Put down the quartz sealer and read this guide
You don't need to seal your quartz countertops.
Quartz countertops can stain without proper care.
Take basic precautions to avoid scratching quartz.
You finally got your new quartz countertops, but now you're wondering—do quartz countertops need to be sealed? It's a great question since some types of countertops require sealing; otherwise, you can damage your costly investment. Read this guide to find out everything you need to know about sealant and maintenance for quartz.
Quartz countertops are a type of engineered stone containing around 90% to 95% quartz as well as resins, polymers, and pigments. Manufacturers produce this countertop by using heavy pressure, and later curing, polishing, and finishing the slabs.
These countertops are available in a wide range of colors and designs, so you can choose from many different types of quartz countertops. Some popular options include designs that mimic natural stones like granite and marble.
The short answer is no, your quartz countertops don’t need sealant because they’re are nonporous, so liquids don’t easily seep into the material. And unlike marble, these countertops won’t have etching issues either, which is when acids cause damage to natural stone.
So while you have to regularly seal natural stone countertops, you can skip this chore with your quartz countertop. But just because the material is nonporous doesn’t mean that you don’t have to take precautions to avoid staining, scratches, and other damage.
Applying a sealer to porous counters helps prevent damage like stains, watermarks, and etching. Natural stones, like granite, marble, and sandstone, and concrete and wood counters require regular sealing. Your countertop installer can tell you how often to seal your counters for the best results.
One of the reasons you have to seal natural stone countertops is to avoid staining. For example, if you have unsealed marble countertops, you can stain the surface by spilling water on it. The marble is soft and porous, so even a little bit of liquid can seep into the material and leave stains. To avoid these problems, you should seal marble countertops annually.
Now let’s consider quartz countertops. They’re nonporous, so does that mean that they’re totally stainproof? The answer is no, they’re not stainproof—but they’re stain-resistant. So if you spill anything on your quartz countertops, it’s important to wipe it up as quickly as possible. Depending on what you spilled and how long you let it sit, you might notice a stain when you get around to cleaning it up.
The common culprits for stains on quartz countertops are wine, coffee, and tea. Some chemicals, acids, wax, makeup, and cleaners can also stain quartz countertops. But unlike natural stone countertops, you can usually remove stains fairly easily. You can do this by using a quartz cleaner and a non-abrasive scrubber.
Also note that stains show easier on lighter colors of quartz, like white quartz countertops.
Follow these tips to avoid staining your quartz countertops:
Clean spills immediately and dry the counters
Use hot pads instead of setting hot pans on counters
Avoid putting hot appliances straight on the counter (like slow cookers or deep fryers)
Don’t use harsh chemical cleaners (acidic, alkaline, bleach, or oil-based)
Don’t use vinegar to clean quartz
Don’t use abrasive cleaning scrubbers
Don’t wax or polish your quartz
Unsealed natural stone countertops are very susceptible to scratches, and in comparison, quartz countertops are much more durable. But to avoid damage, take proper precautions like using a cutting board. Also take care not to drop heavy objects onto the countertop.
It is possible to scratch quartz countertops with abrasive cleaning scrubbers, like steel wool. Instead, use soft microfiber cloths or soft sponges. If you need to scrape off dried food from the counters, use a plastic putty knife.
To avoid further damaging your countertop, hire a quartz countertop company near you to help you fix scratches. However, if the scratches are shallow and small, you can try DIYing the job. You can buff minor scratches out using quartz-formulated polish and a buffer. For deep scratches, use a color-matched epoxy or resin filler.
There are quartz countertop sealers available for sale, so what happens if you decide to go ahead and seal the countertop anyway? For one, look carefully because you may have natural quartzite and quartz mixed up. Natural quartzite countertops are 100% natural stone and therefore require regular sealing.
Besides this, there are quartz sealers on the market. But it’s not recommended for you to use them, because you simply don’t need them. Not only that, but adding sealer on top of your counters could damage them.
When applied to natural stone, the sealer seeps into the pores, but since your quartz counters are nonporous, the sealant has nowhere to go. This can leave an unpleasant film residue on top of your counters and cause sticky edges. In the worst-case scenario, you might damage the natural seal of your quartz countertops.
After doing all the work of figuring out how to choose the right countertop and getting your quartz counters installed, the best thing you can do is to skip the sealant.
