When researching surface materials for kitchen countertops, you will no doubt come across a variety of materials. Among those you will find natural and engineered stone surfaces. One of the brands of quartz available is Fir Stone. In this article, we will talk about Fir Stone Quartz and the products used for working with and caring for it. Along the way we will also consider some of the characteristics of Fir Stone Quartz and how those traits come into play when using the products discussed. THis article is written from the perspective of Fir Stone Quartz, but you can consult our other page for a general discussion about quartz.
Defining Fir Stone Quartz
One of the first questions that comes to mind may be, "what is Fir Stone Quartz?" In the event that this question was on your mind, we will briefly answer it. Quartz is a product that is created by man and is designed to function in a way similar to natural stone. In fact, notice how Wikipedia explains it:
...the quartz based product is used primarily for kitchen countertops as an alternative to laminate or granite.
So Fir Stone Quartz is related to natural stone materials. In fact, as we mentioned above, it was designed to function very similar to natural stone. So it stands to reason then, that Fir Stone Quartz would have similar products for it as the natural stone materials do. And it does. Let's briefly consider some of those products now.
Treating Blemishes On Fir Stone Quartz
At times you may find information in doing research that leads the reader to believe that quartz will not stain. In actuality, No stone material is stain-proof. And even though Fir Stone Quartz is stain resistant, it can be stained. Even though it is non-porous quartz can still get blemishes on its surface.
Mineral Deposits On Fir Stone Quartz
One of the surface stains that can develop on a Fir Stone Quartz surface is mineral deposits (also called limescale). This is a result of water or some other liquid containing minerals being left on the surface and then when the water in the liquid evaporates, the other substances are left behind. Removing limescale is simply a matter of using mineral deposit and limescale remover that dissolves the limescale to take the blemish off the surface. THere are other products though that also make maintaining Fir Stone Quartz less work.
Caring for & Maintaining Quartz
Taking care of and doing maintenance on Fir Stone Quartz is a multi-aspect task. Let's talk about some of those aspects now.
Optionally Sealing Fir Stone Quartz
A big selling point for quartz is that it requires no sealing. That is a true statement. But think about this, Waxing your car is not required either, but doing it has its benefits. Likewise, applying sealer for Fir Stone Quartz surfaces to the countertop creates a barrier between the stone and potentially harmful oil-based and water-based liquids. This gives the owner more time to easily clean up any spills that occur that could discolor the material.
Daily Cleaning of Fir Stone Quartz
As is true of all surfaces, Fir Stone Quartz requires daily cleaning. But what you use to do that cleaning matters. Not all surface cleaners are formulated to be used on stone surfaces. In fact, some household cleaners react with quartz materials and using these can harm the countertop. However, if you select the appropriate surface cleaner designed for stone countertops you will be using a cleaner that won't be detrimental to the material or the other treatments that have been applied to the surface such as the sealer mentioned in the previous section of this article. Some cleaners actually remove sealer that you intentionally treated a quartz surface with.
Fir Stone Fabrication Products
When it comes to working Fir Stone Quartz surfaces, there are some tools that make the work as effective as it can be. The tools for fabricating Fir Stone Quartz are often times the same ones used for hard natural stone such as granite. At other times though quartz will have tools designed specifically for working it. Let's briefly look at an example of each of these cases.
Miter Blades for Working Fir Stone Quartz
As we mentioned above, some tools that work with other stone materials will work just fine on Fir Stone Quartz surfaces. One example of a diamond blade that works well on hard natural stone as well as Fir Stone Quartz is a diamond compound miter blade that works on quartz. That blade is designed to work on many kinds of material, soft and hard stone surfaces, including Fir Stone Quartz. In addition to tools that work on granite and quartz, there are other products that are designed to accommodate a specific characteristic found in quartz.
Fir Stone Quartz Polishing Pads
Polishing stone surfaces using diamond polishing pads generates a tremendous amount of heat. In turn, heat affects the materials on which it is operating. Quartz surfaces that get overheated discolor and there is marking that happens. The resin used in the polishing pad makes a difference in whether the pad will bleed onto aFir Stone Quartz stone being polished. You can select polishing pads that work well on granite. However, there are pads that work on granite and quartzite but that are also marketed as polishing pads for use on engineered quartz. There are also surface polishing pads for planetary polishing equipment as well.
As we have seen in this article, many aspects of working with and caring for Fir Stone Quartz run parallel to the tools used for working and maintaining hard natural stone surfaces like granite and quartzite. Yet, although there are similarities, some aspects of fabricating and caring for quartz such as Fir Stone differ and knowing what is especially needed for these surfaces enables fabricators and owners to get the best results.
