The Look of Marble and the Hardness of Granite – but doesn’t mean NO Maintenance
Not to be confused with QUARTZ counter tops, which are engineered (man-made) stone materials using quartz and epoxy binders. QUARTZITE is a naturally-occurring stone straight out of Mother Earth’s color palette. It is emerging as a new favorite in the natural stone industry – quartzite blends together the look of marble material, available in whites, creams, and warm soft colors with flowing “vein” like ribbons of colors throughout with the hardness and durability of granite.
Are you spooked by the horror stories of maintaining marble – dull spotting, etches, ring marks that have to be professionally refinished? Consider quartzite – a metamorphasized sandstone that is fused by heat and pressure deep in the earth into a strong, granular rock formation – solid, low porosity generally, and very resistant to heat and acid etching.
On the Mohs scale of hardness (1-10 scale)
Granite is rated around 6-6.5
Quartzite measures in at approximately 7.
Marble’s hardness is 3-4
Although quartzite is marketed as granite-like in nature – particularly desirable that it does not suffer the etching/dullness you see in marble, it is not a fully maintenance-free material. In fact, many varieties of quartzites do have a tendency to etch from acid contact; can also get stains, oils spots, etc. Your stone professional may need to assist with occasional refinishing, etc. It is also recommended that you have your quartzite sealed to minimize penetration of stains. As the popularity of this beautiful, diverse material grows, some maintenance issues are starting to emerge as well.
Sungloss Marble Co. professionals can assist in any maintenance needs with your quartzite tops if you happen to select a variety that does have some vulnerability to acid contract. We welcome your calls to discuss any of your natural stone maintenance or restoration needs on all stones – your marble, limestone, travertine, granite.
See www.marble-institute.com for more information about the variety of material out there!
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