Should You Hire a Professional or DIY a Quartz Countertop Installation?

When you need all-around durability, a quartz countertop is hard to beat. Though they are heavy, they are tough. Quartz, or engineered stone as it is also known, can be fabricated in any

Quartz Kitchen Countertop

DIY or Contractor?

size or shape. In a new home they can either be created precisely to the builder's specifications, or the room can be designed around a pre-existing slab. Though quartz can be cut down, it cannot be cut back up again, so be sure to measure accurately and clear the path carefully. The piece will be extremely heavy, though not particularly fragile. It is as likely to damage the house or the workers as it is to be damaged, so if you are doing a diy countertop installation, please be extremely careful and make sure you have lots of quality assistance. It is not possible to move a quartz countertop by yourself.

The two most important things in a quartz counter install are to prepare the cabinet beneath it and to get the counter to the cabinet. The cabinet must be extremely sturdy and prepared to receive the weight. Reinforcement and solid wood construction are strongly recommended. Ideally the countertop will be the precise shape and size that you want, but if you do need to cut it down you will need a wet saw. Eye and breathing protection must be used. Because the quartz is set in resinous matrix you must use caution when polishing; if it gets to hot it may melt or char. Silicone sealing can be less important than usual because the weight of the counter will hold the sink in place with an airtight seal.

Quartz countertops might be reasonable subjects for a do it yourself project under certain conditions. You should possess the tools to measure the area perfectly and have a budget generous enough to pay for a precisely fabricated slab. Using pre-purchased slabs will work only if they are the right size and shape, because most diy handymen do not own the tools to cut or polish resinous quartz. The extreme weight of the quartz countertop should also be considered, with larger pieces weighing more than three hundred pounds. If you do not have a dependable group of competent and experienced lifters ready to help you move the slab into position we recommend that you use a countertop construction specialist, who can help you much more safely and economically.