What is the useful life of quartz countertops ?

[Enes A.]

I am a tenant and I damaged a part of the quartz countertop. The landlord is telling me to pay for the entire kitchen replacement as it is not repairable and the brand/colour is not available anymore.

I agree only on paying the fair market value of the countertop before the damage occured. To calculate that I would need a formal source that would indicate the useful life of a typical quartz countertop. I spend hours every day looking for that information in google and I couldn' find anything rock-solid (pun unintended :p) that I could use in my negotiation.

Does anyone know where I could find that information ?

Thank you

[Genny Li]

Originally posted by @Enes A.:

Would yOriginally posted by @Genny Li:

Originally posted by @Enes A.:

Originally posted by @Genny Li:

It's basically a lifetime surface unless you damage it. It doesn't wear like laminate.

I think you are referring to natural quartz and not the composite engineered ones like what I have.

 No, I'm not. The natural stone is actually QUARTZITE, not quartz. A good quality quartz, which is natural stone plus a binder, has a lifetime lifespan. It will yellow slightly over time, but it's still pretty much lifetime. People take it out because they get tired of it or they mistreat it and damage it. 

Would you have a formal source that confirms that ? I have looked at the original study by the nhchi (https://www.nachi.org/life-exp...) and it does not mention quartz. Some manufacturer are saying it's natural stone and adopt the 100y life expectancy... but it is not natural stone as you mentioned it.

 It seems like you will only be satisfied by people agreeing with you. You've already determined the answer you want. You might have a leg to stand on if you say it was your landlord's choice to use a less standard quartz that can't be matched and that you only owe for replacing that one piece of quartz. Trying to claim a depreciated cost vs cost of replacement isn't going to get very far. Quartz countertop technology is from 1963 and there have been no age/wear related failures since then. 

I warn my tenants not to use bleach on the quartz or put hot things on it, just to make sure.