With the arrival of quartz countertops in the market, home owners have a reliable and competent alternative to natural stones like granite and marble. Durable, easy to maintain and available in a range of colors, quartz’s popularity is on the rise and has now become a regular sight in many homes. Here’s a look into quartz fabrication before it is installed in your homes.
The origin of quartz
Geology will tell you that quartz is, in fact, the most common of minerals that are found in the Earth’s crust. It makes up for around 12% of the planet’s crust. The presence of quartz can be found in almost every geographical location and also is component in every rock formation. By nature, quartz is a very hard mineral, so much so, that only diamond, topaz and sapphire outrank it on the hardness aspect.
But unlike granite or marble, that can be found and extracted in huge blocks, quartz can only be traced in the crystallized form. This is precisely why it needs to be combined with man-made products to give it a shape and make it usable in the construction of homes.
Quartz fabrication
In order to provide consumers with the best of material, quartz fabricators look to combine the mineral’s durability with man-made products that enable the production of countertops. During the first step of the manufacturing process, quartz is sourced in its various sizes of crystal. The crystals are then crushed before the fabricator sifts through them and chooses the best. Once done, the quartz is combined with resin, which is the most commonly uses bonding agent, and colors. This is then put through a heating process and also vibro-compacted so that a dense, unbreakable surface is formed.
How are quartz countertops fabricated?
Across all fabricators, when manufacturing quartz countertops, 93% of quartz is used in combination with 7% of resin and coloring agents. This is the standard they follow to ensure that the resulting stone is hard, durable and also non-porous.
In contrast to natural stones like granite and marble, quartz fabrication is a measured and precise process which is why there are quality control procedures that ensure that the customer gets the best product for their homes. This also enables customers to avail warranties of limited period on their countertops.
Both, the quartz fabrication and the installation process of quartz countertops cannot be undertaken as a DIY project. Ensure you rope in an expert to deliver and install your kitchen’s quartz countertop.