River Oaks was established in the 1920s by William and Michael Hogg with Hugh Potter, and Kirby Drive was restricted to American Colonial and English Tudor houses. A house of that age may have a butler's pantry or a bar beside the kitchen, and each counter in it is its own piece on the template.
What quartz is and how it performs
Quartz is an engineered surface: about 90 percent ground quartz bound with polymer resin and pigment. It is non-porous, so it never needs sealing, and coffee and wine wipe off. Its pattern holds from slab to slab, which helps on a long island or where the kitchen stone continues onto a vanity. The resin is its weak point. Sustained heat above about 300 F can mark it, so a hot pot belongs on a trivet, and harsh solvents dull it.
Colors and looks
Quartz comes in solid whites, grays and blacks, in fine-flecked patterns and in patterns made to mimic marble veining. Because the pattern is made, it repeats, and a sample shows what every slab of that pattern looks like. Whites differ more than people expect: some lean warm, some cool, some bright. Hold the sample next to your cabinets in daylight and again at night before you decide.
Quartz next to granite and quartzite
Next to granite, quartz wins on upkeep and gives up heat: granite handles normal pan heat, and quartz resin needs protecting from it. Next to quartzite, quartz costs less for most patterns and repeats its pattern exactly, while quartzite is real stone with veins that never repeat. Outdoors the choice is made for you, since quartz stays inside. We bring samples of all three to the estimate.
Choosing your quartz
Choosing quartz means choosing a pattern, not a slab. Look at the sample in your own kitchen light, next to the cabinets and the floor. Solids are calm and hide seams, veined patterns are bold and need seam planning, and some patterns carry a fine sparkle. For a long island, ask whether the pattern comes in a slab long enough for one piece.
Seams and edges in quartz
Because the pattern repeats, seams in quartz match more easily than in natural stone. Solid colors hide a seam well. A veined pattern needs planning so the veins meet as closely as the slab allows. We place seams at the sink or the cooktop where the layout allows, cut the joint tight and fill it with epoxy matched to the color. A seam is still visible up close. Eased and beveled edges suit the clean look of most quartz patterns, and a mitered edge makes a thin top read as a solid block.
Caring for quartz
Clean quartz with a damp cloth and a drop of mild soap. Skip bleach, oven cleaner and abrasive or high-pH cleaners, which dull the resin. A chipped edge on quartz can be repaired.
From estimate to install
You will see our crew three times. First comes the free estimate, with samples and a written price that lists the quartz, the edges, the cutouts, tear-out and the sink install. Quartz is picked from samples, and every slab of the pattern matches its sample. Second is the template, once the cabinets are set and level. The digital template catches walls that are out of square. Between the visits, our shop cuts the quartz and its sink and cooktop openings. Third is the install: old tops out, quartz in, seams filled with tinted epoxy and the sink set, with the faucet holes drilled on site at install. The counter is ready to use once the seams have cured.
Where we work and how to start
We also cut quartz for kitchens in Montrose, West University Place and Midtown, and for River Oaks we cut granite and quartzite as well.
To get a quartz estimate in River Oaks, send the form below or call us. We bring samples, so you can see the stone in your own light.