Quartz Brands

The Many Brands of Engineered Quartz

Engineered quartz surfaces are among the popular materials selected for use in homes, businesses, and other construction and architectural projects the world over. With its appealing characteristics and the large selection of look, feel, and visual texture engineer quartz is the choice of many. In fact, there are so many individuals interested in the material that there are a plethora of brands through which the material may be obtained. Let’s take a brief look at some of the common traits that engineered quartz has to offer. We will also offer a list of quartz brands that you may find offered by designers and fabricators but at the time of this writing had no website that we could find to which we could link.

What Goes Into Engineered Quartz

you may be wondering, ‘if quartz is a man made material, then why is it named after a natural stone?’ That is a reasonable question to entertain. After all, if it is a natural stone then why not call it that? Well, the explanation might help you in this regard. Engineered quartz is a natural mineral which is different than a stone (or rock). We won’t delve into the difference here since there is plenty of research material available that explains the difference very well. A brief explanation of the difference can be seen at the faq page of the USGS website entitled: What is the difference between a rock and a mineral?

The fact they are fundamentally different is a key to the reason why the industry chooses to use the term “engineered quartz”. Engineered quartz is composed largely of the mineral quartz. In fact, many of the engineered qarutz products available are over 90% quartz by weight. however, they also contain other ingredients such as coloring pigments and polymer resins that act as a binding agent to hold the mineral together and give it a shape. Since the finished product is so largely composed of natural quartz, it make sense that the term to describe it would would communicate that fact to potential consumers. Because of its composition, engineered quartz offers some very beneficial features; features that can be seen across a variety of brands.

Quartz – Engineered for Stain Resistance

One of the benefits of the methods used to produce engineered quartz is that the end product is non-porous and is not conducive to bacteria growth. Additionally, the non-porous nature of this material means that liquids do not penetrate into slab. This makes quartz surface resistant to stains. That does not mean that they are stain-proof. Rather, they are stain resistant and for this reason quartz surfaces do not require sealing.

Another benefit to quartz’s non-porosity is that liquids stay on the surface and can be dealt with easier than they might be if they were able to easily work their way into the stone. So, engineered quartz owners may experience times were a substance dries on the surface for “sticks” to the quartz, but since it is external, it can be easier to remove. Each brand of engineered quartz will provide with it instruction for taking care of and maintaining its particular material. These should be carefully read and followed since the resin in the surface can be affected by certain household cleaning chemicals.

Engineered Quartz Resists Scratching

In addition to stain resistance, engineered quartz also resists scratching because it a very hard. The natural mineral quartz – which measures 7 on the Mohs scale of hardness – and the resin binder work together to produce a material that is resistant to normal household wear and tear. Again, “scratch resistant” does mean that engineered quartz is impervious to scratching. Rather, it means that it is not easily scratched under normal household use. Additionally, each brand of engineered quartz will have its own use and care instructions to follow.

Brands of Engineered Quartz

We have been discussing some of the benefits that come with engineered quartz surfaces. These features are generally common among the array of brands that engineer quartz surfaces. And the list of brands that produce engineered quartz is impressive. In fact, there are even quartz surface producers that are available through designers, fabricators, and even architects. We have put together a list of engineered quartz brands that you may or may not be able to find online (depending on when you are reading this post). These engineered quartz brands include:

There are a number of brands of engineered quartz surfaces in addition to the one listed above. In fact, many engineered quartz surfaces have a brand website that offers information about the composition, warranty, use & care, as well as how to best maintain and clean its specific engineered quartz product.

Fabricating Engineered Quartz

Even though it is a bit different from other materials in the industry – namely natural stone – engineered quartz is similar in the way it is fabricated. For example, natural stone and engineered quartz alike go through cutting, shaping, and polishing processes. This requires the use of stone fabrication tools designed to effectively work on surfaces. Tools like the following:

Coring Bits
Bridge Saws
Air Polishers
Diamond Blades
Polishing Pads
Edge Profilers
Handheld Grinders

In addition to specific tools, fabricators of engineered quartz surfaces also need to work the material in the appropriate environment. That means having the proper dust collection equipment for stone fabrication as well as an effective way to polish, cut, and shape the slabs. Many fabrication shops prefer to use wet polishers and wet cutting processes for working with engineered quartz. Using water to keep the stone from overheating during fabrication means that slurry will accumulate. Which requires other kinds of equipment.

In addition to the tools, saws and polishing pads needed for working quartz, fabricators can benefit from engineered quartz fabrication water treatment plants. These plants and even other equipment helps to remove the particles from the slurry. This allows the water to be recirculated back through the system to be used for multiple rounds of cutting, polishing, and grinding.

As we have seen, there are some benefits that various brands of engineered quartz surfaces share when it comes to the practical use of these surfaces. They are scratch resistant, stain resistant, and are offered by a number of brands, including brands that do not have online resources. Furthermore, they also require specific tools and equipment during the fabrication process. Whatever brand of engineered quartz you choose, there is no doubt you will find that the selection is large.