Quartzite

Pros and Cons of Quartzite. This is the last natural stone material we will be looking at in terms of benchtop materials. To start with, Quartzite and Quartz are two materials that often are mixed up. Quartzite is a natural material, whereas Quartz is a man-made material. We will be looking at Quartz next week.

Pros

Quartzite is a beautiful stone, which resembles marble in terms of look.

📌 Quartzite has some wonderful aesthetic qualities, including veining and offers a luxurious look and feel.

📌 It is naturally heat resistant, we don’t recommend placing a hot pot or pan upon it, as stone contracts and expands and may cause cracking, and can burn the sealant/stone.

📌 There are many types of Quartzite, some are more stain resistant than others. If you are unsure, perhaps carry out some tests to see how the quartzite performs. Like all natural stones, the stone does need to be professionally sealed, with resealing to occur regularly.

📌 If properly cared for, it has a long lifespan.

📌 Quartzite is a stronger stone than granite.

📌 Quartzite is moderately scratch resistant.

📌 Quartzite is naturally UV resistant.

Cons

📌 Depending on the quartzite, some quartzites can be more porous than granite. See above in ‘pros’

📌 Etching does occur, so regular sealing is recommended. Speak with your supplier in terms of recommendations.

📌 Quartzite has a very high silica content.

📌 Sometimes Dolomite (a stronger type of marble), can be wrongly labelled as Quartzite. Dolomite is a soft stone. Make sure you research the stone to make sure it is actually Quartzite.

📌 Like other stones, be mindful of the edges, as they can chip.