Natural quartz, or quartzite, is ground into a powder and mixed with resin and color pigments to create a pattern that mimics natural stone. Our engineered quartz is around 94-96% quartz powder, and 4-6% resin and color pigments.
Modern manufacturing techniques produce quartz that is nearly identical to natural stone.
Have a look at these two pictures, and see if you can guess which is our Taj Mahal quartz, and which is the real natural quartzite.
Why We Like Quartz and You Should Too!
As an engineered stone, quartz has a completely smooth, non-porous surface (no tiny holes or divots). This means you never need to seal your countertops to protect them from staining, unlike natural stone like granite or marble.
The non-porous surface makes quartz much easier to clean and maintain, and while it can still be stained, it is much more stain-resistant, especially if spills and messes are cleaned up quickly.
You can also use most non-acidic, non-abrasive home cleaners to clean the surface with less risk of discoloration or etching, like natural stone.
Quartz has the same hardness as granite, making it strong, durable, and scratch- and chip-resistant. Unlike natural stone, quartz is completely uniform, meaning the slabs are solid with no internal cracks or imperfections that could cause them to break suddenly during transport, fabrication, or installation.
On top of being a highly durable, easy-to-clean product, quartz also tends to be much more affordable than most natural stone.
At Stone & Cabinet Outlet, we also have some tricks to help you save even more money, like ordering all of our slabs polished on three edges to reduce labor costs. We import our stone directly and keep a full inventory in stock in our warehouse. No middlemen means we can offer standard retail customer and contractor discounts on all stone.
And, as we mentioned in the previous section, modern manufacturing techniques produce beautiful quartz that is indistinguishable from natural stone. Cutting costs by buying quartz no longer means choosing a garish material with a pattern that looks like someone drew it by hand in Microsoft Paint.
Finally, while we think our Grade A quartz slabs will look great in any home, if you feel you absolutely need a name-brand product, we can also source quartz from brands such as Wilsonart, MSI, Caesarstone, and Cosmos, giving you an infinite range of options for your counters.
Who Should Buy Quartz?
We think everyone should consider buying quartz, but it is especially good for:
Value-seeking customers who want a premium quality product at an affordable price.
Customers with young families who need counters that can withstand an "active lifestyle."
Anyone who needs durable, easy-to-clean countertops.
Landlords or property management companies need a nice, sturdy, "renter-resistant," and cost-effective countertop material.
Contractors, developers, and remodelers/restoration companies looking to enhance the visual appeal of their custom builds, remodels, and restorations with a high-quality, affordable product.
Common Questions We Get About Quartz
Here are answers to the four most common questions we get about our quartz countertops.
Can I put hot stuff on my quartz countertops?
We don't recommend it - use trivets and hot pads instead.
Every stone, natural or man-made, can be damaged by exposure to extreme heat. If you search online, you will find various quartz brands claiming they can withstand heat from 150 ° to 300°F, but we don't even recommend putting this data to the test.
All stone, including quartz, is susceptible to damage and cracking due to heat shock (a sudden increase in temperature due to exposure to high heat or extremely hot objects). So, for example, if you're pan-searing a steak with a red-hot cast-iron skillet, put it on a heat pad or a cool, unlit burner on the stove when you're finished cooking.
The resin and color pigments in quartz can also become discolored after prolonged or repeated exposure to heat or hot objects. That means making sure you put your morning cup of java on a coaster, putting heat pads under your toaster or countertop convection oven, and so on.
Doing a little preventive maintenance now will keep your nice white quartz counters from turning burnt sienna as they age.
Can I cut stuff directly on my quartz countertops?
No, please don't. Seriously, DON'T DO IT!!!
Quartz is scratch- and chip-resistant, with the key word here being "resistant." It can still be scratched and chipped by hard, sharp, or heavy objects.
Cutting boards are cheap; replacing your countertops isn't, even if you're using our excellent, affordable Stone & Cabinet Outlet quartz.
Don't be silly and chop your onions with a cleaver, or drop your heavy Amazon parcel or cast-iron cookware directly on the counter.
Our stone and counters are guaranteed for five years against "natural defects and any incidental damage during installation by our professional in-house crews," not against damage caused by the homeowner being a doofus.
How much does your quartz cost?
Stone & Cabinet Outlet sells quartz by the slab, not by the square foot.
Our slabs are the following sizes:
26" x 110" (standard kitchen counter dimensions with 2" front overhang)
36" x 110" (standard peninsula dimensions with 2" front and 10" rear overhangs)
52" x 110" (standard island size for covering two rows of cabinets, with 2" front and 10" rear overhangs)
6" x 110" color-matched backsplash (3/4" thick)
The MSRP for one of our 26" slabs of quartz ranges from around $500 to $1,000 (standard retail/contractor discount not included), and depends mainly on the quality and complexity of the pattern, especially if it closely resembles a natural stone.
If you want an accurate layout drawing and pricing, you need to measure your countertop layout first. Check out our previous blog post about measuring for tips on how to do this properly.
How to Buy Our Quartz
If you've made it to the end of this long-winded article and are ready to jump on the quartz countertop bandwagon, give Stone & Cabinet Outlet a call at 503-285-5606 to learn more about our products and get started on a layout drawing and estimate.
Even better, you can stop by our showroom at 14130 NE Airport Way in Portland, OR, to check out our full lineup of quartz countertop styles in person, and we can even take you out back to our warehouse to view them in more natural lighting.
You can also view our countertop styles on the "Stone Countertops" page of our website and read our stone FAQs to learn more about care and maintenance.
Thanks for reading!
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