Reply to Anyone regret quartzite countertops in kitchen??

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Let me make this SIMPLE. If it says "soft" quartzite, it is NOT quartzite. Terrabianco, and Fantasy Brown polished are examples of this. Real quartzite simply will not etch, it is just too hard. Most quartzites run around 8 on the Mohs scale of hardness, which is quite impressive, as diamonds are 10. If you are considering "real" quartzite, buy it and never look back. You'll love it.[/quote]

You are correct in that many quartzites are labeled incorrectly - fantasy brown is a dolomite and not a quartzite. Quartzite is formed from sandstone that has been fused under enormous pressure. But hardness has nothing to do with etching.

There are 3 parameters of countertops to be aware of

1. whether it contains calcium carbonate or magnesium carbonate (limestone, marble, dolomite). These etch because acids dissolve the calcium or magnesium carbonate. Quartzite, quartz and granite are safe. Sealers won’t help.

2. how porous it is. Porous stones stain and non porous stones don’t. Manmade quartz is almost completely nonporous as well as dark granites. Marble, some white granites, and quartzites that are more sandstone-like (grainy, feathery) are porous and require sealers.

3. Brittleness - some stones are brittle or have a lot of fissures that it can cleave along. Porcelain countertops are notoriously brittle. These materials are easy to chip and you have to be careful with hitting the counter edge with a dish or dropping a bowl on the counter.

“Hardness” is kind of the catch all term that the sellers will use to claim that a stone is bulletproof. “Quartzite is harder than granite” is a claim that doesn’t say anything about staining. If your quartzite is dreamy and feathery like Mont Blanc, it is probably pretty porous and will stain without sealing. If it’s more crystalline like Taj Mahal or crystallo, you might not need sealing.

That being said, I have quartzite that I love. It’s kind of a cross between essenza blue and allure, light in color, and fairly crystalline, meaning that the sandstone was put under enough pressure that the grains melted together under high heat. I had it sealed, and it’s been perfect - no staining, no water spots, no etching since it doesn’t contain any magnesium carbonate or calcium carbonate. [/quote]

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