Quartzite Natural Stone Countertops

Natural quartzite continues to be an effective choice for bathroom and kitchen countertops. The fact that this natural stone countertop material is so popular makes many wonder about its popularity, colors selection, and why it is a good choice. Let's look at each of those subjects.

The Popularity of Quartzite

In the world of countertops there are many materials from which to choose. There are natural stone materials and there are engineered stone surfaces. One of the more popular natural stone materials is quartzite. Note what Precision Countertops had to say about this:

"...quartzite has only just begun to shine. Homeowners and designers are beginning to realize that you can own natural stone without the worries and anxieties of owning marble."

Quartzite Colors

Quartzite, like other natural stone is composed of distinct minerals. The materials in a natural stone, affect the appearance of the stone. For example, the presence of specific minerals in a quartzite slab produces specific accent colors. That is why even though quartzite is predominantly light gray to white, it can have other colors in it as well. The color names of quartzite can have places, colors, or even words that describe the stone in some way.

• Ajibik
• Anarctica
• Baraboo
• Calypso Gold
• Cheshire
• Harlequin
• Masi
• Monkton
• Muscovita
• Nacarado
• Naica
• Rawnsley
• Renoir
• Sioux
• Taj Mahal

Why Quartzite for Kitchen Countertops?

Quartzite has a number of beneficial properties that make it desirable to many as a countertop surface. Why is quartzite the choice of so many consumers? There are many reasons, but we will look at three of them. They are:

1. Scratch Resistant
2. Resists Heat Very Well
3. Naturally Unique

Scratch Resistance

How well a stone resists scratching is important to consumers looking for a countertop material that will hold up under normal household use and look as much like it did when it was installed as possible. The hardness of the stone is directly related to its scratch resistance. Stone hardness is measured on the Mohs hardness scale of 1-10. Quartzite registers at around 7 on that scale. Thus, it is on the hard end of the scale. This makes it scratch and chip resistant; just what many searching for in a stone countertop.

Heat Resistant

The next reason people like quartzite for kitchen countertops is that, as a natural stone, it is resistant to heat. This contributes to the durability of the countertop in addition to the hardness we previously mentioned. That is not to say that every quartzite countertop is heat resistant. Why? Because natural stone is porous and requires sealing. Some sealers are applied topical sealers. This means that when they are applied, they are simply a coating. So a quartzite countertop that has a topical sealer will only be as heat resistant as the sealer that coats the surface.

Natural Stone Is Unique

Our third reason people like quartzite countertops is that they are natural stone and this fact makes each stone completely unique. Therefore, when a person selects a quartzite slab from a slab yard, no other will look exactly like the one chosen.

In conclusion, quartzite is a very popular natural stone material that is available in many colors. It also is desirable for many reasons including its durability. In the end, if you have an opportunity to work with quartzite, you will no doubt see that it has many reasons for being so popular.