Kitchen Counters: Gorgeous Engineered Quartz

Engineered quartz is countertops’ style chameleon. Whether you love traditional or modern, apple green or ecru, honed or polished, flecked or patterned, quartz’s myriad choices will have you covered. Engineered quartz is also simple to keep, nontoxic and nonallergenic — there’s not much to dislike about this magnificent man-made material.

Abodwell interior design- Brittney Fischbeck

The fundamentals: Engineered quartz is a manmade product formed from approximately 90 to 95 percent earth quartz and 5 to 10 per cent resins and pigments. Commonly found brands comprise Caesarstone, Silestone, Zodiaq, Cambria, Technistone, HanStone and Q. Several manufacturers have upwards of 40 choices, like colors from bright red to floral linen and patterns from crocodile to concrete.

Price: $95 to $105 per square foot installed.

Caesarstone

Experts: Engineered quartz has many bragging rights. As a result of the quartz material, it’s tough like granite, as well as the resin leaves the material malleable and impact resistant. Stout durability is offered by both materials. Engineered quartz is also nonporous, making it resistant to stains and scratches. And this material has a leg up on natural rock in regards to large installments: Because it may bend, engineered quartz could be fabricated in larger pieces and with fewer joints.

Disadvantages:The resin material is not heat resistant, so maintain your trivets nearby.

Caesarstone

Ocean Palace Supremo Caesarstone

Ecofriendliness: Quartz countertops are great for indoor air quality, because they emit few VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and are nontoxic and nonallergenic for humans. For these reasons, many granite countertop products are certified by the GreenGuard Environmental Institute, an independent agency that verifies claims of low chemical emissions.

Quartz gets the green thumbs-up also for becoming a durable counter which may last a lifetime, and since several manufacturers offer products with recycled content.

Quartz’s eco downsides are that the resins used are oil based, and that many firms mine or fabricate their product outside the U.S., which raises transportation-related energy expenditures for U.S. customers. Only Cambria both mines and manufactures its quartz countertops completely inside the U.S.

Cambria

Special considerations: Honed finishes, particularly dark colors, show more fingerprints.

Care: The surface needs no sealants or waxes (either originally or for continuing upkeep). Cleanup is a cinch with water and soap.

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