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Quartz Worktops - Proving That Beauty Is Not Just Skin Deep

By: William Penworthy


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Quartz worktops have proven to be one of the most popular and most durable kitchen worktops available on today's market, and surprisingly, as well as being unbelievably tough, they are also eminently affordable and visually stunning.

Quartz worktops are one of the finest examples of engineered stone worktops available, and as technology and manufacturing methods progress, more options, colours and styles have become available.

This now means that quartz worktops are available in a much wider range of visual styles than ever before, helping those looking for new or replacement kitchen worktops to find an option which perfectly suits the style and theme of the kitchen.

Although generally considered ideal for use as kitchen worktops, quartz worktops are increasingly making appearances in a wide range of other locations, primarily because they are not only exceptionally tough and durable, but also now available in such a wide variety of styles and colours. Restaurants, bars, clubs and hotels are introducing quartz worktops in locations from front reception desks to bars, and this is possible because of the increased versatility of the material, as well as its reputation for being strong and resistant to exceptionally heavy wear and tear.

Kitchen environments are one of the most violent and abusive environments anywhere, with worktops coming in for some pretty cruel treatment. You might not think of it, but it's important to consider the hammering that most kitchen worktops experience. Of course, if all your kitchen worktop sees is the pizza box being opened, you'll probably be able to cope with a fairly cheap and flimsy work surface.

But if you cook your own meals then your work surfaces will experience everything from heavy pots and pans being slammed unceremoniously on to them, with hot fat spitting across the surface, sharp knives trying to gouge their way through the top layers, and acidic substances such as lemon juice and vinegar attacking large areas. Meanwhile beetroot juice and other strongly coloured foods will be trying to stain the surface, and bleed through underneath any veneer to cause permanent discolouration.

Then of course it comes to the cleaning, where you'll use powerful cleaning agents to scrub away the bacteria and the top layers of your worktop. A cheap or weak kitchen worktop will very quickly look tired, shabby and in need of replacement, and this doesn't even begin to consider the health risks.

Having chips, cracks, dents and cuts in your kitchen worktop is a paradise for the humble bacteria who will delight in the smallest of crevice, only popping out to make an appearance once food or other items are placed on the work surface, giving the bacteria a free ticket all the way to your gut.

Quartz worktops are tough, but this isn't just a tough veneer we're talking about. Quartz worktops are tough all the way through, because there is no veneer. There is no top surface, no covering layer, no protective film or lacquer - there is just solid engineered stone from top to bottom, leaving no opportunity for dents, scratches or bacteria.

But what is engineered stone, and how are engineered stone worktops such as quartz worktops different from solid stone ones? The first difference is price - engineered stone worktops are usually more affordable, and easier to acquire than solid stone worktops.

But the real difference is in the appearance of the work surface. Engineered stone worktops such as quartz worktops are manufactured using state of the art engineering techniques which take a stone material such as ground quartz crystals, mixed in with polymer resins for bonding and strength, and then formed under tremendous pressure into complete worktops.

But this technique offers the opportunity to include additional elements. In quartz worktops the proportion of quartz to other materials such as resin is 97%, so clearly the quartz is the major ingredient. This is important, because it is the quartz which provides the majority of the strength. The word 'quartz' actually means 'hard', and so this is why quartz worktops have a reputation for being tough.

But today it is possible to have quartz worktops in a range of colours, the dyes being added during the manufacturing phase. Because the dye is included with the resins and ground quartz, the colour is solid, throughout the entire depth of the worktop, rather than simple being a decorative veneer which will quickly wear away.

Mirror fragments can also be included to create sparkly quartz worktops, and metallic flakes added to create mirror effect quartz worktops. For truly outstanding design, versatility and durability, quartz worktops are the ideal choice for any new kitchen, bar or reception area which is in need of both style and substance.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

Quartz Worktops | www.kitchensfitted.co.uk | Quartz Worktops

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