Many people prefer to use quartz for their kitchen countertops these days. Not only does it look like a natural stone, but the nature of being artificial gives it added benefits of being non porous and scratch resistant. If you are interested in getting quartz countertops, here are some things to know about this unique material.
How Are Quartz Countertops Made?
The process starts with sourcing quartz ore from the earth, which is then broken down into small pieces of a very fine powder. That is then combined with a binder that turns it into a batter, which is placed into rubber molds. The material is then compacted into the shape of the countertop material, and a vacuum removes all of the air from the material so that it becomes non porous. The batter is then placed into an oven to turn the material into the hard stone you are familiar with. Each slab of quartz material is then sent to a countertop fabricator, where it is cut to the right size and installed in your home.
How Are Quartz Countertops Measured?
If you are replacing your existing countertops, a countertop fabricator will come in and take measurements of your existing countertop area with a standard tape measure. However, they'll then take a form of your countertops, which involves using thin pieces of wood to create an outline of what each slab of quartz will be shaped like. Those pieces of wood are glued together so that they do not shift, and are used to create the template to cut your quartz countertop. The necessary cutouts are also measured for things like your sink and holes for faucets and other items that may stick out of the countertop.
The amount of individual sections will depend on the size of your countertops. It may be possible to make the countertops in one continuous piece, or it may require multiple pieces that are joined together.
How Are Quartz Countertops Installed?
Your countertop installers will carefully bring the countertop material into your home, and place it on your existing kitchen cabinets. Silicone is used to hold the countertop to the cabinet, but there will also be threaded inserts placed into the bottom of the material to hold the countertop material in place with clips. The backsplash is also secured in place with silicone as well to prevent it from moving around one it is in place.
Share27 October 2021
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