Silestone Countertops

A new option for countertops, flooring, interior wall facings, fireplace surrounds, vanities, tub surrounds, and bar tops is a product called Silestone. Silestone is an engineered stone made from quartz rock and is more durable than plastic surfaces or any natural material. It is a low maintenance-surfacing product which is stain, heat and scratch resistant. Esthetically Silestone is beautiful and is virtually indistinguishable from granite countertops and offers great mechanical strength and flexural strength.

Silestone is composed of approximately 93% natural quartz and 7% resins and pigments. These are combined through a patented process of vibrocompression under vacuum. This results in an engineered stone that is strong, durable and cost effective. Silestone is as hard as granite and harder than stainless steel.

Silestone is acid resistant and won't be damaged by acid based cooking ingredients like lemon juice or vinegar. Silestone is also less absorbent of liquids when compared to natural and synthetic materials and is virtually non-porous. Therefore, it does not freeze, stain, or burn. Furthermore, it is easy to maintain, wear resistant and scratch resistant. Silestone is easy to clean with water and soap, or an over the counter household cleaner.

Silestone can be produced in over 40 colors and the use of computers guarantees a color match on re-orders. Colors and patterns are consistent throughout each slab. It is available in a variety of thicknesses: 12 mm, 20 mm and 30 mm. There is a versatile slab size, with a minimum large uniform slab size of 3000 x 1380 mm, which means less waste.

As with any product, Silestone does have a few limitations which need to be carefully considered. Its primary disadvantage is that quartz rock, the primary component of Silestone, is heavy. Depending on the thickness you select, it can weigh as much as 16 pounds a square foot, so extra bracing may be required to support the weight of the panels.

The second disadvantage of Silestone is that it can be expensive. For example, Silestone costs $35-$94 a square foot installed, compared with granite, which averages $55-$95 a square foot, solid surfaces (such as Corian and Avonite), which cost $35-$85 a square foot, and laminate surfaces (such as Formica), which cost $5-$30 a square foot. But when you consider the benefits, the expense may become easier for you to justify.