What Is Engineered Stone | Brisbane Benchtops

What Is Engineered Stone?

Engineered Stone / By Gareth Hughes

Introduction

Since ancient times stone has been used as a material in creating the most beautiful art and homes. Prized not only for its durability but also for its beauty, stone is still the premium choice for people wanting to bring sophistication, longevity, and beauty into their homes.

Natural stone, however, can be expensive and hard to work with and that is why, in modern times, new technologies have allowed for the introduction of man-made, or engineered stone.

Brisbane Stone’s core ambition is bringing gorgeous, contemporary engineered stone into your home as simply and easily as possible. Our mission is to assist you from the very beginning of your benchtop journey with design and stone selection, right through to the installation.

What Is Engineered Stone?

Engineered stone is known by a few different names. In the construction and benchtop industry engineered stone benchtops are commonly called quartz benchtops and in the residential market they are frequently referred to by the leading brand name, Caesarstone benchtops. Other names you may have heard are composite stone benchtops, reconstituted stone benchtops, or manufactured stone benchtops, to name a few.

Engineered stone is a composite material made up of crushed stone which is then bound together with pigments and resins to create a durable surface. When used in benchtops engineered stone is predominantly made up of quartz (usually 90 – 95 %) however with more and more research coming out around the dangers of silicosis, the industry is quickly moving to replace the quartz with substitutes such as glass. Smartstone is a brand leading the way in this space and is a good product to consider if sustainability and safety are concerns of yours. Click here to find out more about Smartstone benchtops with a range of low silica engineered stone.

History

From the 1980s up until the early 2000s, Italy was the dominant producer of engineered stone products. These days engineered stone can be sourced from a variety of different countries, including China and India. In Australia, however, engineered stone’s largest supplier is the Israeli company Caesarstone, and the band name is synonymous with engineered stone benchtops in the Australian market today. A variety of suppliers have since entered the market including YDL, Smartstone, Lithostone and even big box retailers Bunnings (Essential Stone) and IKEA (Kasker) now have their own brands of engineered stone available.

Pro's of Engineered Stone

Is Engineered Stone Affordable?

Engineered stone is less expensive than comparable natural stone. This is because of the labour-intensive methods of quarrying, polishing, and shipping that goes into supplying natural stone versus the mass production of engineered stone. Furthermore, engineered stone comes backed by a strong warranty and has fewer ongoing maintenance costs than natural surfaces. Engineered stone offers the greatest “bang for your buck” when it comes to benchtops.

Is Engineered Stone Durable?

Due to its high quartz content (up to 95%) engineered stone is a stable, durable, and hard-wearing surface superior even to natural stone, making it the perfect choice not only in the kitchen, but everywhere around the home as well.

Is There A Wide Range of Options?

As a man-made surface, engineered stone can be subject to quality controls such as uniformity, consistency and strength; measures that cannot be guaranteed with natural materials. Engineered stone also comes in a wide variety of colours and styles which can all be “batch matched” so that the same look is maintained throughout your whole project. Engineered stone can also now mimic the appearance of natural stone and these faux-marble and other veined engineered stone products can also be “book-matched” more easily (matching edges of vertical and horizontal surfaces where the edges meet) adding real impact to an island or bar area.

Is Engineered Stone Low Maintenace

As engineered stone has resins that close most of the pores in the natural quartz crystals it requires very little upkeep. Natural materials such as timber and even marble and granite need to be sealed, resurfaced, and otherwise maintained to keep looking presentable. Engineered stone is more tolerant of spills and messes and does not require immediate attention to avoid long term staining. Moreover, it is naturally antibacterial and antifungal and needs cleaning with nothing more than a damp cloth.

Con's of Engineered Stone

Is Engineered Stone Heat Resistant?

Two things can happen to an engineered stone benchtop when a hot item like a boiling pot is put directly on it. Firstly, when heated to high temperatures, engineered stone can warp and/or discolour because it contains 5-10% resin, which are basically plastics and not made to withstand high heat. Secondly, if a hot pot/saucepan is placed directly on an engineered stone benchtop the stone under the pot heats up very quickly and this energy cannot dissipate across the entire benchtop evenly. This means that there is an uneven expansion under the pot and the surrounding area, creating pressure which can cause the benchtop to crack. This is known as thermal shock.

Thermal shock, warping and discolouration from heat is not covered by warranty and therefore a trivet, chopping board or some other heat resistant material should always be put between an engineered stone benchtop and any hot surface.

Is Engineered Stone Repairable?

Whilst engineered stone is stronger and less prone to cracking and chipping than natural stone, this still can happen. Repairs can be made to engineered stone, however, and the results can be amazing. In most instances there is some small imperfection visible. It should be advised these repairs are not cheap, however they will cost less than getting a new benchtop.

Is Engineered Stone UV Resistant?

Most engineered stone is manufactured using resins and pigments which are not designed to be exposed to direct, prolonged sunlight. The resins will discolour, and the pigments will fade. For this reason, most engineered stone is not rated to be used in applications such as outdoor barbeques which are not under full cover. Currently Caesarstone has a range of outdoor engineered stone, and more and more suppliers are developing their own. Click here to view the Caesarstone range of outdoor rated engineered stone.

Conclusion

Engineered stone comes in a variety of colours and styles, is durable and provides a good value for money choice for benchtops around the entire home. As there are so many options available to the public, it is a good idea to work with a professional to select the perfect countertop material to fit your project and meet your budget.

Brisbane Stone stands by ready to help. Contact us today if you would like assistance with your engineered stone selection or questions.