With low maintenance, high durability and endless color choices, engineered quartz offers a tempting alternative to natural stone countertops. Boasting the best qualities of laminate and stone (along with its own special features), quartz began appearing in U.S. homes just a few years ago after gaining popularity in Europe for the past decade. Today, quartz countertops are exploding in popularity, with U.S. sales increasing 60 percent in 2004.

Key Takeaways:

• One of the appealing features of engineered quartz is its wide variety of colors, patterns, and textures.
• The surface of manufactured quartz depends on how the quartz is ground: Coarsely ground stone produces a flecked appearance, while finely ground has a smooth look.
• That said, it shouldn’t be used as flooring over radiant heat because of possible damage from long-term exposure to heat.

“Engineered quartz not to be confused with Quartz, another appealing natural stone used as counters is a man made product created mostly from natural materials. It’s made of 90 to 94 percent ground quartz and 6 to 10 percent resins and pigments that are combined into durable and nonporous slabs.”

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