You’re ready to begin your bathroom renovation. After dreaming up the perfect design, picking new cabinetry, and even looking at paint swatches, you find yourself wondering what the ideal countertop surface would be in a bathroom.
Today, you have numerous countertop mediums to choose from, and one popular variety is quartz. Traditionally, quartz was thought of as a “kitchen only” surface due to its incredible durability.
So, why not harness the power of that durability and put it in one room of the house that sees more than its fair share of water exposure, spills, and harsh chemicals?
Considering the other surfaces out there, quartz is regarded as a new kid on the block. However, its appearance, durability, and longevity have made it shoot to the top of a designers go-to list of countertop surfaces.
If you are on the fence about using quartz over the others (i.e., granite or laminate), now is the perfect time to learn about quartz, what makes it an excellent choice, and then decide whether it is the right move for you or not.
First: What is Quartz?
Quartz is often confused for granite, but they are not the same by any means.
Granite is a rock partially composed of quartz, but quartz itself is a mineral. To avoid going into too much science, let’s break it down for you:
- Quartz is Man-Made: Yes, quartz is a naturally occurring mineral, but countertops made from quartz are not harvested from nature. Instead, they consist of 90 percent quartz minerals and combinations of polymers, pigments, and resins to hold it all together. Due to the process of how they are made, quartz falls into the family of engineered stone.
- Quartz is Typically Mislabeled as Natural Stone: Unfortunately, marketers are not always up-to-date on their geological terminology, which is why you will see quartz advertised as a “natural stone” countertop, but it is indeed far from it.
So, What Makes Quartz better than Genuine Natural Stone? Here’s 5 Reasons Quartz Beats Out Natural Stone Every Time
You might think if it is human-made, it lacks the durability of natural stone surfaces (such as granite).
In reality, man-made countertop surfaces have distinct advantages that natural stone can only dream of, and when it comes to installing them in your bathroom, here’s why quartz shines next to the competition:
1. Manufactured Countertop Surfaces Mean More Color Choices and Styles
Granite is a rock, which means you are stuck with the colors Mother Nature gives you. You can find different color variants, but you cannot request specific colors or designs.
With quartz, the possibilities are almost endless. You will find a wide range of colors, and some manufacturers will even create quartz surfaces to look like other natural stones, such as marble.
The natural sparkle from the quartz inside the countertop adds a luminous appearance to them, and you can adjust the colors so that they match your kitchen perfectly – saving you the hassle of browsing rows of granite slabs until you find that perfect one.
2. Quartz is Sealed – Meaning it is Non-Porous and Durable
Quartz’s manufacturing process includes a permanent seal to its surface, which means it is non-porous. Other natural stones require annual sealing to keep them non-porous, and even then, they do not have the stain-resistant properties of quartz.
As a bonus, your quartz countertop has a hard, impenetrable surface, which means you do not have to worry about bacteria seeping into small crevices and leading to contamination. Also, there is no need to reseal it annually, like granite.
When you wipe down your quartz countertop, there’s nothing scary hiding under the surface. Instead, it is genuinely clean and sanitized. Technically, you could place raw chicken and prepare it on the countertop – but do you really want to?
3. Quartz Can Take a Beating
Due to how it is made and sealed, quartz is a heavy-duty surface that can take just about anything you throw at it.
Kids splashing in the sink instead of brushing their teeth? Did makeup spill on the surface of your bathroom counter? Not a problem with quartz.
Quartz is a forgiving surface that does not crack, chip, or scratch easily like natural stone. So, if you notice your family tends to destroy countertop surfaces quickly, quartz is a solution.
4. Enjoy Sanitizing Your Bathroom without Worry
If you have granite countertops in your bathroom, you cannot tackle them with bleach or even the oh-so-convenient Clorox wipes most consumers use today. Instead, you use special granite-approved cleansers and a soft cloth – making sure each wipe does not scratch the surface.
Quartz does not require so much fuss for sanitizing your bathroom. You will still want a routine cleaning with a stone-safe cleaner, but if there is a time you need to break out some bleach and kill germs (i.e., when the kids bring home the annual stomach flu bug from school), you can safely wipe down your quartz and rinse off the bleach afterward without worry.
5. Higher Upfront Investment, but Equally High Return
Today, more homebuyers want quartz in their kitchens and bathrooms.
So, while the price tag of a newly installed quartz bathroom counter might scare you, think of the returns waiting for you in the end. Quartz surfaces can cost anywhere from $50 to as much as $150 per square foot (depending on the quality level you choose).
However, when you install something that is relatively maintenance-free, nearly indestructible and matches your newly remodeled bathroom perfectly, homebuyers are more willing to pay for your asking price because they get to take advantage of those quartz surfaces too.
Conclusion:
Quartz is the Ideal Surface for Your Bathroom if You Want Something to Last and Look as Great as it Did the Day You Bought It.
Quartz is the ideal countertop surface in kitchen and bathroom remodels alike.
While you may find yourself taken back with that initial upfront investment, quartz eventually pays for itself when you save on annual maintenance costs and you know that you have a surface that can withstand your guests, messy teenagers, and even young children who do not understand the concept of extreme care with granite and other natural stone surfaces.
Still not convinced?
Why not visit your local showroom and check out quartz countertops in person? Compare the feel, look, and options of quartz to granite, and you might be surprised at how quickly you fall in love with this versatile, durable surface.
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