This week’s blog is about Quartzite (not to be confused with the man-made material, Quartz). Quartzite is a hard, non-foliated metamorphic rock. Through a process of high heating and pressure, the sandstone changes into Quartzite. Quartzite is a durable natural stone, which makes it a good choice for high traffic areas in homes and buildings.
Quartzite is usually white or grey, but can also be shades of pink, red, yellow, green, blue and orange depending on which minerals are present.
Quartzite can also have various finishes; it can be polished or textured.
So how do you take care of Quartzite surfaces?
If you have a polished Quartzite kitchen countertop or bathroom vanity, clean it regularly with neutral cleaners such as Lavenet or Crystal Clean. You can also add a little extra pop of shine to your Quartzite top once a month with Countertop Polish, an easy-to-use aerosol foam polish spray.
You may see light scratches in time due to wear and tear; International Stoneworks can professionally re-polish the Quartzite back to a smooth and consistent polished finish.
Many people opt not to have a smooth and shiny floor in their home or building, especially for exterior floors for slip-resistance. Over time, dirt can get trapped in these textured surfaces and it can be difficult to remove this embedded dirt. Simple damp mopping cleans the surface of the stone tile, but mopping does not remove the trapped dirt. To clean the embedded dirt, you can use a scrub brush with a handle along with Lavenet neutral cleaner. If the Quartzite and grout lines are very dirty, International Stoneworks can use specialty cleaners with rotary brushes.
If you are looking for a stone and want something other than marble or travertine, Quartzite is a great option. And now you know how to care for and maintain Quartzite surfaces, whether they are polished or textured.
