What are the Cons of Quartz Bathroom Countertops?

Engineered stone is taking the countertop industry by storm, but what about quartz bathroom countertops? Are they worth the price tag? Here&#;s everything you need to know about the bathroom quartz countertop. What are the cons? Do they merit the hype? (Spoiler alert: They don&#;t.)

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What Is Quartz?

Before we get into the pros and cons of quartz, it&#;s essential to understand what it is and how it&#;s made. Quartz is what&#;s known as an engineered stone. Because of that, many people assume that it&#;s man-made. But that&#;s only partially true.

Quartz is a naturally occurring mineral mined in the form of rocks. Other countertop materials like granite, marble, and soapstone are also extracted from quarries, but they come in large sections cut into slabs. Some people are surprised to learn that many granite slabs contain portions of natural quartz.

Quartz on its own isn&#;t naturally found in large slabs. Rather, the quartz pebbles are ground down into fine dust and then mixed with resin, pigments, and polymers to form a hard and durable countertop. Natural quartz makes up about 90% of most quartz countertops, and the remaining 10% is other materials. 

So while the bulk of the materials in quartz countertops are naturally occurring minerals, the actual process of making them into a slab is done by humans, hence the title &#;engineered stone.&#;

Cons of Quartz Bathroom Countertops

There are quite a few reasons why quartz countertops are great for bathrooms. They&#;re incredibly durable and completely nonporous, so they resist water, staining, germs, and bacteria. They&#;re easy to clean and maintain, and they are visually appealing. 

For all of these pros, though, there are some concerning downsides. Here&#;s a look at some of the biggest cons of quartz countertops and why you might want to avoid them in your bathroom. 

Price

Easily, the biggest downside to ordering quartz for your bathroom remodel is the price. Quartz does come with benefits &#; it&#;s nonporous, extremely durable, scratch-resistant, customizable, and doesn&#;t need to be sealed. 

But all of these benefits come with a cost. So, if you&#;re on a tight budget, you might want to consider other countertop options. The price of quartz countertops can vary significantly. It all depends on the manufacturer, installation costs, style, and design. Marble and granite are cheaper. 

Appearance

Although the appearance of quartz can be a huge selling point for some buyers, it can be a serious drawback for others. The coloring and style are entirely customizable, but they will always have a uniform appearance. 

If you&#;re hoping to perfectly mimic the varying appearance of granite or other natural stone, it&#;s just not going to happen. The natural veins of granite simply can&#;t be replicated by engineering quartz countertops.

Another drawback is that the seams in quartz are more visible than those in natural stone. So if you&#;re looking for a large bathroom countertop that will take more than one slab, there&#;s a good chance you&#;ll have a noticeable seam where the two slabs meet.

Prone to Heat Damage

Bathroom countertops need to be able to handle whatever your daily routine throws at them. Hot curling irons, straighteners, and blow dryers are part of many morning routines, and quartz countertops don&#;t handle them well. 

While natural quartz is heat resistant, the resin and polymers that help bind the countertop together are not. Exposing quartz counters to high-temperature objects can easily cause damage in the form of white spots, clouding, and permanent discoloration. 

How much heat can quartz countertops take? Some manufacturers claim they are heat resistant up to 300 degrees or more, while others state they can only handle 150 degrees. The actual temperature threshold of a certain quartz slab will depend on the quality of the countertop and the manufacturer. Either way, it&#;s essential to be cautious when using hot items on quartz countertops.

Difficult to Install

Quartz is extremely heavy, making it very difficult to install. It&#;s not something you can knock out yourself in an afternoon of DIY. It requires professional installation by someone who knows what they are doing and has worked with quartz before. 

Lining up the seams to reduce visibility is also much more difficult with quartz than with granite, so be prepared to pay higher installation costs if you choose to go with quartz countertops.

Can&#;t Handle Sunlight

Engineered quartz countertops are made for indoor use only. Use it in your bathroom? No problem, as long as there are no windows. Is there a big, beautiful window letting in plenty of sunshine? 

If there is, the UV light will fade the pigment in quartz countertops and leave you with a yellowish hue in place of the beautifully colored slab you once loved. So, unless your bathroom is in a dark dungeon with no natural light, you might want to steer clear of using quartz for the countertop.

Upgrade Your Bathroom With Mountain States Kitchen and Bath

Quartz bathroom countertops might not be the right choice for your bathroom remodel. But where quartz is lacking, granite can really deliver. Granite countertops are a surefire way to upgrade the look and feel of not only your bathroom, but your entire home as well. 

So, when you&#;re ready to make a change, Mountain States Kitchen and Bath is here to help every step of the way. We have everything you&#;ll need to create the bathroom of your dreams, from custom cabinetry to granite countertops and everything in between.

We specialize in remodeling kitchens and bathrooms across the Wasatch Front, from Spanish Fork to Salt Lake City, Utah, and everywhere in between. Contact us today to learn more about what we have to offer, or swing by our showroom in Lehi, Utah, and see some of our beautiful options and designs for yourself. We&#;ll be happy to answer any questions you may have or to schedule an in-home consultation with you. Let us help you design the home of your dreams. We can&#;t wait to work with you!

Bathroom design has undergone many changes in the last 20 years. While the bathroom was previously a small room that was considered purely functional, it&#;s now a much more spacious area that has many uses.

Today , people use their bathrooms to not only get ready for their day, but to unwind at the end of it. This means everything that goes into the bathroom needs to serve multiple purposes. Materials need to be easy to take care of, perform in the way they are expected to, enhance the user&#;s experience, and they need to be visually appealing at the same time.

When it comes to the sink area, more people are beginning to opt for vanities or floating countertops with sinks rather than stand alone basins. This allows greater freedom for storage and use and visually enhances the space.

Homeowners have a lot of choices when it comes to creating a sink top area. The same countertop materials that work in the kitchen are also available for use in the bathroom. Among the many options, only quartz countertops meet all of the demands of today&#;s bathroom needs making it the ideal choice for this space.

Benefits of Quartz in the Bathroom

While bathrooms don&#;t see the same use that kitchens do, the countertop still needs to be durable. Bathrooms are inherently wet. Water from sinks and faucets will splash onto the counter, while humidity from tubs and showers will fill the room.

Using a non-porous countertop like quartz means that you won&#;t need to worry about sealing the material against absorbing this moisture. And while things like cosmetics, toothpaste, and styling products can harm stone countertops and heat from curling irons may damage a solid surface countertop, quartz is unaffected by these materials.

In addition, quartz is available in a wide range of colors and styles. For those that love the look of marble but don&#;t want to deal with the possibility of rusting, quartz offers an alternative. For those that want the look of granite, concrete, or even a bright white countertop, there are quartz colors that match these desires.

Quartz is also highly customizable. Whether you want a curved vanity top, a floating vanity top, a guitar-shaped countertop or any other custom appearance, quartz can be shaped to meet your needs.

For more information, please visit Custom Quartz Bathroom Countertops.

Quartz Bathroom Countertop Design Ideas

Bathrooms come in many different sizes and styles. No matter whether your space is contemporary or classic, there is a quartz countertop color that can match. Check out these 9 design ideas to get inspiration for your bathroom design.

1. White on White

White is one of the most popular colors for the bathroom. It&#;s clean, fresh, and allows for a variety of accent colors to be introduced through towels and bath mats. A white quartz countertop with just a hint of grey veining, like Tranquility, matches the color of the space but keeps it from becoming too stark.

2. Clean and Modern

If you love the idea of a white bathroom for the crisp and clean appearance, a bright white counter with no veining like Royale Blanc is the ideal addition to the room. This bathroom with two sinks and a makeup counter in the middle makes great use of the quartz by having the crisp, clean lines mimic the lines on the cabinetry.

3. Black and White

Black and white bathrooms have a very classic appearance that fits in well with a variety of architectural styles. In this case, a bright white countertop is the ideal choice, as it won&#;t introduce other colors into the room. Because the countertop is quartz, it won&#;t stain over time, preserving the classic color combination.

4. Floating Vanity

If you need countertop space but don&#;t necessarily need a full vanity, a floating top can make a great addition. Floating tops make rooms look larger because you can see the floor beneath them, creating an optical illusion that the room is bigger than it is. This modern bathroom uses Black Coral quartz to create a substantial vanity top complete with towel rail and a crisp, clean design.

5. Transitional Style

Transitional designs blend elements of different styles together into one cohesive look. This bathroom uses a black and white vessel sink on a marble-look quartz countertop to create a more updated version of a traditional bathroom design. The Mercer countertop has a rich vein that picks up the underside of the vessel sinks beautifully, tying the two areas together.

6. Formal Design

This bathroom also makes use of transitional design, but in this case, it&#;s creating a more modern formal look. The vessel sinks, raised panel vanity, and decorative mirrors are complemented by the Strato countertop, which has a warm vein. In this case, the vein is perfect for being the midway point between the sleek and decorative features.

7. Shades of Grey

Bathrooms with many shades of grey are very trendy. Grey is neutral and can have either a warm or a cool undertone. The warm undertone in the floor of this room sets the stage for gold accents. This quartz countertop has grey and amber veins, which perfectly balance the tones in the bathroom.

8. Warm, Rich Design

Many formal bathrooms rely on warm tones and rich finishes to make the space look inviting. This formal bathroom features Brava Marfil quartz - a taupe colored countertop with a rich, warm vein running through it. It perfectly complements the other colors and tones in the room.

9. Subtle Complement

Sometimes, a bathroom design needs a complementary countertop. This Empress countertop has a soft finish and subtle veining. It&#;s more reminiscent of limestone rather than marble but without limestone&#;s tendency toward scratching and staining.

Add Quartz to Your Bathroom Design

Quartz bathroom countertops are beautiful, durable, and complementary to many different styles and designs. Whether you want something bold or subtle, quartz can give you what you want. Consider quartz for your bathroom countertop today to reap these benefits for yourself.

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