ASST Quartz: Quartz is a Commercial Building Material
Quartz has been popular in residential kitchens and bathrooms. Now we are seeing a surge in quartz specifications in commercial construction. Why? Quartz is heavy and expensive right? Yes, and no. Quartz may be heavy but it is very durable. Quartz is actually engineered stone. When compared to the total cost of natural stone, quartz engineered stone is less expensive.
How is quartz engineered stone actually “engineered”? No, manufacturers don’t recreate magma under the same conditions as volcanic activity created by the earth’s crust. Quartz engineered stone is made with ground quartz, other natural materials and resins. Natural quartz and other materials are ground into a dust or aggregate. The natural materials are mixed with resins and even glass to provide unique colors. Once the material is mixed it is baked at high temperature and the final step is polishing. OK we probably oversimplified the process.
One of the benefits of quartz engineered stone is the look of natural stone with quartz being much more consistent. Imagine having to find consistent natural stone slabs for 100 tops in a commercial building. Owners and designers don’t have to worry about whether or not the stone tops will match the rest of the building design and quartz tops don’t have to compete with the rest of the esthetics. Quartz engineered stone can be the focal point or complementary to the overall look and feel of the surrounding space.
Is quartz engineered stone a green construction material? Simply put yes. No natural stone is quarried for the purpose of producing quartz engineered stone. All of the natural material used in engineered quartz are byproducts of other manufacturing processes. Even the resins used in manufacturing quartz are becoming more bio friendly. These facts with the consideration of the amount of energy required transport natural stone from the quarries makes quartz engineered stone the right solution for commercial stone tops.
Here are some quartz engineered stone facts: Quartz is harder than granite making it resistant to impact damage. Quartz is non-porous which makes it resistant to bacteria, stain resistant, easy to clean and low maintenance. Quartz is made of 90-95 percent natural stone and 5-10 percent polymer resins. Quartz material does not have to be sealed.
At ASST, our quartz facility is dedicated to quartz alone. At this facility, we do one thing and we do it well. Steve Stoddard was the 2015 ISFA fabricator of the year and he leads our quartz offering. Contact ASST to find out how we can take your quartz engineered stone project Beyond the Surface Level.
