On Sun, 30 May 2004 22:19:43 GMT, Mark & Juanita
wrote:

On Sun, 30 May 2004 15:05:41 -0600, Alan Bierbaum
wrote:

On Sun, 30 May 2004 20:36:39 GMT, Mark & Juanita
wrote:

snip

Speaking of which, at a tangent, we had been considering granite for our
kitchen. Now, however, it appears that quartz is also a viable material
and less porous than even granite. However, when doing a search for quartz
countertops, or even "natural" quartz countertops, I get all sorts of hits
in which claims are made for things like "silestone" and a couple of other
products are "natural quartz" One has to read the fine print really,
really closely to identify that these are composite materials using
"natural quartz" in some sort of binder. Yet the big print yells "NATURAL
QUARTZ"! Gettin' kind of frustrating trying to find some web pages with
examples of real quartz countertops -- and by real I mean, honest, no
kidding, cut from the quarry solid quartz -- not something ground up and
reformulated with new colors in an attractive plastic binder.

I don't think that quartz grows big enough for counter tops. In a
past life, I ran a quartz crystal plant for quartz crystals used in
communications equipment. The raw quartz crystals were in the 1-1
1/2" diameter and 6" length range.


Not as single crystals. However, as quartz rock, it is available:
http://www.cambriausa.com/consumer/ This was the only link I have found
thus far that uses solid stone vs. ground up and reformulated stone.

Most other manufacturers of quartz countertops are like those found on:
http://www.avanzausa.com/content_features_frame.html. One of my
favorite quotes from that page: "The color of ordinary stone can vary
greatly between pieces. And unattractive veining or color blots can mar the
appearance. With Avanza, colors and textures are consistent." Can you
imagine subsituting: "The color of ordinary maple can vary greatly between
pieces. And unattractive quilting or birds-eye can mar the appearance.
With aggreparticleboardmaple, colos and textures are consistent"?


If you read the cited articles; you will notice that they talk of
"engineered stone" - this is not a natural product; it is fabricated
by some type of glue and stone and quartz particles.


Alan Bierbaum

web site: http://www.calanb.com