When considering a new kitchen worktop, you are likely to struggle to decide on what stone material to go for. With a kitchen worktop, you will want to choose a stone that is visually appealing and serve the duration of time – this is especially important if you are planning to stay in your home for many years to come. With stones such as quartz, granite and marble to choose from, it can be difficult and sometimes frustrating to make a final decision. With that said, there is one underrated stone material not many people have heard of and that is quartzite. From our experience and talking to many of our clients, it is clear that the vast majority of them don’t know much about quartzite worktops – I mean how could they if they’ve not heard of it before. This beginners guide is here to help you understand more about this stone and its effectiveness as a kitchen worktop.
Quartz and granite usually receive all the praise for being a durable material for a kitchen worktop. However, even though quartz and granite are durable, it doesn’t mean that other stone tops aren’t.
Let’s take a look at quartzite’s durability, it is actually a stronger stone than quartz and granite! Stones and minerals use the “Mohs” scale to determine their hardness. The Mohs scale runs from 1 to 10 and uses a variety of reference stones and minerals to judge hardness and scratch resistance. On the Mohs scale, quartz is rated at 7, granite is between 6.5 – 7 and quartzite is lays in the 7 – 8 range. Marble sits between 3 and 4 on the same scale. Based on those figures, quartzite is actually the hardest of all those mentioned stone worktops!
How dense a stone is, is also a very important factor in worktop durability. Please read our guide on the differences between porous and non-porous stone worktops to find out more. Although quartzite is durable, as with any stone, it not indestructible. Quartzite is much less likely to chip and etch than quartz, granite and marble. Another benefit of quartzite is that it is heat-resistant, which is ideal for a kitchen worktop where hot pots and pans are present.
Quartzite has a similar appearance to that of marble, commonly found in white or grey, or a combination of both colours. More striking colours are also available for choice, such as blue, emerald, violet and brown.
Quartzite worktop colours – https://sharpstonegranite.co.uk/quartzite-worktops/#colours
We find that many of our customers want a durable worktop, however, they don’t like darker flecks typical in many granite worktops. Quartzite doesn’t usually come with many dark flecks, if at all any. If you are torn between selecting granite or quartzite, your choice might just have got a whole lot simpler!
You may be surprised to know that quartzite is one of the easiest stone worktop materials to clean and maintain. A good general rule of thumb for all stone worktops is to ensure that they are sealed from the get go to protect them from spills and offer greater life span. All stone worktops by us here at Sharpstone are sealed from the start, so you can rest assured that your stone worktop will have the best start possible!
As for day-to-day care of quartzite worktops, any spills should be wiped away as soon as possible with a basic microfibre towel. Pay close attention to the type of cleaners you decide to use on your quartzite worktop, ensure they are non-abrasive and do not contain any acids.
A cleaner that we know works well on all of our quartzite worktops is Bar Keepers Friend. It is gentle enough to be used on more delicate stone worktops such as marble, meaning it will work great on harder worktops like that of quartzite.
Quartzite is a beautiful choice for those that adore the appearance of marble but cannot justify the price. When quartzite’s pricing is compared to other stone worktops offered by us, it is cheaper than marble and on a similar price point to that of quartz and granite.
Of course, the more striking or rare the quartzite is, the more expensive it will be. The thickness of stone also determines the price, the thicker the stone, the higher the price will be. There is an increasing demand for quartzite since the global pandemic, even with this high demand, we at Sharpstone have a growing selection of quartzite available to choose from.
Simply give us a call or come visit our showroom and we will guide you on pricing and answer any questions you may have. We truly love what we do, you will not get a sales pitch from us, all information we provide and discuss with you is with an end goal of making your home and kitchen the best it can be.
Telephone:
01279 729527
Showroom Address:
Sharpstone
The Test Site, Matching Hall Farm
Harlow, Essex, CM17 0RR
Showroom Opening Times:
Mon – Fri: 7am to 5pm
Sat: 9am to 5pm
Sun: Closed (open to pre-booked appointments only).
