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Help with quartz countertop "finish"

6 years ago

We just purchased a "flip" house. Most of the work done was fine, but I have questions about the normalcy of the black quartz counters.

Any time water touches the counter and is wiped away more than a few seconds later, a kind of "ghost spot" is left behind. It doesn't necessarily show through when the counter dries. Our water is softened.

I've also noticed the edges of the counter are very dull. They don't match the high gloss finish of the top. Are they supposed to? I used Formula 409 in a test spot on the edge this morning and rubbed vigorously with a cotton towel and it seemed to shine up slightly, but there's still a weird un-polishedness about it, or a haze.

It seems to scratch ridiculously easy. I was putting heavy duty aluminum foil over a plate the other day and where the foil slightly dragged across the counter in the process appeared to "scratch" it in so many placed. Could it just be "scratching" a sealant or something? I thought quartz wasn't supposed to be sealed?

I do not know the manufacturer.

My question is, does it sound/look like this counter is just a dud, or was improperly sealed when installed? Can I fix it myself? Or are these typical quartz things I just have to get used to?

Thanks for reading!

Featured Answer

PRO

Granite City Services

6 years ago

I am a fabricator. Properly done the edge should be at least as glossy as the top unless the customer specifically requests some other treatment. (Back when we 1st started fabricating Cambria we were told to stop making the edge polish look better than the top surface.) I've never heard of just leaving it dull. I think Joe's right about the saw blade marks. Looks like a really poor job finishing the edges. It can be finished properly on site but it takes a skilled fabricator to polish quartz particularly when water use has to be minimized. In a fab shop lots of water is used to reduce the possibility of melting/burning the resin.

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Comments (13)

Mrs. Gopher #BringBackSophie
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Quartz does not get sealed but it can be cleaned. What you are describing could be many things but the 2 that come to the top of my head are

1. the matte-ish or maybe a 'concrete' finish. which if thats the case, nothing you can do. its the number 1 reason why i hate concrete counters. metal will scratch or embed into the counter.

2. its not quartz at all.
Mary N
Original Author
6 years ago
This is the top. It definitely looks like quartz?
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Mrs. Gopher #BringBackSophie
6 years ago
okay so they did not polish the edges. which is common. call a local fabricator and see if they can send a guy out to take a look to tell you what your options are. it would be cheaper than replacing.
Mary N
Original Author
6 years ago
Thank you!
User
6 years ago
Softened water has salts dissolved in it that will leave mineral spots on your counters, plumbing fixtures, and anything else that has a sheen. That may still be better than the local untreated water.

You may want to call out a water treatment specialist in order to assess your water composition and actual water treatment needs.
PRO
The Kitchen Place
6 years ago
This is more for others. If you want dark tops, consider Silestone. They have a new N-Boost technology that's pretty incredible. Watch this thru to the end and see the difference in water marks and fingerprints. Silestone N-Boost Technology Click Here for YouTube VIdeo
Mary N
Original Author
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
The water is definitely worse untreated here. It's well water with high iron content. We have an iron removal system that also softens the water. It's still also slightly acidic even after treatment.
ci_lantro
6 years ago
I doubt that aluminum foil scratched the counter. More likely, some of the aluminum got deposited on the counter, like pot marks in a white sink. Ought to scrub up with a bit of mild abrasive cleaner.
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
6 years ago
Mary:

Your top is puzzling. Your second picture seems to show some saw blade marks that aren't polished out all the way. I can't imagine how or why those marks are there. Your edge looks pitted and the particulates seem nonexistent, so they don't match the top. I'm not seeing a lamination line, but the edge looks thicker than 3cm.

Pull out your drawers and look underneath, please. Is there a company logo printed on the back?

If the tops are quartz, the edges can be polished, but that's not generally a DIY project. An amateur can "burn" the resin in quartz easily and that can be problematic and ugly.
Mary N
Original Author
6 years ago
Joseph, here are some shots of the bottom.
Mary N
Original Author
6 years ago
And another of the edge. I do believe it's solid, it's just hard to see because the edges aren't polished?

Is it standard not to polish them and I'm just being picky?
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
6 years ago
It's Cosmos quartz. Never heard of them.
Mary N thanked Joseph Corlett, LLC

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