Homes in Southdale, Carroll Subdivision, Braeburn Country Club Estates and Broad Acres get the same quartzite process as every other part of Bellaire.
Bellaire mixes 1940s to 1960s post-war ranch houses with two-story rebuilds. A ranch house that has kept its original kitchen may have a short counter under a window and a small peninsula, runs short enough to come out of one slab.
What quartzite is and how it performs
Quartzite is natural metamorphic stone: quartz sandstone fused by heat and pressure. It is harder than granite, handles normal pan heat and resists scratching, and it carries veining that reads like marble. It needs a sealer, which we apply at install. One caution comes with the name. Some stones sold as quartzite, Fantasy Brown and Super White among them, are dolomitic marble and etch from lemon, vinegar and wine, so it pays to know which kind a slab is before you buy it.
Colors and looks
Quartzite leans toward whites, grays and soft taupes with long veins, and some slabs carry a crystal sheen. Warmer slabs run toward gold, cooler ones toward blue or green. Every slab is different, so you choose yours in person, and we lay the template out on it so the veins land where you want them. When the veining is strong, a mitered edge carries it down the front of an island.
Sinks and cutouts in quartzite
Quartzite takes undermount, drop-in, farmhouse and vessel sinks, and an undermount sink shows off the polished cut edge. The sink and cooktop openings are cut in our shop from the template. On a veined slab, we plan the openings so the strongest veins run clear of them where the layout allows.
Seams and edges in quartzite
Seams in quartzite take the most planning, because the veins run long. Where the layout allows, we put the seam at the sink or the cooktop, or along a vein where it hides best, and fill it with epoxy tinted to the stone. You see the seam plan at template, before anything is cut, and we cut the joints tight in our shop. Any of our ten edge profiles can go on quartzite, and the mitered edge is the one that shows off the veins.
Caring for quartzite
Quartzite care is close to granite care. Clean with warm water and a pH-neutral soap, wipe spills before they sit and reseal when a few drops of water darken the stone. Denser slabs need resealing less often than porous ones. If your slab is one of the dolomitic kind, treat acids as you would on marble and wipe lemon and wine quickly.
What moves the price
Quartzite costs more than granite and most quartz. The slab is most of the price, and a strongly veined slab costs more than a calm one. Quartzite is hard, so cutting it takes longer in our shop, and a mitered edge adds more. If the budget is tight, quartzite can go on the island while the perimeter runs in granite or quartz. Tear-out and the sink install are their own lines on the estimate.
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 quartzite, the edges, the cutouts, tear-out and the sink install. Quartzite is picked slab by slab at any stone yard: a photo of the slab tag tells us which one, and the slab is confirmed at template. 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 quartzite and its sink and cooktop openings. Third is the install: old tops out, quartzite in, seams filled with tinted epoxy and the sink set, with the faucet holes drilled on site at install.
Where we work and how to start
The crew that sets quartzite in Bellaire also works in Meyerland, Braeswood Place and West University Place, and it cuts granite and quartz as well.
If quartzite feels right for your kitchen in Bellaire, the next step is the free estimate. Use the form below or call us.