Quartz Countertop Review and Buying Guide:

We are in the midst of remodeling our kitchen with new quartz countertops and replacing the old tile backsplash with a nice mixture of slate and glass to match the island and countertops. Our original plans called for buying granite countertops, but after looking into the quartz countertops pros and cons, we switched our minds and feel like we made a great decision. Although granite is a beautiful to material to have in your kitchen, we felt that the range of colors and natural patterns would be too extreme for what we wanted. The Dupont Zodiaq quartz and Caesarstone quartz surfaces fit our look and design much better and limited the color variations that we may have found in the granite countertops had we gone that direction. Granite and quartz are not much different in pricing, so we didn't save much in terms of price.

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Quartz countertops for kitchens are nearly maintenance free since they are scratch resistant, heat resistant, and stain resistant. Only topaz, sapphire and diamonds are harder than quartz. One women we know had trouble with scratching her countertops and she couldn't figure it out until she realized she was sliding her diamond ring across the surface (mistakenly of course). The 3 main types of quartz countertops are the Caesarstone, Silestone, and DuPont. The color variations are much less with quartz than you would fine with the granite, so you have to decide on how unique you want your countertops. Virtually all granite slabs are slightly different whereas quartz countertops can look very similar. We wanted a darker black countertop island and cement colored countertops, so we went with the "galaxy black" from DuPont and "concrete" from Caesarstone. It matched our stainless steel appliances very well. Once we picked the color combinations and slate backsplash, it was time for the measuring and then the templating to be done. When they template for your countertops, it means they do the precise measurements including cutouts for things like cooktops, sinks, faucets, etc. We added a downdraft so that was included as well. Once the templating is final, it's pretty much a done deal. Our contractor was through Costco and they were a very reputable countertop installer although that is not to say we didn't have our difficulties. We need some custom cabinet work done to fit our new cooktop and that was a hassle. The backsplash pricing was all over the board but we finally got the correct cost about 2 weeks before the installation. One note about the edge profiles that are offered. Bullnose is a common type as well as 1/4" round and half bullnose. We decided on the double bevel edge profile and were told it would add about $1000 to the project. We went with the 1/4" round instead and put the $1000 into the sink and faucet.

Quartz Countertop Installation:

Installation was much easier than I would have imagined. The tile backsplash was taken off about 3 weeks prior to the full install and it was a mess. The older countertops and island area went out without too much effort. Once the old tile countertops were gone, the new quartz countertop was put in place, all in a day. Some project can take longer, but our kitchen wasn't that big so it went up in a day. The plumbing fixtures and cooktop were installed the following day and then the last 2 days of the project was the installing of the slate backsplash with the glass accent pieces. Quartz countertop installation seemed easy enough, it was the backsplash that took most of the time. The final look is amazing and we are totally happy that we did the project. There are always going to be minor (sometimes major) changes to any kitchen remodel, but in the end the result is what we were looking for.

Quartz Countertops Prices:

Ok, on to the pricing which is what makes or break your budget every time. Quartz countertops prices go from about $45 to $95 per square foot. That price includes the countertop itself and installation. Granite is not much different. Some fabricators and installers might try to charge more, but that is a good ballpark figure to go off of. A custom profile quartz countertop is well worth the investment in our eyes. Kitchens and master bathrooms tend to be the most outdated areas of older homes, so updating your kitchen is a wise idea. We choose to do it before we have to sell the house, so that we can enjoy it for years before moving out someday. Total cost for our quartz countertops was roughly $7500, then we added another $650 for the Blanco composite sink and $350 for the Grohe faucet. The Kenmore Pro 6 Burner gas cooktop was $1700 and the downdraft that was required added in another $900. The slate backsplash and glass tile accents were roughly $2400 pushing our total project to $13,000+. Our original budget was $11,000, we did go a bit over.

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