There were days in the not-too-distant past that witnessed many believing that there would never be such a fantastic covering for the kitchen countertop than Formica. Those days are already a part of building history. The timeless design of stone has become main stage for most kitchen lovers especially when it comes time to replace an old kitchen countertop. 

(src) The Ashford from cambriausa.com

Quartz and Cambria countertops are synonymous with providing a natural stone surface that is truly timeless. Cambria countertops are natural quartz surfaces that, as mentioned earlier, give the ultimate in food safety surfaces. Add to that the fact that granite countertops require expensive sealing and resealing to avoid absorption and stains. Cambria and quartz countertops are virtually maintenance free. Quartz and Cambria countertops do not need to be sealed or polished. They maintain the natural luster and shine by simply washing with warm water. Granite countertops will absorb natural acidic such as fruit juices, food coloring, tea or coffee, markers as well as numerous other items will permanently stain. Quartz and Cambria countertops absolutely resist all of these food items.

Quartz is one of the hardest materials that Mother Earth provides to us. In fact, it ranks number three on the hardness scale are unique. It is a very hard material and is completely scratch resistant.  Hot pots, cutting with sharp knives are all common practice with quartz countertops as they are incredibly hard to damage.

Granite and quartz countertops are very different in structure and make up. Many minerals leave pits within the granite countertop and cause it to be porous. This downfall of the granite countertop allows it to absorb liquids and cause staining. Quartz countertops contain nearly 100% quartz while granite may only contain 30-40% quartz. This is the major difference in durability as well as hardness between quartz and granite countertops. Quartz is unique from granite countertops because it is impossible to scratch the quartz countertops and because they have nearly 100% quartz make up, they are not susceptible to absorbing liquids. 

Many quartz countertop manufacturers boast that quartz is in excess than two times stronger than granite. Quartz is a truly non-porous surface that is remarkably durable that does not absorb liquids and is incredibly sanitary. Wood block countertops, laminate countertops are extremely hard to keep sanitary. Quartz countertops are just the solution for making providing a sanitary food surface.

Quartz and Cambria countertops are completely non-porous. This is one of the greatest features of this type of countertop. It is so easy to allow moisture and spills to be absorbed into the regular countertops. Natural quartz countertops allow no moisture to be absorbed and therefore there is no breeding ground for harmful bacteria.

Quartz and Cambria countertops are much heavier than granite. The reason for this is that quartz is manufactured to be incredibly impenetrable and strong. The real advantage to working with quartz as opposed to granite is that it is much easier to handle. Granite damages very easily and cut using diamond saws. Quartz is much sturdier in structure and is not easily damaged. 

Some kitchens follow a specific color pattern and although they adore granite, choose not to install it. The reason is usually that the countertop could not be schemed into the existing color or the individuals wanted a set color. Quartz countertops are ideal in kitchens that have a specific color scheme because pigment is added to the raw material to create many colors. Cambria, the countertop manufactured with quartz to ensure a harder more non-porous surface is available in over 25 diverse colors.

The high gloss finish of the quartz countertops is directly attributed to the automatic polisher. Once the slabs are polished, the quartz crystals that make up the structure of this beautiful natural material are evident throughout the countertop. Installing quartz or Cambria countertops is a wise financial decision. The ‘shelf-life’ of quartz countertops far out live synthetic ones, which makes quartz the healthy, financial decision!