Quartz Description & Disclaimers
Quartz is the specific name of an engineered stone product which is now one of the countertop industry’s leading products. Its strength & durability along with lighter color options gives consumers a much wider selection to choose from without the worries that come along with lighter colored natural stone options such as marble. However, there many misconceptions regarding quartz that cause expectational issues within the countertop process of a project, so we have comprised a list of disclaimers shown below to better educate our customers about quartz to avoid future issues and better help customers choose the right product for them.
Most Quartz products are made of crushed 93% natural quartz mineral (typically the clear or white formations), 3.5% resin, 3.5% color dye. Percentages are based on weight, not mass and may differ between manufacturers or even from the same manufacturer but different product line. Some manufacturers are now developing transparent “quartz” which calls for the same ingredients but a much higher resin content than normal. Some quartz products may even be porous because glass or other hard composites are included in the recipe and can pop out of the surface during the polishing/buffing process. Some quartz products even have concrete as a binding agent and air pockets are found in the surface from the curing process. These gaps/holes in the surface make the quartz product porous and warrant additional daily use as well as care & maintenance procedures. See below for a list of our Quartz Disclaimers:
1. PERFECTION: Quartz is not perfect, no material is.
2. RESISTANT, NOT PROOF: Quartz is stain, scratch and heat “resistant” but it can stain, etch, burn, discolor, scratch, chip, and/or crack, all from normal daily use if not handled/used properly. In some cases, quartz can bend/bow.
3. VARIANCES: Imperfections and variances in Quartz are deemed tolerable by the manufacturers and in most cases cannot be avoided. In example: spots/dots throughout the material or only in one area; background coloration not matching from slabs within the same dye-lot or in some cases within the same slab from one end to another.
4. IMPERFECTIONS: Quartz can have imperfections inside the stone that can turn into a problem during the fabrication process or even after installation. In example: an air pocket inside the material can cause a crack during cutting and/or allow the material to crack after installation.
5. VIEWING: FCMG highly recommends customers view the slabs in-person prior to ordering/purchasing.
6. CUSTOMER INSPECTION: Customers should inspect the stone to ensure that they like the overall surface of the stone as FCMG does not re-finish the surface of the stone. Of course, major blemishes/defects such as a random spot in an overall consistent colored slab and/or cracks will be avoided as best as possible.
7. FCMG INSPECTION: FCMG performs inspections of all slabs prior to production and any red flags will be presented to the customer prior to moving forward.
8. FINISH ALTERING: Altering the finish of the stone will automatically void the manufacturer’s warranty and disqualify the strength & durability specifications of the stone.
9. EDGING: The sharper and/or thinner the edge of a quartz product, the easier it can chip. Manufacturers recommend a beveled edge or rounded edge – minimum 1/8” radius (eased edge and/or pencil edge).
10. OVERHANGS: The maximum unsupported overhang for standard 3CM (1 ¼" thick) quartz countertops is 14” so long as the counter has 2 parts supported for every 1 part unsupported. In example: a counter with 24" supported can have a 12” overhang. Support brackets may be required in many cases to have larger overhangs.
11. MILLING DOWN: Milling down the quartz to become thinner may result in bowing of the quartz and jeopardizes the strength of the product.
12. INSIDE CORNERS: Quartz manufacturers require a minimum inside corner radius of 3/8”. This includes turns on a countertop, sink cutouts, stove/cooktop cutouts, outlet cutouts, notches, etc. Should an inside corner require a 90-degree angle, a seam is required so the stone has a breaking point at the seam rather than cracking at an intact corner. This is due to the pressure built inside quartz from the manufacturing process. If support gives way or pressure is applied to quartz where there is an inside corner with a 90-degree angle, the pressure will hit the corner and cause the quartz to crack whereas if the corner was rounded the pressure would run along the radius and be distributed throughout the stone and not crack. Outside corners and be any angle or square as the customer chooses.
13. HEAT: Do not place hot items from the oven or stove directly onto quartz.
14. COUNTERTOP APPLIANCES: Countertop appliances that omit heat such as air fryers, crock pots, toasters, should not be left directly on quartz during usage. A trivet should be used. If in doubt about a certain appliance, feel the bottom of the appliance during usage to see if it omits enough heat that is too hot to touch – if so, it cannot be left on the quartz surface during usage.
15. FIREPLACES: Quartz is not recommended for use on any gas or wood fireplaces.
16. OUTDOOR APPLICATIONS: Quartz is not recommended for outdoor applications unless specified otherwise by the manufacturer.
17. CUTTING & DRAGGING: Do not cut items directly on quartz – use a cutting board. Do not drag heavy or sharp objects across quartz as it could scratch the quartz or leave marks on the quartz. For many quartz brands, pre-mixed Barkeeper’s Friend is a safe product to use for spot treatment of removing marks from the surface (see care & maintenance guide under the resources tab for a photo of this product).
18. SEALING: Most quartz products do not require sealing. In rare cases, manufacturers may require the product to be sealed, your FCMG sales representative will advise of this prior to purchasing.
19. LIQUIDS: Do not leave liquids on quartz as surface stains may occur and, in some cases, cause a reaction to the stone resulting in a discoloration in the affected area. For many quartz brands, Soft Scrub is a safe product to use for spot treatment of removing surface stains (see care & maintenance guide under the resources tab for a photo of this product).
20. DAILY CARE: Each quartz manufacturer has its own recommended cleaning products. FCMG recommends just using water & Dawn antibacterial dish soap (3-1 ratio mixed in a spray bottle). Other dish soaps will work fine, Dawn is recommended due to its gentleness on human skin which reflects its gentleness on the stone. There is also a pre-made dawn foaming spray that works excellent on all quartz surfaces called Dawn Platinum Powerwash Dish Spray (see care & maintenance guide under the resources tab for a photo of this product).
21. SETTLING: Quartz can crack from settling of the house foundation, floor joists or cabinets.
22. WEIGHT: Quartz can crack if too much weight is applied to the surface such as standing on the counters, etc.
23. EXPANSION & CONTRACTION: Quartz expands & contracts in size during temperature changes. It is common to see results of the expansion & contraction where the stone meets other items such as backsplashes, panels, appliances, etc. In example: if the quartz contracts in size (typically during the winter) you may see a separation between the countertop and the bottom layer of grout/caulk of a tile backsplash, or in rare cases, a stone backsplash.
24. RECIPES: Manufacturers can change product recipes, strength & durability specifications as well as care & maintenance guides, which can change the production procedures as well as daily use functions & strengths. FCMG will always try to stay on-top of all product knowledge but the customer has a level of responsibility in understanding the product they are purchasing.
25. DAMAGE/WARRANTIES: Most quartz brands do come with a manufacturer’s warranty, but warranties are applied on a situational bases and may only cover the cost of materials and not the other costs associated with repairing/replacing the project.