quartzite (white america/fantasy) durability

11 years ago

I know there have been discussions about white quartzite here in the past. My main question is this:

our fabricator has told us that even though quartzites tend to be fairly resistant to stains and etching, the more white it is, the more it can show wear (stain, etc). The one we are most leaning towards in white america (although it is hard to find) which seems grayer than others. If this means that it will be more resilient then that will help make our decision. We took home a sample of untreated madre perles which could not be stained by anything we left on it, but a piece of "white arabesque" quartzite had a big mark from a slice of lime left overnight. We are looking for super sturdy, low maintenance kitchen countertops and so far like the white quartzites much more than any granites that we have found.

I'd love to hear anyone's experience especially with the white vs gray issue.

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Comments (6)

bahacca
11 years ago
Get a sample of the slab you WANT and test the exact slab. That is the only way to know for sure if the slab in your kitchen is as durable as you need it to be. Also, did they have sealers on them or not? Most places put a sealant on them even if they are already stain resistant, etc.
muskokascp
11 years ago
I have not heard this about quartzite. I have white macabus quartzite and it has not stained or etched in the 7 months we have had it. If lime left a mark it would be an etch and not a stain but it could also be the stone was not sealed and the wet mark may disappear with time. Is it an etch mark ?

The best way to determine if the slab you like is durable enough is as bahacca mentioned - get a piece of the stone and test it but make sure they have sealed it for you first.
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charliehorse99
11 years ago
Is this quartz really called "white america"? That is strange name... very... umm.. non-inclusive!
mahatmacat1
11 years ago
Yes, but charlie, white america is a fantasy : )
simone416
11 years ago
hey muskokascp - guessing you're also living in ontario?
where did you get your quartzite? i'm looking for white macabus! thanks
sochi
11 years ago
muskokascp (surprisingly given her name here) lives in Nova Scotia. I have quartzite counters too, I'm in Ottawa. If you are in the GTA your best bet to find quartzite is at Ciot in Vaughan. I got mine at Ciot in Montreal a little over two years ago.