Countertop Options?? Quartz vs. Quartzite

last year

We will be completing a total kitchen remodel this spring and I cannot figure out countertops. I actually plan to use the same material for both the countertops and full backsplash.

I was sold on only Quartzite because it is a natural stone and looks more “real” in my opinion. My fabricator expressed some concerns with using a light colored quartzite saying it would soak up the water from the water saw and leave stains. Also, the countertop is easily stainable, especially with the lighter color. (I’m looking at a Quartzite called White Lux or Monte Blanc.) Also, the cost of quartzite is pretty steep, but I am willing to pay to love my kitchen.

Then there is quartz. I have heard this is what most people go for these days. They say it’s durable and heat resistant, but then I do some research and other people comment on how it is not durable, white quartz can turn yellow, etc. I am looking at a Calcutta Gold pattern. The cost of quartz seems to half that of quartzite, so I try to think of the savings that would allow.

Please let me know if you have experience with quartzite or quartz. I would love to here the opinion of someone who has had it in their life. Thank you!!

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cathie2029

last year

last modified: last year

Not a fan of quartz made to look like stone, it just doesn't look good. I was thinking of doing that at first but then after looking at the slabs it just looks like someone painted the veining on it. very fake. I wanted marble counters or quzrtite but too much of a hassle (as others have mentioned it does crumble and crack depending on type) so after much debate we decided to go for all white quartz with marble backsplash sort of like this but 3x6 tile all the way up to the ceiling:

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Comments (41)

cpartist
last year
Quartz is not heat resistant. And it can't be put behind a cooktop for that reason. To me quartz looks fake. It doesn't have the depth that a real stone like quartzite does. Of course that's just me and plenty of folks are happy with it. One needs to know thyself.

Some of the lighter quartzite's can stain, but not all. Do a search here for Mont Blanc to see if anyone else has had issues with it.
darbuka
last year
last modified: last year
“Then there is quartz. I have heard this is what most people go for these days. They say it’s durable and heat resistant,but then I do some research and other people comment on how it is not durable, white quartz can turn yellow, etc.”

You have been misinformed. Quartz counters are made of crushed quartz particles, dyes, and 30% plastic resins. Heat can scorch and melt the plastic resins. Place a hot pan, or even the lid from that pan on a quartz counter, and it will leave a distinct mark. There are loads of threads here from people who used quartz for their backsplash, and wound up with scorch marks behind their gas range or cooktop/rangetop.

There have been several threads here lately, of folks whose quartzite developed the water stains your fabricator spoke of. There are also plenty of people whose quartzite had no issues. Quartzite is the hardest stone out there, and many are impervious to staining. Some just need to be sealed once. It depends on the variety. All quartzites (and granites, marbles, etc etc), are subject to thermal shock, i.e., cracking from sudden temperature shifts..ice cold, or extreme heat.

The only countertop material that is both impervious to staining, and won’t react negatively to heat, is soapstone. Soapstone never gets as cold as other stones, and accepts heat slowly. That’s why it’s the most common material used for fireplace surrounds, and why it’s been used in chemistry labs for centuries. And, because it’s temperature neutral, cold can’t harm it either.
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Here are a some pics and my dilemma. Keep in mind this is my old fridge...new one comes today! Here is how we ended up with this: I have never had an enclosed fridge so didn't think about the peninsula dying into panels or how deep panels were going to be. I "semi" designed the new footprint and took it to Lowe's where the KD took over. (yes---I know......) Bought Schuler plywood with maple fronts cabinets. Although the kitchen designer had the model number of the fridge we were buying, which is a full-size, she designed the kitchen with 24" deep panels. She knew I was trying to have the look of an enclosed fridge. Being that I've never had an enclosed fridge, it was something I just didn't think of until the install started. Evidently she put a counter-depth in the design program because the elevation sketches she gave me showed an enclosed fridge. "Luckily" the panels actually came in wrong and were cut at only 23" for some strange reason and the installer caught it right away when looking over everything. Otherwise he probably would have installed them and I would be stuck. So called Lowe's to reorder the panels and somehow in all this it suddenly dawned on me that a full size fridge was going to be deeper and require deeper panels. I thought "no problem! Yay I can order them at 30!" By this time the KD had quit her job due to the pandemic. The other KD didn't know what was going on so we called in the Schuler rep. She was the one who immediately told me that those 30" panels would be sticking out in front of the peninsula. She asked if we could move the peninsula forward since the other side is an overhang for seating, but we couldn't since it would bottleneck the entrance into the kitchen down to under 36" and getting rid of an existing bottleneck was one of the reasons for the re-design to start with. So we had a dilemma. We cannot go down to a counter depth fridge which was the other option. What I decided was to split the difference and order 27" refrigerator panels. The fridge without doors is 29.5" so I will have about 3" of the side of the fridge sticking out which I don't like, but while I want my kitchen to look beautiful, I value the functionality too. The old fridge that you see in the pic sticks out a total of 32" The new fridge will stick out 34 with doors but without handles (4.5" of that is doors that would stick out anyway) Here's the really complicated part....we will be installing decorative panels on the end of the fridge as we have them on all the cabinets. This is how you enter the kitchen and I don't want that big blank space there next to the peninsula. The panels should be installed with just 1/4" reveal. I posted a photo below of how the panels look that are already installed on the side of the pantry that adjoins to a 17" high window seat. Luckily those face the opposite way from the fridge panels so you will never see both at the same time. I also posted photos of us holding up panels on the side of the fridge (they are NOT the right size panels...we have to order those still---we just used these to look at the right edge as to how wide to make the panels.) Also keep in mind we can remove the quartz backsplash piece if that would look better. That was not originally planned...the panels were going to sit directly on top of the countertop. So do we order the panels with just the 1/4" reveal to match the panels in the rest of the kitchen? Or, as the Schuler rep recommended, order the panels so they are the same width with the countertop, leaving about 1 3/4" reveal on the right side, but then your eye follows the countertop all the way up. I asked the countertop templater guy if I should just lengthen the overhang on the kitchen side of the peninsula to 2.5" to bring it out to within 1/4" of the fridge panel but he said no....I'm now thinking I should have insisted on it. Especially since we have full overlay cabinets that already make the overlay look very small since the 1.5" planned overhang is measured from the box, not the front of the drawers. Note how small the overhang looks to the drawers. And then of course, they had templated for a 1.5" overhang and I only got 1.25" UGH! Every quarter inch there would have made the reveal on the side of the fridge less. Suggestions appreciated! I'm hoping that I will eventually make peace in my mind with this issue and won't notice it but it is driving me crazy right now. I think of all the things that screwed up just because of this one error by the KD that I didn't catch and I am beating myself up for it!
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typeandrun
last year
last modified: last year
I have leathered finish Taj Mahal quartzite for over 3 years. I love it! I have had no problems with staining etching water spots etc.

Here are some pictures. It looks even better in person

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5878733/update-is-this-timeless-or-trendy
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
last year
last modified: last year
I think you need to find a different fabricator. You could also look at white granites I use them often polished is IMO the best choice for finish. But quartzite is at least as good if not better than granite and I have clients who have had it for years . There is no way I would ever have quartz counters for myself or suggest it to my clients Fake plastic stome is just not what you need in a kitchen for counters.
maire_cate
last year
last modified: last year
Different stones have different qualities. If you want to read what others have posted on this topic just go to the "Search" function at the top and type Quartz vs Quartzite. You'll discover quite a few posts on the topic and many of them discuss specific stones.

We have Ice Flake quartzite in our kitchen. Before finalizing our choice I brought home a large piece that was honed and another that was polished. Then I did the recommended tests by applying ketchup, red wine, lemon juice, oil, water to both pieces and left it sit for 2 days. We also tried cutting directly on the surface and then used a sharp edge to see if it would etch glass. Neither honed nor polished showed any spots from the food but we decided on honed because I didn't want a shiny surface that would reflect the pendants.

We've had it for 5 years without any issues. It looks more colorful in my photo because the photographer was playing with the lights - the cabinets are a soft, milk color - not stark white like this photo.
Laura Richardson
Original Author
last year
I should also mention that our island will also serve as our dining space. The island will extend out into the kitchen table. I have kids (9 and 11) who aren’t the most careful. I am hearing the Quartzite may be the better choice, especially because I want to use this material behind my stovetop.

I think I’m over the granite look, but it was suggested to use a white granite. Anyone have a name I can search to give me an idea. I’ve never had a problem with granite in two kitchens over the past 16 years, but I think I’m just sick of the look.

I appreciate all of your suggestions!
mxk3 z5b_MI
last year
"I think I’m over the granite look..."

What does that even mean? The granite look. Granite and quartzite both look like hunks of rock. There are seemingly countless varieties of granite. If you think all granites look like the speckled granite trend of the 90s, you need to get yourself to a good stoneyard, you're in for a surprise.
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
last year
It means that countertops are fashion, just like your favorite pumps and little black dress.
mxk3 z5b_MI
last year
"It means that countertops are fashion, just like your favorite pumps and little black dress."

That comment is both funny and dismaying...
chispa
last year
I've had Taj Mahal quartzite in 2 kitchens with no issues. I would never place hot pots, casseroles or cookie sheets directly on any counter type.

I also had TM placed as the counter and backsplash of my outdoor kitchen. I can see it looks dirty/greasy at the moment, so it will be interesting to see how it cleans up or if the heat from the BBQ grill has affected it in any way.

I have had quartz (Cambria, Pental, Caesarstone and Radianz) in several bathrooms with no issues. Two master bathrooms with Cambria White Cliff (plain white) and no issues getting hair dye out.

I have had different granite inside and outside with no issues.
MizLizzie
last year
I love quartz and have used it in both kitchens and baths. I love how clean it is, how easily it is sanitized, and how little maintenance it needs. Quartz is usually my first choice for any project, but you cannot use it behind a cooktop, and you should never set a super-hot pan down on it. In fact, almost no countertop is guaranteed to tolerate that, with the possible exception of some soapstones, IIRC. I rarely see a granite I like, but Taj Mahal quartzite is just a breathtaking stone if you can find a good slab. Good luck with your project!
darbuka
last year
@MizLizzie, not some, but all real soapstones tolerate heat, without exception.
MizLizzie
last year
I believe you. And few stones are more beautiful. I had an acquaintance who cracked her ”soapstone” kitchen island with a ginormous dutch oven she pulled out of a super hot oven. But I saw the crack — all 18” of it — and I always thought what she had was Virginia Mist granite or something similar. But she swore up and down it was soapstone—per her realtor. (Yeah, the stone was in the house when she bought it, so . . . ?)
darbuka
last year
last modified: last year
Um, yeah…all you’d have to do is run your hands over her cracked counter, to know if it’s soapstone, or not. Soapstone, when finished (sanded) properly, has a sensuous, smooth, matte feel (and appearance), that no other stone possesses. Virginia Mist, even honed, will never attain those qualities.
PRO
Beth H. :
last year
last modified: last year
Not sure you have the best man for the job, that fabricator. He doesn't seem overly knowledgeable about quartzite.

quartzite can be very difficult to fabricate (it can crack/crumble during the process) Only experienced fabricators who have worked w/all types of this stone should do it.

White Lux and Mont Blanc have had issues w/some staining/ and adhesive bleed. You may want to look at the other posts on here regarding that.

Here's the white lux

You'll also need to be careful when picking the slabs. matching up the veining on the rear wall, along w/the color, to the countertops needs an expert.

This one is SeaPearl quartzite on both. Notice the diff coloring and veining to the right of the stove. 2 diff slabs.

This one is a nice job w/the veining.

Tajmajal would be a great choice. you won't have to worry about staining(you will still seal it) and quartzite doesn't etch. (if it does etch, then you have marble)

To save money, you could opt for a nice tile on the backsplash

Some of the Taj slabs can be very gray. Take a look at the Perla Venata. It's a 'cousin' to Taj in the creamier, warmer tones.

https://www.houzz.com/photos/query/perla-venata

Here's the quartz opton. they did a nice job matching the wall portion. Calacatta Laza

Calacatta gold

Silestone Eternal:

You could opt for a calacatta marble (or any white marble) tile splash, like they did here.

this is one of my faves. Real Calacatta marble done in a chevron, w/solid, or more subdued, white countertop.

Have you considered Porcelain? These are just two examples. Theyre making them so realistic now.
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
last year
"Quartz is usually my first choice for any project, but you cannot use it behind a cooktop..."

You can use tissue paper behind a cooktop as long as it's installed per the appliance manufacturer's instructions. Let's stop blaming manufacturers and installers for design errors please.
Laura Richardson
Original Author
last year
Wacky Tacky: No table in our space. We have a weirdly laid out lake house and it just makes sense to have a bigger kitchen area and loose the table.
Laura Richardson
Original Author
last year
Beth H: I have visited over 4 fabricators and none have expressed problems with quartzite, other than water staining from the water saw. Can you elaborate what you mean about the issues with White Lux and Mont Blanc? I will also look at the other posts.

I am not a huge fan of what I have seen from Taj Majal. All of the slabs I have seen are brown or tan. I am sure many people have more selection to view from. I’m in rural Michigan, so no big slab yards in my area, just small slab yards.

Is the Silestone option an engineered product? I absolutely love using the countertop material for the backsplash, so I’d love to try to stick with that. My island is 10+ feet long and half of that is the table portion of the island. I was told porcelain would be too thin to support this design.

Thank you for the pictures! I appreciate your point of view.
darbuka
last year
last modified: last year
Yes…Silestone is manmade, engineered, part plastic resins…just like all the other players in the quartz counter business.
Laura Richardson
Original Author
last year
Cathie2029: This gives me some food for thought! Thank you! My island is white oak (similar to the lowers in your second picture) and the perimeter cabinets are white. I was worried about doing something different because of adding too many colors, but this might be a good idea because the solid white would be the same as the perimeter cabinets. I am definitely going to think on this!
freedomplace1
last year
last modified: last year
There are many beautiful granites, including the white granites. Personally, I have no problem with any granite. If it was good enough for the Ancient Egyptians, it is good enough for me. And people who jumped on the “speckled” granites because it was the ”fashion” at the time, and now no longer want it, because it is not the ”fashion” now - all of that noise has nothing to do with me, thank goodness. As far as the natural stones for countertops, granite is my preference. Any granite. Period.

That being said - this is your kitchen, so get what you want. Between quartzite and quartz, I would say take the quartzite. If I were going to go the quartz route, personally I would rather choose Formica/laminate or Corian/solid surface.
PRO
Beth H. :
last year
4 fabricators and NONE have mentioned difficulty w/cutting quartzite? well good for them. Then they won't mind signing a waiver excluding you having to purchase another slab when yours gets damaged?

water staining? huh? that's just absorption and will dry out. all stone is like that.

as for the silestone, I have the Eternal Serena w/a calacatta marble tile splash. I like what Cathi did. that's gorgeous. you could easily do that.

check out some of the porcelain alternatives though
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
last year
"water staining? huh? that's just absorption and will dry out. all stone is like that."

Clearly, you haven't been paying attention here. Enter "quartzite staining" into the Houzz search box please; you'll have 25 threads contradicting your statement.
Gigiof4
last year
I feel your pain! We finished our kitchen remodel a little over a year ago. I had decided that what ever material I chose for my counter top was also going to be used for my backsplash. I had seen too many posts regarding picking the wrong backsplash.

I really thought I would end up with a natural stone product but I didn’t find anything that I loved. I was scared of quartz until I visited a family member with quartz. She has had it five years. Her husband is a very messy cook. Her quartz looked great. She said no problems at all and everything just wipes right off. No yellowing either.

One year later and my counter tops and backsplash look as good as the day they were installed. As for the area behind my cooktop I have felt it several times when cooking and it has never felt warm. My cooktop is electric. Not sure if that makes a difference.
PRO
Granite City Services
last year
I am a fabricator. True quartzite, which is an extremely hard stone, does require more effort in the fab shop but any competent fabricator with the correct equipment and expertise can handle it. It does cost more than "quartz" because the raw material cost is higher AND it takes longer to fabricate. However, it is popular despite the higher cost because it has a beauty that the artificial materials can't touch. Look at a quartz next to a similar looking natural stone and the difference becomes strikingly obvious. Most quartz countertops will be dated in another 5-10 years while your quartzite tops will be exceptional and beautiful forever.
chispa
last year
Everything, even quartzite, will be dated at some point in time!

How many tons of Ubatuba and Baltic Brown granite counters are now in the landfill ... perfectly good and durable natural stone! Everyone who put them in in 1990 thought they were beautiful too!
course411
last year
We are mid-reno and I faced the same decision. I fell in love with some quartzite slabs that made me practically drool, and my KD was right that the quartz slabs would prove to be "meh" in comparison.

I was all set to go with quartzite, but then I took a very realistic look at how our family lives... and... well, we are careless. We have kids who use random stuff like food coloring in random recipes or projects and drip it all over the counters. We aren't consistent about cleaning up right away. I don't want to be upset with my kids for 'ruining' a surface that I should not have picked for our house. Plus, any stone that requires maintenance (sealing / resealing) will never get said maintenance in our house. SO. Quartzite is out.

I have since found a quartz that I really like and will work well for us. We'll be doing zellige tile for BS (no quartz) and we never put hot pots directly on counters so don't need to worry about scorch marks.

YMMV.
chispa
last year
Quartz can stain too! Nothing is bulletproof.

Several threads with stained quartz ...

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/query/stained-quartz/nqrwns
blfenton
last year
We are doing a new kitchen and our counters will be granite. They will be polished White Ice.
PRO
Beth H. :
last year
last modified: last year
Joseph...

i'm not talking about regular staining. i was responding to THIS from OP in regards to actual fabrication.

Beth H: I have visited over 4 fabricators and none have expressed problems with quartzite, other than water staining from the water saw.

That's why I responded w/the water staining issue after cutting.

No duh quartztite can stain once it's actually in the kitchen.

Clearly you haven't been paying attention and reading the comment section.

Are you really going to chide me on staining issues on natural stone? seriously? you think it's my first day here? go away.
cpartist
last year
My quartzite is 4 years old and I've had absolutely no issues with it. No staining. No chipping. No crumbling. Nothing. Of course mine is not white but is a busy quartzite and is the star of my kitchen. 4 years later and I still drool over how it looks.
nhbaskets
last year
CP—your kitchen will forever be one of my all time favorites. True eye candy with beautiful function. Can’t beat that!
modernfun
last year
I think go for the real. You wil love it more! Best of Luck!
cpartist
last year
@nhbaskets, thank you. 4 1/2 years using it and it still makes me happy everyday.
modernfun
last year
Ohhh haha! Guess I was right then! Well good to hear! I am going to go pick some slab Thursday. I wish I could do white marble but I guess quartzite is next best thing. Which color did you do? Any pictures? I am going to do white Euro shiny cabinets, so hopefully will look good.
PRO
Loving Palm Desert
last year
I have Calacatta Gold Quartzite in my Master and Laundry room. I do not clean it daily and dried makeup comes off with just a tiny tiny bit of soft scrub and water. Most safe to seal quartzite annually, but that is easy! Choose a holiday week to always remember to seal, like Haloween, and then your counters are ready for the heavy baking and cooking Holidays (thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years). Had this link in my file: How to Clean & Protect Quartzite
Laura Richardson
Original Author
last year
I believe I made my choice! It is a quartzite called “Eureka.” I haven’t found much information on the color specifically, but I feel it will be fine. It looks more grey in this picture, but the stripes are actually a tan and charcoal color. I was also thinking about a slab called Neptune, but I think Eureka is better for the look I’m going for. Thanks for the cleaning instructions, Loving Palm Desert.
PRO
Beth H. :
last year
last modified: last year
Laura, that place renamed that slab. Try looking at White Macaubas

or Infinity.

It could also be Mont Blanc

Just know that stone companies buy these slabs and make up their own names for them. I don't know why. there is no Eureka quartzite! It's one of these 3

https://www.daltile.com/products/slab/natural-quartzite-natural-stone-slab/white-macaubas

Also, many stone places will mislabel marble as a quartzite. ALWAYS do the lemon juice test. true quartzite will not etch, since there is no calcite in it. marble will, because it is calcite.

And if they try and tell you there is a 'soft' quartzite that has some marble in it, they're flat up lying to you. there is no such thing. It's either quartzite or it's not. Kind of like being pregnant. you can't be a 'little pregnant'.

this is another one. glass is harder than marble but softer than quartzite. if glass can scratch the slab, you've got marble. (or if like A, the stone can scratch the glass, it's quartzite. if the stone turns to powder against the glass tile, then it's marble)
cathie2029
last year
@Beth H. : they rename them so you dont shop around for lower prices... probably...
PRO
Beth H. :
last year
that's a very good point cathie. Or check to see if it's really quartzite and not marble!