Things to Note When Installing Quartz Countertop in Your Kitchen

Quartz countertops are highly resistant to wear, scratch, and high temperature. They are a kind of engineered stone mainly made from ground quartz with other elements like resins, polymers, and pigments. Therefore, quartz stone is especially suitable for kitchen countertops. The installation of a quartz countertop is a significant part of kitchen renovation, which directly affects the countertop's service life and user experience. What should you need to note when installing a quartz countertop in your kitchen?

On-site Measurement

It is best to start the countertop installation when the cabinet and other decorative accessories are installed. Before installing the countertop, you need to check the flatness of the cabinet and check whether the size of the quartz countertop is completely matched with the cabinet. Quartz countertops need to be reworked or the cabinets trimmed if there are some errors.

When measuring the depth of the cabinet, a 4-cm must be reserved on the countertop to facilitate the installation of the bottom hanging edge. In addition, 3-5mm expansion joints should be reserved between the countertop and the wall.

Seam

The seam of the quartz stone should be at least 15 cm away from the sink or cooktop and must keep away from the dishwasher and sterilization cabinets. Use solid wood or steel structures to support the tops of the dishwashers, sterilization cabinets, and ovens.

Engroove

Before cutting the quartz slab, holes should be drilled on the corners of the grooved part, which can not be cut directly as drilling can avoid the breakage of the quartz stone. If the hole is not drilled first, the countertop might have the problem of cracking.

Notes:

1. Ensure the cut is at the minimum bevel of a 45-degree angle and 2-mm wide.

2. The rounded corners of 3-4 mm will make the countertop more durable.

3. The splicing part should be cut at a 45-degree angle to ensure the splicing is firm.

4. It is necessary to use quartz stone strips with the same length as the countertop as the lower edge.

5. The corners must be spliced with a 45-degree angle.

6. Double-layer edging should also be used at the rear of the lower side of the countertop to ensure better firmness.

Countertop Support

Artificial stone is not a structural support material, so a strong support system is required. The general countertop support foundations are lining board and frame support strips.

1. Common lining materials: moisture-proof medium density board, moisture-proof wood plywood (composite board).

2. Support bars are required on the front and back of the lower surface of the countertop. The width of the support bars is 40-100 mm. There must be support bars every 600 mm on the countertop, and they must also be provided at the splicing of the countertop.

3. The support foundation needs to be strengthened below when the countertop cantilever exceeds 300 mm in length.

Bonding Glue

1. When installing the quartz countertop, silicone glue or glass glue should be used for bonding instead of other hard glues.

2. When using silicone glue, it should be applied in dots with a spacing of not less than 30 mm, and the reinforce parts like screws and nails cannot be used.

Seamless Jointing

Here are the instructions on making perfect seamless jointing of quartz slabs.

Step 1

Adjust the splicing edge to a width of 2-4 mm, and then fill the seam with the glue.

Step2

Use a putty knife to scrape the bonding surface repeatedly.

Step 3

Use seam clips to make the gap as small as possible.

Step 4

Clean up masking and residual glue.

Step 5

When the seam is not smooth enough, grounding and polishing is needed.

Step 6

There should be a distance of 3mm to 5mm between the quartz stone countertop and the wall. After the installation is finished, glass glue should be evenly applied to the gap between the countertop and the wall.

Notes:

1. Use acetone, alcohol, etc., to clean the dust on the bonding surface.

2. Masking tape should be attached to both sides of the gap to reduce on-site pollution.

3. When splicing some super-long countertops like L-shaped countertops, in order to ensure the flatness of the spliced countertops and the tightness of the joints, it is recommended to use strong fixing clips to fix the quartz stone slab. In addition, when gluing the lower hanging strip, it is also necessary to use a strong fixing clip to fix it to ensure the perfect combination of the countertop splicing and the gap between the countertop and the bottom hanging strip.

4. During the installation, try to avoid large-scale cutting and opening of quartz stone at the construction site. On the one hand, it prevents cutting dust from polluting the construction site. On the other hand, it is to prevent errors caused by inaccurate cutting.

Why Choose VIVA

We are a leading manufacturer of quartz countertops, providing a wide range of styles and customization options. With a reasonable price, superior quality, and responsible services, we have done business with many clients from all over the world. If you want to know more about our products and services, welcome to contact us at sales@vivaquartzstone.com.