Frequently Asked Questions
What is a quartz worktop?
Quartz kitchen worktops are made from composite quartz slabs through cutting, cut-out, joining operations, performed by processing with professional machinery.
Composite quartz is a material obtained from a mixture of up to 95% natural quartz crystals, combined with polyester resins, pigments, and various decorative elements.
Quartz is one of the hardest minerals in nature. The hardness of quartz is close to that of diamond, having a value of 7 on the Mohs scale. This results in some of the essential qualities of quartz worktops: exceptional resistance to shocks, scratches, and their durability.
Composite quartz is also known by other names: composite granite, composite stone, quartz, composite quartz, etc.
What benefits does composite quartz offer me?
Compared to other materials, quartz worktops have a series of unique characteristics. In short, by choosing a quartz worktop for your kitchen, you will be sure that:
- You will use it without problems for over 25 years, with the surface intact, just like on the first day of use.
- It does not scratch or stain.
- It does not break, being more flexible and resistant than granite and marble.
- It is very easy to maintain.
- Hygienic material, you can cook food directly on its surface.
- It maintains its antibacterial and fire-retardant properties.
- You have greater freedom in choosing the types of shades and surface finishes, compared to granite, for example.
- You will not have surprises regarding the uniformity of the surface pattern (veining), as happens with natural stone worktops (marble, granite).
- You ennoble your furniture and kitchen with a premium product, with a special design, which will leave its mark on the entire home.
How does composite quartz compare to other materials?
Like other natural stones, quartz has a series of qualities and aspects that must be taken into account at the time of purchase.
The most important advantage of a quartz worktop compared to a granite kitchen worktop is that it does not require periodic waterproofing (varnishing), offers much greater control over colors and textures, and the joints between the worktop pieces are much less visible. Due to its non-porous structure, quartz does not stain and, thanks to the quartz and resins in its structure, it is much more resistant to scratches, shocks, and flexing.
Compared to marble, the quartz worktop is non-porous, much more resistant, does not stain, does not scratch, tolerates moderate temperatures better, and requires much less attention during use. In addition, there can be no more surprises related to cracks in the veining, or certain weak points existing in the material's structure, problems that frequently occur with marble. Quartz is unbeatable from this point of view.
The advantage of quartz over other acrylic composite materials (Corian, Hi-macs, Kerrock etc) lies especially in durability, resistance to temperature and scratches, stains, and antibacterial properties. These acrylic composites also have the disadvantage of the surface dulling over time, compared to quartz, which maintains its surface intact, shiny, even after many years of use.
Compared to chipboard or HPL worktops, the quartz worktop is simply incomparable in terms of resistance, durability, and especially design. Perhaps the most important aspect from this point of view, however, is the fact that you get rid of the daily worry and stress of having to pay attention to moisture, acidic substances (vinegar, juice, lemon, etc.), and avoiding cutting on its surface because scratches can appear. All these things that must always be taken into account with chipboard worktops simply disappear in the case of a premium quartz worktop. Also, quartz offers complete freedom of use, cooking on its surface becoming a pleasure.
Find more information in the section ”About quartz ”.
How to maintain a quartz kitchen worktop?
Having remarkable resistance, quartz worktops are very easy to maintain, with minimal effort. All you have to do is clean them with a damp cloth and a liquid detergent and follow a few simple instructions to enjoy it for many years to come.
How to clean a quartz kitchen worktop?
It is enough to wipe it with a damp cloth and liquid detergent. Make sure you have removed detergent traces with water after cleaning and do not let detergent residues dry. Do not use abrasive products and detergents or those with a high concentration of acids/bases or high pH, as these can interact with the resins in the composition of the quartz structure.
In the case of more difficult-to-clean stains, left on the surface for a longer time, the advice is to scrape with a plastic spatula. After that, rinse the area with water and wipe with a damp cloth. If stains persist, you can use the soft surface of a Scotch Brite (3M) sponge and cleaning solutions such as: Cif Power Spray by Unilever, Mr Muscle, Mr Proper Active Gel or Domestos Gel. After that, always remove the cleaning solutions used by rinsing with water.
See detailed maintenance and usage instructions here .
Can I cut directly on the quartz worktop?
Yes, you can cut directly on the quartz worktop, because it, due to the quartz crystals in its composition, is very resistant to scratches. However, to keep that new freshness and natural shine even after 10-20 years, we recommend using a cutting board.
Can I place hot trays or pots directly on the worktop?
We recommend using a trivet for such cases. Although the quartz worktop resists heat much better than other surfaces, exposures should not be sudden, and temperatures should be moderate. When a hot pan or pot is placed, which is totally forbidden, the biggest enemy is thermal shock, not the temperature itself. Remember that all types of stone, including granite, can be damaged when exposed to sudden temperature changes. So, the recommendation is to avoid placing hot trays or pots on the worktop.
In conclusion, quartz can be affected by exposure to extreme heat, with the risk of discoloration, cracking, or deformation. However, composite quartz worktops can withstand short exposures to moderate temperatures.
Do quartz worktops stain easily?
No, quartz worktops do not stain easily, provided that minimum maintenance conditions are met. In fact, composite quartz worktops are very resistant to stains, thanks to additional materials such as polyester resins used in the manufacturing process. However, it is recommended to wash and wipe the worktop if you have spilled liquids on it.
Does the quartz worktop require waterproofing?
No, unlike granite or marble, which require periodic reapplication of protective varnish, composite quartz does not need surface sealing agents.
The polyester resins in the composition bind and strengthen the quartz crystals, thus obtaining a uniform, compact, extremely resistant, and non-porous structure. As a result, quartz surfaces are completely impermeable, do not allow liquid infiltration, and prevent the development of microorganisms.
Without re-sanding, without varnishing, without waterproofing, quartz worktops simply maintain their surface intact for decades of use.
I need to do plumbing repairs in the furniture area. What do I do with the worktop?
If the positioning of the furniture units or legs is changed for various plumbing interventions, the worktop may remain suspended, without perfect contact with the furniture units, in which case it can become stressed and even crack later. In addition, the joints between pieces or between the plinth (riser) and the worktop may detach. Therefore, we recommend that these operations, even if minor, be carried out with great care and that the furniture be repositioned exactly in its initial position immediately after the intervention, so that the worktop makes contact with the furniture unit over its entire surface.
In situations where these operations involve significant movements of the worktop, we recommend that you contact specialists in the field, or the Prowest team for repositioning, respectively, redoing joints.
It is recommended to avoid climbing on the worktop, regardless of the situation.
Any possible damage to the worktop occurring in these cases is not covered by the warranty.
I need to move / disassemble the furniture. What do I do with the worktop?
If you need to move or disassemble the furniture, for a major repair, for example, we recommend that you contact Prowest specialists for the removal of the worktop and its eventual repositioning, with the redoing of the joints between pieces.
Any possible damage to the worktop occurring in this case is not covered by the warranty.
Can the quartz worktop be reused with other furniture?
Each quartz worktop is unique. This means that the manufacturing of the worktop takes into account precise measurements taken on the initial furniture and, importantly, considering the configuration (condition) of the adjacent walls.
In short, you cannot use a worktop on another kitchen furniture, unless it is absolutely identical in shape and placement to the previous one.
Why does the delivered worktop differ slightly from the showroom sample?
This is a characteristic of all stone worktops. However, if with granite the differences from showroom samples or even differences from one granite slab to another are significant, in the case of composite quartz these are minor. The explanation lies in the fact that the tonality of quartz slabs differs from one production batch to another, as is also the case with stoneware. Samples are produced somewhere in the past, from a certain manufacturing batch, and the slabs from which your worktop will be made are produced recently, or even in the future. It should be noted that these differences are minor, almost insignificant in the case of quartz, unlike other materials.
However, always, the different pieces from which your worktop will be made by Prowest, will be guaranteed to have the same tonality!
Are there also quartz worktops without joints?
Yes, of course, but this depends only on the size and shape of the worktop. Like granite, the raw material from which the quartz worktop is made is delivered in sheets, called slabs. Most frequently, these measure 300 cm long x 140 cm wide x 2 cm thick. If the length or width of the worktop or kitchen island you desire does not fit these dimensions, or requires a more complex geometric shape, then the worktop will be made from 2 (two) or more pieces, in which case joints will certainly be necessary. In the case of stone worktops, and therefore quartz, the joints between pieces are visible. How visible? It depends on the precision of the site survey, the finesse of the execution, and the skill of those who install the worktop on the furniture.
Prowest pays special attention to the execution of these joints, the aim being for the joint areas to be minimal, and their visibility as reduced as possible.
Can quartz worktops be repaired in case of damage?
If you damage quartz worktops by hitting or scratching them in the edge profile / edge areas, they can often be repaired, but in certain cases, the traces of the repair will remain visible. However, you can avoid unnecessary hassle with a little caution and by following simple maintenance and usage rules.