A quick-reference glossary of the terms you’ll come across when researching or ordering a quartz worktop, from edge profiles to fabrication terminology.
Bullnose edge: A fully rounded edge profile with no sharp corners. See our guide to edge profiles.
Cornerstone / pillar content: Not a worktop term, but you may see “engineered stone” or “composite stone” used interchangeably with quartz. See our explainer on what composite stone actually means.
Countertop: American English for worktop. See our guide: worktop vs countertop.
Cut-out: A hole cut into a worktop for a sink, hob, tap or socket, made during fabrication or afterwards by a professional. See cutting or drilling after installation.
Fabrication / fabricator: The process (and the professional who carries it out) of cutting, edging and finishing a worktop slab to your kitchen’s exact dimensions.
Mitred edge / mitre: A joint where two pieces of worktop meet at a 45-degree angle, used to create a thicker-looking edge or a waterfall end. See edge profiles and waterfall ends.
Mohs scale: A scale from 1 (softest) to 10 (hardest, diamond) used to rate mineral hardness. Quartz rates 7; granite rates 6; marble rates 3–4.
Non-porous: A surface with no microscopic pores, meaning liquids can’t be absorbed into it. Quartz is non-porous; natural stones like granite and marble are porous.
Overhang: The unsupported section of worktop that extends beyond a cabinet or wall, typically on a breakfast bar or island seating area. See breakfast bars.
Resin: The polymer binder combined with crushed quartz to form engineered quartz worktops, typically around 7% of the mix.
Seam: A join between two pieces of slab needed when a worktop run is longer than a single slab. See seams and joins.
Silica: Crystalline silica is a natural mineral component of quartz; a safety consideration during fabrication rather than in a finished worktop. See low-silica quartz and quartz worktop safety.
Slab: A single manufactured sheet of quartz, typically 3200 × 1600 mm (or 3300 × 1650 mm for some designs) before fabrication.
Splashback: A panel of worktop material fitted to the wall, usually behind a hob, to protect against heat and splashes. See splashbacks and upstands.
Template / templating: The process of precisely measuring a kitchen (usually with a laser or physical template) after cabinets are fitted, to guide fabrication. See how to measure for a quartz worktop.
Undermount sink: A sink fitted beneath the worktop for a seamless join. See undermount vs inset sinks.
Upstand: A short strip of worktop material (typically 100–150mm) fitted along the back edge to seal the join with the wall. See splashbacks and upstands.
Vacuum-vibrocompression: The manufacturing process used to make engineered quartz, developed by Breton in 1963. See how quartz worktop is made.
Waterfall end: Where worktop material continues down the side of an island in one seamless run, usually via a mitred joint. See waterfall ends.
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