You just got yourself a granite countertop? Or you want to buy a kitchen countertop made of durable granite, but are not sure how to care for granite countertops? The maintenance of granite countertops is one of the most common questions when it comes to this natural, sustainable material. Every year we serve thousands of customers who approach us with this question. The most important tips for the care of granite countertops can be found here!
August 25, 2020
Choosing your granite countertop is certainly not an easy decision. Whether it concerns the color, the surface, the thickness of the countertop, the type of sink and ceramic cooktop installation – these are all issues that need to be analyzed, evaluated according to your own ideas and then decided
September 14, 2020
The natural aesthetics and sheer beauty of Granite can be enjoyed from the floor to the ceiling in a bathroom. A few great examples are Granite tub surrounds, Granite shower enclosures, and Granite vanity tops.
Silestone is ideal for use as a kitchen countertop. Before we explain why this is so, and what are the 6 inimitable advantages of Silestone, let us explain what Silestone actually is.
Silestone is an artificial stone material used in kitchens and bathrooms for countertops and vanity tops as well as floor and wall coverings. This artificial stone is also known as quartz composite in the technical language. Quartz composite material is a block made of natural material that is shaped into a specific form by sawing, milling and grinding. 93 % quartz in combination with synthetic resins enables countless design possibilities.
Silestone is temperature resistant up to 180 degrees. Therefore it is always necessary to use a coaster under hot pots, as the heat can damage the surface of Silestone.
Different surface possibilities
POLISHED: The polished surface is produced by grinding until the high gloss, even polish, is achieved. The polished surface is dense, requires no impregnation and is also easy to clean.
SUEDE: The surface suede is achieved by a special production process and results in an interesting material feel. Silestone with the SUEDE surface is matt and has a pleasantly warm touch. Depending on the color, this surface requires slightly more care.
VOLCANO: The surface volcano is also produced by a special production process. Silestone with the volcano surface is slightly rough to the touch, but has a warm appearance. The maintenance requirements for this surface are slightly higher than for the Suede surface.
Enormous color and design possibilities
Silestone currently offers about 60 different colors. The white of Blanco Zeus Extreme is the whitest white available in the composite sector. In addition to numerous mud or earth-colored designs, the color spectrum anthracite and black, there are also some design options with Carrara marble structure.
Beautiful and varied effect possibilities through material or mirror glass scatter
The Blanco Stellar, Eros Stellar and Negro Stellar varieties contain mirror glass inclusions that literally create mirror effects. This has a particularly attractive effect on kitchen countertops and the lighting installed in the wall units.
High mechanical resistance
Silestone is largely mechanically resistant. Nevertheless, a wooden board should be placed under the countertop when cutting. This will give you a beautiful surface for a very long time.
Largely insensitive to stains
Because Silestone consists of quartz grain bound with synthetic resin, this surface is equally dense and does not allow liquids to penetrate. This is a great advantage and does not require any impregnation with a care product.
Nevertheless, various liquids and essences should not affect the surface. We will be happy to inform you about this.
Impressive variety of products
Silestone is available for kitchen countertops and vanity tops in individual lengths, depending on the type, in lengths up to 320 cm. Available thicknesses are 12, 20 and 30 mm.
The Integrity sink, available in 3 models, is available in a wide range of colors and allows countertop and sink to be made of the same material. If the transition from the sink cut-out to the countertop is also mitred, the countertop and sink look as if they are cast from the same mould.
For the bathroom area, these slabs can be used to produce shower wall panels, shower trays and washstands. A shower wall panel, manufactured to the exact millimetre on natural dimensions, with a size of 90 x 200 cm and a panel thickness of 12 mm weighs only approx. 54 kg. Low weight, no joints on such a shower wall panel (only the joint in the inner corner and the one towards the shower cup) offers technical and subsequently benefits.
Floor coverings are available in the formats 30 x 30, 40 x 40 and 60 x 60 cm and thicknesses from 1.2 cm. As Silestone is already available in a thickness of 12 mm, large-format floor tiles can also be produced from the existing rough slab sizes of approx. 300 x 135 cm. Every individual floor or wall tile size is possible here.
