Everything You Should Know About Quartz Countertop Seams
No one likes seams on their precious quartz countertops. In fact, the mere mention of seams is enough to give some people a bad day. That’s understandable. People want something they’ve invested so much in to be picture perfect at all times. But the truth is that quartz countertop seams are often inevitable.
It’s genuinely heartbreaking for some people when they find seams on their quartz countertop. We’re here to tell you that it’s not necessarily a design disaster. It’s not the end of the world. With proper placement and the right fabricator, you’ll hardly notice it there.
Here at Pro Stone Countertops, we want you to have the best countertop shopping experience. We constructed this guide to give you an idea about everything you need to know about quartz countertop seams.
A Large Slab Won’t Guarantee a Seamless Surface
Did you know that having a large slab of stone won’t guarantee you won’t have seams? For you to understand why this is so, let’s take a look at how quartz countertops are made.
Quartz countertops are engineered using a combination of stone particles and resin to create the surfaces we know and love. But you might be wondering why they don’t just manufacture large slabs to eliminate the need for seams. The answer: they can and they do.
- The stone is too big and heavy. The stone will end up breaking apart at the center because it can’t support its own weight.
- Cutouts for sinks and cooktops weaken the stone. Cutting the slab to relieve some of the weight helps improve the stone’s strength.
- Installation of the countertop is tricky due to the lack of large enough entryways. Instead of risking damage to your home, they will instead cut the stone to a smaller size.
- The configuration of the countertop is complex. This is true for L-shaped countertops.
- When large enough stones are unavailable. When your preferred color and/or veining matching your specifications aren’t available, they put together stones cut from different slabs.
When you’re worried about whether your countertop will have seams, talk to your fabricator to learn more about how they can make it less noticeable. Good fabricators can make seams invisible – or at least near-invisible.
Perfect Seams Don’t Have to Be Invisible
Most homeowners freak out when they see seams on their newly-installed countertop. That’s understandable since everyone just wants their countertop to look beautiful – and seams can be unsightly. That is why people want seams to be invisible – as if they weren’t there. However, that is not always the case.
In some instances, quartz countertop seams can be made invisible. Fabricators can easily pull this off for darker countertops, slabs with solid colors, or those with less patterns. But in other cases, all the fabricators can do is make as inconspicuous as possible.
And that can be enough.
You see, perfect seams don’t have to be completely invisible. They just have to possess certain qualities to make sure they don’t stand out. The perfect quartz countertop seams have to be:
- Leveled. Lippage on the seams is what makes seams stand out most of the time. When the stones don’t align, they pop out even more. A good fabricator makes sure that the stones have the same thickness and the cabinets are perfectly-leveled to free the seam from lippage.
- Cut from the Same Slab. Two stones cut from the same slab ensures that both stones flow nicely and avoid any contrast. This gives a better chance that the veining on both stones will match.
- Color-Matched. Not only should the colors of both stones but also the epoxy be used. The colors shouldn’t be “somewhat” the same but “exactly” the same to make sure they flow nicely. You’re essentially pointing a spotlight at the seam if they don’t match perfectly.
- Edges Smoothed and Polished. Most of the time, fabricators focus too much on the surface that they fail to see edges that don’t line up. The edges should look as perfect as the surface and should be even all around.
Seam Location Makes All the Difference
Proper seam placement makes all the difference in the world for two reasons: it adds to the seams’ inconspicuousness while also ensuring the strength of your countertop.
While quartz is a durable material, having seams on your countertop makes it weaker. The optimal setting for placing seams should always be on the supports to make sure your countertop remains strong. That is why it’s important to plan ahead. What kind of countertop surface did you have in mind? What sort of configuration did you want your quartz kitchen countertop to have? Always share these details with your manufacturer to avoid potential disasters.
Aside from its strength, having seams strategically placed on the supports can lessen their visibility. For instance, an L-shaped countertop can have seams placed on the corner. This area is often covered with stuff from the kitchen, which hides the seam completely.
Always Set Realistic Expectations
The best thing to know about quartz countertop seams is that you shouldn’t expect them to be completely invisible. Your fabricator always keeps this in mind when manufacturing your quartz countertop and will do everything to make sure seams are as inconspicuous as possible. Expect seam quality to be excellent – but don’t expect to not see and feel it completely.
Countertop Fabricator Experience Matters
As we’ve mentioned constantly in this article, all the power belongs to the countertop fabricator. When it comes to quartz countertop seams, your fabricator controls everything from the selection of the source slab all the way to the installation of your countertop. That’s why it’s important to choose a fabricator with extensive experience in countertop fabrication and installation.
Here at Pro Stone Countertops, we’ve been in the business of building dream kitchens for over 20 years. Our team specializes in selecting and fabricating beautiful countertops sourced from the best stones to bring your kitchen to life. Give us a call right now at(662) 212-5937 and get started on your dream kitchen today.
