American Granite and Stone also offers a full line of "engineered" (man made) stones. These include the popular quartz sufaces such as Cambria, Caesarstone, Hanstone, Silestone and Viaterra, as well as "green" products including as Icestone, Vetrazzo, and Bioglass. Anything you see on our website or our supplier websites can be readily obtained at competitive prices. If you see something somewhere else, or do not find what you are looking for, simply contact us and we can usually locate it. We also offer a complete line of sinks, faucets, accessories, vanities and islands as well as care and cleaning supplies to complete your project and keep it looking like new.

Stop by or showroom to see the wide array of products and services we offer, and to speak to our friendly and knowledgeable customer representatives.

Quartz products are among the most popular of the man made "stone" surfaces. These products are made by combining finely crushed quartz with a resin or epoxy binder, which is then pressed into slabs at high temperatures and pressures. The result is a simulated stone surface that is generally uniform in pattern, and very reproducible in appearance. So unlike natural stone, there is no variation in appearance between a sample you might see in a showroom and the final fabricated product.

There are other differences between natural stone and quartz products that should be considered when choosing the material for your new countertops. Quartz products do not have to be sealed as they are not porous due to the resin/epoxy binder. This results in slightly less maintenance than natural stone, but makes the surface a little less resistant to heat damage or scratches than granite. However, the quartz products are much more resistant to scratching than softer stones such as marble or limestone. Quartz products are a little more expensive than the group A or B granites (by about 10-20%), which can be a consideration for larger projects.

If you like the unique and "designed by nature" features characteristic of natural stone then the choice between natural and engineered surfaces is an easy one to make, and spending 30 minutes once a year to seal your countertops is well worth the effort. If you prefer a uniform color and pattern that looks exactly like the sample you see in a showroom, and don't want to do the annual sealing required for natural stone, then quartz surfaces may be the best choice for you.

We can discuss the pros and cons of each type of surface and give you unbiased information because we fabricate both natural stone and engineered stone. As a result we have no built-in preference for one class of material over the other. Our goal is to provide a wide range of choices and educational resources so that you can make the decision that is best for you. Finally, there are "green" material choices including Icestone and Vetrazzo (both crushed glass in cement matrices) and Bioglass (recycled glass), and we have samples of these in our showroom and are licensed fabricators of all of these materials.

Below are links to our quartz product suppliers, as well as to our "green" product suppliers, where you can view samples and get more detailed information on the various materials. As always, feel free to call us or drop by our shop to see samples and ask questions. That's what we're here for!

>> Cambria Quartz Surfaces

>> Caesarstone Quartz Surfaces

>> Hanstone Quartz Surfaces

>> Silestone Quartz Surfaces

>> Viatera Quartz Surfaces

>> Icestone (recycled glass in concrete matrix)

>> Vetrazzo (recycled glass in concrete matrix)

>> Bioglass (pure recycled glass)