The East End and Silk Stocking historic districts hold Galveston's Victorians, and Denver Court and Lindale hold its bungalows. A bungalow in Denver Court or Lindale sits closer to the ground than a raised Victorian, though a house anywhere on the island may have newer cabinets from a storm rebuild.
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.
Quartzite next to granite and quartz
Next to granite, quartzite is harder and costs more, and it looks like marble where granite looks like granite. Both take heat. Next to quartz, quartzite is natural stone whose veins never repeat, and it takes heat and sun. Next to marble, true quartzite resists the etching and scratching that give marble its patina.
Choosing your quartzite
Choose quartzite in person, and choose the slab, not the name. Check the whole slab and mark the part you love, since big veins need big pieces and we center the layout on that part. Ask the yard whether the slab is true quartzite or a dolomitic stone, since a dolomitic slab etches like marble. Bring a cabinet door, because yard light flattens color.
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.
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.
How a quartzite job runs
A quartzite job starts with a free estimate at the house, where we check the cabinets, look at the sink and the cooktop and bring samples. 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. Once the cabinets are set and level, our templater records the room with a digital template, and someone should be home to settle the seams and the overhangs. In our shop, we cut the quartzite to that template, polish the edges and cut the sink and cooktop openings. On install day, the crew removes the old tops and hauls them away, sets the quartzite, fills the seams and sets the sink, with the faucet holes drilled on site at install.
Where we work and how to start
We also cut quartzite for kitchens in Tiki Island, Texas City and La Marque, and for Galveston we cut granite and quartz as well.
Ready to price quartzite for a house in Galveston? Send the estimate form with a few photos, or call, and we will set a time to visit.