That is interesting Asleigh..I am sure they had a large chunk coming from China.

@parkerjenn4911 I am currently having the same issue with my MSI counter

top. They installed it on Saturday and I knew it looked off from the color I picked out. They said that the slab has "variation" however there is no way the color is correct and that it came from the same slab. Two of the pieces are in the correct color and one piece is the same as my sample that I brought home. They are coming to look at my counter top tomorrow to see. I hope they don't give me a hard time about replacing it with the correct color. There is no way it is the color I picked out. Let me know how yours went and if they ended up replacing it. I am curious to see how this works out. Any helpful advise would be greatly appreciated!

@Quartz - Stone Care, Cleaning & Repair Experts What do you recommend for every day cleaning of Quartz. What will keep it glossy and not dull the finish? Thanks

MSI has their own guide sheet online for cleaning/care:

How to care for Q

MSI is the WORSE QUALITY QUARTZ. STAY AWAY FROM THE ASIAN PRODUCT. Slabs come from China, Thailand, Taiwan, India and they are extremely low quality. Only 60% of quartz is in the MSI slabs instead of 90% like they claim and 40% of cheap polymer resins that will create stains, scratches and chips very easily.

We had our kitchen countertops installed on July 22, 2020 and on the next day we had watermark stains and rings from glasses, ring from vitamix container all over the countertops and the island.

We sent photos to the owner and he is willing to replace all the counters. We are looking for GRANITE LIGHT SLABS and will never buy quartz again.

We have never seen such a cheaply made product that will create stains from WATER the next day.

Owner claims it is a DEFECTED product. After doing our own research on all brands including CAMBRIA, LIVESTONE they all have the same problem. Just read reviews and google I regret my purchase of quartz or stains and scratches on quartz after one month, 2 month, one year - youwill find plenty of bad reviews on quartz including the 1st class CAMBRIA and SILESTONE.

They all complain about stains, scratches and HAZE on top. This is all permanent damage - nothing will fix it - no cleaning product or repair. This is the biggest disadvantage of quartz. NOT DURABLE AT ALL like they claim and market all over the Internet. They spend ton of money on marketing. They need top the money into a better quality product.

We had granite countertops for 20 years and never pampered them.

Quartz has to be wiped every single time you spill something on it. VERY HIGH MAINTENANCE and scratches every easily just by accidently dropping a knife on the counter. You will see a mark right away. PERMANENT DAMAGE. There is nothing you can do about it.

Cambria has the same issues Cambira slabs have 90% of quartz and 10% of polymer resins but they do stain too and they scratch and chip. If you drop a knife by accident - it will create a scratch.

Here are OUR KITCHEN COUNTERTOPS the next day - stains everywhere from water. In one week we had stains everywhere on the counter.

We are in process of resolving the issue with the owner and looking for light slabs of granite to replace the cheap MSI quartz. STAY AWAY FROM QUARTZ products. Many people regret spending ton of money on new countertops and few weeks later their countertops look like they are 40 years old. Stains, scratches and haze - not a shiny beautiful durable product maintenance free product like they claim. On the #1 you can already see the permanent damage on the island. Several visible stains. the counter by the sink is all stains.. Here you have your MSI quartz one day old after installation. Light granite countertops coming son...Good luck!

I regret buying MSI Quartz. I purchased my countertops February 2020 and since the moment they installed the countertops we knew something was wrong. There are cloudy spots all over, we contacted the MSI customer service and all they said was that is was normal and that’s how the countertops are made. The quality is also Not the best, i notice a few minor chips already, I have to be very careful when cooking or cleaning in the kitchen. I paid over $8900 for my countertops and I am Definitely disappointed with MSI I wished went With a different Company, MSI lacks quality and customer service. I contacted them several times and still no resolution on what they can do. if you want countertops that can last look for better quality not MSI.

I agree. Only had my VERY expensive MSI countertops for a month and they scar so easily from the resin they use to create the “veining” bleeds. I feel Terrible going with this option.

Does anyone know if you can get out the watermarks on Quartz?

I have a dark gray MSI Q quartz for a couple of years and I have some discoloration around my sink and under my Keurig. My installer contacted her MSI rep, and he sent her instructions (see below) for removing hard water stains. Unfortunately for me, my issue seems to be discoloration of the quartz resin vs. hard water build-up. I tried the solution below numerous times but it did not help at all. If your problem is hard water build-up, then maybe this will work for you. Check with your manufacturer first though, just to be sure!

Copied from my email:

• Soak the stained area with straight vinegar for 5 – 10 minutes
• Scrub the area with a hard-bristle brush
• Let dry and repeat 2 – 3 times if stain is still there
• Clean area regularly (weekly) with a 50/50 water and vinegar solution to prevent stains from recurring

He said it may take several times but that this should take care of it.

I am not sure that it is the brand or unrealistic expectations of quartz. Prior to this home where I have a large quantity of MSI Q quartz, I had two homes with granite tops. Granite has varying density and thus, varying resistance to staining, even before sealing it. My black/grey granite (Impala or Academy) showed nothing over 10 years of use, but I am always diligent to wipe counters during and after use. Acids like lemon did not affect the dark granite. My first granite, a white with brown and black speckles, was less dense and oil could seep into it if not wiped immediately, despite annual sealing with the best sealant (in the 90's). It required a poultice to absorb the oil to remove it.

Quartz is supposed to be a much more uniformly resistant product due to the resin and manufacturing to create uniformity/reliability.

I have a taupe-speckled white Q-quartz countertop in my kitchen and red wine does leave a pale stain that requires use of a gentle scrub product if not blotted/wet-wiped immediately (I use Mrs. Meyers Clean Day where the abrasive is baking soda). I don't know if other light-colored quartz brands have the same stainability or not, although I'd really like to hear from others!

After 18 months, my counters look virtually new, except for a tiny chip on the primary sink (handle of a pan dinged there). I have some mild issues with quality throughout (a ding that was filled but not sanded perfectly, a place where a label was removed from the slab where the outline is still seen at an angle) that could be installer or quartz quality issues, but I chose this brand because it was offered at an aggressive discount, and I chose to spend more for other items: marble backsplash, custom cabinets, Brizo faucets, and have a simpler countertop. I do not have any water spotting. However, I wipe my counters during or after use diligently. We have moderately hard water here and there are two adults, no children.

I feel modestly disappointed in the stain resistance of our countertop. Certainly, my last kitchen with the black/grey granite was less fussy and while it showed spots bc it was highly reflective, they always wiped up immediately. The speckled white Q-quartz sort of hides light spots, but I feel like the countertop can become dingier, or more spotted, unless I am vigilant.

HTH someone!

p.s. I did not think that the discount through a large MW retailer represented lower quality material, just a plainer countertop, which suited our design needs.

Here is an update on my situation with the discoloration on my dark gray MSI Q quartz countertops near my kitchen faucet, under my Keurig, and next to the powder room faucet.

After multiple attempts at following the initial instructions I received from MSI (to use vinegar and a hard nylon brush) and getting zero results, I again contacted my installer. She scheduled the MSI rep to come to the house.

He tried using Barkeepers Friend to remove the “stains” but even he could see that they were not typical hard water stains/etching but almost a “leaching” of color from the resin. These are not surface stains or buildup but a chemical reaction in the product itself. A reaction to water! Since I first noticed the discoloration, I have been uber-vigilant about wiping every drop.

I got word from my installer during the week of Christmas that MSI has agreed to replace the damaged areas. I am currently waiting to get it scheduled. So at least in my case, it looks like MSI is honoring the warranty.

The replacement hasn’t happened yet, but I am hopeful at this point that it will.

@Peter Leung and anyone else!

How is your Laza holding up after a couple of years or even few months for anyone else?

I am in the process of shopping for a countertops, and came across the Laza which I loved.

I have seeing a lot of mixed reviews and even one of the suppliers I met with said they dont carry it due to their poor quality.

I wanted to see if anyone here has any feedback on this.

Also, if anyone has any recommendations based on my cabinets, flooring and hardware.

My stone counters will include waterfalls along with the backsplash matching.

Thanks in advance!

STAY AWAY MSI Q QUARTZ. I just installed my MSI Q Calacatta Laza a month ago. It looks more resin to me than a stone. I have some stainless steel untensils. When I left the stainless steel bowl on top of the Laza countertop just about fifteen minutes, the countertop turned black. It really shocked me. I was told by the shop the MSI quartz is stain free scratch free. I complained to the shop regarding that black spot and I was told "No" metal on the countertop. With this expensive quartz, I cannot put stainless on. Can you believe it? When the installers installed the backsplash and they left mark on the countertop and they used acetone to clean it. Now that spot's gloss is gone. I was very disappointed and complained to the shop. But they wouldn't do anything and even MSI guy came to look at it and blamed on the installers. I am still waiting for the shop to resolve this issue. If I could choose again, I would never use MSI Q QUARTZ. It's a piece of junk. It's just the market. Everyone wants quartz nowadays and push quartz to look like a fancy stone.

Here is my final update (I hope) on my MSI Quartz: MSI honored their warranty (with no arguing or begging on my part) for the water damage to my quartz countertop where my kitchen sink was located, as well as the countertop in my powder room. They could not explain the discoloration as it was not simply hard water "stains". They paid my original installer to replace these two areas of quartz with the same color (Shadow Gray) and it looks great. I guess I will baby these countertops like never before and hope for the best regarding any future water discoloration. Based on two years of having this quartz, it does scratch more easily than their marketing says. Having a dark color makes every flaw show more. Even so, I have very few scratches in the most used areas, and none in the least used. Live and learn.

I’ve been on this thread for a long time now and have seen a lot of different responses. My overall opinion on my Laza is that isn’t the absolute best (considering it can get scratched abd stained) but honestly it’s holding up pretty well in here. Maybe I’m not that picky about the gloss factor because I would rather Disinfect especially now with covid than see gloss etc. my kids have put paint, permanent marker and other wonderful staying items. All of them usually come off with some scrubbing or a sponge and it looks fine. But the only thing that ironically is really hard to come off is black pen. It’s not a big mark, very tiny so it looks like it’s part of the countertop and only I know it’s there but that’s about it. Otherwise I’m very happy and it is really gorgeous. I’m also one of those types that would’ve been OK with marble if that helps.

I would be extremely cautious of any quartz at this point. The processes have changed (for all mfr) over the last 3-4 years producing a product with more resin (and less durability) at the surface. My 20 year old Cambria still looks fantastic. My 6 mo old Hans Chantilly looks terrible. The manufacturer is taking no responsibility.

I should point out my information on the industry comes from a counter refinisher who has spent the last few years (since the move to a less chunky, more natural stone looking quartz design) investigating the industry because his business has exploded with problems the standard repair practice doesn't fix.

Heather raises an interesting point: has the manufacturing ratios/process for quartz changed? I don't know the answer. Nor do I know whether MSI's quartz is lower quality than others across the board or perhaps has less consistent/lower quality control, not necessarily lower quality overall, but with more issues that get reported on forums like this.

I do think that it is possible that this forum has been a place for people to complain loudly about problems to gain attention from MSI customer service, and as a result, it is unclear about the quality of MSI quartz because this location has become the nexus of MSI quartz complaints.

I appreciate Julie sharing her bad and good experiences with MSI, which gives a balanced perspective. If people come here to ask for help with problems, but don't report back if they gain help from MSI or an installer/reseller, we do not have a balanced understanding of MSI's product nor their customer service.

Batarseh Realty: Personally I would look to finding a countertop/backsplash material that has a little more warmth, just a bit of the warm tones that you have in your floor and base cabs. I only looked up the Laza online, but see grey veining w/ two colors, white and grey. If it has some taupe or camel or light beige in it, something that ties it to your floor and the dark base cab, it will tie all of your materials together. You have a high bling factor with the strong bright brass pulls and high sheen upper cabs. Going with a less high-contrast countertop would soften your look a little, yet remain stylish. Just MHO.

These are various quartzites, and some have a fair amount of white in the field, along with beige and grey tones (not manufactured quartz, but quartzite slabs):

Taj Mahal quartzite

Good luck!

MSI portico cream

We have the Cararra Caldia counter top for 1 year of moving in to our new home I would not recomend this brand. I have a tech coming out next week to look at my tops because I have dull spots all over the counter. I have not used any special cleaning agents other than dishsoap as recommended. I am a firm believer you get what you pay for and at this point wish I would have purchased Cambria!

I'm digging into the NSF ratings issue listed previously. It looks like Cambria https://info.nsf.org/Certified/Food/Listings.asp?Company=0K950&Standard=051 and Caesarstone https://info.nsf.org/Certified/Food/Listings.asp?Company=0M650&Standard=051, the other slightly more expensive company we are considering, has the same "Not intended for direct contact when used in storage applications" label. What does this actually mean? We are not intending to store open food on the counter but obviously if there is some health concern with food touching the counter that's a problem. Does anyone have any more info on this?

I have been reading this thread and so sorry to hear of all the issues! For what it's worth, my bathroom vanity top is Cambria and overall it has performed well. It does look alittle darker around the faucet which I am assuming is from minerals in the water. I am now considering Omega White quartz manufactured by The Viva Stone Company and distributed by Surfaces by Pacific. Both are Indian companies. Does anyone have any insight on these companies or on quartz from India in general? Thanks!

I have had MSI Calacatta Venice in the kitchen of our new remodel for just over a year and we are very disappointed with it. It stains easily. The installer recommended using non-bleach Softscrub to get the stains out, but that doesn't work. We have had Ceaserstone in a kitchen in a previous home and have Pompeii quartz in the bathrooms of our current home and are very happy with them. MSI is just not the same quality and not worth saving a few dollars.

Hello HU, Thank you so much for your response, it's very helpful and while I am really sorry to hear about the problems you have encountered, I truly appreciate the information on your experience with the MSI product!

Very interesting thread! I recently had calcatta laza installed in my kitchen. Had it installed in my hall bathroom a year ago just now starting to see what i assume is hard water stains.

Do not buy this brand. Horrible product and even worse customer service. I have MSI Q quartz for my kitchen and bathroom counters. Bathhroom no issue. Kitchen one of the slabs they used is clearly defective. I have small, perfectly round, "pock marks" al over two areas. I filed a warranty claim and they are claiming "impact damage" even though nothing has fallen, quartz should be more resilient to handle non-impact use without developeing holes, and my designer looked at it and said it looked defective, like stone is being lifted out of it (because pock marks are perfectly round- unlike impact damabe)> I really wish I had read the reviews prior to goign w/ MSI or I would have certainly not. Customer service claimes on public forums that they follow-up and I assure you they do not.

I was warned by a quartz company not to buy MSI because the colour in the samples you get may not be the same as the colour of the actual slab. This was enough for me to steer away from MSI quarts, even though I liked some of the colours. Why any company would give out samples that do not reflect the true slab is beyond me. This indicates a lack of customer service right off the bat and also a failure to provide a quality product.

We installed MSI Midnight Corvo. It has been nothing but problems. I went with MSI actually after reading this and some other forums that said MSI should be fine. The manufacturer has replaced our slab once already due to manufacturer defect. But the new slab is the same. Hazy, even looks like there are wipe marks from the time we got it, but they are down in the finish, so you can't even get to them. Impossible to clean - have tried every method and even the fabricator can't get it clean. Have had black granite, white quartz, grey quartz, so it's not like I don't know how to clean it. Stay away from MSI would be my recommendation.I

Terrible product that scuffs and stains very easily. If you are somewhat particular about having a uniform sheer surface that doesn't show up horrible scuff/dull splodges in certain lighting conditions and at virtually every angle unless you are looking directly down onto it, this won't be the product for you and what is more the marks are permanent - even after using their recommended products for cleaning. The stains may go but the scuff marks left in their place cannot be buffed - so a choice of stains or dull patches.

Unfortunately there is no way to test out the durability of this product so take it from people who have that this product is sub standard and marks very easily leaving you with with dull spots which stand out like a sore thumb whenever you walk past it. Product MSI Q Quartz / Calacatta Leon.

Greetings all, the info above is very useful. We are renovating our apt and are considering an MSI quartz countertop for our kitchen. We went to their showroom and liked the Calacatta Miraggio (our cabinets are a stark white). However, I read quite negative reviews about MSI, and especially the Calacatta Miraggio as it seems especially prone to staining (defeating the purpose of quartz). And the issues re food safety.

It seems while the other MSI quartz are made using the Breton technology, the Calacatta Miraggio is using the LumaLuxe technology - and it seems problematic.

We installed a Zodiac Stratus White 7 years ago in our weekend home and we never had any problems at all - that is why I want quartz again.

We like MSI because it has a much larger choice of quartz, including some that have nice veins. And there is a huge price difference with Silestone or the other major companies. Our GC and his fabricator say that they never had any problems with MSI (but I am not sure how much to trust their judgment) and I visited several kitchen showrooms who also said that they never had any issues and that MSI is one of the top selling brand and Calacatta Miraggio the top selling MSI quartz.

We are also considering MSI Carrara Lumos and Calacatta Montage if they are better quality but like them less. We like veins. We have been agonizing about this for months and need to make a decision soon.

We have to be price conscientious but I also don’t want to end up with a product I hate or have to be so careful - especially since we like cooking.

I also read that these days, all quartz is prone to staining!

We also visited other showrooms, including GFO Stone (limited choices but quite nice, reasonably priced and seems to have a good reputation) but they don’t have any samples to take home and see in our kitchen.

Any suggestions are so welcome. Thank you!

We have had our non-veined MSI quartz since May 2019. It was absolutely the price leader at the time we purchased through Nebraska Furniture Mart, who contracted with a big countertop fabricator in Kansas City, 3+ hours from us. The fabricator had previously had a contract with Hanstone for a line of basic colors, and I was disappointed when I was forced to re-choose a countertop. As we have a large home and lots of cabinets, countertops were a key savings area for me: I chose rather fancy marble backsplashes and simple countertops...

Our MSI counters have generally held up as expected. The key comments I have are:

— my batch of quartz was not a good match to the sample: my counters are much whiter than the sample I based my decision upon;

— red wine, if not wiped immediately, will stain my (speckled) white tops. Per MSI's instructions, I use a baking soda-based cleaner to gently scrub the stain, and it comes clean. I do not use an abrasive cleaner on a regular basis, just on stains. I am a little surprised that red wine stains this readily, but I haven't owned any other brand of quartz before, so I don't have anything to compare to...

— I use a lot of lemon juice and vinegar, and they have no effect on the quartz surface.

Good luck with your choice, Helene.

Thank you very mich kitchengirl! This is very useful.

Hello Helene and others, I’m wondering what you decided to use for your countertops. We are looking at MSI quartz (Calacatta Valentin) warm white color. I’m concerned about the durability of this product. Thanks for any input.

We purchased MSI Calacatta Clara countertops in 2019. At the time, this was their highest level of quartz. They were completely awful. They stained SO easily - red wine, condiments, flower petals, etc. instantly stained them. We stopped pouring wine at our counter because of how badly they would stain, even if we wiped it up immediately. If we put takeout on the counter, the aluminum packaging would leave gray marks all over. We noticed the counters started getting splotches where the finish looked like it was worn off, which I think was from water. We honestly might as well have gotten marble countertops for how much we had to baby them.

In the bathroom, things like foundation and blush would also stain them even if wiped up right away. I would never purchase anything from them again.

I have MSI Calico White in my two bathrooms (installed two years ago). I love the quartz. The counters look like they did when installed, and everything cleans off very easily. I'm getting ready to select another MSI quartz for my kitchen without hesitation. Just having a hard time deciding which to get.

We are on now our 2nd choice from MSI because our first 2 slabs had sooooo many imperfections it was crazy for what we paid. Lots of hazy, ghosting areas and lots of streaky areas. Had I know the quality of MSI I would have chosen Silestone or Ceasarstone

Also want to say, if you do buy MSI brand, stay away from Calcutta “Arno”.

I used color quartz in bathrooms on countertops less than 2 years ago in new build house- easy clean up they always look great nothing shows except for little water spills or toothpaste but one wipe and dry and clean and shiny again in a bathroom with a lot of light.Not recalling the name of it a white slightly med size veined with sparkles I love it.
Now for the bad part - put MSI stellar gray in kitchen- oh if I could only go back and just do the color quartz in kitchen in same color - it was only a little bit more $.
I spent way too much on the MSI. $1.00 would have been too much. Uninformed sales rep. Should have been able to advise me.
Unfortunately the color I used in kitchen is not the problem as much as the quality of the MSI Stellar gray. In less than 2 yrs - it all started with one little spot - I did not cause - like a matte spot for no known reason then a small spot where it looks like the pattern just kind of got up and left and just shows the base color. So about a year ago had rep come out he basically blamed it on me - too many windows that’s why you notice it so I said ok just forget it thinking I can live with a few spots but now there are more and I am thinking of calling again but dread it bc I know they will try the same thing on me again and even if they did replace I think it would do it again. I only use dawn dish soap on a damp dish cloth to wipe off and have to do so 2-3 times day average. Only me and my husband. I basically hate this countertop and am so sorry I spent over $7,000 with Standard Kitchens for these 2 quartz products. Color Quartz was a great value but I would not go below a level c the MSI was below a level c I hope this helps someone to not make my mistake. If it was readily available where I am I would have gone with granite. Granite is prettier and more forgiving.

Anyone have experience with calacatta Arno quarts from MSI ?

Hello dustywren , why you are saying stay away from calacatta Arno ?

I don’t know if MSI Quartz comes in different grades (i.e a,b,c,d so on ) but if I was to go with MSI I would at least go with a c or d. Better yet Color quartz brand level c and up or best is Cambria. If I could undo the MSI quartz I got I would have went with Granite, yes you have to seal it but it is easier to maintain. I have heard the whiter granite is a little weaker in strength you will have to fact check this.The MSI I have in my kitchen I have to wipe down constantly plus it is in front of windows. I made a huge mistake. For me to do next time something with more movement to hide the fingerprints and watermarks and everything. After living with quartz for a year and a half I can say I like the Color Quartz in my bathroom but hate the MSI in my kitchen. MSI has very good products I just really picked a dud. I also can honestly say I hear of more good from Cambria buyers than anything but I have read some people hate the Cambria too.
With that being said this is what I wish I would have done a lot more research. So much to consider - direction of room you are putting countertop in what light comes in front of and behind it - if you are using a lot of wood stain on trims, doors and cabinets and if floor shows a lot of wood grain such as in some of the vinyl plank you may want to think about is this going to clash ? You have to live with what you choose. Sometimes you can find a good sales consultant but often times not. I think now if I had it to do over again I would have consider hiring an interior decorator to help me. That being said I might not have liked what they picked either. Research, research, research! Really think about what you like and want. Consider all your furniture and furnishings as well. I am sure you know all this but I want to save someone the dissatisfaction I have experienced.

P.s. color Quartz is a different brand than MSI by the way….

J F, can you post a photo of the spots on your MSI counters that are showing up with only base color?

This is a few of the flaws I circled in red - there are more but the biggest one is top left. When I pay for something that costs that much I expect near perfection. Unfortunately it’s too late now and I feel like a fool.

JJ:

I can guarantee that if you peruse your manufacturer-supplied literature/contract, no matter the brand, they have specific size exemptions for "resin pooling" which is what the spots you're seeing are. Cambria sells them as a feature, not a bug.

I'll bet they even allow some contamination. I had a lady with a bright red spec on a white particulate top that she had grown to love and wouldn't let me "fix" it.

Now that's a resin pool that may be out of specification; your's, not so much.

Thank you for that…

JJ,

My MSI warranty from 2018 states that flaws/spots smaller than a dime for solid colors and smaller than a quarter for multi-colored quartz were ”inherent in the fabrication process” and not covered under the warranty.

I have dark gray (Shadow Gray) MSI countertops. This color/pattern has subtle movement and undertones. I have a few random white specks and even a random speck of silver glitter in my countertops but nothing as big as what you showed in your pictures. I would not be happy with those spots either. Unfortunately, as mentioned by Mr. Corlett, I don’t think there is any recourse with MSI.

Just got the replacement of MSI Q Midnight Corvo Polished kitchen counter. First delivery had splotches all over it that looked like oil stains that you could not get out, it was part of the finish itself and centered in one area.

We waited 4 weeks because apparently all of the slabs that were ins stock had a similar issue. They brought the replacement today and still has the splotches, but it’s a more uniform pattern throughout the piece. Disappointed, but at this point we want to be done.

I would not recommend MSI Q Midnight Corvo to anyone.