Why Quartz Worktops are a Must-Have in Your Home: Top 5 Advantages and More

Quartz worktops have become a favoured choice for homeowners prioritising durable, low-maintenance kitchen or bathroom surfaces. As opposed to natural stones like quartzite and granite, quartz is an engineered material composed of powdered natural quartz crystals, resin binders, and colouring pigments. The manufacturing process involves crushing and blending quartz with suitable additives. Then, the homogenous mixture is poured into moulds and placed in an industrial vacuum. High temperatures fuse/bond the quartz with resin, and high-frequency vibrations ensure maximum compaction. Hence, the resulting slabs are incredibly tough, dense, and non-porous. Quartz has various applications in interior design, from kitchen work surfaces to bathroom vanity tops, flooring, wall cladding, tabletops, etc. It is also popularly used in alfresco installations and commercial spaces.

5 Incredible Advantages of Quartz Worktops

For decades, natural stone worktops were popularised across UK homes. Only with the introduction of quartz worktops in 1987 (by Italian company Breton S.p.A) did homeowners realise the inherent advantages of switching to a customised, zero-maintenance worktop. Although natural stones like granite, quartzite, and marble are breathtakingly beautiful and reasonably durable, they must be sealed regularly, polished occasionally, cleaned daily, and handled carefully. Given the time-starved schedules and modest budgets most of us are on today, it is challenging to find the required time and resources for the upkeep of natural stone. It makes quartz a strong contender for being the best worktop material in terms of its carefree maintenance and high functionality. Here are 5 top advantages of quartz worktops, establishing these as a must-have in modern-day homes: –

Durability

Due to the hi-tech pulverisation and vibro-compaction manufacturing process, quartz is highly resistant to scratches, stains, and heat. Also, owing to its zero porosity, it doesn’t absorb liquids, chemicals, or microbes. Thus, maintaining these engineered stone worktops is a cakewalk. However, these will easily last for two to three decades with minimal care.

Eye Appeal

A vast colour palette and pattern customizability ensure that quartz worktops rank high on aesthetics. With natural stones, you have a limited range of visual options. But quartz surfaces can suit your home décor to the hilt. There are solid colours for contemporary themes, light shades for vintage décor, warm hues for cosy interiors, and calm, reflective hues for a sense of expansiveness.

Strength

For busy residential kitchens and high-traffic commercial kitchens, quartz worktops are built to be incredibly strong and easily endure the daily grind. From heavy pots and pans to clanging cutlery, hot appliances, and miscellaneous items stashed away, quartz surfaces can easily bear the brunt without getting scratched, chipped, or cracked easily.

Zero Maintenance

The vibro-compaction manufacturing process makes quartz slabs very densely packed and completely non-porous. Even after years of use, the surface will remain highly impervious to spills and moisture. Hence, it doesn’t require to be sealed at any point in time. Also, quartz worktops resist colour fading, and the surface sheen is not likely to diminish despite prolonged use. Clean them with mild soap and water once a day. No other worktop material, natural or manmade, boasts such hassle-free maintenance.

Hygiene

The primary concern for kitchen worktops and work surfaces in laboratories, hospitals, etc. Since quartz is precisely engineered to be non-porous, there is no scope for harbouring bacteria, germs, fungi, or mildew in its pores or crevices. As long as the quartz worktops are cleaned daily, and no harsh abrasives/scouring agents are used (that could potentially cause surface scratches), users can be assured of utmost hygiene.

7 Trending Quartz Worktops for Your Kitchen

Venetian Quartz Worktop

Venetian Quartz’s rich, creamy base and intricate earthy veins are a visual marvel. New trending materials such as CRL Venetian Grande quartz are perfect for warm, elegant kitchens requiring zero terrazzo marble maintenance.

White-Green Quartz Worktop

Add colour and modernity to your kitchen with the stunning green and white hues of new worktops, such as the innovative CRL Statuario Verde quartz by CRL Stone.

Silestone Concrete Pulse, a new Concrete-look Quartz Worktop

Quartz can be engineered to resemble other materials like concrete, marble, and granite. This light grey worktop with irregular flecks and variations looks precisely like concrete. It is perfect for minimalist and industrial-themed kitchens.

Silestone Lime Delight

Another earthy quartz worktop, the Lime Delight quartz by Cosentino is renowned for its serene, spa-like vibes.

Cinder Craze Silestone Black Quartz

Nothing showcases a contemporary, state-of-the-art kitchen like a suave carbon black quartz worktop! Cinder Craze displays a limestone-like surface with white speckles on a contrasting dark grey-to-black stone.

Marble-Inspired Quartz

On popular demand, manufacturers have bespoke quartz worktops that resemble luxurious Italian marble like Calacatta quartz, Carrara quartz, and Statuario. One recent example is the new CRL Palermo quartz from CRL Stone, resembling the authentic Calacatta Gold marble from Palermo in Italy.

Metallic quartz worktop

Products like Silestone Brass Relish (a new metallic-effect kitchen worktop that emanates the sophistication of stone and timeless charm of brass metal), offer both a traditional look with a modern touch to interior spaces.

Conclusion

Quartz worktops provide significant relief to homeowners who want stylish and durable worktops without spending much on their upkeep. Natural stone loyalists might claim that this engineered material lacks natural charm. But the truth is that quartz manufacturing and customisation technology are constantly advancing. It implies higher quality, better resilience, and a wide range of tailored visual effects to cater to all tastes and expectations.