Is quartz worth the extra £££?

[Madlizzy26]

Refurbing the kitchen, using Howdens to keep the overall cost down. Trying to decide whether Quartz is worth the extra cost or whether laminate is almost as good practically and aesthetically? Advice appreciated!

I have a quartz surface and love it, it was very well installed, it cost £3k.
Would I pay for it again in a future kitchen? Probably not.
The laminate we had previously was perfectly acceptable, but quartz and granite were in fashion when we redid the kitchen 12 years ago.

Yes. Absolutely. Laminate looks really cheap in comparison. I spent ages researching laminate, compact laminate and all manner of tops before taking the plunge on quartz. It really does finish it all off. But yeah. Pricey.

Quartz is more durable and can be more attractive than some laminates. It also adds value if you are thinking of resale at some point.
But if you're on a budget, I think a nice laminate would be fine.

Personally, I would prefer quartz, but I wouldn't sacrifice for it.
Hope that helps.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1934527/trendy-kitchen-quartz-worktops-risk

You can find a cheaper and better quartz provider than howdens. I wouldn’t buy quartz from them.

I would always go for a solid surface in a kitchen. If you want a Belfast sink you have to. But generally the appearance is so much nicer anyway. Why skimp on a job that has to last a decade and is used heavily daily.

The above article is about risk to those working with quartz. The dust particulate which is absorbed with regular exposure. There is zero risk in the finished product in a home.

I saw this. But it seems that it's not the owners of quartz worktops who are at risk. It's the workers who cut them to size, especially if they don't wear masks and/or work in a poorly ventilated space.
I personally wouldn't be afraid of installing a quartz worktop based on this.

PS - In the world of dreams, if I really wanted to splurge, I would get quartzite. It's a natural material. I saw some in the showroom, and it's stunning.

Quartz looks fresh and is really hard wearing. Go to an independent supplier though. Our Silestone quote 8 years ago was £7.5k whereas an independent did it for a little over £3k and that was a lot of worktop.

It wasn't you I was worried about. Ffs

No, I don't expect you were.

Agree, go to a local independent supplier. They sometimes have quartz left over from other people's projects which may fit your style and budget. I had laminate in kitchen for 25 years and now have quartz. There is not a day that I don't feel a sense of joy at my lovely countertop. It is wonderful 😍

I have a quartz worktop. Look at the depth - mine is a thinner one so cheaper.

It was on my must have on my kitchen list and I still love it.

You just want people to stop buying them so the factories close down and put all the workers out of jobs then? Safety standards in some factories need improving, whether or not op has a quartz worktop will not influence that.

To the original question, I always think that getting the best you can afford pays off, particularly with something like a kitchen or bathroom.

Apologies for the Fail link, but have you not seen all of the recent reports about quartz worktops?

www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-13715027/quartz-worktops-lung-disease-risk-ban.html

Yes quartz is worth it, I'd go via an independent supplier though, you get to choose your thickness and much better variety in selection.

Yes to quartz. Has a lovely finish. If you’ve gone to all the trouble of having a new kitchen then finish it with quartz if you have the budget.

Jhc. No i want op to be aware and try and make as informed a choice as possible...and yes our purchases have an influence.

MCW

Any company that reads that report and doesn’t improve safety standards off the back of it will do the exact opposite if sales start falling and cut costs wherever they can.

Thanks for your help, everyone! That’s really helpful advice to go to an independent supplier. There’s one not far from me so I’ll check it out this week. If I can get it less than Howdens quote I’d be happy!

Defo get it done separately if you go for quartz, we used an online supplier, they will bring/send you samples, come out and quote based on design. Then once kitchen is going in come and do a final measure before installation. We chose an identical quartz to the one seen in wren for our wren kitchen, and saved an absolute fortune.