I don’t understand the appeal of quartz

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s low maintenance, doesn’t stain, available in light colors / white.

So what makes it worth the significant cost over, say, Corian or similar products? Or even a plainer granite?

As far as I can tell, quartz is just the latest countertop fad. It may be "harder" than whatever, but for all practical purposes, it doesn't deliver a more functional product than even a standard laminate.

Well, 15 years later and mine still looks good. Laminate, would not.

I don't doubt it but when it comes to functionality most people aren't getting a meaningful difference from a quartz over laminate.

My next countertop material will be honed granite.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s low maintenance, doesn’t stain, available in light colors / white.

So what makes it worth the significant cost over, say, Corian or similar products? Or even a plainer granite?

As far as I can tell, quartz is just the latest countertop fad. It may be "harder" than whatever, but for all practical purposes, it doesn't deliver a more functional product than even a standard laminate.

It is far more durable than formica, wood or Corian. Corian and burns easily and is software and will gouge from metal. If you get stains or gouges in your Corian, you have to get a sander or buffer to buff them out and wear down your surface.

It is less durable than granite, but granite is now passe. I prefer granite because it is so much easier to maintain and keep clean. Granite it virtually indestructible.

But how often do people really get stains or scratches or burn marks in Corian? People say quartz is so strong but you'd have to go way out of your way to abuse a Corian to damage it. Same with laminate. Sure, it's possible but worth spending double to triple? Probably not. Unless the money isn't an issue then go for it.

I can put a pan straight drom the oven onto my countertop. Use it to make pasta and dough or temper chocolate

[Anonymous]

We thought it reminded us too much of the corian we were replacing. The sales reps all tried to sell us on quartz but it looked fake. If I had to choose between quartz and granite, I’d have chosen granite.. In the end we purchased quartzite. It was more expensive but we have a small kitchen which allowed us to splurge. I smile every time I look at it. It’s the perfect countertop material. Natural look of marble but way more durable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s low maintenance, doesn’t stain, available in light colors / white.

So what makes it worth the significant cost over, say, Corian or similar products? Or even a plainer granite?

As far as I can tell, quartz is just the latest countertop fad. It may be "harder" than whatever, but for all practical purposes, it doesn't deliver a more functional product than even a standard laminate.

It is far more durable than formica, wood or Corian. Corian and burns easily and is software and will gouge from metal. If you get stains or gouges in your Corian, you have to get a sander or buffer to buff them out and wear down your surface.

It is less durable than granite, but granite is now passe. I prefer granite because it is so much easier to maintain and keep clean. Granite it virtually indestructible.

But how often do people really get stains or scratches or burn marks in Corian? People say quartz is so strong but you'd have to go way out of your way to abuse a Corian to damage it. Same with laminate. Sure, it's possible but worth spending double to triple? Probably not. Unless the money isn't an issue then go for it.

Corian is fine for a kitchen where you only use it occasionally. For a fully used kitchen, it's not reasonable.

I have Corian counters in my bathroom and we had on-counter metal towel stand. This stand was pulled from the back of the counter to the front and in that pull, it caused a 2" scratch that had to be buffed out. This was a few years after we bought the house.

My best friend's mother had her kitchen counters redone with Corian. She loved them, but she was a very active cook. She was normally very careful about her counters, but accidents happen.
They were fine for the first couple of years, but then someone put an empty wine glass on the counter next to the sink when we all went in to dinner in the dining room. No one noticed that the wine glass had wine on the base and by the time we came back in after dinner we moved the glass and there was this lovely maroon circle on the counter next to her sink that would not come out. It took a lot of buffing to get that ring off. She also later had a situation where there was a pot that had been left on the stove to cool. Someone thought it had been there long enough to cool and moved it to the counter by the sink to clean it. And it was still warm enough to leave a light burn mark on the white Corian.

Yes, these things only happen once every few years, but you have to be much more careful with Corian than other surfaces. Accidents happen. With real or engineered stone, you can get away with these accidents not causing any damage. With the softer materials, these accidents can damage the counter and with Corian, it's a pain to fix having to have the right equipment to buff out the grooves/burns/stains.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s low maintenance, doesn’t stain, available in light colors / white.

So what makes it worth the significant cost over, say, Corian or similar products? Or even a plainer granite?

As far as I can tell, quartz is just the latest countertop fad. It may be "harder" than whatever, but for all practical purposes, it doesn't deliver a more functional product than even a standard laminate.

Point out plain granite. Whiter granites are likely more quartzite than granite. Quartzite has all the problems of marble and none of the strengths. It will crack and etch.

I'm going to redo my kitchen with quartz.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s low maintenance, doesn’t stain, available in light colors / white.

So what makes it worth the significant cost over, say, Corian or similar products? Or even a plainer granite?

As far as I can tell, quartz is just the latest countertop fad. It may be "harder" than whatever, but for all practical purposes, it doesn't deliver a more functional product than even a standard laminate.

Well, 15 years later and mine still looks good. Laminate, would not.

I don't doubt it but when it comes to functionality most people aren't getting a meaningful difference from a quartz over laminate.

My next countertop material will be honed granite.

boring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We thought it reminded us too much of the corian we were replacing. The sales reps all tried to sell us on quartz but it looked fake. If I had to choose between quartz and granite, I’d have chosen granite.. In the end we purchased quartzite. It was more expensive but we have a small kitchen which allowed us to splurge. I smile every time I look at it. It’s the perfect countertop material. Natural look of marble but way more durable.

Not true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s low maintenance, doesn’t stain, available in light colors / white.

So what makes it worth the significant cost over, say, Corian or similar products? Or even a plainer granite?

As far as I can tell, quartz is just the latest countertop fad. It may be "harder" than whatever, but for all practical purposes, it doesn't deliver a more functional product than even a standard laminate.

Well, 15 years later and mine still looks good. Laminate, would not.

I don't doubt it but when it comes to functionality most people aren't getting a meaningful difference from a quartz over laminate.

My next countertop material will be honed granite.

boring.

okay