Homes in Kings Point, Elm Grove, Trailwood and Kingwood Lakes get the same quartzite process as every other part of Kingwood.
Kingwood is part of the City of Houston, though it sits 30 to 45 minutes northeast of downtown in Harris County. Lake Houston lies along its eastern side, and Humble is just to the southwest.
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.
Where quartzite fits
Quartzite works on an island, a perimeter, a vanity, a fireplace surround and outside. It takes sun and rain on a patio where quartz cannot go. Islands show it off, since long veins need a large surface. Kitchens use 3 cm stone, and an overhang deeper than 10 inches needs support brackets.
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.
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 Atascocita, Porter and Humble, and for Kingwood we cut granite and quartz as well.
To get a quartzite estimate in Kingwood, send the form below or call us. We bring samples, so you can see the stone in your own light.